US3464196A - Apparatus for feeding yarn to be twisted - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 2, 1969 J. P. BAGLINO ET AL 3,

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING YARN TO BE TWISTED Filed March 18, 1968 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 2, 1969 J. P. BAGLINO ET AL 7 3,464,193

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING YARN TO BE TWISTED Filed March 18, 1968 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTO R N EYS Sept. 2, 1969 J, BAGLlNo ET AL I 3,464,196

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING YARN TO BE TWISTED Filed March 18, 1968 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 TIEA:

M17142: ATTORNEYS Sept. 2, 1969 J p BAGLINO ET AL 3,464,196

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING YARN TO BE TWISTED Filed March 18, 1968 I 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS JaM RBAQUAM Mos 04,435 05/7055 ATTO R N EY p RBAGLINO ET AL $464,196

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING YARN TO BE TWISTED Filed March 18, 1968 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 &

INVENTOR S Jo/m/ F 34 4 we Ave/m4 as 606/ 7055 sip/M. arr/ 54m 055 #zsrae A Z ova/W0 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,464,196 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING YARN TO BE TWISTED John P. Baglino, Scranton, Nicholas F. Gubitose, Clarks Green, and Joseph R. Rappenglueck and Chester L. Loveland, Dalton, Pa., assignors to US. Textile Machine Company, Scranton, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 713,878 Int. Cl. D01h 13/02, 13/04 U.S. Cl. 57--90 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for twisting yarn comprising a beam adapted to carry a plurality of yarn ends to define a cylindrical yarn package, a plurality of twisting stations arranged for the feeding thereto from the beam of the yarn ends and guide means for guiding the yarn ends from the beam to the twisting stations and permitting feedback along the yarn ends of twist imparted thereto at the twisting stations.

This invention relates to apparatus for twisting yarn. More particularly, this invention relates to a novel and highly advantageous system for feeding a plurality of yarn ends from a beam to a plurality of twisting stations.

In conventional twisting machines or frames, for example, ring twisting machines, there is provided a plurality of twisting stations, generally arranged in at least one line. In a typical ring twisting machine, for example, there may be two parallel and coextensive lines of twisting stations, each line comprising a like plurality, for instance, twenty ring twisters. At the center of the machine is supported for rotation about an axis parallel to these lines a large cylindrical yarn package core or support several feet in length and having an annular flange at each end. This yarn package core is known as a beam. A plurality of yarn ends, one for each of the twisting stations of the twisting machine, are wound in parallel array on the beam.

By means of yarn guides, each yarn end is led from the beam to a respective one of the twisting stations. At the twisting stations, the respective yarn ends are snubbed, i.e., restrained from rotating about their axes, at a first point while at a second point shortly downstream therefrom caused to rotate about their axes. This combination of snubbing at one point and rotation at a second point, of course, places a twist in the yarn. The portion of the yarn, however, still upstream of the snubbing point :remains untwisted, i.e., feedback of the twist along the yarn stops at the snubbing point. As a consequence, each yarn end is in an untwisted state between the beam and the respective twisting station at which the yarn is twisted.

It will be appreciated that due to the lines of twisting stations being substantially longer than the beam, the yarn ends are fed from the beam or the immediate vicinity thereof to the twisting stations in fan-like patterns, one of these patterns for each of the lines of twisting stations. The yarn ends comprising these fan-like patterns are untwisted and, accordingly, are relatively bulky compared to yarn ends in the twisted state. A common problem in the prior art has been for these untwisted and therefore relatively bulky yarn ends, which, moreover, must travel in close array over very substantial distances, to become entangled, causing knots, breaks and other apparent operating difficulties.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide an arrangement for feeding a plurality of yarn ends from such a beam to such twisting stations in a manner which will overcome the foregoing ditfic-ulties. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.

