US3307225A - Turntable mounting unit for textile coilers - Google Patents

Description

March 7, 196.7 J. R. wHlTl-:HURST 3,307,225

TURNTABLE MOUNTING UNIT FOR TEXTILE COILERS 4 Sheets-Shee't l Filed July 1o, 1964 'I INVENTOR:

Joa- WHITEHmaT TURNTABLE MOUNTING UNIT FOR TEXTILE COILERS Filed July 1o, 1964 4 s'heets-shee'fa 2 March 7, 1967 J, R, WHn-EHURST 3,307,225

TURNTABLE MONTING UNIT FOR TEXTILE COILERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 10, 1964 U AIU.

7 llmwwf? No@ @am INVENTOR.' Joa- WHsTE-HURT ATTORNEYS March 7, 1967 1 R, WH|TEHUR5T 3,307,225

TURNTABLE MOUNTING UNIT FOR TEXTILE coILIRsy Filed July '10, 1964 4 sheets-sheet 4 INVENTOR.- JOY: E. WHITEHURST ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,307,225 TURNTABLE MOUNTING UNIT FOR TEXTILE COILERS Joe R. Whitehurst, Bessemer City, N.C., assignor to Ideal Industries, Inc., Bessemer City, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed July 10, 1964, Ser. No. 381,746 9 Claims. (Cl. 19-159) This invention relates to apparatus for coiling textile slivers -into cans and, more especially, to an improved coiler apparatus for accommodating various sizes of sliver cans.

Conventionally, existing coiler heads, associated with carding, drawing, combing or other textile machines, are connected to corresponding turntables by gearing adjacent upper and lower ends of a substantially upright coiler shaft driven 'by the textile machine. The vertical axes of the turntable and the sliver-feeding coiler plate or tube gear of the coiler head are relatively eccentric in accordance with the circular path traced by the throat of the coiler plate, and the diameter of the can.

For various reasons, the most suitable diameter for the can in which sliver is packed has not 'been standardized in the textile industry. Many existing coiler units were originally installed -to accommodate cans of relatively small diameter and, with technical advances in sliver producing machinery, it has been found desirable to change to cans of larger diameter. Even then, the ultimate size can may not have been determined. Whenever a change is made in the size of the cans, corresponding changes must be made in the speed ratio of the turntable to the coiler plate and in the relative positions thereof.

However, most prior art coiler units cannot be adjusted to accommodate changes in the diameter of the cans or changes in the diameter or size of the sliver. Thus, it becomes necessary to replace the entire coiler unit or substantial portions thereof when changing to cans of different diameter. I am aware of at least one prior type of coiler unit, such as is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,832,099, embodying adjustment means to accommodate cans of varying diameters, but in addition to being quite complicated and constructed of numerous parts, the turntable of the known adjustable coiler unit can 'be adjusted only angularly about the axis of the coiler shaft and cannot 'be utilized therefore to permit adjustment of two or more turntables driven by a common coiler shaft, as is desirable in drawing or -gilling machines, for example, equipped with two or more coiler heads.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved coiler turntable mounting unit including means for adjusting the turntable in a linear manner relative to a coiler head thereabove, wherein the turntable is adapted to be driven from the usual coiler shaft with Very little, if any, modification of an existing machine with which the mounting unit is used.

It is another object of this invention `to provide a turntable mounting unit of the character described which is easily adjustable, includes a small number of parts, is of simple, economical construction, and is easily installed and maintained.

Still another object is to provide a mounting unit for accommodating two or more turntables adapted to be driven from a single coiler shaft and including means for adjusting all the turntables in a linear manner in a horizontal plane relative to corresponding coiler heads and the coiler shaft.

