US3367588A

US3367588A - Method and apparatus for winding yarn on bobbins in selectively variable patterns

Info

Publication number: US3367588A
Application number: US510196A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wolf Horst
Original assignee: Zinser Textilmaschinen GmbH
Current assignee: Oerlikon Textile GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1964-12-09
Filing date: 1965-11-29
Publication date: 1968-02-06
Anticipated expiration: 1985-02-06
Also published as: GB1137720A; DE1535051A1; DE1535051B2; CH450240A; FR1473927A; DE1535051C3

Description

Feb. 6. 1968 A H WOLF A 3,367,588

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WINDING YARN ON BOBBINS IN SELECTIVELY VARIABLE PATTERNS Filed Nov. 29, 1965 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 70

I INVENTOR fi e/85 T WOL F BY. M WY ATTORNEY$ Feb. 6, 1968 H. WOLF 3,367,588 I METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WINDING YARN ON BOBBINS Filed Nov. 29, 1965 IN SELECTIVELY VARIABLE PATTERNS 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR H0126 7' W0 A F 7 BY v /1417? ATTORNEYS Feb. 6, 1968 i wo F 3,367,588

- METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WINDING YARN ON BOBBINS IN SELECTIVELY VARIABLE PATTERNS Filed Nov. 29, 1965 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Hams-r n a 11-- ATTORNEYS Feb. 6, 1968 H. WOLF IN SELECTIVELY VARIABLE PATTERNS Filed Nov. 29, 1965 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 i z i 176a M 1650 w 5 164 i U i 16.5 115 i 150 J1 190 i I I r 176 3 201 I Q L J flyfi INVENTOR H0857 WaLF ATTORNEYS Feb. 6, 1968 H. WOLF METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WINDING YARN ON BOBBINS IN SELECTIVELY VARIABLE PATTERNS Filed Nov. 29, 1965 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR HO/EST Wu F ATTO NEYS Feb. 6, 1968 woLF 3,367,588 METHOD AND APPARAT FOR WINDING YARN ON BOBBINS IN SELECTIVELY VARIABLE PATTERNS Filed Nov. 29, 1965 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 fly]! 12 2 2 INVENTOR filo/zsr WOLF ATTORNEYS Feb. 6, 1968 7 Filed Nov. 29,

H WOLF 3,367,588

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WINDING YARN ON BOBBINS IN SELECTIVELY VARIABLE PATTERNS INVENTOR 290,937- WOLF BY CQ ale/ AT'T RNEYS United States Patent C 3,367,588 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WINDING YARN N ROBBINS IN SELECTIVELY VARI- ABLE PATTERNS Horst Wolf, Albershausen, Germany, assignor to Zinser- Textitmaschinen G.m.b.H., Ebershaeh (Fils), Germany Filed Nov. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 510,196 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 9, 1964,

30 Claims. Ci. 242-463) ABSCT OF THE DISCLQSURE The invention relates to the control of yarn or the like while it is being wound in a textile machine upon a removable support to form a body of revolution of controlled shape.

More particularly the invention relates to a method for continously controlling the longitudinal position of the moving point of application of the yarn or the like which is being wound up, thereby controlling the final shape of the wound body. The invention also relates to apparatus for performing the method.

In this specification the support or former receiving the yarn is referred to as a bobbin but this term is to be understood to include any suitable, known type of support for the wound material, for example, a tube, a sleeve, or the like. Furthermore, with the object of simplifying the particular description, the term yarn is employed herein, but the invention is applicable, equally to any type of thread-like material, for example, thread, roving or slubbing, whether of synthetic or natural fibers which can be manufactured or processed upon textile machines, and the expression yarn or the like includes also such materials.

In textile machines, for example, prespinning, spinning or twisting machines, wherein yarn is wound upon bobbins, in order to achieve the desired construction and shape of this wound body, known in the art as build, it is usual to automatically adjust the longitudinal position of the winding point of the yarn, i.e., the running-on point with respect to the length of the bobbin axis.

This longitudinal position of the winding point is determined by the relative position of a lifting member, for example a lifter rail, which is reciprocated by a suitable drive so as to move periodically along a reciprocal path parallel to the bobbin axis with respect to a fixed support member. Upon one of these members, usually the fixed member, there is mounted the bobbin and upon the other member there is mounted the winding device, for example, a thread guide or a ring traveller. By the reciprocating movement of the lifting member the relative position of the winding point can be suitably varied. In known textile machines of this type a separate driving apparatus is provided for driving the lifting member, this driving apparatus having direction reversing means to control the reciprocating movement. This direction reversal is effected by a control device which includes two motion reversing control elements which are responsive to the position of the reciprocating lifting member and serve to effect reversal of the movement thereof at the proper time and position.

