US3254912A - Doffing tool - Google Patents

Description

DOFFING TOOL Filed Dec. 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. E. PURCELL.

June 7, 1966 DOFFING TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 9. 1965 United States Patent 3,254,912 DOFFING TOOL Raymond Earl Purcell, Martinsville, Va., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 329,060 2 Claims. (Cl. 294-) This invention relates generally to the packaging of yarn and, more particularly, to the manner in which yarn packages are handled after winding.

A known type of yarn windup includes a rotatable, surface driven chuck adapted to receive one or more tubular package supports. An expandable chuck, such as that shown by Fletcher in U.S. Patent No. 2,274,681, permits easy mounting of an empty tube on the chuck assembly simply by sliding the tube over movable supporting elements which, by centrifugal action, grip the tube and hold it in place as a package is wound. When the chuck is stopped, after completion of a package, it is diflicult to remove and handle the tube without contacting the pack aged yarn.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved dofling tool for removing yarn packages from a windup device quickly and without contacting the yarn. The tool is lightweight and easy to engage and disengage from the package. It includes a slender rod which fits into a small groove provided in the windup chuck, engages a tube to facilitate its removal and holds the packaged tube securely during transfer to a buggy or weigh station.

These objectives and advantages are achieved with a hand tool comprised of a limit plate adapted for engagement with one end of a tubular element, a handle on the plate and an elongated, resiliently flexible rod projecting outwardly from the plate. The rod terminates in a hook adapted for engagement with the tubular element at its opposite end.

Other objectives and structurally advantageous features will become apparent in the following specification wherein reference is made to the accompanying'drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view of a chuck assembly showing the doffing tool of the present invention in position for removal of a yarn package;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the slender rod which forms a part of the hand tool shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of counteracting forces which hold a package on the tool after its removal from the windup.

Referring to FIG. 1, a doffing tool 10 is shown inserted into a chuck assembly 24. Tool 10 consists of a handle 12 provided with grips 14 and 16, which may be made of plastic or other suitable material. Mounted to the handle 12 by fasteners is an elongated, slender, resiliently flexible rod 18 which has a rectangular cross section and tapers toward its outer end. Rod 18 is metallic and straight except for a short end section :19 (-FIG. 3) which is bent upward slightly. At its outer end, rod 18 is provided with a hook 20, either by forming or machining. Mounted on the handle and rod assembly is a circular limit plate 22 having a diameter greater than that of a tubular package support 40.

The chuck assembly 24 includes a stationary spindle 26 which is fixedly mounted to frame 28. Spindle 26 supports a tubular housing 34 on bearings 30 and 32. Mounted in the tubular housing 34 are three gripping vanes 36, biased outwardly by springs 38. Vanes 36 grip the tube 40 with slight pressure when housing. 34 is stationary. Centrifugal force, acting on vanes 36, provides the higher "Ice '44 through which the rod 18 of dofiing tool 10 is inserted.

- In use, dofling tool 10 is inserted in the groove 44 in tubular housing 34 until plate 22 engages the exposed and of tube 40 and hook 20 springs into engagement with its inner end. The package 42 and tube 40 are removed by pulling on the handle 12 while maintaining nominal axia alignment with the chuck assembly 24.

When clear of chuck assembly 24, the counteracting forces on rod 18 lock tube 40 on tool 10 in such a manner as to form a rigid, stable assembly for transfer of the package 42 to a spinning buggy or a weigh station. In FIG. 1, it can be seen that the hook-to-tube engagement point C is common to both the hook 20 and the tube 40. With reference to FIG. 4, note that point C on the hook 20 can deflect only along are A. However, this common point C on the rear of tube 40 can only deflect or rotate along arc B because pivot point B is fixed by the limit plate 22. Since the forcewhich causes deflection at point C arises from the weight of the wound yarn package, this force first acts on the tube 40 which holds it down and fixes, so

.to speak, pivot point B. The tube 40 pivoting slightly about point B causes point C to try to follow are B; however, only a very slight movement is allowed because the space between the book 20 on rod 18 and the face of the limit plate 22 is only slightly longer than the length of the tube 40. As a result of this slight deflection, the rod 18 is in tension rather than in bending and the tube structure is thus locked in place. Any further tendency for the rod to bend is now fully resisted by the rigid tube structure acting as a column.

The yarn package is removed from dofiing tool 10 simply by producing a lifting force under the tube or yarn package independent of and greater than the downward force caused by the package-tube weight.

It is, of course, apparent that such a dofling tool is useful in doffing either a single tube which contains one or more packages or two or more tubes upon which are wound individual or multiple packages.

In addition to the illustrated length adjustment feature for rod 18, the face of limit plate 22 may be provided with a plurality of removable shims or plates to facilitate ad-, justment of the distance to the inside of hook 20.

While the illustrated embodiment has been described with respect to packaged yarn, the dofiing tool is equally useful with any wound web such as cloth, film, carpet, etc., which has been wound on a tube, bobbin, or sleeve. Further, this tool is useful in moving any object where it is desired not to contact the outside surface and the object has a through passage for rod 18. For example, it has utility in the removal of hot, tube-shaped objects from a heat-treating furnace.

It is apparent that the above and other modifications and adaptations of the disclosed dofling tool may be accomplished without departing from the spirit of my invention which accordingly is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A hand tool comprising: a plate adapted for engagement with one end of a tubular element; a handle on said plate; and an elongated, resiliently flexible rod attached'to and projecting outwardly from saidplate, said rod having a short, obt-usely disposed, terminal length and terminating in a lateral extension, said lateral extension presenting a hook adapted for engagement with said element at its opposite end, said rod being adapted to flex and elongate when inserted into said element and being substantially coextensive in length with said element when unflexed, whereby to cooperate with said plate and handle as a support for said tubular element.

2. A tool intended for use in dofiing a yarn package wound on a tube from a windup chuck having a longitudinal groove in its surface, said tool comprising: a plate adapted for engagement with the exposed end of and through the circumference of said tube; a handle projecting outwardly intone direction from said plate; and an elongated, resiliently flexible rod attached to and projecting outwardly in the opposite direction from said plate, said rod having a short, obtusely disposed, terminal length and terminating in a lateral extension, said lateral extension presenting a hook adapted for engagement with thev other end of said tube, said rod being adapted to flex and 15 GEORGE F. ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner.

elongate when inserted into said tube through said groove and being substantially coextensive in length with said tube when unflexed, whereby to cooperate with said plate as a support for said package when dofied.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,570,306 1/1926 Johnson 294-6l X 1,752,227 3/1930 Briggs 294-61 X 2,625,422 1/1953 Roberts 29415 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A HAND TOOL COMPRISING: A PLATE ADAPTED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE END OF A TUBULAR ELEMENT; A HANDLE ON SAID PLATE; AND AN ELONGATED, RESILIENTLY FLEXIBLE ROD ATTACHED TO AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID PLATE, SAID ROD HAVING A SHORT, OBTUSELY DISPOSED, TERMINAL LENGTH AND TERMINATING IN A LATERAL EXTENSION, SAID LATERAL EXTENSION PRESENTING A HOOK ADAPTED FOR ENGAGEMWNT WITH SAID ELEMENT AT ITS OPPOSITE END, SAID ROD BEING ADAPTED TO FLEX AND ELONGATE WHEN INSERTED INTO SAID ELEMENT AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE IN LENGTH WITH SAID ELEMENT WHEN UNFLEXED, WHEREBY TO COOPERATE WITH SAID PLATE AND HANDLE AS A SUPPORT FOR SAID TUBULAR ELEMENT.

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