Another object is to provide a mounting unit of the character described including a carriage in which the turntable or turntables are journaled, with means supporting the carriage for adjustment along a line toward "ice and away from the axes of the coiler heads, which line is tangent to a circle generated about the axis of the coiler shaft, `and wherein gear means interconnects the turntables and the coiler shaft and is adjustable, at least in part, to compensate for variation in displacement between the axis of the coiler shaft and the axes of the turntables resulting Ifrom adjustment of the carriage.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanyingI drawings, in which- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention show ing the same exemplified in association with a drawing frame, only portions of the front ofthe drawing frame being shown and some of the parts Ibeing shown schematically, broken away, and in cross-section;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the turntable mounting unit omitting associated gearing;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the turntable mounting unit partially in section and showing the turntables in phantom lines, and looking down substantially along line 3 3 in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional plan view taken immediately below `the level of the top wall of the upper support member or turntable carriage holder, with the axes of the turntables adjusted further forwardly than they are in FIGURE 3, and showin-g the gearing which connects the turntables to the upright coiler shaft;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 5 5 in FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 6 6 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 7 7 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURES 8, 9 and 10 are schematic plan views illustrating the relative positions of one of the coile-r plates or tube gears and a corresponding turntable therebeneath when accommodating cans of different diameters.

Referring more specifically to the drawings and more particularly to FIGURES 1-7, a preferred embodiment of the turntable mounting unit of the present invention is shown largely positioned between the head-end and footend frame members 10, 11 of a two-delivery drawing frame. The drawing frame has two drafting zones 12, 12', shown schematically in FIGURE l, from which respective webs of drafted fibers are delivered and which pass therefrom and are condensed in a well-known man ner, by means not shown, into respective slivers S, S. The slivers then pass to tube gears or coilers plates 13,

` 13 of respective coiler heads broadly designated at 14, 14.y

. Tube gears 13, 13 are driven in a conventional manner by means of respective gears 15, 15' connected by suitable gearing contained in gear housings 16, 16' to a substantially horizontal shaft 17 carried by the frame of the drawing frame and being driven in timed relation to the drafting zones 12, 12'. Shaft 17 also drives a conventional upright coiler shaft 20 through a train of gears 21. Although coiler shaft 20 may be conventional, its lower end is mounted in a manner peculiar to the present invention as will be later described.

As is usual, tube gears 13, 13' are spaced above respective coiler-can-supporting turntables 25, 25', and the throats or discharge openings of tube gears 13, 13 trace respective circular paths, generated about axes eccentric with respect to the axes of the corresponding turntables 25, 25', for depositing or laying slivers S, S' in respective coiler cans 26, 26' in the form of somewhat elliptically-shaped coils. Usually, as the coils of sliver are deposited in each can, they are formed so their greatest diameter is less than the inner diameter of the corresponding coiler can with the outside of the coils being deposited closely adjacent the cylindrical wall of the corresponding can. It follows, therefore, that it is desirable to be able to adjust each tube gear and corresponding turntable relative to each other to compensate for changes in the size, such as weight and diameter, of the slivers S, S. More importantly, however, it is highly desirable that the relative positions of the tube gears 13, 13and respective turntables 25, 25 are adjustable in order to accommodate changes in the diameter of the coiler cans 26, 26.

In order to provide for such relative adjustment between the coiler tube gears 13, 13 and the turntables 25, 25', I have provided a novel and improved turntable mounting unit, broadly designated at 30, and which cornprises an elongate, substantially rectangular base or housing 31, an elongate table carriage or first support member 32, and an elongate carriage holder or second support member 33 which also serves as a platform or cover for the unit. Base 31 may be suitably secured to or upon any desired surface, such as the lloor which supports the machine, provided that base 31 is in xed relation to the machine. In the illustrated embodiment, base 31 is suitably secured to and spans the distance between frame members 10, 11 of the drawing frame.

The right-hand end of base 31 (FIGURES 1 4) is positioned against and welded or otherwise secured to the inner wall of foot-end frame member 11. The left-hand end of base 31 extends through a suitable opening 36 in the inner wall of head-end frame member and is welded or otherw-ise suitably secured to the latter wall. As best shown in FIGURE 2, base 31 includes opposed side flanges a, b connected to opposed end anges c, d. The bottom edges of flanges a-d may be connected to a bottom wall 37, although bottom wall 37 may be omitted, if desired.

