US3174206A

US3174206A - Apparatus for crimping yarn by bunching

Info

Publication number: US3174206A
Application number: US270448A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mattingly Denis Albert Edward; Gilchrist Reginald Selby
Original assignee: Klinger Manufacturing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Klinger Manufacturing Co Ltd
Priority date: 1961-11-29
Filing date: 1963-04-03
Publication date: 1965-03-23
Anticipated expiration: 1982-03-23
Also published as: BE625420A; US3212157A; BE630540A; SE302174B; DE1435516A1; GB1051721A; DE1785531A1; GB1035935A; CH448365A; ES282896A1; CH413214A

Description

Man]! 23, 1955 D. A. E. MATTINGLY ETAL 3,174,206

APPARATUS FOR CRIMPING YARN BY BUNCHING Filed April 3, 1963 a Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTMB March 1965 o. A. E. MATTINGLY ETAL 3,174,206

APPARATUS FOR CRIMPING YARN BY BUNCHING Filed April 3, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IDE i ALBERT Emma MRTI'INGL] D SELF} @L umsT EEG- NH MJW Mamh 1965 D. A. E. MATTINGLY ETAL 3,174,206

APPARATUS FOR CRIMPING YARN BY BUNCHING Filed April 5, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet a INvE lvr s United States Patent 0 3,174,266 APEARATUS FGR CRIMPING YARN BY BUNKJHIYG Denis Albert Edward Mattingly and Reginald SelbyG-ilchrist, London, England, assignors to The Ginger Manufacturing Company Limited, London, England, a British company Filed Apr. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 270,448 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 4, 1962, 13,036/2; June 27, 1952, 24,770/62 18 Claims. (Cl. 28-1) This invention relates to apparatus for crimping yarn of the kind comprising means for feeding the yarn into a passage arranged to restrict its rate of travel thereby compressing the yarn along its length forming a plug which fills the passage as it moves through it, the yarn being in a crimped state in the plug, means for setting the crimped yarn and means for withdrawing the crimped yarn from the leading end or head of the travelling plug and winding it into a package or bobbin. An object of the invention is to provide means for accurately controlling the rate of withdrawal of the crimped yarn from the leading end or head of the plug so that the extent of forward or rearward movement of said leading end or head relatively to said passage is limited.

According to this invention an apparatus of the kind referred to for crimping yarn is characterised in that there are provided means responsive to the movement of the leading end or head of the plug of crimped yarn from which the yarn is being withdrawn which means are arranged to vary the rate of withdrawal and winding of the crimped yarn whereby the extent of movement of said leading end or head relatively to said passage in either direction is limited.

The said means responsive to movement of the leading end or head of the plug of crimped yarn may comprise a blade which projects into said passage in the path of movement of the plug therein and is yieldingly loaded against the leading end or head thereof, movement of which blade is arranged to vary the rate of withdrawal and winding of the crimped yarn.

The means for restricting the rate of travel of the yarn through said passage may comprise a wheel, the periphery of which projects into an arcuate groove in an element partly encircling said wheel so as to leave a clearance between the wheel and the bottom of the groove along which said plug of crimped yarn may travel round with said wheel and which element is provided with a slot extending outwardly from the bottom of the groove, and said blade extends through said slot into the groove and through which slot the crimped yarn is Withdrawn between the blade and the leading end or head of the plug of yarn.

In an alternative arrangement the means responsive to the movement of the leading end or head of the plug of crimped yarn may comprise a source of light and light sensitive means arranged respectively on opposite sides of the path of travel or" said leading end or head of the plug of crimped yarn, which light sensitive means is arranged to control means for varying the rate of withdrawal and winding of the crimped yarn so that when the source of light is cut off from the light sensitive means by the leading end or head of the plug the rate of withdrawal of the yarn is increased, but is reduced again when the light source is again obscured.

In one arrangement two photoelectric cells are spaced apart in the direction of travel of the bunched yarn on the opposite side thereof to the means for directing the light on to the cells, which photoelectric cells are associated with means for controlling the rate of withdrawal and winding of the yarn so that there is no increase in rate ice of withdrawal until both light sensitive cells are obscured from the light and there is no decrease in the rate of withdrawal of the yarn until both photoelectric cells again receive light.

