US3315321A - Apparatus for automatically joining the ends of slivers - Google Patents

Description

April 25, 1967 MASAAKI KOBAYASHI ETAL 3,

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY JOINING THE ENDS OF 'SLIVERS Filed Nov. 12, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS NHSHHKI KOBHYHsHI j YOSHIKHTSM MHTSL/(MOTO ATTORNEYS April 1967 MASAAKI KOBAYASHI ETAL 3,

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY JOINING THE ENDS OF SLIVERS Filed Nov. 12, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Him W m:

m L R Li) C N a Q R 0) ATTORNEYS P 1967 MASAAKI KOBAYASHI ETAL 3,315,321

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY JOINING THE ENDS OF SLIVERS Filed Nov. 12, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 3

| Ill INVENTORS MASHHHI KOBHYHSHI l sHrKnv-sq MRTsuMoTO B/JMQ; LOMWWWW ATTORNEY5 April 1967 MASAAKI KOBAYASHI ETAL 3,315,321

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY JOINING THE ENDS OF SLIVERS INVEH'TORS MHSHHKI K08!) YflSHI maul-Kn Tsu l mrsumo Ta Bylmu, wvW/W ATTORNEYS V April 25, 1967 MASAAKI KOBAYASHI ETAL APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY JOINING THE ENDS OF SLIVERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 12, 1963 INVENTURS M/JsnnKI HOBRYHSHI wwm United States Patent APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY JOINING THE ENDS OF SLIVERS Masaaki Kobayashi and Yoshikatsu Matsumoto, Itamishi, Japan, assignors to Nitto Boseki Co., Ltd., Fukushima, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed Nov. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 323,028 Claims priority, application Japan, Nov. 17, 1962, 37/ 50,722, 37/50,723, 37/ 50,724, 37/50,725 4 Claims. (Cl. 19-157) The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatically joining the ends of preceding slivers to the tips of succeeding fresh slivers filled in sliver cans during an exchanging operation of such sliver cans in an equipment such as a drawing frame or sliver lap machine which reveices supply of fresh slivers from the sliver cans to apply draft thereto or effect doubling thereon.

According to prior methods of joining the ends of slivers, a large space was provided between an apparatus for delivering the slivers and an apparatus supplied by the slivers for applying draft thereto or effecting doubling thereon, and a multiplicity of sliver cans were disposed in the space. The sliver cans when filled up were carried to the latter apparatus for manually joining the ends of the slivers to perform continuous supply. Heretofore, various improvements have been made to the sliver carrying methods and associated apparatus in order to simplify the operation. For example, a plurality of cans are juxta posed in a successively transferable manner intermediate between both apparatus so that slivers can be received therein on one side thereof and a plurality of the slivers are supplied in juxtaposed relation to the succeeding apparatus from the other side thereof. Alternatively, both apparatus are disposed adjacent to each other and a predetermined number of sliver cans are automatically transferably placed to eliminate labors involved in the carriage of the sliver cans. Although these arrangements are a marked improvement when compared with the method of disposing a multiplicity of sliver cans and carrying them by hand, the sliver ends joining operation must be still manually performed and these arrangements fail to accomplish automation of the spinning process and elimination of manual steps from such process. Thus, such prior improvements have failed to make a great contribution towards reduction of manufacturing cost.

Therefore the primary object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus by which the ends of preceding slivers can be automatically joined to the tips of succeeding fresh slivers without relying upon manual operations by operators.

The present invention provides an apparatus for effecting suction and guiding of slivers, holding and cutting of said slivers, and elimination of cut-off tips by suction, which comprises an opening provided at one end of each of a plurality of suction conduits and having the other ends thereof connected to a source of suction, a suction intercepting member openably disposed in or adjacent each of said openings for suitably effecting interception of suction of said slivers, and a sliver retaining member disposed outside of each of said suction intercepting members for catching or holding the sliver extending outwardly from the surface of said suction intercepting member, said openings being adapted to swingably move between a position adjacent cans filled with fresh slivers to be joined and a position above preceding slivers. Ac-

Patented Apr. 25, 1967 cording to the invention, the slivers in the full cans are sucked onto the surface of said suction intercepting members by an air stream and directly guided to the position above the preceding slivers. Then, each sliver extending from the surface of said intercepting member is caught or held by the retaining member, and subsequently the sliver s0 guided is cut by the movement of the means of the invention at a position between said means and a joining end gripping means so that the joining end of the fresh sliver of an approximately definite length can be brought to a predetermined position above said gripping means without being bent, and a remaining tip portion after being out can be sucked away through said opening.