Opposed end portions of base side ilanges a, b have respective relatively narrow forwardly and rearwardly extending top plates 40, 41 suitably secured thereto whose distal edge portions may be suitably secured to corresponding end flanges c, d. It should be noted that top plate 40 is largely positioned within hollow headend frame member 10 and is provided with an access opening 42 therethrough to permit access to certain gears within the corresponding end portion of base 31, as will be later described..

As is conventional in many drawing frames, upright coiler shaft is of composite construction', i.e., it includes a pair of upper and lower alined shaft sections 20a, 2017 detachably interconnected by a pair of mating toothed couplings 20c, 20d (FIGURES 1 and 7). The reduced lower end of lower shaft section 20b penetrates and is journaled in a bearing 45 whose housing is suitably secured to top plate 40. The reduced lower end of shaft section 201) also loosely penetrates top plate 40 and has a gear 46 removably secured thereon, as by a set screw 48. Gear 46 is adapted to engage an adjustable gear 47 (FIGURES 3, 4, 5 and 7) journaled on a sleeve 49 mounted on a shoulder bolt 50. Gear 47 has a relatively small gear 51 integral therewith or suitably secured thereto.

The shouldered lower portion of bolt 50 is loosely positioned in an arcuate slot 53 formed in a bottom end plate 54 of table carriage 32. It should be noted that bottom end plate 54 is spaced beneath top end plate 40 of base 31, and the entire table carriage 32 loosely fits between the opposed side flanges a, b of base 31 so it may be adjusted. forwardly and rearwardly between flanges a, b.

In order that the position of gears 47, 51 may be adjusted along slot 53, shoulder bolt 50 has a pair of washers e, f engaging the upper and lower ends of sleeve 49, and a nut 55 is threaded onto the upper end of shoulder bolt 50 for securing the same in the desired adjusted position while permitting free rotation of gears 47, 51.

Table carriage 32 comprises also front and rear opposed side i'langes 56, 57 and opposed end flanges 58, 59. A top wall 60 connected to the opposed side flanges 56, 57 is also connected to end flange 59. However, the end of top wall 60, adjacent the arcuate adjustment slot 53 for change gears 47, 51, terminates a substantial distance short of end flange 53 to provide an opening suf- Iiciently large to facilitate adjusting and/ or replacing gears 46, 47, 51 and other gears to be presently described mounted on bottom end plate 54 of table carriage 32. A medial portion of the flange 58 may be cut away as shown in FIGURES 2, 4 and 7, to accommodate change gear 47. It will be noted that bottom end plate 54 underlies only a very small portion of top wall 60 so that gears mounted thereon are readily accessible from beneath table carriage 32. s

Gear 51 meshes with a relatively large idler gear 65 having a small idler gear 66 suitably secured thereto or formed integral therewith and projecting upwardly therefrom. Gears `65, 66 are journaled on a screw 67 (FIGURE 5) in substantially the same manner as gears 47, 51 are journaled on bolt 50. The lower end of screw 67 is threaded into bottom end plate 54 of table carriage 32. Gears 46, 47, 51, 65, 66 serve as change gears.

Gear 66 meshes with the first of .a series of intermeshing gears 70-73. Gears 70, 72 are idler gears journaled on studs or screws 75 threaded into and depending from top wall 60 of tab-le carriage 32. Gears 71, 73 are keyed on the reduced lower ends of shafts or hubs 76, 77 (FIG- URES 4 and 5) for the respective turntables 25, 25. Shafts 76, 77 are suitably secured to turntables 25, 25 as by screws 78. The reduced lower portions of shafts 76, 77 are journaled in and extend through top wall 60 of table carriage 32. Preferably, shafts 76, 77 are journaled in said top wall 60 by means of anti-friction bearings 80, 81 (FIGURES 2, 3 and 5), and the enlarged upper portions of shafts 76, 77 rest upon the anti-friction bearings as best shown in FIGURE 5.