In any of the arrangements referred to above the means responsive to the movement of the leading end or head of the plug of crimped yarn is arranged to con trol a change speed gear by which the means for withdrawing and winding the crimped yarn is driven.

In the case where the means responsive to the movement of the leading end or head of the plug of crimped yarn comprises a blade the blade may be arranged to actuate a switch in circuit with a source of electric supply and an electromagnetic clutch, the engagement and disengagement of which is arranged to control a two speed gear so that when the clutch is engaged the means for withdrawing the bunched yarn and winding it are driven at a greater rate than when the clutch is disengaged.

In the case where the means responsive to the movement of the leading end or head of the plug of crimped yarn comprise two photoelectric cells, the outputs from both of them may be connected in circuit in a spring controlled electromagnetic relay or solenoid which actuates switch mechanism in circuit with a source of electric supply and with an electromagnetic actuated clutch controlling a two speed gear box which drives the yarn withdrawing and winding means.

Known means may be provided for laying the yarn backwards and forwards along the winding or take up bobbin, which means are driven through an integrally variable gear controlled by means responsive to the variation in diameter of the package on the winder bobbin so that as the diameter of the wound bobbin increases the rate of travel of the laying means along the bobbin is reduced.

Other features of the invention are set out in the accompanying description and claims which description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the various parts of an apparatus for crimping yarn;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic view of a part of the apparatus showing alternative means for controlling the rate of withdrawal and winding of the crimped yarn from the leading end or head of the plug of crimped yarn;

FIGURE 3 is an electric circuit diagram showing the manner in which two photoelectric cells are connected in circuit with a relay or solenoid which controls the v change speed gear for driving the yarn withdrawing and winding mechanism; and FIGURE 4 is a similar view to FIGURE 3 showing an alternative circuit diagram.

The yarn 10 is drawn upwardly off the upper end of a bobbin 11 by

tworollers

12, 13 driven in opposite directions between which the yarn is gripped. The yarn after leaving the bobbin passes through a tensioning device 14 and then over an electrically heated body 15. The roller 12 is fixed to a shaft 16 which drives the shaft 17, on which the roller 13 is fixed, through gearing 18. The shaft 16 has fixed to it a pulley 19 driven by an electric motor 26 through a belt and pulley transmission 21.

The

rollers

12, 13 are disc like in form and project into intersecting recesses on opposite sides of a block 22 which is secured to the lower end of an electrically headed arcuate element 23, the inner face of which is provided with an arcuate groove 24 in which part of a serrated periphery of a wheel 25 rotates, a clearance being left between the bottom of the groove and the circumference of the wheel.

The block 22 is provided with a passage 26 which extends up from a gap between the upper sides of two

rollers

12, 13 leading into the arcuate groove 24 near the end thereof. The serrated wheel 25 is fixed to a shaft 27 which is rotated by the following transmission.

The aforesaid shaft 16 has fixed to it a sprocket Wheel 28 which drives another sprocket wheel 30 through a chain and sprocket transmission. The sprocket wheel 30 is fixed to the input shaft 31 of a variable speed gear box 32. The output shaft 33 of the gear box drives a shaft 34 through a worm reduction gearing 35. The shaft 34 has fixed to it a sprocket wheel 135 which drives another sprocket wheel 36 through a chain 37. The sprocket wheel 36 drives the shaft 27 through bevel gearing 97. The gear ratio of the whole of this transmission is such that the peripheral speed of the serrated wheel 25 is considerably less than the peripheral speed of the

rollers

12 and 13 whereby the yarn is compressed along its length as it passes upwardly through the gap between the two rollers 12,. 13 into the arcuate groove 24, and builds up into a plug which travels round with the serrated periphery of the wheel 25 in the clearance between it and the bottom of the groove. The groove is also so shaped as to provide a clearance between the side walls and the sides of the wheel.

Fixed to the upper end of the arcuate element 23 is an extension 38 which has an arcuate groove 39 formed in the innerface thereof which groove is an extension of the groove 24 and receives the plug of crimped yarn.