Or more precisely, the tip of the fresh sliver in each full can is sucked up by means according to the invention utilizing the air stream. However, such tip of the fresh sliver is directly guided to the position above the preceding sliver as it is held by the means. In this case, the fresh sliver is gripped by the sliver end gripping means at a position adjacent the end of preceding sliver for being cut at a substantial length from the tip thereof, and thus the length and position of the joining end of the fresh sliver can be suitably regulated for connection with the end of the preceding sliver. Thus, it will be apparent that the sliver end suction and guiding means of the invention having the retaining members incorporated therein is effective to make, in a single action, direct guide of the fresh slivers, cutting of the fresh slivers by the movement of the means itself, and elimination of the cut-off tips by suction.

According to the invention, there is provided a method of joining the ends of slivers in a spinning machine which reveices fresh slivers from a plurality of cans or from a plurality of can-like accommodation spaces bored in a large reservoir, comprising sucking said fresh slivers to be successively supplied out of said cans or said accommodation spaces by sliver end suction and guiding means utilizing an air stream, and guiding said fresh slivers to a position above preceding slivers for overlapping the former on the latter.

According to the invention, there is also provided an apparatus for automatically joining the ends of slivers in a drawing or drafting frame which receives fresh slivers from a plurality of sliver cans or from a plurality of can like accommodation receptacles provided in a large reservoir, said cans or receptacles being arranged to be automatically transferred and replaced, said apparatus comprising sliver end cutting means or sliver end stopping means for positioning at a suitable position the ends of preceding slivers to be joined, and sliver end suction and guiding means having a plurality of openings each provided with a suction intercepting member for intercepting suction of the fresh sliver thereinto and having opposite openings connected to a source of suction, said first openings being swingable between a position adjacent said full cans or accommodation spaces containing said fresh slivers to be joined and a position adjacent the ends of said preceding slivers.

There are other objects and particularities of the invention which will become obvious from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an explanatory plan view showing a manner of replacing a plurality of sliver cans in a spinning system including an aparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the entire apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of portion of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a tip portion of sliver end suction and guiding means, with parts in section;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of FIG. 4, with parts also in section;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the entire apparatus, with parts broken away, and

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the entire apparatus, with parts also broken away.

In the accompanying drawings, FIG. 1 shows one form of an arrangement of the invention wherein a predetermined number of sliver cans 5 are automatically transferably disposed between an apparatus for delivering the slivers and an apparatus supplied by said slivers for applying draft or doubling so as to eliminate labors involved in the carriage of said cans. In FIG. 1, a first drawing frame 3 receives slivers from a plurality of carding machines 1 and 1 by way of a belt conveyor 2 and applies draft to the slivers by a plurality of pairs of rollers for delivery into the sliver cans. The drawing frame 3 is provided with such an automatic sliver can replacing function that, when the sliver of a predetermined length has been delivered into the sliver can, such sliver can5 is automatically replaced by an empty can as shown by arrow. The full sliver cans 5 automatically discharged from the first drawing frame 3 are successively fed into line C one after another. Sliver cans in line B are supplying slivers to a second drawing frame 4. It is so arranged that, when the rate of production by the first drawing frame 3 corresponds with that by the second drawing frame 4, eight cans filled with slivers are aligned in the line C by the time when the sliver cans in the line B are emptied. When eight sliver cans have been aligned in the line C and an auto-counter (not shown) associated with the second drawing frame 4 indicates that the sliver cans in the line B have been emptied, the sliver cans in both of the lines C and B are simultaneously made to move in the lateral direction (in the upward direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1) by a transfer rod 6, and the full sliver cans in the line C are forced out into the line B, while the empty sliver cans in the line B are forced out into line A. Thus, simultaneous replacement of the sliver cans can be effected. The empty sliver cans in the line A are successively fed into the first drawing frame 3 by feeding means cooperating with the automatic replacing means of the first drawing frame 3. The apparatus of the invention is devised to perform the automatic joining of the tips of slivers in full sliver cans to the ends of preceding slivers on a rear table 70 of the second drawing frame 4, in the arrangement of the kind described wherein the sliver cans are automatically transferred and replaced.