Table carriage 32, along with the turntables anda-ll the gears carried thereby, is -adjustably suspended from carriage holder 33 which, in turn, rests upon base 31. Carriage holder 32 comprises a substantially rectangular, elongate, platform 85 with dependent longitudinally extending flanges 86, S7 on opposite sides thereof spa-ced further apart than the distance between the distal surfaces of anges a, b of base 31. Thus, flanges 86, 87 may loosely straddle flanges a, b when the turntable mounting unit 30 is assembled. Set screws 88 are provided in flange 87 for releasably securing carriage holder 33 to base 31. The distance between the proximal edges of top end plates 40, 41 of base 31 is substantially the same as, or slightly greater than, the length of platform 85 of carriage holder 33 so that, when turntable mounting unit 30 is assembled, carriage holder 33 is positioned in predetermined relationship to coiler shaft 20 and turntables 25, 25' are properly positioned with their axes forwardly of the vertical plane of the axes of tube gears 13, 13.

Platform S5 of carriage holder 33 is provided with a plurality of elongate, forwardly and rearwardly extending or transverse, adjustment slots 90, there being four such slots provided in this instance, which register with corresponding threaded holes 91 formed in top wall 60 of table carriage 32 (FIGURE 2) for threadedly receiving respective adjustment screws 92 therein. Platform 85 also has a pair of longitudinally spaced openings 95, 95 therethrough which are substantially larger than the enlarged lupper portions of turntable shafts 76, 77 and may be elongated transversely of platform 85 to enable forward and rearward adjustment of table carriage 32 while it is positioned between anges a, b of base 31. The various elements of turntable mounting unit 30 are constructed in the manner described so that they may be easily assembled and disassembled in addition to facilitating adjustment of turntable 25, 25 in a substantially horizontal plane relative to the tube gears 13, 13' and tangentially of an imaginary circle generated about the axis of coiler shaft 20. Conveniently, in -assembling turntable mounting unit 30, and assuming that base 31 has already been secured to the drawing frame in the manner heretofore described, table carriage 32 may be secured to platform 85 of carriage holder 33 by screws 92 and then all the gears and the turntables may be mounted on table carriage 32 in the manner heretofore described.

When table carriage 32 is secured to carriage holder 33, the right-hand end of table carriage 32 is substantially flush with or spaced inwardly of the corresponding end of -platform 85. Thus, the next step in assembling the mounting unit may comprise holding the previously assembled carriage 32 and carri-age holder 33 at an angle while inserting the left-hand end portion of carriage 32 (FIGURES 2, 3, 4, Iand 5) lbetween flanges a, b and beneath top end plate 42 of base 31, during which the left-hand end edge of platform 85 is positioned against the adjacent inner edge of top end plate 40.

Thereafter, table carriage 32 and holder 33 are lowered, with flanges 86, 87 straddling flanges a, b and with opposed sides of table carriage 32 spaced inwardly of flanges a, b, until platform 85 rests upon flanges a, b of base 31. At this time, platform 85 will fit neatly Ibetween the proximal edges of top end plates 40, 41 of base 31. Flanges S6, 87 loosely straddle flanges a, b to an extent permitting ease in assembling and disassembling mounting unit 30. In order to insure that carriage holder 33 rem-ains in fixed relation to base 31, the set screws 83 may threadedly penetrate flange 87 and may be tightened against rear flange b of base 31 after the elements are assembled.

Before or after table carriage 32 is positioned in base 31, gear 46 (FIGURE 7) is secured on the lower end of coiler shaft 20 and, after table carriage 32 and carriage holder 33 are assembled with base 31, gears 47, 51 (FIGURES 5 and 7) :are adjusted along the arcuate slot 53, which is lgenerated about the axis of gears 65, 66, until gears 47, 51 are in proper intermeshing engagement with the respective gears 46, 65. Preferably, the inner wall of head-end frame member of the drawing frame, adjacent and :above turntable mounting unit 30, is provided with an access opening 101 suliciently large to permit installation and removal of gears 46, 47, 51 and adjustment of gears 47, 51 and shoulder bolt 50 along slot 53. When the machine is operating, opening 101 may be closed Iby a cover or door 102 removably secured to the corresponding wall of head-end frame member 10 (FIGURES l and 5) as by screws 103.