An arcuate slot 40 extends inwardly from the outer face of the extension into the bottom of the groove 39. The crimped yarn is drawn off the leading end or head of the plug of yarn, as it travels round with the serrated wheel by a pair of nip rollers 9 driven at a speed proportional to the speed of the winding mechanism indicated generally at 46 the yarn passing out through the arcuate slot 40 through a tensioning device 4 so that the crimped yarn may be stretched before passing through the nip rollers on its way to the winding mechanism after leaving the nip roller the yarn may be drawn over. a heated body 81 for stabilizing the degree of crimp in the yarn. Should for any reason the yarn not be drawn away quickly enough from the leading end or head of the plug it might be carried round by the wheel 25 again entering the groove 24 causing the mechanism to become clogged or should the crimped yarn be drawn away too quickly it will break. Thus it is important that the rate of with drawal of the yarn from said leading end or head of the plug should hear an accurate relationship with the rate of travel of the plug of yarn along the groove 29. To ensure this there is disposed in the groove 39 a forked blade (not shown) the limbs of which straddle the serrated wheel which blade is fixed to a cranked lever 42 having a hub portion 43 rotatable on the driving shaft 27 to which the serrated wheel 25 is fixed.

The hub portion 43 has fixed to it a lever arm 44 to the end of which is secured a Weight 45 thereby tending to rotate the cranked lever 42 and forked blade anti-clockwise.

The cranked lever 42 has mounted upon it a mercury switch 47 connected by conductors 48 with an

electromagnetic clutch

49, 50.

The part 49 of the electromagnetic clutch is fixed to a shaft 51 which is driven from the shaft 16 through a chain and sprocket transmission 52.

The shaft 51 has connected to it through a slipping clutch 53 a further sprocket wheel 54 which drives a friction roller 55 of the winding mechanism through a chain and sprocket transmission 56. The other element of the electromagnetic clutch is fixed to a sleeve 57 rotatable on the shaft 51 and having fixed to it another sprocket wheel 58 which also drives the shaft 59 of the friction roller through a chain and sprocket transmission 60. The shaft 59 drives the shafts 8 of one of the aforesaid nip rollers 9 through a chain and sprocket transmission 7 and the shaft 8 drives the shaft 6 of the other nip roller through gearing 5. The two chain and sprocket transmissions 56, 6t? and the sprocket wheels 54, 58 are so arranged that when the electromagnetic clutch is not energised the sprocket wheel 58 is freely rotating on the shaft 51 and the drive is being transmitted to the shaft 59 through a free wheel 53, sprocket wheel 54 and chain and sprocket transmission 56. When however, the electromagnetic clutch is engaged the shaft 59 and the nip rollers 9 are driven at a faster rate through the sprocket wheel 58 and chain and sprocket transmission 60 while the device 53 associated with the sprocket wheel 54 free wheels. The friction roller 55 bears on the outer surface of the bobbin or package 61 which is being wound so that the peripheral speed remains substantially constant.

If, however, rate of wind of the yarn diminishes the leading end or head of the plug of the crimped yarn will travel round with the serrated wheel 25 carrying the forked blade 39 with it until the mercury switch is swung into a position to close the circuit of the electromagnetic clutch causing the nip rollers 9 and the friction roller 55 to be driven at a greater rate as explained above and thus the leading end or head of the plug of crimped yarn to recede around the serrated wheels 25 whereupon the forked blade 41 and lever 42 will move anti-clockwise causing the mercury switch 47 to open and the rate of withdrawal and winding of the yarn again to be diminished.

The yarn after leaving the heated body 81 is lead on to the bobbin 61 by a known kind of reciprocating yarn laying device 62 which is movable backwards and forwards along a guide 63 in known manner by a scroll cam 64 fixed to a shaft 65.

The shaft 65 has secured to it a friction disc 67 which is engaged by a friction wheel 68. The friction wheel 68 is secured to a sleeve 69 which is internally splined so as to be movable along a rotatable splined shaft 70 in a radial direction with respect to the friction disc 67.

The splined shaft is driven through chain and sprocket transmission 71 from a shaft 72 which in its turn is driven through bevel gearing 73 from the shaft 59 on which the friction roller 55 is mounted.

The take-up or winding bobbin 61 is mounted on a shaft 74 which is rotatably mounted at the end of an arm 75 which arm is secured to a stub shaft 76 mounted in a fixed bearing 77 and also has fixed to it a crank arm 78. The crank arm is connected by a link 79 with a pin 80 projecting from the side of the internally splined sleeve 69.

