US3090476A

US3090476A - Bobbin handling arrangement

Info

Publication number: US3090476A
Application number: US61915A
Authority: US
Inventors: Grady H Sanders
Original assignee: Milliken Research Corp
Current assignee: Deering Milliken Research Corp; Milliken Research Corp
Priority date: 1960-10-11
Filing date: 1960-10-11
Publication date: 1963-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 1980-05-21
Also published as: DE1249743B; CH381583A; BE608960A; GB960470A; FR1302787A; NL270062A

Description

May 21, 1963 G. H. SANDERS 3,090,476

BOBBIN HANDLING ARRANGEMENT Filed Oct. 11, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. GRADY H. SANDERS To EMF SOURCE FIG. "I-

M y 3 G. H. SANDERS 3,090,476

BOBBIN HANDLING ARRANGEMENT Filed 001;. 11, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. -2-

INVENHR.

GRADY H SANDERS ATTORNEY May 21, 1963 G. H. SANDERS BOBBIN HANDLING ARRANGEMENT 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 11, 1960 FIG. "3"

IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY May 21, 1963 G. H. SANDERS 3,090,476 BOBBIN HANDLING ARRANGEMENT Filed Oct. 11, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. GRADY H. SANDERS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,996,476 BOBBIN HANDLING ARRANGEMENT Grady H. Sanders, Spartanburg, S.C., assignor to Deering Milliken Research Corporation, Spartanburg, 3.6., a corporation of Delaware Filed Get. 11, 1%0, Ser. No. 61,915 16 Claims. (Cl. 19$33) This invention relates to bobbin handling apparatus, and more particularly to an improved bobbin orienting and transfer arrangement for orienting and transferring horizontally arranged bobbins to spaced apart vertically disposed positions for further handling, such being particularly useful in the automation of textile processing apparatus requiring supplies of empty bobbins at particular spaced apart substantially vertical positions.

It has previously been proposed to doii and don spinning frames substantially automatically or semiautomatically through the simultaneous dotting and thereafter donning of a plurality of the takeup spindles, it being preferred in many instances to doff and then don both sides of :an entire textile frame at one time. Various schemes have been proposed for eiiecti-ng this operation, some of which include the employment of a multiple bobbin doffer carrier which requires or makes it desirable to provide a supply of empty bobbins disposed in aligned spaced apart positions for pickup by the carrier in order to don a new a new supply of empty bobbins onto a spinning frame in one operation. The present invention is directed to the provision of an apparatus which is particularly adapted to the solution of this requirement in a facile and substantially automatic manner, requiring a minimum of operator attention and servicing, although it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the apparatus may be suitably employed in other uses as may be desired and for which the need may arise.

Still other features and attendant advantages will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of one preferred physical embodiment constructed according to the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein FIGURE 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a further enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a partial exploded view of the transfer cone arrangement of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 4 is a further enlarged view of the discharge zone of the transfer cone.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of the transfer cone discharge zone.

Referring now to the figures of the drawings, as seen in FIGURES l and 2, empty supply bobbins B are carried in substantially horizontal, spaced apart relation by a conveyor 11 from a suitable source of supply (not shown) to a reserve chute arrangement 13 where the bobbins are slowed down, oriented, stored and fed in laterally side-byside substantially horizontal stacked relation to a transfer cone arrangement 15 which then conveys the bobbins B in one-by-one fashion to a bobbin-receiving belt 17, where the bobbins are transferred and seated in spaced apart upstanding substantially vertical relation along the length of the belt 17.

In the instant example the feed conveyor 11 takes the form of a continuous feed belt 11a having cleats or lugs 11b disposed at spaced apart positions on its conveying surface, the belt being disposed between a pair of side walls 110 which serve to orient and maintain the bobbins in end-to-end relation along the belt 11a and between the cleats or lugs 11b. The bobbins may be placed on the 3,690,476 Patented May 21, 1963 conveyor belt 11a by any suitable feeding arrangement (not shown), with their head or small ends first. The bobbins proceed along the conveyor belt 11a to a discharge zone adjacent the reserve chute 13, at which position the bobbins encounter an oblique surface in the form of a door or wall 19 which serves to cam the bobbins B laterally (from the feed belt 11w through a side opening 11d formed in one of the side walls 11c and into the upper level of the chute 13. The cam acting door '19 may, if desired, be pivoted as at 1911 for selective movement into and out of the path of the bobbins B on the feed belt 11a in order to supply bobbins B selectively to the reserve chute 13 as may be desired or necessary. Such movement of the pivoted door 19 may be controlled either automatically or manually, as may be desired.