3,367,588 Patented Feb. 6, 1968 In order to obtain a prescribed build or shape of the wound body, it is necessary that the position of the motion reversing control elements be adjustable during the winding operation in a direction parallel to the reciproeating movement. In a known textile machine this adjustment of the reversing elements is effected by an independent adjusting drive. Therefore, any variations of the delivery speed of the yarn cannot be taken into account when adjusting the reversing elements so that the shape of the wound body may be inadvertently changed within certain limits by fluctuations in the winding speed.

Attempts have been made to avoid this disadvantage and to achieve a uniformly wound configuration of the wound body, but the already proposed control devices of this type are comparatively complicated and have been subject to faults. Moreover, considerable difiiculties are encountered in the design of such control devices when they are required to produce configurations of the wound body which are very different from each other. In practice, it may be necessary to have the facility to adjust the displacement velocity of the reversing elements within very wide limits, for example in the ratio 1:150, because, according to the fineness of the yarn which is to be wound, the prescribed winding configuration and the delivery speed of the yarn, such adjustment velocity must be variable to a high degree.

The basic purpose of the present invention is to provide a method of controlling the axial position of the winding point of application of a yarn which will make it possible to obtain any desired winding configuration which is practically independent of fluctuations in the delivery speed of the yarn, and wherein the mean adjustment velocity of the reversing elements can be varied within wide limits in a particularly simple manner. Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a method whereby wound bodies of the most varied configuration can be produced.

Accordingly, the present invention consists in apparatus for controlling the longitudinal position of the winding point of application of yarn or the like upon bobbins of textile machines of the type in which a reciprocatable lifting member effects relative reciprocating motion in the axial direction of the bobbin between a bobbin support and a support for yarn winding means while yarn is delivered to the bobbin at a controllable delivery speed, and including means for controlling the reversals in direction of movement of the lifting member comprising motion reversing control elements responsive to the position of the lifting member, and including means for adjusting in timed dependence on the delivery speed of the yarn at least one of the reversing control elements in the axial direction of the bobbin between said reversals.

The method of the invention for winding textile bobbins with such apparatus includes measuring successive control time intervals whose duration is proportional to A/v Where A is a time factor settable according to required winding conditions and v is the yarn delivery speed, and adjusting the reversing control element in said time intervals by path increments whose length is independent of the yarn delivery speed.

The adjusting movement of the reversing control element is thus related to the yarn delivery speed by virtue of the fact that successive time intervals are measured, whose length is substantially inversely proportional to the yarn delivery speed and during which the respective motion reversing control element can be adjusted through a predetermined length of path, which, in the following description, will be referred to as a path increment.

In order to make it possible to vary the adjustment movement and the adjustment speed of the reversing control element having regard to the desired form or build of the wound body, the factor A and/or the path increment can be made adjustable. In particular, arrangements can be provided whereby the magnitude of A and/or of the path increment can be varied according to a program over the time duration of a bobbin winding operation. In conjunction with further features of the invention, which will be described in more detail below, for achieving independent control of the two reversing control ele mcnts, there will be obtained a practically unlimited flexibility for selecting the configuration of the wound body. The variation of the factor A or of the path increment may be effected with advantage according to a time program. In many cases, however, it may be appropriate to design the program in dependence upon the total length of the adjustment path.

According to a preferred method, at the beginning of each time interval the adjusting movement of the reversing control element is automatically initiated and the longitudinal displacement of the reversing control element is subdivided into incremental paths of equal magnitude and upon each incremental path being traversed, a counting pulse is generated by a signal generating device, said counting pulses being delivered in succession to a counting device and counted thereby and, upon reaching a presettable count value, a disconnecting signal is generated for effecting the automatic suspension of the adjusting movement of the reversing control element.

The Preferred form of the method makes possible the use of a relatively high instantaneous adjustment speed of the motion reversing control elements, whereby the method may be suited to the most varied winding conditions met with in practice.

The winding control apparatus may accordingly comprise a time interval generator, said time interval generator being served by at least one quantity functionally related to the delivery speed of the yarn for the purpose of measuring the control time intervals and for the purpose of generating a first switching pulse at the beginning of each control time interval and including also a switching device to which the first switching pulse is delivered, said switching pulse initiating the adjustment movement of the reversing control element.

The time interval generator may be of any desired construction provided that it is so designed such that it can measure time intervals of the length A/ v.

It has been found to be particularly advantageous to use a time interval generator including a synchronous motor, whereby a cam disc can be driven for the periodic operation of a switch.