With this arrangement as the diameter of the package or bobbin 61 increases the lever arm 75 is swung outwardly with respect to the friction roller and in so doing moves the friction wheel 68 outwardly from the shaft 65 whereby the shaft is rotated at a slower rate and the thread is moved along the bobbin 61 also at a slower rate.

The arrangement shown in FIGURE 2 is similar to that described above with the exception that the extension piece 38 is drilled with two

holes

82, 83 the axis of which intersect the groove in the inner face of the extension piece through which the serrated periphery of the wheel 25 passes.

Light sources

84, 85 are disposed opposite the

holes

82, 83 on one side of the extension piece and two

photoelectric cells

56, 87 are disposed opposite holes on the other side of the extension piece.

According to the rate at which the yarn is drawn away from the leading end or head of the plug on the serrated wheel so will the leading end or head of the plug advance past the two

holes

82, 83 cutting off the light from the photo-electric cells, or will recede thus uncovering the holes, thus allowing the light to fall on the photo-electric cells.

Referring to the circuit diagram shown in FIGURE 3 the two inputs of the photo-

electric cells

86, 87 are connected to one side 88 of a source of electric supply and their two outputs are connected to one end of a coil 9 89 of an electromagnetic relay or solenoid, the other end of which is connected to the other side 90 of the electric source of supply.

The armature 91 of the relay or solenoid is connected to one contact 92 of a pair of contacts so that when the relay or solenoid i-s energised it draws the contact 92 away from the other contact 93 against the action of a spring 94. The two

contacts

92, 93 are connected in circuit with a source of supply and with the aforesaid electromagnetic clutch 49, 50. With this arrangement assuming that the plug of bunched yarn is being drawn at such a rate that the leading end or head is approaching the hole 82 both the photo-electric cells will be energised and sufiicient current will be passing through the relay or solenoid coil 89 to draw the armature 91 upwards against the action of the spring 94 and thus the electromagnetic clutch will be de-energised and the nip rollers 9 and take up bobbin 61 will be driven at the lesser of the two rates.

The leading end or head of the plug will first obscure the hole 82 rendering the photo-electric cell 86 inoperative but the current supplied by the photo-electric cell 87 will be sufiicient still to hold the armature 91 in its upper position and under these conditions the nip rollers 9 and take up or bobbin 61 will still be driven at the lesser of the two speeds.

Should the leading end or head of the plug continue to move around with the serrated wheel it will eventually obscure the hole 33 whereupon the photo-electric cell 87 is rendered inoperative, the spring 94 is then strong enough to bring the contact 92 into engagement with the contact 93 whereby the electromagnetic clutch is energised establishing -a higher rate of drive for the nip rollers 9 and take up bobbin 61, whereupon the yarn will be drawn off the leading end or head of the plug of bunched yarn and the head will eventually uncover the hole 83 and energise the photo-electric cell 87. However, the current supplied by that cell alone will not be suflicient to withdraw the armature 91 upwardly against the force of spring 94 and the

contacts

92, 93 will remain engaged until the head of the yarn moves past the hole 82 whereupon the joint currents from the two photo-electric cells will be suflicient to energise the relay or solenoid coil and draw the armature upwardly whereon the speed of the drive for the take up spool will be diminished. Trimmers 3 are provided in the circuit so that the current may be adjusted to values at which the relay or solenoid will operate in the above manner.

The arrangement shown in FIGURE 4 is similar to that described above with the exception that the armature 91 in addition to controlling the contact 92 controls a further contact 95 arranged opposite a fixed contact 96, the arrangement being such that when the contact 92 engages the contact 93 the contact 95 is separated from the contact 96 and vice versa. With this arrangement the output of the photo-electric cell 86 is permanently in circuit with the relay or solenoid coil 89 and with the fixed contact 96, whereas the output from the photo-electric cell 87 is connected to the movable contact 95. When light falls on the photo-electric cell 86 the relay solenoid coil 89 is arranged to close the

contacts

95, 96 and to open the contact 93. If the light also fails on the photo-electric cell 87 current will pass through the

contacts

95, 96 and the relay or solenoid coil 89 and this will result in the relay or solenoid coil continuing to be energised when the photo-electric cell 86 is no longer energised by reason of being obscured from the light.

The relay or solenoid coil will have rendered the electromagnetic clutch 49, 50 inoperative by opening the

contacts

92, 93 and a drive will be transmitted at the lower rate to the nip roller 9 and take up bobbin 61.