The bobbins leaving the conveyor feed belt 11w are oriented by the cumming action of the oblique surface of the door 19 to a position with their head ends extending toward the right hand side of the chute as viewed in FIG- URE 1 (the left hand side as viewed in FIGURE 2), and roll or slide down the inclined floor 13a of the upper level of the chute "13, thereupon dropping off the lower end of the upper floor 13a and through an intermediate vertical trough 1% into a second reverse inclined intermediate floor portion 13c of the chute, from which they proceed to a substantially vertically disposed reserve feed trough =13d from which they sequentially and individually feed to the transfer cone arrangement 15. Thus, the chute 13 serves to .slov. down and orient the bobbins B in side-by-side substantially generally horizontal relation, and to provide a supply of bobbins suitably arranged for reception by and feeding to the transfer cone arrange ment 15'.

The transfer cone arrangement 15 takes the form of a generally frusto-conical shaped member having a plurality of bobbin receiving recesses or slots 15b formed in its tapered peripheral surface 15a. The bobbin receiving recesses 15]) may be slightly tapered from the base end of the cone to the small end thereof in order to effect more accurate positioning of the bobbins at the zone of discharge and seating thereof onto the bobbin receiving belt, while aiding in the ease of discharge of the bobbins from the transfer cone. The recesses 15b are preferably formed of oversized width in order to permit ease of discharge from the moving cone without jamming in the discharge zone. The base periphery of the transfer cone 15 is preferably cut back slightly, as indicated at 15a, as an aid to the prevention of bobbin jamming at the discharge zone due to transverse movement of the cone 15 relative to the movement of the receiving belt 17.

A cover 16 in the form of a curved sheet of suitable material, such as steel, wraps about the active portion of the transfer cone periphery, and may be secured, as by bolts 18, to the lower end of the chute 13 and :a portion of the supporting frame 21. The cover 16 extends from adjacent the discharge end of the chute 13 to the discharge zone of the transfer cone l5, and includes a curbed main portion prefer-ably spaced slightly greater than one bobbin diameter from the lateral bottom of the recesses 15b formed in the tapered periphery of the transfer cone, together with an in-t-urned cover flange 16a which is disposed in slightly spaced apart relation beneath the base end port-ion of the bobbin receiving recesses 15b formed in the cone 15. The cover 16 thus serves to maintain the bobbins in their respective recesses or slots 1512 both laterally and longitudinally, as they travel from the upper rotation of the cone 15 and its supporting drive shaft 23 is inclined with respect to both the horizontal and the vertical, and in the illustrated example is inclined at an angle of approximately 45. The peripheral surface and taper of the transfer cone 15 is preferably such that a diametral plane cuts an approximately 90 angle at the imaginary apex of the cone of revolution formed by the translatory movement of the axes of the bobbins in the recesses 15b of the transfer cone 15. Thus, each succeeding recess passing through the bobbin receiving Zone at the upper side of the transfer cone is substantially horizontal and each succeeding recess passing through the bobbin discharge and seating zone adjacent the bobbin receiving belt is substantially vertical.

It will be apparent that while the preferred embodiment utilizes an approximately 90 cone and a 45 angle of inclination for the axis of rotation of the cone, it may be feasible in various instances to modify these'angles somewhat in order to accommodate different desired input angles and output angles for the bobbins to be transferred. The receiving and/or discharge positions may be varied by changing either or both of the effective degree of taper of the cone and the degree of inclination of the cone axis. Thus, if one desired to transfer bobbins from a position where they were inclined to the horizontal to a position where they would be substantially vertical, one might employ a transfer cone of less than 90 at the apex and an angle of inclination to the horizontal of greater than 45. Such is not desirable in the present instance, however, for this might result in an undesirable skewing and difiiculty of feeding of the bob: bins in the reserve chute, although in some instances this might be tolerated.