By each of such operations, a first switching pulse is generated. The synchronous motor can be so supplied that its rpm. is strictly synchronous with the delivery speed of the yarn. However, it has proved to be satisfactory in many cases if the delivery means for the yarn is driven by an asynchronous motor while the synchronous motor assigned to the time interval generator is served with electrical energy of the same frequency as the asynchronous motor. By appropriate design of the asynchronous motor it is possible to arrange matters so that even in the event of substantial fluctuations of frequency and voltage in the supply source for the asynchronous motor, the ratio of the speeds of the two motors will fluctuate only to a negligible degree with respect to the build of the winding body. As an example of this, it may be mentioned that in an apparatus in accordance with the invention Where there was a fluctuation of the supply voltage of 20%, the corresponding ratio of the two speeds fluctuated only by 1%.

In a further preferred practical form of the invention, it is arranged that the time interval generator comprises an integrating and pulse generating device whereby a quantity approximately proportional to the yarn delivery speed, preferably the periodicity or the voltage of the supply energy of the driving device for the yarn delivery, can be integrated with respect to time. This device may preferably be so designed that each time a prescribed, preferably adjustable, integration value is reached, the

device is reset automatically with the simultaneous generation of a first switching pulse. By means of a time interval generator designed in such a manner it is possible to measure in a simple manner successive time intervals of a length A/v. By making use of adjustability of the integrating value the magnitude of the time factor A can be varied.

The adjusting means for adjusting the motion reversing control element or elements can be of any suitable type. In a preferred practical form of the invention the adjusting means includes a directionally reversible stepping mechanism for adjusting the reversing element or elements. In another preferred practical form of the invention the adjusting means is designed as a directionally reversible electric adjusting motor.

If the adjusting means is so designed that it operates with substantially constant adjusting speed, then the adjusting motion of the reversing control element must be arrested in each time interval after the performance of the prescribed adjusting movement. This may be effected by arranging that the adjusting means by self-arresting. However, it can also be arranged that a drive member of the adjusting means is continuously maintained in operation and that the inception and interruption of the adjusting motion of the reversing control elements is effected by the engagement and disengagement of a clutch, and if necessary, by the operation of a brake coupled to the said clutch.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which schematically illustrates a few embodiments of the invention, and in which:

FIGURE la is a perspective view of a stretch twisting machine which is fitted with the control apparatus according to the invention;

FIGURE 1b is a stretch twisting assembly such as is employed in the machine according to FIGURE 1a;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of an example of an adjusting device for adjusting the reversing control elements;

FIGURE 3 is a block schematic diagram of a control arrangement such as can be employed for controlling the adjusting device of FIG. 2;

FIGURE 4 is a second practical example of an adjusting device;

FIGURE 5 is a block schematic diagram of an example of a control arrangement for controlling the adjusting device according to FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a third practical example of a control device;

FIGURE 7a is a block schematic diagram of an example of a control arrangement for a control device according to FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7b is a variant of the device for determining the length of the adjusting path represented in the block schematic diagram of FIG. 7a;

FIGURE 8 is a schematic representation of a preferred practical example of a time interval generator;

FIGURE 9 is a block schematic diagram of a further preferred practical example of a time interval generator.

FIGURES 10 to 20 show sectional representations of winding bodies such as are produced in accordance with the method of the invention wherein there is shown at the right-hand side the associated time path diagram of the adjusting paths of the upper and lower reversing elements of the respective winding body, during a bobbin filling operation.

For simplifying the understanding of the drawings, the following description of the figures will allocate the same reference characters to corresponding illustrated parts throughout the various views.

The stretch twisting machine represented in FIGS. la and lb comprises a drive head stock it), a tail stock 12, a base frame 14' and a plurality of stretch twisting devices,

and is intended for the stretch twisting of synthetic yarn. The individual lengths of yarn, of which, for the sake of clarity, only one is represented at 11 in FIG. 1a are drawn off from the supply spools which are not shown in the drawing and which are mounted upon a creel likewise not shown in the drawing, which will usually be arranged upon the supports 15. The yarn 11 proceeds in the direction of the arrow D first through a pair of traction rollers comprising an upper roller 16 and a lower roller 30 and then in the direction of the arrow A to the stretching roller 18. After leaving the stretching roller 18, which here serves as the thread delivering device, the yarn is twisted. At this point, the yarn runs through a guide 47 and then through a traveller 21 rotating upon the twisting ring 35. This traveller serves here as the winding-on-member. After passing through the bend of the traveller 21, the yarn is wound up in the form of a wound body 23 upon a bobbin 22 arranged upon a rotating spindle.