Briefly, according to the invention, apparatus is provided whereby the yarn ends are snubbed at or adjacent the yarn package formed on the beam rather than at the twistmg stations and are not snubbed again before reachmg or at the twisting stations whereby twist imparted to the yarn ends at the twisting station is fed back all the way to the snubbing points at or adjacent the yarn package. Thus, in their extended travel from the vicinity of the beam to the twisting stations, the yarn ends are in a twisted rather than an untwisted state and it is found that thereby the problem of entanglement described above is substantially mitigated and overcome.

The invention will be described in somewhat more detail by reference to a ring twisting machine. It will be appreciated, however, that the invention has equal applicability to other twisting machines.

Ring twisting machines are conventionally provided with a pair of nip rolls at each twisting station (as shown, for example, in commonly assigned copending application Ser. No. 690,628, filed Dec. 14, 1967) or a single pair of nip rolls extending axially from twisting station to twisting station, which is exactly equivalent. Each yarn end passes through and is snubbed by such a nip and several inches therefrom a conventional ring twister rotates the yarn about its axis while winding it on a bobbin whereby the yarn is simultaneously twisted and wound. The twist travels upstream only so far as the nip. In applying the present invention to a ring twisting machine, these nip rolls are not utilized. It has been found that the twist is fed back along each yarn end all the way to the point at which the yarn tangentially leaves the yarn package formed on the beam.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a pair of nip rolls is provided adjacent and parallel to the beam and yarn ends are fed from the beam through the nip of this pair of nip rolls in a substantially parallel array before being distributed in the aforementioned fan-like pattern to the twisting stations. Again, no nip ping at the twisting stations is utilized. In this embodiment, the twist is fed back along each of the yarn ends to the nip of the rolls adjacent the beam. This arrangement is found desirable when an extremely high twist, namely, about 12 turns per inch or higher, is being imparted to the yarn. It is found that at such high levels of twist, feedback of the twist all the way to the beam can cause entanglement on the beam.

According to another aspect of the invention, it is preferred to drive the beam by means of a set of rolls frictionally engaging the surface of the yarn package formed on the beam; and adjacent to each other engaging the surface of the yarn package, to form a cradle for the beam. When the snubbing is to be at the beam, it is found that such a driving arrangement provides more positive snubbing since the drive rolls and the yarn package together form a nip. Moreover, this arrangement eliminates the problem of braking the beam. Specifically, in the prior art, the beam is generally not positively driven but, rather, it is driven by the pulling of the yarns. Thus, for example, in a conventional ring twisting machine, the above referred to nip rolls at the twisting stations are positively driven and thereby pull the yarn ends and this pulling of the yarn ends causes the beam to rotate. Since the beam has a considerable moment of inertia, the speed of the beam can readily build up to the point where it overruns the rate at which the yarn is being withdrawn; furthermore, there is the problem of stopping the beam when it is desired to shut the machine down. It has thus been the conventional prior art practice to provide braking means on the shaft of the beam. An advantage of the present invention is that with positive drive of the beam no braking means is needed because the speed of the beam is directly controlled by the speed of the motor driving the roll which in turn drives the beam.

As pointed out above, the invention finds its greatest usefulness when the axial length of the beam is substantially greater than the axial length of a substantially parallel line of twisting stations to which yarn ends are being fed from the beam. By susbtantially greater length is means that the line of twisting stations is at least about 9.5 times as long as the axial length of the beam.

The invention will now be further described by reference to specific embodiments thereof as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic isometric view of a ring twisting machine incorporating the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the machin of FIG. 1, viewed from the right hand side of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation as in FIG. 2, showing a portion of the right hand end of the beam system as viewed in FIG. 2, in detail;

- FIG. 5 is a detail of the side elevation of FIG. 3, showing the means for separating the yarns from the yarn package in greater detail;

FIG. 6 is a plan view in deail of the front portion of the right hand end of the beam system as illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view showing in detail one of the yarn guides employed;

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of a modification, to be compared with FIG. 3;