The bobbin receiving belt 17 is preferably formed with bobbin receiving and holding members disposed thereon at spaced apart intervals in order to provide for retaining of the bobbins in spaced apart upstanding positions along the length of the belt, thereby providing a fully positioned and easily handled source of oriented bobbins which may be picked up as by a simultaneous multiple position type dolfer carrier. In the instant example the bobbin receiving and holding members take the form of pegs 17a formed or secured on the outer surface of the belt 17.' These pegs may extend along the entire length, or less, of the belt if desired. However, it will be noted that it is only necessary that the pegs extend along a length equal to or less than one horizontal run of the belt in order to provide for effective positioning of a single desired set of bobbins for subsequent pickup or other handling. a

The bobbins are transferred from the transfer cone 15 to the bobbin receiving belt 17'as they become substantially vertically disposed during the path of travel thereof in their respective recesses on the transfer cone. To this end, the bobbin flange 16a of the cover 16 is terminated at a position preferably slightly preceding (eg. approximately the vertical position of the trailing edge of the successive recesses formed on the surface of the transfer cone, thereby enabling the bobbins B disposed in each of the recesses 15!) to drop under the force of gravity onto the bobbin receiving belt 17 as they sequentially become disposed in a vertical position. A slidably adjusted up 16a is preferably also provided in order to more precisely set the drop zone for proper registry with the pegs 17a on the belt 17. 7 Lip 16a may be provided with a slot for sliding adjustment toward and away from the center line of the pegs 17a, and may be secured onto the lower surface of the flange 16a as by flanged screws, as shown in FIGURE 5. The side wall of the cover 16 which serves to retain laterally the bobbins within the recesses 15b is also terminated at this point along its lower discharge end 16!) in order to permit the bobbins to be transported by the belt 17 away from the discharge brought into the discharge and seating zone. However, the upper discharge end we of the cover 16 preferably extends out into the discharge zone a small distance (e.g. approximately one-half of the bobbin small end diameter) in order to prevent the head ends of the bobbins from unduly tilting and causing falling over of the bobbins during their movement in the cone discharge zone.

In order to facilitate the proper deposit of each succeeding bobbin from the transfer cone 15 onto a respective succeeding one of the pegs 17a on the bobbin receiving belt 17, the drive roll 31 for the bobbin receiving belt 17 is interconnected in positive synchronous relation with the drive for the drive shaft of the transfer cone. Preferably, this is effected by employing a single drive motor M which serves to impart rotation, as through a conventional mechanical gearing or other desired connection, generally indicated at 33, to both of the cone supporting and drive shaft 23 and the drive roll 31 for the bobbin receiving belt 17. In order to further facilitate the positive synchronism of the belt 17 with the transfer cone 15 the belt may be provided with cleats 17b or the like on its inner surface which engage with corresponding grooves 31:: formed on the peripheral surface of the drive roll 31.

In order to insure the supplying of a bobbin B to each of the succeeding pegs 17a on the peg belt 17 as they pass the cone discharge and seating zone the reserve chute 13 is provided with a low reserve stopmotion switch 35 for the drive motor M. This low reserve stop-motion switch 35 may take the form of it normally closed Micro-switch or other suitable switch disposed on the side wall of the vertical trough of the chute, and having a feeler finger 35a extending into the bobbin passage within the chute for sensing the presence of bobbins. By disposing this switch 35 at a suitable height on the side Wall of the vertical reserve and discharge trough portion of the chute, as for instance 3 or 4 bobbins height above the discharge end, the power circuit to the motor'M will be broken and the motor will stop prior to any failure of supply of bobbins to the transfer cone 15 as the cone moves past the reserve chute discharge end, thus insuring that the transfer cone will not be rotated in the absence of a supply bobbin for each next succeeding recess to be loaded.

In operation, the bobbins B are fed in spaced apart end .to-end relation with their head ends first by the conveyor feed belt Hand are discharged onto and oriented in the reserve chute 13 by the lateral camming action of the pivoted door or wall 19, where they move under the force of gravity in laterally side-by-side relation down the two levels 13a, of the chute to the vertical discharge reserve trough 13d. From the vertical discharge reserve trough 13d of the reserve chute I13 the bobbins move in one-by-one relation into each succeeding bobbin-receiving recess 15b on the surface of the transfer cone 15, the bobbins moving into these recesses under the influence of gravity, and each succeeding bobbin being prevented from moving until a succeeding recess 15b registers with the discharge opening of the chute 13 by the intermediate raised portions forming the outer cone surface 15a. The bobbins B are moved by the rotation of the transfer cone 15 from the substantially horizontal position at their entrance thereto to an upstanding position at the discharge and seating zone, where they are discharged and seated under the influence of gravity by sliding out of their respective recesses 15b onto a respective peg 17a of the bobbin receiving peg belt 17 as the belt is moved in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 1.

