US3398520A

US3398520A - Bobbin donning mechanism

Info

Publication number: US3398520A
Application number: US616006A
Authority: US
Inventors: Leo L Chabot; Haagsma Herman
Original assignee: HORACE L BOMAR
Current assignee: Draper Corp; HORACE L BOMAR
Priority date: 1967-02-14
Filing date: 1967-02-14
Publication date: 1968-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 1985-08-27

Description

Aug. 27, 1968 Filed Feb. 14, 1967 L. L. CHABOT ET AL BOBBIE DONNING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N V a N T0 R LEOLCHABOT HERMAN Hanssna ATTORNEY Aug. 27, 1968 L. L. CHABOT ETA!- 3,393,520

BOBBIN DONNING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 14, 1967 ATTORNEY Aug. 27, 1968 a... L. CHABOT ETAL 3,398,520

BOBBIN DONNING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 14, 1967 iEli m. h i Q l N V E N T O R LEO L.CHF\BOT HERMAN MHGSMA a A M ATTORNEY United States Patent BOBBIN DONNING MECHANISM Leo L. Chabot, Cumberland, R.I., and Herman Haagsma, Whitinsvilie, Mass., assignors, by mesne assignments, to John Donald Marshall and Horace L. Bomar as Trustees of the Carolina Patent Development Trust Filed Feb. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 616,006

8 Claims. c1. 57 s3 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A warp bobbin donning mechanism movable along the rail of a spinning frame and adapted to impale a supply of empty warp bobbins carried thereby on a row of spindles forming a part of said spinning frame.

Background of the invention With bobbin donning mechanisms which are adapted to impale a supply of empty bobbins on a row of spindles of a spinning frame, it has long been desirous from an economic stand point to avoid excessive handling of the bobbins, such as the individual orientation required in the storage magazines to assure unrestricted withdrawal therefrom. Additionally, it has been desirous to provide a positive an uncomplicated means for guiding and moving the bobbins from their source of supply to the donning apparatus as well as a mechanism which is capable of accommodating bobbins of different lengths and diameters.

The donning mechanism according to the instant invention is adapted to accommodate bobbins of different sizes and the multiplicity of empty bobbins forming the supply are loosely carried within a reservoir. As the mechanism is caused to move along the rail of a spinning frame the bobbins are individually and successively guided from the reservoir, through a channel to a conveying mechanism which receives them for delivery to the donning apparatus.

A known form of a bobbin donning mechanism is shown and described in US. Patent No. 3,164,946.

Summary of the invention The bobbin donning mechanism comprising the invention is adapted to be moved into a position to function in cooperation with the rail of a spinning frame and includes a reservoir within which the empty bobbins forming the supply are loosely contained. By means of gravity the bobbins enter a channel extending from the reservoir and are guided therethrough to a conveying mechanism which picks them up individually and delivers them to the donning apparatus. Within the reservoir there is provided a bobbin mixing element to prevent the bridging of said bobbins therein. The reservoir fur ther includes a bobbin displacing member which displaces certain bobbins adjacent the entrance to the channel to permit unrestricted entrance of others therein. Cooperating with the bobbins within the channel, a driving means is provided which continually urges the bobbins toward the conveying mechanism.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of the donning mechanism according to the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation and on a slightly enlarged scale of a portion of the mechanism in FIG. 1 showing further detail of the means utilized to move the bobbins from the reservoir to the conveying mechanism; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 2.

Description of the preferred embodiment Now referring to the figures of drawing, a portion of the donning mechanisms supporting framework is shown in FIG. 1 and is depicted generally by numeral 10. Supporting wheel members 11, 12 and 13 are rotatably attached to the upper portion of the supporting framework and serve as a means for mounting the donning mecha nism on the rail of a spinning frame and for moving the same therealong.

Freely rotatable roller members 14 are adjustably attached to the framework adjacent its lower side which when in operating position are in contact with the lower rail of a spinning frame and being adjustable serve as a means for guiding and maintaining the mechanism in proper donning position as it moves along the rail.

Adjacent one end of the supporting framework there is provided a pair of spaced plate-like members 15 and 16 (FIGS. 1 and 3) which are fixedly positioned within the framework and which extend upwardly beyond the upper limits of said framework. These plate-like members 15 and 16 provide a supporting structure for the means for driving the cooperating components of the donning mechanism as well as the bobbin conveying apparatus and will be described in more complete detail hereinafter.