In FIGURES 8, 9 and 10, the smaller circles 13a, 13b, 13C represent the paths traced by the center of the throats of tube gears, such as the tube gear 13 of FIGURE l, relative to the inner peripheries of corresponding cans represented by the circles 26a, 2617, 26e and wherein the cans are of different diameters. By way of example, the can circles 26a, 26h, 26e are l5 inches and 24 inches in diameter, respectively, 15-inch and 24- inch cans respectively are about the smallest and largest diameters Vof cans currently in use in the textile industry. The diameter of the path of the throat of a tube gear, which is generally known as the throw of a tube gear, usually is about two-thirds of the diameter of the corresponding can, and the portion of such path which is most closely adjacent the vertical plane of the inner surface of the corresponding can is located inwardly of the vertical plane of the can wall a distance substantially equal to the radius of the sliver which, by way of example, shall be called one-half inch.

It follows, therefore, that the diameters of the tube gear throw circles 13a, 13b, 13e would be approximately l0 inches, 13.333 inches and 16 inches, respectively, and the distances X, X', X between the axes of the respective circles 13a, 26a; 13b, 2617; 13C, 26C would be about 2 inches, 2.834 inches and 3.50 inches, respectively. The relative positions of tube gears 13, 13 and turntables 25, 25 is such that an imaginary horizontal straight line through the planes of the vertical axes of each tube gear and the corresponding turntable extends forwardly and rearwardly substantially parallel to the adjustment slots in carriage holder 33 so that any adjustment of table carriage 32 and turntables 25, 25 is effected substantially radially of the axes of the tube gears 13, 13. In other words, any adjustment of turntables 25, 25' effects a substantially equal adjustment in the displacement between the axes of tube gears 13, 13 and the respective turntables 25, 25.

Assuming that the sliver producing machine -or drawing frame was originally constructed to accommodate cans of 15 inches internal diameter, the axis of the coiler can and turntable in FIGURE 8 would occupy a position represented by the fixation line Y relative to the base 31. Since this is the smallest diameter of throw of the coiler tube gear and the smallest diameter can which might be used, the turntable carriage then may occupy its rearmost position relative to base 31 land carriage holder 33 as shown in FIGURE 3.

When the machine is to be changed to accommodate cans of 20 inches inside diameter as shown in FIGURE 9, although the coiler tube gear then being used may be of the same external diameter as the coiler tube gear used in the example of FIGURE 8, t-he throw of the tube gear would be approximately 13.333 inches. Accordingly, instead of the corresponding turntable being `adjusted forwardly (away from the drafting zones of the darwing frame) a distance equal to the difference between the relative diameters of the 15-inch and 20- inch cans, the turntable would be adjusted forwardly only a distance Y (FIGURE 9) from fixation line Y of about .833 of an inch. When changing the machine from accommodating cans of l5 inches internal diameter to cans of 24 inches internal diameter, the tube gears of l0 inches throw are replaced by tube gears of 16 inches throw. Here again, since the laxis of the tube gear remains constant with respect to the machine and fixation line Y, the coiler turntables, while being enlarged to accommodate the larger cans, are adjusted forwardly only the relatively small distance Y of FIGURE 10 of about 11/2 inches.

The operations involved in changing the machine so that it may accmomodate larger coiler cans are as follows:

The tube gears 13, 13 are replaced by tube gears having a larger throw and corresponding gears 15 are replaced by smaller gears. T-he smaller size turntables 25, 25' are then replaced with larger turntables of the desired diameter, by loosening the screws 72, lifting the smaller turntables off the enlarged upper portions of the corresponding shafts 76, 77, then placing larger turntables on the shaft 76, 77 and fastening the larger turntables to the shafts 76, 77 by the screws 78.

The adjustment screws 92 are then loosened without completely withdrawing them from the corresponding threaded holes 91 in turntable carriage 32 (FIGURE 2), whereupon the operator grasps the turntables and moves them forwardly the desired distance, thus causing table carriage 32 and the gears carried thereby to move forwardly therewith. Screws 92 are then tightened to lock table carriage 32 and the larger turntables 25, 25 in the adjusted position.