In the event of an undesirably low supply of bobbins in the bobbin reserve chute 13 the stop motion switch 35 will be opened, thereby stopping the drive motor to the transfer cone 15 and bobbin receiving peg belt 17 until the supply is replenished. Upon the replenishing of the bobbin supply by the supply conveyor :11, which is preferably run continuously, the motor M will again start and continue the loading of the peg belt 17 with the desired supply of upstanding vertically spaced apart empty bobbins B. Upon the completion of the filling of any desired number of pegs 17a along the upper run of the peg belt 17 the control switch 37 for the drive motor M may be manually or automatically opened, whereupon the bobbins disposed on the pegs 17a may be subsequently picked up as by a simultaneous multiple position type dolfer carrier of suitable type and design, or otherwise employed as may be desired.

While this invention has been described and illustrated with respect to one preferred embodiment, it will be apparent that the invention is capable of many modifications and improvements without departing from the scope and spirit thereof. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the illustrated and described embodiment is only illustrative, and that the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

That which is claimed is:

l. A bobbin reorienting and transfer arrangement comprising a first horizontal conveyor adapted to convey bobbins lying in flat substantially horizontal position thereon, a second horizontal conveyor adapted to receive and hold bobbins in a vertical position thereon, and means disposed in intermediate flow relation between the output from said first conveyor and the input to said second conveyor for reorienting the flat substantially horizontal bobbins to a vertical position and transferring said bobbins in substan tially vertical position to said second conveyor, said intermediate means for reorienting and transferring bobbins comprising a conical member having multiple bobbin holding recesses thereon open at the larger base end of said conical member for direct longitudinal sliding discharge of bobbins therefrom, said conical member being rotatable about an axis disposed at an angle to the hori zontal 2. A bobbin reorienting and transfer arrangement comprising a first horizontal conveyor adapted to convey bobbins lying in flat substantially horizontal position thereon, a second horizontal conveyor adapted to receive and hold bobbins in a vertical position thereon, and means disposed in intermediate flow relation between the output from said first conveyor and the input to said second conveyor for reorienting the flat substantially horizontal bobbins to a vertical position and transferring said bobbins in substantially vertical position to said second conveyor, said intermediate means for reorienting and transferring bobbins comprising a conical member having multiple bobbin holding recesses thereon, said conical member being rotatable about an axis disposed at an angle to the horizontal, said bobbin receiving recesses being tapered from one end to the other, the larger end of said recesses being disposed adjacent the base end of said conical member.

3. An arrangement for reorienting and transferring generally horizontally arranged bobbins to side-by-side generally vertically disposed positions, comprising a rotatable conically shaped member having its axis of rotation disposed at an angle to the vertical and to the horizontal, and multiple-bobbin-holding recesses on the conical periphery of said conically shaped member and open at the larger base end of said conically shaped member for longitudinal sliding discharge therefrom, means disposed along the lower portion of the path of travel of said bobbin holding means and adapted to receive bobbins from said bobbin holding means in a generally vertical position, and means for feeding bobbins to said bobbin holding means at another position along the path of travel of said bobbin holding means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said bobbin receiving means is an endless flexible band having bobbin holding means associated therewith for holding bobbins in substantially vertically disposed position thereon after discharge from said conical member.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said conical member and said endless band are movable in synchronism, said apparatus comprising continuous motion drive means for driving said conical member and said band in smooth continuous synchronous relation.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising a partial cover disposed over a portion of the conical periphery of said conically shaped member to aid in holding bobbins in said bobbin holding recesses during movement of said bobbins by said conically shaped member. I -7. Apparatus according to claim 3 further comprising a stationary cover extending beneath a portion of the extent of travel of said recesses to prevent premature discharge of bobbins from said recesses.