As shown in FIG. 2, a suction conduit 38 is connected to a main duct 8 for suction by means of a suction fan (not shown). The main duct 8 has a plurality of branch conduits 40 depending therefrom, and a series of these parts constitute a sliver end suction and guiding means. As shown in FIGS. 4 and S, the tip portion of each branch conduit 40 is formed as an opening 48 which has a rectangular configuration when viewed from the front side and has a V-shaped configuration when viewed from the bottom side thereof. In FIGS. 4 and 5, a suction intercepting member 44 is provided in the opening 48 so as to selectively allow a sliver 46 to be sucked into the branch conduit 49 through the opening 48 or retain the sliver 45 at the intercepting member 44, that is, to suitably obstruct the passage of the sliver 46 through the opening 48 into the conduit 44). The suction intercepting member 44 is controlled according to a predetermined program and is swingably opened or closed about a shaft 45 by means of movement of a piston in an air cylinder 43 receiving high pressure air therein through copper conduits 41 and 42. The suction intercepting member 44 may preferably take the form of grid bars, wire meshes, perforated plate, or the like, but may be of any'type or structure so long as it can effectively intercept the passage or suction of the sliver therethrough. Needles 47 are provided to cut off the tip portion of the sliver, as will be described in detail in later description.

From FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the main duct 8 having the branch conduits 40 is rotatably supported by bearings 9 and 10, which are vertically movably fitted in guide ways formed in frames 11 and 12, respectively. The bearings 9 and 10 are connected to chains 18 and 17 by pins 15 and 16 (shown in FIG. 6), and 13 and 14, respectively. The chains 17 and 18 are in engagement with sprocket wheels 19 and 20 and 21 and 22 (shown in FIG. 6), respectively. The sprocket wheels 19 and 21 are secured adjacent both ends of a shaft 23, which is rotatably supported by bearings 24 and 25. The sprocket wheel 20 has a worm wheel 33 coupled thereto as shown in FIG. 6, and rotation is transmitted from a reversible motor 26, a motor pulley 27, a belt 28, a pulley 29, gears 30 and 31, a worm 32 and the worm wheel 33. The reversible motor 26 can be rotated in both the normal and reverse directions or may be stopped in accordance with a predetermined program, and the main duct 8, hence the sliver end suction and guiding means can be lifted or lowered by the chains 17 and 18 by the rotation of the reversible motor 26.

When the sliver end suction and guiding means is at its lowermost position, the opening 48 of each branch conduit 40 is disposed opposite the upper face of a sliver can 49 or at a position a few inches lower than the upper face of the sliver contained in the sliver can 49 as shown by thick lines in FIG. 3. When the sliver end suction and guiding means is lifted upwardly to such a height that the bottom face ofthe opening 48 reaches a position approximately opposite the upper face of a back bottom lifting roller 51, hooks 34 and 36 firmly fixed to the respective ends of the main duct 8 are made to engage projections 35 and 37 provided on the frames 11 and 12, respectively. Further lifting of the sliver end suction and guiding means after such engagement between the .hooks and projections will cause the leftward rotation of the device about the axis of the main duct 8, and each opening 48 takes the position as shown by imaginary lines in FIG. 3. In the downward movement of the sliver end suction and guiding means, the above operation is reversed. In this case, the main duct 8 rotates 'rightwards at first until the branch conduits 40 take approximately the vertical position and then starts to move downwardly. In other words, the openings 48 of the sliver end suction and guiding means make an inverse-L motion by the single action of the chains 17 and 1S driven by the reversible motor 26, and it is so arranged that the sliver end joining operation can be effected by this inverse-L motion.

There are two pairs of lifting rollers for each branch conduit 40 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 7. Bottom rollers 51 and 53 are formed by elongated rods, and the front bottom roller 53 receives driving power from the second drawing frame 4.

