US3208690A - Means for permitting the continuous unwinding of thread from twister spools in a creel - Google Patents

Description

J. N. MIRE Sept. 28, 1965 MEANS FOR PERMITTING THE CONTINUOUS UNWINDING OF THREAD FROM TWISTER SPOOLS IN A CREEL Filed June 13, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- INVENTOR JUNIUS MIRE ATTORNEY United States Patent O M MEANS FOR PERMITI'ING THE `CONTINUOUS UNWINDING F THREAD FROM TWISTE'R SPOOLS IN A 'CREEL Junus Nickless Mire, Chalmette, La., assignor to Chase Bag Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 13, 1963, Ser. No. 287,594 8 Claims. (Cl. 242-131) The present invention relates to a means for permitting the continuous unwinding of thread from twister spools in a creel.

Heretofore, it has been customary to provide only one spool on each spindle in a creel rack. As it is diflicult to determine when a spool will empty, or that an attendant will always be immediately available to replace the empty spool with a full one, this has resulted in waste of material, as well as down time of machine operation. The present invention eliminates the abovenamed disadvantages by providing means whereby a standby spool may be mounted in axial alignment with the regular spool so that, when the contents of the regular spool have been exhausted, the thread, having previously been knotted to the thread of the standby spool, will continue to unwind from the standby spool and, at a convenient time, moved to the position previously occupied by the regular spool and a new standby placed in position. Various means for accomplishing this purpose are shown and described herein.

It is, accordingly, an object of the invention to provide a novel means for permitting the continuous unwinding of thread from twister spools in a creel.

Another object is to provide novel devices for inter- -connecting a pair of spools whereby they may rotate at the same rate of speed.

Still another object is the provision of improved spools which are simple, in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and yet effective and eicient in use.

A further object is to provide an improved drive dog.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a novel feed dog.

A further object of the invention is to provide an elongated auxiliary creel spindle.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as the specification is considered with the accompanying drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating one form of the invention in actual use;

FIGURE 2, is a View, similar to FIGURE l, illustrating the device of FIGURE 1 at the moment the inner spool is becoming empty and with the outer spool moved outwardly to illustrate details of construction;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of a device embodying the present invention showing the manner in which one end of a spool is connected therewith;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective View illustrating a drive dog and a feed dog forming parts of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective View of a hollow shaft and drive dog adapted to be positioned upon the regular spindle of a creel;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a drive dog which may be utilized upon an elongated spindle of a creel frame; and

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a further modification of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, an upright creel frame 10 is provided with outwardly and upwardly extending conventional spaced spindles 11. A conventional spool 12 is Patented Sept. 28, 1965 arranged on the uppermost spindle 11 and is formed with a centrally disposed bore 13. Diametrically opposed openings 14 are provided in one end of the bore and communicate therewith. As best shown in FIG- URES 2 and 4, a feed dog 15 is suitably secured by adhesive or other securing means, not shown, to one end of spool 12. A circumferential groove 16 is formed in the outer periphery of the feed dog, and the latter is also provided with arcuate grooves 17 in the outer face thereof.

A hollow, cylindrical, auxiliary spindle 18, substantially twice the length of the lowermost conventional spindle 11, has centrally aixed thereon a drive dog consisting of a disc 19 from either side of which projects a pair of diametrically opposed ears 20. In this embodiment, the auxiliary spindle 18 will first have mounted thereon, at the inner half portion thereof, the spool A (see FIG. 1). Thus, the inner ears 20 of the drive dog 19 may engage in the grooves 17 thereof, while the spool B is placed upon the outer half of the shaft 18 with the outer ears 20 of the drive dog 19 engaging in the openings 14 thereof, after which the shaftA 18 is placed over the conventional spindle 11.

The spools A and B are so wound that the beginning end of the yarn thereon is first wrapped about the feed dise 15, affixed to its spool. This permits the exposure of both ends of the yarn wound on the spool rather than just the final end as is customary. When the spools A and B have been mounted in the manner hereinabove described, the beginning end 21 of spool A is knotted, as indicated at 22, to the final end 23 of spool B, as Shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. Thus, when the spool A has paid out all of its yarn, the beginning end 21 thereof, being attached to the final end 23 of the spool B will continue to unwind the yarn from the spool B.