8. An arrangement for reorienting and transferring generally horizontally arranged bobbins to side-by-side generally vertically disposed positions, comprising a rotatable conically shaped member having its axis of rotation disposed at an angle to the vertical and to the horizontal, and multiple-bobbin-hol-ding recesses on the conical periphery of said conically shaped member, recesses disposed along the lower portion of the path of travel of said bobbin holding means and adapted to receive bobbins from said bobbin holding means in a generally vertical position, and means for feeding bobbins to said bobbin holding means at another position along the path of travel of said bobbin holding means, said bobbin holding means comprising a plurality of slots formed in the periphery of said conical member and extending from the base end of said conical member, and a cover extending beneath a portion of the extent of travel of said slots to prevent premature discharge of bobbins from said slots, said cover for the base end of said slots and a portion of said cover for said conical periphery terminating at a point adjacent said means to receive bobbins from said bobbin holding means.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the peripheral surface of said conically shaped member adjacent its base end is cut back at a greater taper angle than the portion of said periphery adjacent the smaller end of said conically shaped member, as an aid to prevention of bobbin jamming in the discharge zone.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the portion of said cover for said conical periphery and disposed adjacent the small end of said conically shaped member extends beyond the portion thereof adjacent the lower base end of said concally shaped member as an aid to preventing tumbling or overturning of the bobbins as they leave said slots adjacent said means to receive bobbins therefrom.

ll. A bobbin reorienting and transfer apparatus comprising a generally conically shaped member mounted for rotation about an axis inclined to both the vertical and the horizontal and having its base end extending downwardly, a plurality of longitudinally extending bobbinholding oups formed on the tapered surface of said conically shaped member and each being disposed in a respective plane containing said axis of rotation, each of said cups being open at the end thereof adjacent the base of said conically shaped member for discharging of bobbins therefrom, and a cover disposed about a portion of the tapered periphery of said conically shaped member and extending between a bobbin entry zone adjacent the upper surface of said tapered periphery and a bobbin exit zone adjacent a lower portion of said conical surface, said lower surface having a substantially greater inclination to the horizontal than said upper surface, and bobbin retaining means extending beneath said cups in the area immediately preceding said bobbin exit zone.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said cups comprise a plurality of lengthwise slots formed in said tapered periphery and having an open end adjacent the base end of said conically shaped member, said bobbin retaining means comprising a bottom cover plate extend- 7 ingibeneath a portion of the extent of travel of said slots immediately preceding said exit zone. 7 13. Apparatus according to claim 12 further comprising an adjustment cover plate adjustably mounted at the exit end of said bottom cover plate for selective adjust ment of said bobbin exit zone from said slots.

14. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the upper end of said cover adjacent said bobbin exit zone extends :beyond the lower end thereof and beyond said bobbin retaining means beneath said cups, as an aid to preventing overturning of bobbins in said exit zone.

15. Apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a delivery trough having an open bottom end disposed adjacent the upper portion of the path of moveo u ment of said cups and being adapted to deliver bobbins in one-by-one fashion to said cups.

16. Apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a receiving belt having male holders at spaced intervals thereon, said belt being disposed at said bobbin exit zone, and means for moving said belt and said comically shaped member in synchronism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Claims

1. A BOBBIN REORIENTING AND TRANSFER ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING A FIRST HORIZONTAL CONVEYOR ADAPTED TO CONVEY BOBBINS LYING IN FLAT SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION THEREON, A SECOND HORIZONTAL CONVEYOR ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND HOLD BOBBINS IN A VERTICAL POSITION THEREON, AND MEANS DISPOSED IN INTERMEDIATE FLOW RELATION BETWEEN THE OUTPUT FROM SAID FIRST CONVEYOR AND THE IMPUT TO SAID SECOND CONVEYOR FOR REORIENTING THE FLAT SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL BOBBINS TO A VERTICAL POSITION AND TRANSFERRING SAID BOBBINS IN SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION TO SAID SECOND CONVEYOR, SAID INTERMEDIATE MEANS FOR REORIENTING AND TRANSFERRING BOBBINS COMPRISING A CONICAL MEMBER HAVING MULTIPLE BOBBIN HOLDING RECESS THEREON OPEN AT THE LARGER BASE END OF SAID CONICAL MEMBER FOR DIRECT LONGITUDINAL SLIDING DISCHARGE OF BOBBINS THEREFROM, SAID CONICAL MEMBER BEING ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE TO THE HORIZONTAL.