A horizontally disposed shaft member 17 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) is positioned adjacent the lower end of the plate members 15 and 16 and extending therebetween, it is supported by the latter for rotation in aligned bearings 18 and 19 (FIG. 3) which are fixedly attached to plate members 15 and 16, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of sprockets 21 and 22 are fixed on shaft 17 intermediate the plate members 15 and 16 and are interconnected by means of

sprocket chains

23 and 24 with a similar pair of sprockets (not shown) mounted in a like manner adjacent the upper end of said plate members.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2

sprocket chains

23 and 24 are caused to move in the direction of the indicating arrows 25 and are driven by a pair of sprocket members (not shown) disposed above and in vertical alignment with sprockets 21 and 22. The sprockets (not shown) receive their source of drive from and are mechanically linked to the supporting wheel member 11.

A plurality of arcuated bobbin trays 26 extend between

sprocket chains

23 and 24 and are fixedly attached adjacent their ends to and at spaced points about said chains. These bobbin trays are adapted to receive and pick up bobbins 27 individually (FIG. 3) from the source of supply which will be more fully described hereinafter,

and deliver them to the donning mechanism (not shown) disposed adjacent the upper end of the plate-like members 15 and 16.

One end of the shaft member 17 extends outwardly beyond its supporting bearing 18 in plate 15 and has fixed thereon a sprocket 28. Sprocket 28 serves as a source of drive for the rotating components of the bobbin reservoir as well as the means for urging them toward the conveying apparatus and will now be described in greater detail.

The bobbin reservoir is depicted generally in FIGS. 1 and 2 by numeral 29 and communicates with that end of the supporting framework 10 opposite the plate-like mem bers 15 and 16. The reservoir includes, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, spaced

side members

30 and 31 which are fixedlg assembled within the supporting framework and is provided with end plates 32 (one only shown in 3 FIG. 2) which interconnect the ends of said side members. The bottom of the reservoir is angularly disposed and is directed downwardly in the direction of the sprocket chains 23 and '24 and bobbin trays 26 which form the conveying apparatus.

The bottom of the reservoir is depicted by numeral 33 (FIG. 2) and being of plate-like configuration, it interconnects the

side members

30 and 31. Extending downwardly the bottom 33 of the reservoir terminates short of the lowermost portion thereof to define an opening 34 (FIG. 2). This opening is of a size which permits one bobbin at a time to pass therethrough and it communicates with a bobbin channel 35 disposed at substantially the same angular setting as the bottom 33 of the reservoir.

Side members

30 and 31 extend below the lower limits of the reservoir and as shown in FIG. 2 form the sides of the bobbin channel.

The bottom of the channel is identified by numeral 36 and also being of plate-like configuration it interconnects the

side members

30 and 31 and extends downwardly into close proximity with the conveying apparatus.

The lowermost end of the bobbin channel is provided with a pair of spaced bobbin supports 37 (one only shown in FIG. 2) which form a channel extension and serve to restrict the flow of bobbins in the channel and to position each individual bobbin for pick-up by one of the bobbin trays 26.

An endless chain member 38 driven by sprocket 28 extends in a horizontal direction from the lower portion of the latter and meshes with an idler sprocket 39 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Extending upwardly from sprocket 39 the chain member 38 is in driving relation with a sprocket 40 that is fixed on one end of a shaft 41 and then extends generally downward to the driving sprocket 28.

Shaft 41 extends between

side members

30 and 31 and is supported for rotary movement by the latter in aligned bearing members 42 and 43 (FIG. 3) which are fixedly attached to

side members

30 and 31, respectively. That end of shaft 41 which supports sprocket 40 extends outwardly beyond side member 30 and is provided immediately adjacent to said sprocket with a spur gear 44 which is adapted to rotate with said shaft and sprocket.

Spur gear 44 is in meshing relation with a second spur gear 45 which is mounted for rotation on and with a shaft 46. Shaft 46 extends within and between the

side members

30 and 31 which form the bobbin reservoir and is supported by bearing

members

47 and 48 that are fixed to said side members. That portion of shaft 46 within the reservoir is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed and radially extending

blade members

49 and 50 and when caused to rotate with said shaft are adapted to contact and displace the bobbins 27 to prevent their bridging in said reservoir.

The portion of shaft 41 extending between

side members

30 and 31 is provided with a pair of spaced hub members 51 and 52 which are interconnected by a plurality of vane elements 53 (FIG. 3) the ends of which are equally disposed about said hubs and which extend radially therefrom. Rotation of shaft 41 rotates the hub members 51 and 52 with their vane elements in an anticlockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 and during rotation thereof the vane elements contact and displace those bobbins in contact with the lowermost bobbins in the reservoir about to enter the channel 35, thereby permitting unrestricted entrance of the bobbins into said channel.