When going to a larger size can, the inside diameter of the can is necessarily proportionally greater than the diameter of the throw of the new tube gears, thus requiring that the speed of the turntables be increased relative to the speed of the tube gears 13, 13' in order that the slivers S, S are properly coiled in the cans. Therefore, it then becomes necessary to remove door 102 (FIGURES l and and replace gear 46 (FIGURE 7) -on the lower end of coiler shaft 20 with a gear of larger diameter, whereupon the gears 47, 51 (FIGURE 5) are adjusted in the manner heretofore described so that they mesh with the corresponding gears 46, 65. Alternatively, gears 47, 51, 65 may be replaced with gears of different diameters.

It is important to note that, since carriage 32 is adjusted tangentially of a circle generated about the axis of coiler shaft 20 whenever it is adjusted toward or away from the axis of coiler plates 13, 13', the gears 47, 51 are adjusted thereafter to compensate for variation in displacement between gears 46, 71 resulting from adjustrnent of carriage 32. Such compensating feature is necessary even though the size of one or more of the gears 46, 47, 51, 65, 66, 70 may be changed in effecting the desired speed ratio between coiler plates 13, 13 and turntables 25, 25'.

The reason for providing the couplings 20c, 20d interconnecting the two sections 20a, 2Gb of coiler shaft 20 is to facilitate installation and removal of shaft 20 when mounting unit 30 is originally installed or in the event that it becomes necessary to replace the coiler shaft for anyvreason subsequent to its original installation. Usually, shaft 20 is simply keyed in the corresponding gear of the train 21 so that, after removing gear 46 from the lower end of section Ziib of coiler shaft 20, the upper section 20a of shaft 20 may be raised to lift coupling 20c out of engagement with coupling Ziid and shaft section 20h then may be raised to withdraw the same from bearing 45, whereupon shaft section 20a may be lowered to Withdraw the same from engagement with the corresponding gear in train 21.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that, whenever turntables 25, 2S' are adusted forwardly or rearwardly relative to the coiler tube gears 13, 13', turntables 25, 25' .are moved in a horizontal plane along lines parallel to the chord of an imaginary circle generated about the axis of coiler shaft 20, rather than being adjusted along a line radially or angularly of the .axis of the coiler shaft 20. It can be seen that, regardless of whether the sliver producing machine is provided with a single coiler head or a row of several coiler heads, the turntables are adjustable in substantially radial planes with respect to the axes of the tube gears so the turntables may be shifted to better accommodate various diameters of coiler cans and to accommodate variations in the diameter or size of different slivers being produced on the machine.

Although three specific examples of tube gear-coiler can combinations are disclosed herein, it is apparent that turntable mounting unit 30 may be adapted for many different sizes of coiler cans. Coiler plates other than tube gears, but which perform substantially the same function as tube gears, may be used with the turntable mounting unit 30 of the present invention.

The illustrated embodiment is particularly applicable for installation during the manufacture of new drawing frames or the like, but it is apparent that the turntable mounting unit may be used with other types of machines with very little if any modification of the existing machines being required to accommodate the turntable mounting unit 30. For example, some drawing frames have the coiler shaft exposed rather than being positioned within a hollow head-end frame member as disclosed herein. In the latter instance, the base 31 of the mounting unit 30 could then be secured to t-he floor in the proper position relative to the corresponding drawing frame.

In the drawings and specification there |has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although speciiic terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a coiler apparatus for laying sliver in cans and having at least one coiler head including a rotary coiler member provided with an eccentric throat through which sliver passes to a can therebeneath, and an upright coiler shaft operatively connected to said member and having a gear on its lower portion; the combination of (a) a turntable carriage spaced beneath said member,

(b) a turntable journaled on a vertical axis in said carriage,

(c) a stationary base,

(d) a carriage holder carried by said base and overlying said carriage,

(e) means adjustably securing said carriage to said holder for adjustment in a horizontal plane toward and away from the vertical axis of said coiler member, and

(f) gear means carried by said carriage and serving to connect said coiler shaft in driving relation to said turntable.