For the sake of clarity, only one bobbin 22 is shown in FIG. 1a. In actual fact, however, all of the spindles 50 are fitted in the same manner with bobbins. The rollers 18 are driven from a separate electromotor, not shown in detail in the drawing, which is arranged inside the driving head stock 10. The delivery speed at which the yarn is delivered to the bobbin is proportional to the speed of this motor. The spindles 50, upon which the bobbins, such as 22, are fixed, are mounted upon a stationary spindle bed 51. The winding member, in this case the traveller 21, runs around the ring 35 which is arranged upon the ring holder 75. These ring holders, such as 75, fixed upon a lifting rail 104, can be driven to perform periodic lifting motions by means of a conventional reciprocating drive device which is provided in the head stock 10, and which is therefore not shown in the drawing in detail.

This reciprocating drive device may, for example, comprise a hydraulic jack, whose direction of motion is reversible by means of a control slide valve. The control of the reversals in movement of the support 104 is effected in this case by a respective lower motion reversing control element and an upper motion reversing control element which respond directly or indirectly to the vertical position of the ring holder support 104. These two motion reversing control elements are adjustable along a path parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bobbins by means of an individual adjusting arrangement. The adjusting arrangement can be of any suitable design, for example, it may have the type of construction shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6. In these three figures each reversing

control element

100 and 101 respectively is arranged upon threaded shaft 102 and 10.3 so as to be non-rotatable with respect thereto. For this purpose, the control elements may be supported on a fixed machine part for vertical sliding movement. By rotating the respective threaded shaft extending parallel to the bobbin axis, the longitudinal position of the motion reversing control element can be adjusted. These threaded shafts and motion reversing control elements are arranged in the drive head stock in the machine of FIGURE la.

These motion reversing control elements, such as 100 and 101, directly sense the vertical position of the ring holder carrier 104 in the practical example according to FIG. 2. For this purpose, this carrier 104 is provided with an extension 105 and the

sensing members

106, 107 of the motion reversing

control elements

100 and 101 respond to the position of this extension. The sensing operation is preferably contactless in this practical example, for example, it is accomplished by optical means, but it may also be effected in any other suitable manner. As soon as the extension 105 arrives at the level of the

sensing members

106 or 107, a signal is generated by the respective sensing member, and as a consequence of the appearance of this signal the direction of movement of the carrier 104 is reversed in any convenient manner, such as electrical or mechanical reversal of the driving means for the carrier. As a consequence of this operation, the carrier 104, and the traveller 21, will reciprocate periodically be- 6 tween the limiting positions determined by the positions of the two motion reversing control elements and 101.

In this practical example, according to FIG. 1a, the travellers 21, that is to say the winding members, are adjustable in position. It is obvious, however, that the invention is not restricted to this arrangement, but that instead the spindle bed 51 may have its position adjustable in a similar manner relatively to the winding members, because all that is required is a relative movement between these two components.

In the practical example according to FIGS. 2 and 3, the threaded shafts 1.02 and 103 are connected together by means of a gear combination, indicated by the collective reference 108a, in such a manner that the reversing control elements can perform opposite adjusting movements. This is necessary for example for the build of the wound body according to FIG. 10. In this figure, as also in FIGS. 11 to 20, the bobbin is indicated by 220 and the configuration of the winding is indicated by 221, while the

references

222, 223 indicate respectively the longitudinal position h of the upper reversing control element 100 and the lower reversing control element 101. In this case, the operating member 109 which brings about the adjusting movement is designed as a driving magnet, in the form of a solenoid which, acting through a connecting rod 110 in response to an applied voltage pulse, operates a stepping pawl 111 for advancing the ratchet wheel 112.

The control arrangement (FIG. 3) for deriving the feed function for the adjusting member 109, includes a time interval device 116 connected at 114 to the power supply network 115, this time interval device being synchronized, as indicated by the functional line 117, with the electrical drive motor 118 of the yarn delivery device 18 (FIG. 1a), so that by this means any fluctuation of the yarn delivery speed due to power fluctuations or other causes will be automatically taken into account in the measuring of the time intervals. The individual time intervals which succeed each other directly without any time spacing having the length A/v, wherein A is a constant, preferably adjustable, time factor, and v is the delivery speed of the roller 18.

The synchronization between the motor 118 and the device 116 is put into effect in this practical example by providing the motor 118 as a synchronous motor and the time interval transmitter 116 also as a synchronous motor 119 (FIG. 8). Both of these synchronous motors are connected to the same power supply network 115. The synchronous motor 119 drives a cam switch wheel 120, which at each revolution operates a switching device indicated at 121. The switching pulse thereby caused to appear at the line 122 is impressed upon an amplifier 123 (FIG. 3), whereby the energizing winding 124 of the drive magnet 109 is energizable as a result of such switching pulse. Preferably the amplifier device 123 is so designed that following a switching pulse the drive magnet is energizable for performing one switching step.