If the photo-electric cell 87 is also obscured from the light the relay or solenoid coil is no longer energised and the

contacts

95, 96 will separate and the

contacts

92, 93

will close energising the electromagnetic clutch and the rate of withdrawal of the yarn from the plug will be increased. The plug will then commence to travel in the opposite direction uncovering the hole 83 allowing light to pass the photo-electric cell 87, the contacts 92,. 93 Will remain closed and the

contacts

95, 96 will remain open, thus there will be no current flowing through the relay or solenoid coil 89.

When the plug of bunched yarn uncovers the light path to the photo-electric cell 36 the relay or solenoid coil 89 is energised and the

contacts

95, 96 close and the

contacts

92, 93 will be open which renders the electromagnetic clutch inoperative thus slowing down the rate of withdrawal of the yarn.

The plug of bunched yarn will then reach a position obscuring the light from the photo-electric cell 86 but will not affect the circuit to the relay coil 89 which is held by the current supplied by the photo-electric cell 87.

Cadmium sulphite photoconductive cells are employed since they will operate the relay or solenoid direct without further amplification.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the details of the apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention for example, the heated body 81 may be additional to or in place of the heated element 23 for setting the yarn.

We claim:

1. Crimping apparatus, comprising feed imeans arranged to feed yarn into means defining a confined area to form a plug of crimped yarn, means for withdrawing yarn from the leading end of said plug as it emerges from said confined area, and means exterior of said confined area responsive to the position of the leading end of said plug for varying the rate of withdrawal of the crimped yarn relative to the speed of said feed means whereby the extent of movement of said leading end of said plug relative to the end of said confined area is held within predetermined limits.

2. Crimping apparatus comprising feed means arranged to feed yarn into means defining a confined area to form a plug of crimped yarn, means for withdrawing yarn from the moving end of said plug, and means responsive to the position of the leading end of said plug for varying the rate of withdrawal of the crimped yarn relative to the speed of said feed means whereby the extent of movement of said leading end of said plug relative to the end of said cofined area is held within predeter mined limits; said last mentioned means including, light source means and light senstive means arranged respectively on opposite sides of the path of travel of the leading end of the plug of crimped yarn, which light sensitive means is arranged to control means for varying the rate of withdrawal of the crimped yarn so that when the amount of light reaching the light sensitive means is diminished by the leading end of the plug the rate of withdrawal of the yarn is increased, the rate of withdrawal of the yarn is reduced again when the amount of light reaching the light sensitive means is increased by the retreat of the leading end of the plug.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the light sensitive means comprise a photoelectric cell changes in the electrical output of which are arranged to actuate an electromagnetic means which control the means for withdrawing the bunched yarn.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein two photoelectric cells are spaced apart in the direction of travel of the leading end of the bunched yarn onthe opposite side thereof to means for directing light onto the cells, which photoelectric cells are so associated with said means for varying the rate of withdrawal of the yarn that there is no increase in the rate of withdrawal until both light sensitive cells are obscured from the light and there is no decrease in the rate of withdrawal of the yarn until both photoelectric cells again receive light.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein a separate light source is provided for each photoelectric cell.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the means responsive to the movement of the leading end of the plug of crimped yarn controls a change speed gear by which a drive is transmitted to the means for withdrawing the crimped yarn.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which the last mentioned means includes a blade disposed in the path of travel of the leading end of the plug or crimped yarn, which blade after a predetermined movement of the end of the plug of crimped yarn due to the building up of the plug operates so as to increase the speed of withdrawal of the crimped yarn, whereas after a predetermined recession of said leading end the follow up movement of the blade operates to reduce the speed of withdraw-a1 of the crimped yarn.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the movement of'the blade is arranged to actuate a switch in circuit with a source of electric supply and an electromagnetic clutch, engagement and disengagement of which is arranged to control a two speed gear so that when the clutch is engaged the means for withdrawing the bunched yarn is driven at a greater rate than when the clutch is disengaged.

9. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the outputs of said two photoelectric cells are connected in circuit with a spring controlled electromagnetic solenoid which actuates a switch mechanism in circuit with a source of electric supply and with an electromagnetically actuated clutch controlling said change speed gear which drives the yarn withdrawing means.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the solenoid in addition to actuating the switch mechanism in circuit with the electromagnetically actuated clutch also actuates switch means in a holding circuit for the relay.