2. In a textile machine having a rotatable coiler turntable and means for driving the same, the combination comprising (a) a table carriage holder,

(b) a table carriage beneath said holder,

(c) means adjustably suspending said carriage from said holder for substantially linear adjustment in a substantially horizontal plane,

(d) means connected to, substantially concentric with,

and depending from said turntable and being journaled for rotation in said carriage for being driven by said driving means,

(e) said holder having an opening therethrough through which said last-mentioned means loosely extends with the turntable positioned above said holder, and

(f) said opening being of such size as to permit linear adjustment of said carriage and the turntable therewith relative to said holder.

3. Means for supporting and driving a coiler turntable of a textile machine having a coiler tube gear and driven coiler shaft; said means comprising (a) a table carriage holder,

(b) a table carriage beneath said holder,

(c) means adjustably suspending said carriage from said holder for substantially linear adjustment in a substantially horizontal plane in a direction radially of the vertical axis of said tube gear,

(d) means substantially concentric with and depending from said turntable and being journaled for rotation in said carriage,

(e) said holder having an opening therethrough through which said last-mentioned means loosely extends With the turntable positioned above said holder,

(f) said opening being o-f such size as to permit linear adjustment of said carriage and the turntable therewith relative to said holder, and

(g) gearing, including at least one radially adjustable gear, operatively connecting said shaft to said turntable.

4. In a coiler apparatus for receiving and coiling textile sliver from a sliver producing machine into coiler cans, said apparatus including at least one rotary coiler plate and an upright coiler shaft off-set relative to, and operao tively connected to, said coiler plate; the combination of (a) a substantially rectangular, open-topV base secured in fixed relation to said machine and spaced beneath said coiler plate,

(b) a carriage holder adapted to rest Iupon and overlie said base and being detachably secured to said base,

(c) a table carriage including a substantially horizontal wall beneath said holder and loosely fitting within said base,

(d) a turntable shaft journaled on a substantially vertical axis and penetrating said wall and also loosely penetrating said holder,

(e) means adjustably securing said carriage to said holder 'for adjustment toward and away from the vertical axis of said coiler plate,

(f) a turntable fixed to the upper end of said turntable shaft, and

(g) gears beneath said wall and operatively interconnecting said shafts.

5. In a sliver producing machine having a hollow end frame member, at least one rotary coiler plate -for coiling sliver into cans therebeneath and an upright coiler shaft within said frame member operatively connected to said coiler plate; the combination of (a) a substantially rectangular, open-topped, hollow base projecting into a lower portion of said frame member and spaced beneath said coiler plate,

(b) a table carriage loosely positioned within said base and comprising a top wall having one of its end edges terminating short of that end of said base projecting into said frame member, said carriage also having a bottom wall adjacent the last-mentioned end thereof,

(c) a carriage holder platform overlying and resting upon and being secured to said base externally of said lframe member and from which said carriage is adjustably suspended for adjustment toward and away from the vertical axis of said coiler plate,

(d) a turntable shaft journaled on a vertical axis in and penetrating said top wall and loosely penetrating said platform,

(e) a can-supporting turntable secured to the upper end of said turntable shaft,

(f) a turntable gear fixed on the lower end of said turntable shaft,

g) a plurality of gears connecting said turntable gear to said coiler shaft, at least some of the gears in said plurality being journaled on said bottom wall and at least two of said some of the gears being axially alined and horizontally adjustable on said bottom wall.

6. In a sliver producing machine having at least two coiler plates for laying sliver in corresponding cans, and an upright coiler shaft common to and operatively connected to said coiler plates; the combination therewith of (a) a turntable carriage spaced beneath said coiler plates,

(b) a turntable for each coiler plate and being journaled in said carriage,

(c) supporting means secured in fixed relation to said machine,

(d) means adjustably securing said carriage to said supporting means for adjustment of the axes of said turntables journaled therein toward and away from the vertical axes of the respective coiler plates and relative to said coiler shaft, and

(e) gear means interconnecting said turntables and said coiler shaft and being adjustable, at least in part, to compensate for variation in the distance between said turntables and said coiler shaft resulting from adjustment of said carriage.