Intermediate the

bearing members

42 and 43 and the hub members 51 and 52 shaft 41 is provided with a pair of spaced connecting links 54 and 55 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which are pivotably mounted on said shaft by means of integrally formed

hubs

56 and 57, respectively. The opposite ends of these connecting links terminate in integrally formed

hubs

58 and 59 and being in alignment one with the other serve as a means for supporting for rotation a shaft 60. One end of shaft 60 extends outwardly beyond hub 58 and is provided on the end thereof with a spur gear 61 which is in meshing relation with spur gear 44. Intermediate the

hubs

58 and 59 of the connecting

links

54 and 55 shaft 60 includes a pair of spaced and fixed

collars

62 and 63 having assembled thereto circular resilient disc members '64 and 65, respectively;

As shown in FIG. 3 the connecting

links

54 and 55 are interconnected intermediate their ends by 'a bar 66 which traverses the distance therebetween and attaches to said links by any suitable means such as bolts 67 and 68. Y

Each of the connecting links is provided with an adjusting screw 69 which assembles in a tapped hole (not shown) in each link adjacent the ends of bar 66 and each screw is provided with a lock nut 70. The shank portions of these screws extend downwardly and the heads thereof are caused to rest on a plate member 71 (FIG. 2) disposed immediately above the bobbin channel 35.

With the connecting

links

54 and 55 being pivotably assembled on shaft 41, the

resilient disc members

64 and 65 are caused to contact the bobbins in the channel 35. These disc members rotate with shaft 60 and serve as a means for pushing or urging the bobbins toward the conveying apparatus. Frictional contact between the

disc members

64 and 65 and the bobbins 27 in the channel is controlled by taking up or letting off on the adjusting screws 69. t

In operation, the endless chain member 38 is caused to move in the direction of the indicating arrow 72 shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2 the chain moving in this direction will cause the idler sprocket 39, shaft 41 with the sprocket 40 and spur gear 44 fixed thereon to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction. This movement rotates the vane elements 53 to displace the bobbins within the reservoir as heretofor described and spur gear being in mesh with gear 44, rotates shaft 46 and the blade members 49 and fixed thereon to displace the bobbins in the reservoir thereby eliminating the possible chance of said bobbins becoming bridged.

Spur gear 61 which is also in mesh with gear 44 is caused to rotate in a clockwise direction and being fixed on shaft it rotates the latter and disc members 64 and carried thereby. This rotary movement of the disc member and the frictional contact between them and the bobbins in the channel serves as means for continually urging the bobbins toward the conveying apparatus.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the .spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

We claim:

1. A warp bobbin donning mechanism adapted to impale a supply of empty warp bobbins on a row of spindles, said mechanism including a bobbin reservoir having a guiding channel extending downwardly therefrom adapted to individually and successively receive said bobbins from said reservoir, rotatable cylindrical driving means positioned above said channel and having the peripheral surface thereof engageable with the bobbins in said channel for urging them along the latter, and a conveying means associated with said guiding channel for individually receiving said bobbins for delivery to the donning portion of said mechanism.

2. The donning mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said driving means comprises a pair of spaced rotating disc members with the outer peripheries thereof being en-gageable with said bobbins.

3. The donning mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said bobbin reservoir includes abobbin mixing element for preventing the bridging ofsaid bobbins therein.

4. The donning mechanism according to claim 3 wherein said bobbin mixing element includes a pair of opposed and transversely extending rotating blade members engageable with said bobbins.

5. The donning mechanism according to claim 1 Wherein said bobbin reservoir includes a bobbin displacing member for permitting said bobbins to be moved by gravity into said guiding channel.

6. The donning mechanism according to claim 5 wherein said bobbin displacing member comprises a pair of spaced hub members fixed on a common rotating shaft and having a plurality of spaced and radially extending vane elements interconnecting said hubs and engageable with said bobbins.

7. The donning mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said conveying means includes a pair of spaced endless belt members supported for movement in unison and having a plurality of arcuated bobbin trays interconnecting and traversing the distance between said belt members.

8. The donning mechanism according to claim 2 Wherein said rotating disc members include an adjustment means for controlling the engagement thereof with said bobbins.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,886,940 5/1959 Urano et a1. 57-53 3,154,909 11/1964 Urano et al 57-53 XR 3,164,946 1/1965 Du Buis et al 5753 3,328,948 7/1967 Du Buis et a1. 5753 JOHN PETRAKES, Primary Examiner.