The back bottom roller 51 is arranged for rotation through a double electromagnetic clutch 61 of selective input type disposed on the side of the second drawing frame 4. By suitably changing over said double clutch 61, rotation through a gear train including gears 55, 56 and 57 from the front bottom roller 53, and rotation from a back roller reversing motor 58 through a worm gear 59 and a worm wheel 60 (FIG. 7) can selectively be transmitted to the back bottom roller 51.

Under normal delivery of slivers, the electromagnetic clutch 61 is changed over to a position so that the back bottom roller 51 receives rotative power from the front bottom roller 53, hence the back bottom roller 51 rotates in the same direction with the front bottom roller 53. In this case, gear ratios of the gear train including the gears 55, 56 and 57 are so selected that the peripheral velocity of the back bottom roller 51 is slightly lower than the peripheral velocity of the front bottom roller 53, that is, a slight degree of tension draft can be obtained.

When, on the contrary, the electromagnetic clutch 61 is changed over to another position so that the back bottom roller 51 receives rotative power from the back roller reversing motor 58, the back bottom roller 51 makes slow reverse rotation. In starting the sliver end joining operation, the second drawing frame 4 is stopped and the electromagnetic clutch 61 is changed over to the position at which the back bottom roller 51 makes reverse rotation. At this time, the front bottom roller 53 is not rotating. By the reverse rotation of the back roller 51, preceding slivers 62 can be simultaneously cut into the same length at the same position between the rollers as will be described in detail in later description.

There are provided front top rollers 54 and back top rollers 52 of the same number with the number of the sliver cans. The front top rollers 54 and back top rollers 52 can be pivotally urged upwardly away from the respective bottom rollers 53 and 51 independently of each other and in a simultaneous manner. Each of the top rollers 54 and 52 is rotatably mounted by means of a hearing or the like on a stud extending from one end of a roller bracket 63. The other end of each bracket 63 extends rightwards and downwardly as shown in FIG. 6. Top roller releasing rods 64 and 65 are disposed below the brackets 63 and received at one end in air cylinders 66 and 67 suitably controlled by high pressure air, respectively. The rods 64 and 65 are provided with hooks 68 at positions corresponding to extensions 69 of the brackets 63 so that, by the leftward movement of the rods 64 and 65 by the action of the air cylinders, the hooks 68 urge the corresponding extensions 69 of the brackets 63 to pivotally force the top rollers 52 and 54 n'ghtwards away from the bottom rollers 51 and 53. A projection is suitably pro vided on each extension 69 so that the projection is abutted by the table 70 during the pivotal movement of the top rollers to thereby limit the pivotal movement of the top rollers 52 and 54 at an angle slightly less than 90 with respect to the surfaces of the bottom rollers 51 and 53. When, therefore, the rods 64 and 65 are moved rightwards in their returning strokes, the top rollers 52 and 54 swing leftwards by their own weight to take their original abutting relation with the bottom rollers. The top roller releasing rod 64 and associated air cylinder 66 are operable independently of the top roller releasing rod 65 and associated air cylinder 67 in order to release the back rollers 52 independently of the front rollers 54. Further, the top rollers 52 and 54 can freely be released from the bottom rollers by hand and swung open upwardly since the left hand sides of the extensions 69 of the brackets 63 are not in abutment with the books 68.

One sliver guide 71 is provided on the table 70 to guide each sliver 73 fed past each set of the bottom and top rollers 53, 51, 54 and 52 to thereby arrange the slivers 73 in juxtaposition with one another. Guide rollers for insuring smooth feed of the slivers 73 towards the second drawing frame 4 comprise pairs of top rollers 72 and bottoms rollers 74, and there are the same number of pairs with the slivers 73, or eight pairs of them in the embodiment shown. The pairs of guide rollers 72 and 74 disposed closer to the delivery side are successively made greater in length so that they can extend across the entire width occupied by the whole slivers 73. The bottom rollers 74 are supported by bearings 75 and 76, and driven by a driving shaft of a feed roller 77 through bevel gears 81 and 82, universal joints 78 and 79, and a guide roller driving shaft 80. Although the guide rollers 72 are employed in this embodiment, it will be understood that any other means such as a conveyor may be used provided that it can transfer the slivers without any obstruction.