In the modification illustrated in FIGURE 6, it is contemplated that, in lieu of the conventional spindle 11 on the creel frame, an elongated spindle 11a may be provided when the creel is manufactured. In this form, the drive dog 19 may be loosely mounted upon the shaft 11a between two spools, such as A and B, the ears 20 thereof acting to interconnect the same so that they may rotate at the same speed. The operation of this form of the invention is otherwise identical with that of the previously described embodiment.

Referring more particularly to FIGURE 7, a hollow shaft 24 is formed with a knurled outer surface 25. In this modification, the feed dog 19 is not required, since the two spools A and B may be caused to rotate together, in end to end relationship as shown in FIGURE 1, by frictional contact of the inner surfaces of the bores 13 with the knurled surface 25, the operation otherwise being as above described.

While but certain forms of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many minor modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with the spindle of a creel frame adapted to hold spools of yarn thereon, means on said spindle for rotatably supporting a plurality of spools thereon, means on said spindle for interconnecting said spools, and means for interconnecting the yarns -of the spools, whereby the yarn may be paid out uninterruptedly and successively from said spools.

2. In combination with the spindle of a creel frame adapted to hold a single spool of yarn thereon, the provision of a hollow shaft rotatably receivable on said spindle, a drive dog aixed centrally on said shaft, and a spool of yarn mounted on said shaft on either side 3 of said drive dog and engageable with said dog, the beginning end of the yarn of one of said spools being tied to the final end of the yarn of the other spool.

3. In combination with the spindle of a creel frame adapted to hold a plurality of spools of yarn thereon, the provision of a plurality of axially and oppositely disposed drive dogs rotatably mounted on said spindle, and a spool of yarn rotatably mounted on said spindle at either side of said drive dogs and engageable with said dogs, the beginning end of the yarn of one of said spools being tied to the final end of the yarn of the other spool.

4. In 4combination with the spindle of a creel frame adapted to hold a single spool of yarn thereon, the provision of a hollow shaft of substantially greater length than said spindle, said shaft being rotatably mounted on said spindle, and a pair of spools of yarn mounted on each shaft in frictional engagement therewith, the beginning end of the yarn of one of said spools being tied to the nal end of the yarn of the other spool.

5. The invention as disclosed in claim 4 wherein said shaft is provided with a knurled outer surface to provide said frictional engagement.

6. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said drive dog comprises a cylindrical body having ears extending from each side thereof, and wherein said spools are provided at each of their ends with recesses for engaging said ears, whereby, when so engaged, rotation of one spool will cause identical rotation of the other.

7. The invention as dened in claim 3 wherein said drive dog comprises a cylindrical body having ears extending from each side thereof, and wherein said spools are provided at each of their ends with recesses for engaging said ears, whereby when so engaged, rotation of one spool will cause identical rotation of the other.

8. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said spools are provided with ear-receiving openings in one end thereof, and wherein a feed dog is aixed to the other end thereof, said feed dog comprising a circular body having a continuous groove in its outer periphery and a pair of arcuate ear-receiving grooves in the outer face thereof, and wherein said drive dog comprises a cylindrical body having ears extending from each side thereof for engaging the adjacent openings and grooves of said spindles whereby, when so engaged rotation of one spool will cause identical rotation of the other.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 729,095 5/03 Rabbeth 242.46.21

FOREIGN PATENTS 571,045 2/ 59 Canada.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN COMBINATION WITH THE SPINDLE OF A CREEL FRAME ADAPTED TO HOLD SPOOLS OF YARN THEREON, MEANS ON SAID SPINDLE FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING A PLURALITY OF SPOOLS THEREON, MEANS ON SAID SPINDLE FOR INTERCONNECTING SAID SPOOLS, AND MEANS FOR INTERCONNECTING THE YARNS OF THE SPOOLS, WHEREBY THE YARN MAY BE PAID OUT UNINTERRUPTEDLY AND SUCCESSIVELY FROM SAID SPOOLS,

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