However, it may be desirable in many cases to design the device 123 in such a manner that as a result of the appearance of a switching pulse at the input 122, the drive magnet is energized to perform a predetermined plurality of stepping movements. Such operation is also within the contemplation of the invention.

By means of this apparatus in accordance with the invention, as represented in FIGS. 2, 3 and 8, during each time interval (which must be related to the reciprocating movement of the carrier 104 so as to lie within the time cycle thereof), the threaded

shafts

102 and 103, and therewith the motion reversing

control elements

100 and 101 are adjusted through a predetermined amount. The matching of the adjusting motion to different winding conditions is specially effected in this case by a suitable adjustment of the time factor A by means of the transmission gear 119a (FIG. 8) whose transmission ratio is suitably adjustable, preferably in stages, while for the purpose of effecting programmed control of the time factor it is possible to provide a servo motor 250 for adjusting the gear transmission ratio of the gear 119a, said motor being controllable by the programming device 251.

In many cases, it is desirable to have a build of the bobbin winding wherein the adjusting motion of the reversing control element begins only during the period of the winding. Such a wound body is shown in FIG. 11. In this case, the adjusting movement is required to begin at the time instant t For this purpose, there is provided a controllable time delay device 125 (FIG. 3) which can take any known form. At the beginning of the yarn drawing operation, the switch 126 is open and is not closed until the time instant t is indicated by the delay device 125.

The time interval generator 116, as shown in FIG. 8, represents merely one preferred form of construction. It can, however, be designed in any other suitable manner, for example, according to FIG. 9. In this case, the time interval generator comprises a counting device 130, which in this example is supplied with the frequency of the power supply network 115 and counts the cycles thereof. The condition of this counting device 130 is sensed by a sensing device or detector 131 through a line 131a. Upon reaching a predetermined and preferably adjustable count value, a signal is generated by the sensing device 131 and is applied over the line 132 to the signal generating device 133, which, through the line 122, emits a first switching pulse and at the same time sends over the line 134 a reset pulse for resetting the counting mechanism of the counting device 130. After each resetting, a new count is automatically initiated in accordance with the invention without any intermediate pause.

In the practical example according to FIGS. 4 and 5, the adjusting member is designed as an electrical servo motor 140, which can be coupled through a gearing, indicated by the general reference 141, and the

electromagnetic couplings

142 and 143 to the threaded shaft 103. In the normal case, i.e., during the period of the bobbin filling, the coupling 143 is energized and the coupling 142 deenergized. The threaded shaft 103 is then driven through the gear wheels 150153 and itself drives through the gear wheel 108D the thread shaft 102, this being done in such a manner that the reversing

elements

100 and 101 are driven in the same direction. In this case, configurations of winding can be produced such as shown, for example, in FIGS. 12, 13 and 14. In the case of FIG. 12, the

gear wheels

146 and 147 have the same number of teeth, while in the case of the wound body according to FIGS. 13 and 14 gear wheels having unequal numbers of teeth are provided.

After the completion of a filling, the motion reversing

control elements

100 and 101 must be reset into their initial positions. This is effected in this practical example by means of a high speed resetting device, which is brought into operation by deenergizing the coupling 143 and energizing the coupling 142 in a manner that will be described in more detail hereinafter. At the same time, the drive direction of the motor is reversed and this then drives through the

shafts

144 and 145 to effect resetting of the threaded shaft 103 at high speed.

The control arrangement for the motor 140 is again provided with a time interval generator 116, which can be designed in any suitable manner, for example, as represented in FIG. 8 or 9. The first switching signal appearing upon the line 122 (FIG. is impressed upon a switching device 160 and thereby switches in the motor 140.

The reference 161 indicates a bistable direction changing switching device, whose existing switching position determines the drive direction of the motor 140. For the purpose of bringing into operation the high speed resetting, the resetting transmitter 162 is automatically or manually operable, and upon being operated, trips the switching device 161 into a position in which the motor 140 resets the motion reversing elements into their initial position. The device 163 which determines the length of the adjustment path is not operative during this resetting operation, so that the resetting is only stopped when the reversing element 101 reaches the level of the sensing device 164 (FIGS. 4 and 5) and this sensing device then is effective through the pulse forming device 165 to impress a resetting pulse on the direction reversing switching devices 161, whereby this device is switched into its normal position. Furthermore, by the signals appearing upon the

lines

166 and 167, a coupling switching device 169 associated with the

couplings

142 and 143 is operable in such a manner that the

couplings

142 or 143 are respectively energized and de-energized automatically in the manner above described.