11. Crimping apparatus comprising feed means arranged to feed yarn into means defining a confined area to form a plug of crimped yarn, means for withdrawing yarn from the moving end of said plug and winding said yarn into a package, means responsive to the position of the leading end of said plug for varying the rate of withdrawal and winding of the crimped yarn relative to the speed of said feed means whereby the extent of movement of said leading end of said plug relative to the end of said confined area is held within predetermined limits; the last mentioned means including light source means and light sensitive means arranged respectively on opposite sides of the path of travel of the leading end of the plug of crimped yarn which light sensitive means is arranged to control means for varying the rate of withdrawal and winding of the crimped yarn so that when the amount of light reaching the light sensitive means is diminshed by the leading end of the plug the rate of withdrawal of the yarn is increased, the rate of withdrawal of the yarn is reduced again when the amount of light reaching the light sensitive means is increased by retreat of the leading end of the plug, and means for laying the yarn backwards and forwards along the package being formed which means are driven through an infinitely variable gear controlled by means responsive to the variation in diameter of the package being formed so that as the diameter of the wound package increases the rate of travel of the laying means along the package is reduced. 7

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said package is driven by a friction roller bearing against the outside of the wound package, which package is mounted on a part movable away from the axis of rotation of the friction roller, which movement is arranged to control the infinitely variable gear driving the yarn laying device.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said infinitely variable gear comprises a drivenfriction disc engageable by a friction wheel movable radially with respect to the disc by said movable part on which said bobbin is mounted and which friction wheel drives the yarn laying device.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said friction wheel is driven from the same means which drives the friction roller.

15. Crimping apparatus comprising feed means arranged to feed yarn into means defining a confined area to form a plug of crimped yarn, means for withdrawing yarn from the leading end of. said plug,.and means responsive to the position of the end of said plug for varying the rate of withdrawal of the crimped yarn relative to the speed of said feed means whereby the extent of movement of the leading end of said plug i held within predetermined limits; said last mentioned means including light source means and light sensitive means adjacent the path of travel of the leading end of said plug arranged to increase the speed of withdrawal of the yarn when the amount of light reaching the light sensitive means is diminished by the leading end of the plug and to decrease the speed of withdrawal of the yarn when the amount of light reaching the light sensitive means is increased by the retreat of the leading end of the plug.

16. Crimping apparatus comprising feed means arranged to feed yarn into means defining a confined area to form a plug of crimped yarn, means for withdrawing yarn from the leading end of said plug, and means responsive to the position of the end of said plug for varying the rate of withdrawal of the crimped yarn relative to the speed of said feed means whereby the extent of movement of the leading end of said plug is held within predetermined limits; said position responsive means being arranged and constructed to sense the position of the leading end of the plug without affecting the back pressure of the yarn within the confined area.

17. Apparatus for crimping yarn comprising feed means having a bight on the discharge side thereof, confining means of short length having stationary wall portions adjacent said bight, enclosure means having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet communicating with the discharge end of said confining means, said enclosure means extending transversely away from said bight, and driven conveyor means having projections extending into said enclosure means, whereby said mass of crimped yarn is positively engaged at the discharge end of said confining means and conveyed through said enclosure means to said outlet, means for withdrawing the yarn from the enclosure means, and means for controlling the rate of withdrawal of yarn'from the outlet of said enclosure means to maintain the position of the leading end of the plug of crimped yarn Within predetermined limits.

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said last mentioned means includes a pair of photocells.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,820,988 1/58 Wegener 2872 2,862,279 12/58 Pardon et al. 19-66 2,917,784 12/59 Spence et a1. 19-66 3,096,558 7/63 Rainard et al. 281

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. CRIMPING APPARTUS, COMPRISING FEED MEANS ARRANGED TO FEED YARN INTO MEANS DEFINING A CONFINED AREA TO FORM A PLUG OF CRIMPED YARN, MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING YARN FROM THE LEADING END OF SAID PLUG AS IT EMERGES FROM SAID CONFINED AREA, AND MEANS EXTERIOR OF SAID CONFINED AREA RESPONSIVE TO THE POSITION OF THE LEADING END OF SAID