The apparatus according to the invention operates in the following manner. When the second drawing frame 4 is in operation, the lifting top rollers 52 and 54 rotate on the respective cooperating bottom rollers 51 and 53. As the bottom rollers 51 and 53 rotate, the slivers are drawn out of the sliver cans in the line B (FIG. 1) through sliver guides 83 and fed through the guides 71 to the guide rollers 72, thence to the second drawing frame 4 through the feed rollers 77. During this operation, the back bottom lifting roller 51 receives the rotative power from the front roller 53 through the electromagnetic clutch 61, and gears 55, 56 and 57, thus rotating in the same direction with the front roller 53. In this case, the sliver end suction and guiding means takes an upper position and is disposed above the table 70 as shown by imaginary lines in FIG. 3.

While, on the delivery side of the second drawing frame 4, there is a length measuring instrument which is associated with calender rolls. After a sliver of a predetermined length has been delivered, electrical contacts in the instrument are actuated to issue a signal whereby the sliver can on the delivery side thereof can be automatically exchanged for another. In addition to the above instrument, there is provided a register with electrical contacts for integrating the number of exchange of the sliver cans, which register is adapted to issue a signal to automatically stop the second drawing frame 4 after a predetermined number of sliver cans have been filled and exchanged. Proper adjustment is made between the capacity of the sliver cans on the supply side and the capacity of one sliver can on the delivery side multiplied by the number of exchange thereof so that the sliver cans on the supply side can be nearly emptied when the register has integrated the predetermined number of exchange to issue the signal. Since, further, the amount of production by the first drawing frame 3 is almost equal to that by the second drawing frame 4 as described above, it will be apparent that eight sliver cans have almost been lined up in the line C in FIG. 1. (Accurately speaking, the amount of production by the first drawing frame 3 is slightly greater than that of the second drawing frame 4, and the balance will remain in the sliver cans on the supply side.) After the register has counted the predetermined number of exchange and eight full sliver cans have been lined up in the line C, an electrical means (not shown) sensing the above situation is actuated to permit the flow of current in a synchronous motor incorporated in a time programmer (not shown), and the sliver end joining operation is automatically started. Said time programmer is operable to successively open and close electrical contacts by cams rotated by the synchronous motor to thereby issue required signals.

At first, the back lifting roller reversing motor 58 is started while the second drawing frame 4 is held in its stopped state. Then, the electromagnetic clutch 61 is disconnected from the front lifting roller 53, and so coupled as to transmit the power from the reversing motor 58 to the back lifting roller 51. The back lifting rollers 51 and 52 start to slowly rotate in the reverse direction. Since the front lifting rollers 53 and 54 are held from rotation, the slivers 6-2 lying between the back and front rollers are stretched and finally cut off. The slivers thus cut off fall down into the sliver cans in the line B which are now empty. Thus it will be known that the ends of the slivers held between the front lifting rollers 53 and 54 are cut off at the same position and with the same length, and line up in an orderly manner in place. Then, the clutch 61 is changed over to the front roller side, while the back lifting rollers 51 and 52 cease reverse rotation and the roller reversing motor 58 is deenergized. During this time, the time programmer acts to reset the register for the delivered sliver cans in the second drawing frame 4.

Subsequently, current is made to flow through an electric motor (not shown) for driving the sliver can transfer rod 6, which therefore makes a reciprocatory movement to force the full sliver cans in the line C into the line B and the empty sliver cans in the line B into the line A for simultaneous replacement of the sliver cans. In the full sliver cans lined up in the line B, the tip of sliver 46 contained in each can 49 is made to droop downwardly by a length of a few inches from the upper face of the sliver can 49 or from the upper face of sliver overflowing from the sliver can 49 as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 6. The time programmer energizes electromagnetic valves (not shown) for controlling high pressure air to the air cylinders 66 and 67 to permit flow of the high pressure air into the air cylinders. The air cylinder 67 pulls the rod 65 towards it to pivotally urge the front top rollers 54 away from the bottom roller 53, while the air cylinder 66 also pulls the rod 64 towards it to pivotally urge the back top roller 52 away from the bottom roller 51. Then, the electric motor 26 is energized, by which the sliver end suction and guiding means starts to move downwardly. Simultaneously with this downward movement of said means, the suction intercepting member 44 in each opening 48 is closed by the action of the associated air cylinder 43.