Upon the output shaft 172 of the motor 140 is arranged a disc provided with a plurality of magnets 173 arranged at a constant angular spacing (FIG. 4). At each passage of a magnet past the sensing device 174, which may advantageously take the form of a Hall generator, there is produced a path adjustment pulse, which is impressed through the line 175 (FIG. 5) upon a device 176 generating signals for determining the adjustment path length. This device 176 includes an integrating device for integrating the path length pulses which appear during a time interval. Upon reaching a predetermined integration value, which is preferably adjustable, there appears upon the line 177 a second switching pulse, whereby the switching device 160 is operated in such a manner that the motor 140 is stopped. Thereafter as soon as a first switching pulse is again generated by the time interval device 116, this causes, firstly, the resetting to its initial position of the integrating device of the path length signal generating device 176, and secondly this pulse causes the switching device 160 to be operated in such a manner that the motor 140 is again switched into circuit. This alternate connection and disconnection of the motor 140 repeats itself during each time interval.

In a preferred practical example, this control arrangement is so devised that during a time interval measured by the time interval device 116 approximately 3,000 adjusting pulses are generated. The length of one time interval may in this case advantageously be several seconds, for example, eight seconds. The integrating device of the control path signal generating device is made so adjustable that, after the reception of a predetermined number of pulses, which in a practical example may lie between 20 and 3,000, a second switching pulse is delivered. In this way, the mean adjusting velocity of the motor 140 can be varied in the ratio of 1:150 by suitable preadjustment of the adjustment path signal generating device.

The adjustment path generator 163 may also be of any other suitable design, for example, it may be a mechanically operable generator or an electro-optical generator.

In a preferred practical form of the invention, there is also provided a programming generator 180 indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 5, whereby the adjustment of the signal generator device 176 can be so varied according to a predetermined program during a bobbin filling run that, during at least two time intervals, the second switching pulse is generated as a consequence of a differing number of adjustment pulses so that the path increments are likewise of variable magnitude.

In the example according to FIGS. 6 and 7a, there is shown a further preferred practical form of the invention. In this construction, the threaded

shafts

102 and 103 are driven by the

separate motors

140 and 140a.

The gear 141 associated with the threaded shaft 103 and the

electromagnetic couplings

142 and 143 correspond to the equivalent parts in FIG. 4 so that in this case the description already given in connection with that figure will apply to the operation of these elements also. Moreover, the means for generating the adjustment paths 163 and 163a correspond in principle to the device 163 of FIG. 4 serving to generate the magnitude of the adjustment path. The motion reversing control element 101 cooperates with a sensing device 164 during the high speed resetting operation similarly as described in FIG. 4. However, in contrast to that arrangement, the motion reversing control element 100 in the present constructional example requires no high speed resetting because its adjustment speed is substantially higher than the adjustment speed of the motion reversing control element 101.

In the present practical example while the motion reversing control element 101 is adjustable always in the same direction, on the other hand the motion reversing control element 100 is ireci-procated with a higher mean adjusting velocity between the

positional sensing devices

180 and 181. For this purpose, the drive direction of the motor 140a is always reversed when the motion reversing control element 100 arrives at the level of the

sensing device

180 and 181, respectively. By this means, it is possible to realize winding configurations such as are represented for example in FIGS. 16 and 17. If it should be desirable to arrange also that the control element 101 performs a periodic or quasi-periodic reciprocating motion, in order thereby to produce winding bodies having the winding configurations shown for example in FIG. 18, then it will be possible to design the adjustment device pertaining thereto in a manner corresponding to the design of the adjusting device for the motion reversing control element 100, already described in this practical example and therefore requiring no further description.

Moreover, it is possible to arrange matters so that the adjustment devices in FIG. are controlled in such a way that both the motion reversing

control elements

100 and 101 are displaced with the same or different relatively low mean velocities in one direction. By this means it is possible to produce for example configurations of winding bodies according to FIGS. 10 and 12 to 14. If only one reversing control element is adjusted, then configurations or windings or winding bodies according to FIG. 19 may be produced.

By adopting a delay device 170 (FIG. 7a) which may be designed in a similar manner as indicated in connection with the

parts

125 and 126 in FIG. 3, it is possible to introduce the adjustment movement of the one of the motion reversing control elements later than that of the other motion reversing control element. By this means, it is possible to produce winding bodies of a configuration similar for example to that in FIG. 20.