7. In a coiler apparatus for laying sliver in cans and having at least one coiler plate provided with an eccentric throat through which sliver passes to a can therebeneath, and an upright coiler shaft operatively connected to said l@ plate and having a first gear on its lower portion; the combination of (a) a turntable carriage spaced beneath said coiler plate,

(b) a turntable journaled in said carriage,

(c) a `second gear fixed in axial relation to said turntable,

(d) means supporting said carriage for adjustment in a horizontal plane toward and away from the vertical axis of said coiler plate,

(e) gear means carried by said carriage and effecting a driving connection between said first and second gears, said gear means being adjustable, at least in part, to compensate for variation in the distance between said first and second gears resulting from adjustment of said carriage, and

(f) said turntable carriage comprising a substantially horizontal wall, said turntable being located above said wall, and said second gear and said gear means being located beneath the level of the lower surface of said `wall and being contained by said carriage.

8. In a coiler apparat-us for laying sliver in cans and having at least one coiler plate provided with an eccentric throat through which sliver passes to a can therebeneath, and an upright coiler sha-ft operatively connected to said plate and having a first gear on its lower portion; the combination of (a) a turntable carriage spaced beneath said coiler plate,

(b) a turntable journaled in said carriage,

(c) a second gear fixed in axial relation to said turntable,

(d) means supporting said carriage for adjustment in a horizontal plane toward and away from the vertical axis of -said coiler plate and comprising a carriage holder overlying said carriage and having a plurality of elongate slots therein, said carriage having screwreceiving holes therein alined with said slots, and screws in said holes and loosely penetrating said slots for guiding said carriage during adjustment thereof and for securing said carriage in adjusted position, and

(e) gear means carried by said carriage and effecting a driving connection between said first and second gears, said gear means being adjustable, at least in part, to compensate for variation in the distance between said first and second gears resulting from adjustment of said carriage.

9. A structure according to `claim 4, wherein said gears include a first gear fixed on said coiler shaft, a second gear mounted on a fixed rotational axis and carried by said carriage, and a pair of axially alined gears engaging the respective first and second gears and being adjustable in a substantially horizontal plane on said carriage and relative to said shafts.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,578,921 3/1926 Roe et al 19-159 2,832,099 4/1958 Jackson 19--159 2,975,489 3/ 1961 Whitehurst 19-159 2,976,581 3/1961 Van Deusen 19-159 ROBERT R. MACKEY, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. 7. IN A COILER APPARATUS FOR LAYING SLIVER IN CANS AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE COILER PLATE PROVIDED WITH AN ECCENTRIC THROAT THROUGH WHICH SLIVER PASSES TO A CAN THEREBENEATH, AND AN UPRIGHT COILER SHAFT OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID PLATE AND HAVING A FIRST GEAR ON ITS LOWER PORTION; THE COMBINATION OF (A) A TURNTABLE CARRIAGE SPACED BENEATH SAID COILER PLATE, (B) A TURNTABLE JOURNALED IN SAID CARRIAGE, (C) A SECOND GEAR FIXED IN AXIAL RELATION TO SAID TURNTABLE, (D) MEANS SUPPORTING SAID CARRIAGE FOR ADJUSTMENT IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID COILER PLATE, (E) GEAR MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CARRIAGE AND EFFECTING A DRIVING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND GEARS, SAID GEAR MEANS BEING ADJUSTABLE, AT LEAST IN PART, TO COMPENSATE FOR VARIATION IN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND GEARS RESULTING FROM ADJUSTMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE, AND (F) SAID TURNTABLE CARRIAGE COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL WALL, SAID TURNTABLE BEING LOCATED ABOVE SAID WALL, AND SAID SECOND GEAR AND SAID GEAR MEANS BEING LOCATED BENEATH THE LEVEL OF THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID WALL AND BEING CONTAINED BY SAID CARRIAGE.

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