- FIG. 9 is a detail for comparison with FIG. 4, to further illustrate the above mentioned modification; and

FIG. 10 is a detail for comparison with FIG. 5, to still further illustrate the above mentioned modification.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, a yarn package 10 defined by a plurality of yarn ends 11 wound in parallel on a beam 12 rests on two drive rolls 13 and 13, the rolls 13 and 13' being essentially axially parallel to the axis of the beam 12 and coextensive therewith (FIG. 1). A motor 14 drives the rolls 13 and 13' by means of a train of intermeshing gears 15, 16, 17 and 17. Rolls 13 and 13' are thereby caused to rotate counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 1 whereby the yarn package 10 is rotated clockwise.

One fraction of the yarn ends, 11a, is tangentially guided from the surface of the yarn package 10 by being passed over and in contact with a separating roll 18 which is axially essentially coextensive with and parallel to the beam 12. Since the axis of the separating roll 18 is essentially parallel to the axis of the beam 12, the points at which each of the yarn ends 11a are withdrawn from the yarn package 10 lie along a line on the surface of the yarn package 10 which also is essentially parallel to the axis of the beam 12. By a like arrangement, a second fraction of the yarn ends, the remainder of the yarn ends 11b, is tangentially separated from the yarn package 10 by a second separating roll 19 along a second line on the yarn package parallel to the axis of the beam 12. Conveniently, these two axial lines of separation are separated by about 180 on the surface of the yarn package 10.

By means of yarn guides 20, 21 and 22, yarn ends 11a are guided to respective twisting stations, namely, ring twisters 23, where they are wound on rotating bobbins 24 while being rotated about their axes. The ring twisters 23 are arranged in a line parallel to the axis of the beam 12, the beam 12 being centered relative thereto and the line of ring twisters 23 being as much as 9.5 times the length of the beam 12. The other yarn ends, 1111, are exactly in the same manner guided to a second line of 4 ring twisters, parallel to and coextensive with the first line. The axis of the beam 12 is centered with respect to the two lines of ring twisters.

The separating roll 18 and the yarn guides 20, 21 and 22 do not prevent feedback of the twist imparted to the yarn ends 11a by the ring twisters 23. Feedback of the twist in the yarn ends 11a is not halted until the twist reaches the nip defined by the drive roll 13' and the yarn package 11. An identical arrangement of yarn guides is employed for the yarns 11b.

Referring to the apparatus in somewhat greater detail, it is seen that the beam 12 is provided with an axial shaft 12 which rests in yokes 12a and 12b (FIGS. 2 and 3). Yarn guide is constituted of a V-shaped support (FIG. 6) mounting a plurality of saddle-shaped individual yarn guides (shown in detail in FIG. 7) which change the direction of travel of the yarn ends by angles slightly less than 90. The yarn guides 26 are each provided with a bracket 27 having a hole 28 for a bolt for mounting of the yarn guide. The yarn guides 21, to which the yarn ends are passed after leaving the yarn guides 26, are of the same configuration as the yarn guides 26. The yarn guides 22 through which the yarn ends are finally led are simple loops, sometimes known as pigtail guides.

While the foregoing arrangement has been found completely satisfactory for preventing entanglement among the yarn ends when the degree of twist being placed in the yarn ends is less than about 12 turns per inch, it has been found that at relatively high degrees of twist of about 12 turns per inch or higher, with the foregoing arrangement some entanglement of the yarn ends may occur on the yarn package. A modification has been found which is suitable for overcoming this problem and which, moreover, can also be employed at lower degrees of twist. The modification is particularly shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10. Moreover, the unmodified apparatus as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is in a form adapted for ready conversion to the modification of FIGS, 8, 9 and 10.