When the sliver end suction and guiding means is lowered to the position as shown by solid lines in FIG. 3, a suction fan (not shown) is started and aspirates from the openings 48 through the suction conduit 38, main duct 8 and branch conduits 40. Each sliver 46 is sucked into the opening 48 by the suction, but is prevented from further advance into the opening 48 by the suction intercepting member 44, and accumulates in front of the intercepting member 44. This accumulation of the sliver 46 on the front face of the intercepting member 44 is one layer atmost, and this will by no means result in the accumulation of excess sliver due to reduction of the aspirating power in the vicinity of the opening 48. Since, further, the opening 48 has a width of a few inches, a slight error in the drooping direction of the sliver tip from the sliver can may be allowable. Then, reverse current is made to flow through the lifting motor 26 and the sliver end suction and guiding means starts to move upwardly.

As the main duct 8 moves further upwardly, the slivers 46 are pulled upwardly by being sucked and caught by the sliver end suction and guiding means. As the sliver end suction and guiding means swings leftwards in FIG. 3, each sliver 46 is centered by the V-shaped guide at the bottom portion of the associated opening 48 and by the sliver guide 83 of substantially Y-shaped structure, drooping onto the upper face of the back bottom lifting roller 51 and being positioned right above the end of the preceding sliver 62. When the openings 48 of the sliver end suction and guiding means reach approximately above the front bottom lifting roller 53, the air cylinder 66 is actuated to pivotally urge the back top lifting roller 52 towards the bottom roller 51 to hold the slivers 46 therebetween. The sliver end suction and guiding means still continues its leftward swinging movement, but the slivers 46 are firmly held between the back lifting rollers 51 and 52 which are held from rotation, and prevented from advancing any further. Therefore, each sliver 46 accumulating on the front face of the suction intercepting member 44 (FIG. 4) will be pulled outwardly through the valley portion of the V-shaped guide of the opening 48.

However, a plurality of needles 47 are embedded into the valley portion of the V-shaped guide of each opening 48 in slightly forwardly inclined relation thereto as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Therefore, the sliver 46 is retained by the needles 47 and prevented from being drawn outwardly. Each sliver '46 accordingly is stretched between the needles 47 and the engaging face of the back lifting rollers 51 and 52, thus all the slivers 46 are simultaneously cut off at a position approximate intermediate between these members. As the sliver end suction and guiding means further continues its leftward movement until finally it takes the original position, the air cylinders 43 are actuated to simultaneously open the suction intercepting members 44, and the tip portions 46 cut oft" from the slivers 46 and accumulating on the front faces of the suction intercepting members 44 including the portions retained by the needles 47 are sucked into the branch conduits 40 by the aspirating power of the suction fan (not shown) and discharged into a reusing cotton reservoir (not shown) by way of the main duct 8.

On the other hand, each sliver 46, which has been previously cut off between the sliver end suction and guiding means and the back lifting rollers 51 and 52, and held between the back lifting rollers 51 and 52, is disposed at a position right above and nearly aligned with the end of the preceding sliver 6-2. Then, when the front top lifting rollers 54 are made to simultaneously swing downwardly towards the bottom roller 53 by the air cylinder 67, the slivers 46 which are directed slightly upwardly due to their own rigidity are thereby forced and overlapped onto the respective preceding slivers 62, and thus the sliver joining operation is completed.

In the above-described case, arrangement has been made so that each suction intercepting member 44 is pivotally openable about the shaft 45, and each sliver 46 is cut into a'definite length between the needles 47 and the back lifting rollers 51 and 52. However, arrangement may be such that each sliver 46 sucked onto and caught by the suction intercepting member 44 is made to move to a position right above the preceding sliver 62 without being cut off, the suction then being interrupted, and the end of the sliver 46 may be overlapped on the preceding sliver 62 to effect the sliver joining operation.