Essentially, there are associated with the adjusting

motors

140 and 140a suitable control arrangements, each of which comprises time interval genera-

tors

116 and 116a (FIG. 7a), switching

devices

160 and 160a, directional reversing

switching devices

161 and 161a, adjusting mag nitude generators 163 and 163m and devices 176 and 17611 for generating adjusting path signals. These individual devices can be designed in the manner already described in connection with FIGS. 2 to 5. They will therefore not be described here in detail.

The direction reversing switching device 161a is open able by signals from the

sensing devices

180 and 181, which are amplified into switching pulses in the pulse former stages and amplifying

stages

182 and 183, respectively. The high speed resetting at the end of a filling is brought into circuit by means of the generator 185 automatically or manually. The output of this generator is impressed upon the

switching devices

161 and 161a through the

lines

188 and 1 89. At 190 there is indicated the coupling switching device for the electromagnetic couplings 142 and 14 3. As soon as the reversing control element 101 is situated at the height of the sensing device 164, a switching pulse is produced by the output of the sensing device through the pulse former stage 165, whereby the switching device 161 is resettable so that a new filling can begin.

In this practical example, there are provided separate time interval control devices 116 and 1160 for the control arrangements for each adjusting device. This is advantageous in many cases because by this means the length of the time intervals for both adjusting devices can be differently adjusted, which is especially satisfactory if,

instead of the adjusting drive members and 140a represented in FIG. 6, adjusting drive members having a constant feed determined by the type of construction, for example, stepping mechanisms, are provided. In the case where separate time interval generating devices need not be employed, which will be the case mostly when using the adjustment members according to FIG. 6, then the adjustment member 116a (FIG. 7a) can be omitted and instead the output 122 of the time interval device 116 can be impressed upon the devices a and 176a through the line 198 indicated by the dashed line.

In a preferred practical form of the invention, the device 16-3 for generating the length of the adjustment path can be omitted by arranging that the motor 140 has a constant adjustment speed during its adjustment movement. Such constant adjustment speed can be put into effect by using a suitable control arrangement. The signal generating device 176 will in this case include preferably a time measuring device 200 (FIG. 7b) which is brought into operation as a consequence of the appearance of a first switching pulse. After a predetermined, preferably adjustable, time period, this time measuring device 200 operates a signal device 201, which then gencrates a second switching pulse for disconnecting the motor 140. Simultaneously, the time measuring device 200 is reset into its new position, and this is done in the present example by means of the second switching pulse delivered over the resetting line 202 to the time measuring mechanism 200. The appearance of each first switching pulse causes the repetition of the above described cycle of operations.

While I have shown and described several embodiments in accordance with the present invention, it is understood that the same is not limited thereto but is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as known to a person skilled in the art, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein but intend to cover all such changes and modifications as are encompassed by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a textile machine for winding yarn upon a plurality of bobbins in a predetermined selective pattern so as to generate a particular build, including yarn winding means, a reciprocatable lifting member for effecting relative reciprocating motion in the axial direction of said bobbins between a support for said yarn winding means and a bobbin support and drive means for delivering yarn to said bobbins at a controllable delivery speed, the improvement essentially consisting of apparatus for controlling the axial position of the winding point of application of yarn, or the like, upon said bobbins comprising reversing control elements for detecting the extreme positions of said reciprocatable lifting member along its path of reciprocating motion, means responsive to said reversing control elements for reversing movement of said reciprocatable lifting member in response to detection thereof by either reversing control element, and adjusting means for adjusting the position of at least one of said reversing control elements in the axial direction of said bobbins along said path of reciprocating motion including timing means for measuring predetermined control time intervals inversely proportional to the delivery speed of the yarn and control means for adjusting the position of the reversing control element during said control time intervals by an amount independent of the yarn delivery speed.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said timing means includes time interval generator means for generating a first switching pulse in response to detection of a preselected control time interval inversely proportional to the delivery speed of said yarn, and switching means controlled by said first switching pulse for effecting adjusting movement of said reversing control element.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said time interval generator means and said drive means for delivering yarn to said bobbins are synchronized to a speed responsive characteristic of the control voltage of a common supply source.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said timing means includes a frequency counter device for detecting the control time interval selected in proportion to a preselected number of cycles of the control voltage of a common supply source.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said time interval generator means includes a synchronous motor driven by said control voltage in synchronism with said drive means, a rotatable cam disc driven by said synchronous motor, and a first signal generator device for generating said first switching pulse in at least one predetermined position of said cam disc.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein said time interval generators means further includes variable gear ratio means connected between said synchronous motor and said rotatable cam disc for effecting selectively variable drive transmission therebetween.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said drive means includes an asynchronous motor for delivering yarn to said bobbins and said time interval generator means includes a synchronous motor.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said time interval generator means includes integrating and pulse generating means for integrating the control voltage of a common supply source and for generating said first switching pulse and an integrator reset pulse each time a predetermined, adjustable, integration value is reached.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said adjusting means for said reversing control elements includes adjustable support means for said reversing control elements, means for operating said adjustable support means to alter the position of said reversing control elements including a ratchet wheel and stepping pawl, and drive magnet means for actuating said ratchet wheel and stepping pawl in response to a first switching pulse.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said adjusting means for said reversing control elements includes a directionally reversible mechanical drive.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said adjusting means for said reversal control elements further includes gearing and clutch means for effecting high speed resetting of at least said one reversing control element.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said adjusting means for said reversing control elements further includes means for automatically disengaging said adjusting means after said reversing control element has traversed a predetermined adjusting motion path.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 further including a resettable measuring means for detecting the actual length of the adjusting path which is traversed by said reversing control element during a given time interval, time control means for determining the desired length of the adjusting path, and means responsive to said time control means and said resettable measuring means for deactivating said switching means after a predetermined, adjustable length of adjusting path has been traversed.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 13 further including means for displacing said reversing control element at a constant speed in response to said switching means, said resettable measuring means being provided as a time measuring device.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein said resettable measuring means includes a signal generator generating a second switching pulse applied to said switching means to effect tie-activation thereof, said second switching pulse being applied also to reset said time control means.

16. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 further including resettable measuring means for detecting the length of the adjusting path traversed by said reversing control element and having a rotatable member whose angular displacement is proportional to the length of the adjustment path of said reversing control element and sensing means for detecting the amount of displacement of said rotatable member and generating a counting pulse for each 1/ In part of a revolution of said rotatable member, where m is an integral number, an integrating device for counting said counting pulses, and means for generating a second switching pulse to effect deactivation of said switching means in response to said integrating device reaching a predetermined count.

17. Apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein said rotatable member is provided with at least one means for generating a magnetic field and means for sensing said magnetic field.

18. Apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein said sensing means is a Hall generator.

19. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said reversing control elements include an upper control element associated with the upper reversing point of movement of the reciprocatable lifting member and a lower control element associated with the lower reversing point of movement of the reciprocatable lifting member, said adjusting means being effective to provide for separate adjustment of said upper and lower control elements.

20. Apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein said adjusting means further includes first and second means for detecting the length of the adjustment path of said upper and lower control elements, respectively, and switching means associated with each of said first and second detecting means for initiating the adjusting motions of the reversing elements following the occurrence of each first switching pulse and arresting said adjusting motions when predetermined adjusting paths have been reached during the respective time interval.

21. Apparatus as defined in claim 20 further including a common time interval generator means associated with both of said first and second detecting means for generating a switching pulse in response to detection of a preselected control time interval inversely proportional to the delivery speed of said yarn, said switching pulse actuating said adjusting means.

22. Apparatus as defined in claim 20 further including a separate time interval generator means associated with each of said first and second detecting means for generating a switching pulse in response to detection of a preselected control time interval inversely proportional to the delivery speed of said yarn, said switching pulse actuating said adjusting means.

23. The method of winding yarn upon a bobbin in a predetermined selective pattern so as to generate a particular build on said bobbin comprising securing one end of said yarn to said bobbin, rotating said bobbin and simultaneously delivering yarn thereto at a definite rate, moving said winding point of application of said yarn on said bobbin in a reciprocating manner along a path parallel to the axis of said bobbin between selectively determined limits, measuring successive control time intervals whose duration is proportional to A/ v, where A is a time factor selectively settable according to required winding conditions and v is the yarn delivery rate, and adjusting at least one extreme limit of said reciprocating path of movement during said time intervals by path increments whose length is independent of the yarn delivery rate.

24. The method according to claim 23 wherein the time factor A is kept constant during the time period of a full bobbin takeup.

25. The method according to claim 23 wherein the time factor A is varied according to a selective program during winding of the bobbin.

26. The method according to claim 23 wherein the magnitude of the increment of path movement is varied according to a set program during the winding of the bobbin.

27. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said timing means includes integrating and pulse generating means for integrating a magnitude forming a standard for the delivery speed of said drive means and is so constructed as to be automatically reset each time it reaches a predetermined integrating value simultaneously with the generation of a first switching pulse.

28. Apparatus as defined in claim 27 wherein said magnitude approximately proportional to the delivery speed is represented by the period of the supply voltage of the drive means.

29. Apparatus as defined in claim 27 wherein the integration value at which the integrating and pulse generating means is reset is adjustable by means of a program control.

30. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 further including References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,764,363 9/ 1956 Stammnitz 24226.2

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,372,366 8/1964 France.

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.