The separating roll 18 is provided with a shaft 18a at each of its ends and each of the shafts rests in a yoke 30 for rotation (FIGS. 4 and 5). Each of the arms of the yoke 30 is provided with an upright bolt 31. A bracket 32 provided with holes (not shown) for passage therethrough of the bolts 31 is mounted on the yoke 30 by means of the bolts 31. Then, on each of the bolts 31 is placed a helical spring 33. Finally, wing nuts 34 are screwed onto the bolts 31 to bias the spring 33 against the bracket 32.

To effect the aforementioned modification, one simply removes the clamp 32, places a second roller 40, which is like roller 18, over roller 18, roller 40, like roller 18, having shafts which rotatably fit in the yoke 30, and, finally, reassembles the clamp assembly (namely, clamp 32, springs 33 and wing nuts 34). The rolls 18 and thereby define a nip and the pressure in the nip may be adjusted by tightening down or loosening up on the nuts 34 (FIGS. 9 and 10). It will be appreciated that whereas only one end of. this arrangement has been shown, it is the same at the other end and, furthermore, a like arrangement may be provided with respect to the other separating roll, 19. In the specific embodiment herein described, which is particularly desirable for yarn ends in which about twelve turns per inch or greater twist is being imparted, a nip roll arrangement is provided with separator roll 19 as well as with separator roll 18, this being schematically illustrated in FIG. 8. The roll emsuring that the fan-like portion of the yarn 11 shown in FIG. 1 is twisted thereby avoiding the prior art difiiculties mentioned hereinbefore.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for twisting yarn comprising a beam adapted to carry a plurality of yarn ends to define a cylindrical yarn package, a restraining arrangement for said yarn ends adjacent to said beam, a plurality of twisting stations arranged for the feeding thereto from the beam of the yarn ends and said restraining arrangement, and guide means for guiding the yarn ends from the beam to the twisting stations and permitting feedback along the yarn ends of twist imparted thereto at said twisting stations to said restraining arrangement.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which the twisting stations are arranged in a line essentially parallel to the axial length of the beam.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which the line along which said twisting stations are arranged is substantially longer than the axis of said beam.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means for rotationally driving said beam.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, in which said driving means comprises a rotationally driven roll the axis of which is essentially parallel to the axis of the beam and which is arranged to frictionally engage the surface of said yarn package.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said restraining arrangement is a nip formed between said rotationally driven roll and said beam.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a second line of twisting stations parallel to and coextensive with the aforementioned line of twisting stations, first means to separate a first fraction of said yard ends from said yarn package at a first line along the surface of said package and substantially parallel to the axis of said beam, second means to separate a second fraction of said yarns from said yarn package at a second line along the surface of said package and substantially parallel to the axis of said beam, and means for guiding the yarn ends of one of said fractions to the twisting stations of one of said line of twisting stations and the yarn ends of the other of said fractions to the twisting stations of the other of said lines of twisting stations.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which said first and said second separating means each comprise a roll spaced from and extending along the length of the yarn package and substantially parallel to the axis of the beam.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said restraining arrangement further comprises a pair of rolls defining a nip, said rolls being arranged intermediate said beam and said twisting stations for feeding through said nip of at least a fraction of said yarns in a substantially parallel array, whereby twist imparted at said twisting stations to said yarn ends passing through said nip is prevented by said nip from being fed back past said nip along said yarn ends passing through said nip.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said restraining arrangement further comprises a second pair of rolls defining a second nip and arranged intermediate said beam and said twisting stations for feeding through said second nip of a second fraction of said yarns in a substantially parallel array, whereby twist imparted at said twisting stations to said first and said second fractions of said yarn ends is prevented by said nips from being fed back past said nips along said first and said second fractions of said yarn ends.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which each of said twisting stations comprises a ring twister.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,146,238 7/1915 Cotter 5790 1,400,026 12/1921 Chadwick 5775 2,387,869 10/ 1945 Arrington 5790 2,871,650 2/1959 Kooistra 5790 FOREIGN PATENTS 168,359 8/ 1921 Great Britain.

JOHN PETRAKES, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 5792, 106

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