At the completion of the sliver joining operation, the timer is again actuated to' stop the suction fan (not shown) and to start the second drawing frame 4 for delivering the slivers including the joint portions. Various difficulties may generally be encountered when the joint portions are fed past a draft :means or a trumpet if such joints are defective. However, in the slivers joined by the apparatus of the invention, such prior ditficulties can be completely eliminated since the joints of satisfactory state can be obtained and knots formed in the joints can be made sufiiciently small. Continuous delivery of the slivers is feasible by virtue of the satisfactory joints, and these joint portions may be used in the succeeding process. In the embodiment shown, however, a plurality of the slivers are joined at the same time, and the respective joints are disposed in an extremely short range. Therefore, these portions alone may be delivered once into sliver cans for separation from normal slivers.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for automatically joining the ends of slivers in a spinning machine which receives fresh slivers from a plurality of substantially can-like members provided in a large reservoir, said can-like members being arranged to be automatically transferred and replaced, said apparatus comprising conduit means one end of which is open, and for-ms a sliver end holding means for positioning at a suitable position the ends of the slivers to be joined to the ends of the slivers in the spinning machine, suction means connected to the other end of said conduit means, a suction intercepting member disposed within said open end for intercepting the drawing in of the fresh sliver, and means for imparting to said open end of said conduit means an inverted L-shapcd movement between an initial position adjacent the side of said can-like members containing fresh slivers to be joined and a second position adjacent the ends of the slivers in the spinning machine, said means for imparting movement comprising means to lift upwardly the open end of said conduit until it clears said can-like members, abutment means, means secured to said conduit engaging said abutment means for imparting a rotational move ment to said conduit to complete said inverted L-shaped movement by moving said open end to a position adjacent the ends of the slivers in the spinning machine.

2. A conduit means for use in an apparatus for automatically joining the ends of slivers in a spinning machine according to claim 1 wherein said conduit means comprises a main conduit, a plurality of parallelly disposed branch conduits depending from said main conduit, said source of suction connected to said main conduit, the free end of each said branch conduit terminating at an open end, said suction intercepting member operatively disposed within said opening to selectively allow a sliver to be sucked into said branch conduit.

3. A suction and guiding means according to claim 2 wherein means for cutting said slivers are disposed Within said opening adjacent said suction intercepting means.

4. A sucton and guiding means according to claim 2 wherein said suction intercepting means comprises a plurality of grid bars selectively positioned according to a predetermined sequence.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

DONALD W. PARKER, D. NEWTON,

Assistant Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. AN APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY JOINING THE ENDS OF SLIVERS IN A SPINNING MACHINE WHICH RECEIVES FRESH SLIVERS FROM A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY CAN-LIKE MEMBERS PROVIDED IN A LARGE RESERVOIR, SAID CAN-LIKE MEMBERS BEING ARRANGED TO BE AUTOMATICALLY TRANSFERRED AND REPLACED, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING CONDUIT MEANS ONE END OF WHICH IS OPEN, AND FORMS A SLIVER END HOLDING MEANS FOR POSITIONING AT A SUITABLE POSITION THE ENDS OF THE SLIVERS TO BE JOINED TO THE ENDS OF THE SLIVERS IN THE SPINNING MACHINE, SUCTION MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS, A SUCTION INTERCEPTING MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID OPEN END FOR INTERCEPTING THE DRAWING IN OF THE FRESH SLIVER, AND MEANS FOR IMPARTING TO SAID OPEN END OF SAID CONDUIT MEANS AN INVERTED L-SHAPED MOVEMENT BETWEEN AN INITIAL POSITION ADJACENT THE SIDE OF SAID CAN-LIKE MEMBERS CONTAINING FRESH SLIVERS TO BE JOINED AND A SECOND POSITION ADJACENT THE ENDS OF THE SLIVERS IN THE SPINNING MACHINE, SAID MEANS FOR IMPARTING MOVEMENT COMPRISING MEANS TO LIFT UPWARDLY THE OPEN END OF SAID CONDUIT UNTIL IT CLEARS SAID CAN-LIKE MEMBERS, ABUTMENT MEANS, MEANS SECURED TO SAID CONDUIT ENGAGING SAID ABUTMENT MEANS FOR IMPARTING A ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT TO SAID CONDUIT TO COMPLETE SAID INVERTED L-SHAPED MOVEMENT BY MOVING SAID OPEN END TO A POSITION ADJACENT THE ENDS OF THE SLIVERS IN THE SPINNING MACHINE.

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