US3550876A - Creel - Google Patents

Description

United States Patent John Kay Pringle Mackie Belfast, Ireland 759,101

Sept. 1 1', 1968 Dec. 29, 1970 [73] Assignee James Mackie & Sons Limited Belfast, Ireland [32] Priority Sept. 25, 1967 [33] Great Britain [31] 1 No. 43591/67 [72] Inventor [2|] Appl.No.- [22] Filed [45] Patented [54] CREEL 15 Claims, 11 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 242/ 129.8, 242/ 1 56.2, 242/57 [51 Int. Cl B65h 49/00 50 FieldolSearch 242/l29.8. 156. 156.2. 57, 75.43; 28/28 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,666,250 1/1954 Liebrandt 242/57x 2,924,869 2/1960 Klein etal 28/28 Primary Examiner-Leonard D. Christian Attorney-Dowell & Dowell ABSTRACT: A method of braking packages mounted on a creel or the like comprising inflating or deflating, an inflatable member and employing the inflation or deflation to cause the package or a part of its support rotating therewith to be engaged by or to engage a brake surface.

PATENTED BEEZS 1970 PATENTEllnEczelem 3550.876 SHEET 2 BF 7 Inventor CREEL This invention relates to creels on which supply packages are mounted so as to allow the material to be from the packages by sideways withdrawal as opposed to overend withdrawal. Such creels are of particular interest to those concemed with the weaving of cloth from tapelike material when it is important that the material remains flat and without twist when unwound from the supply package,

Normally the supply packages are mounted on spindles or between rotatable arbors inserted at each end of the package. These must be free to rotate and because of this a stop mechanism has been provided for each spindle to detect an end break and then to brake the package or spindle and thus prevent the momentum of the package from continuing to unwind material which, because of the loss of tension due to the end break, would most likely become entangled with neighboring ends thus adding to'the work to be don'e'when piecing the end. Without resorting to intricate detector stop mechanisms it has however been difficult to achieve a reasonably quick braking action on the package. Further as a beaming machine, for example, employs creels with perhaps thousands of package holders (spindles) it will be appreciated that heavy expense is involved in the provision of a braking mechanism for each spindle especially if intricate braking mechanisms are being used.

These problems are solved, with a creel in accordance with the invention, by the provision of one or more inflatable members which in their nonoperative position allow packages mounted in the creel freely to rotate and which when in their operative position due to either their inflation or deflation, cause the packages or a part rotating therewith to be engaged or to engage, a brake surface to stop rotation of the packages.

The member(s) are, in use, connected to a source of fluid under pressure and means are provided to cause the member(s) to be inflated or deflated, when winding has been interrupted due for example to a yarn or tape end break, the member being subsequently deflated or inflated to allow winding to recommence. The means for causing inflation and/or deflation may comprise a standard stop motion associated with the winder and a valve device in the supply of compressed air or other fluid and connected to the stop motion.

This solution is neither sophisticated norcostly indeed the apparatus is inexpensive to produce, and yet almost instantaneously arrests the packages. There is no' necessity for heavy parts to act on individual tapes which present tensioning difficulties, nor is there any need for the brake device to be in contact with any of the revolving parts throughout normal operation. It therefore in no way affects the free running of the supports or packages.

The inflatable member is preferably a tube and it will be understood that a single tube could follow a tortuous path so as to act on all the packages on a creel but this would lead to a slight time lag in arresting some of the packages and although this lag would in all probability be so small as to be insignificant it is preferred to have a feed pipe positioned midway along the creel and inflatable tubes extending from either side of this pipe along each row of packages.

An inflatable member may itself be positioned so that on inflation it directly engages a package or a part of a rotating package support and in this case the member may be provided with a wear-resistant brake surface. Alternatively inflation of the member may be arranged to cause a separate wear-resistant brake member to engage the package or a part rotating therewith. On deflation the brake surface is moved clear of all rotating pans.

As another alternative the inflatable member(s) may be so arranged and positioned that when inflated it raises the package supports clear of a braking surface, without affecting their free rotation but on deflation occurring the rotating packages or support assemblies are brought into contact with a braking surface.

The invention extends not only to a creel for use for exam- ;ple with a beaming machine, but also to-a method of braking packages mounted on a creel or the like comprising inflating, or deflating, an inflatable member and employing the inflation, or deflation, to cause the package or a part of its support rotating therewith, to engage or be engaged by a brake surface and further extends to a brake system for such a creel comprising one or more inflatable tubes designed to extend along a number of packages on a creel either a brake member or surface being provided for each package or the tube(s) being provided with a wear-resistant surface, and means to cause the tube(s) to be inflated, or deflated, on interruption of winding due for example to an end break.

The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying sketch drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a part of one embodiment of a creel in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation corresponding to FIG. 1 showing the inflatable member, deflated;

FIG. 3 is also an end elevation core corresponding to FIG. 1 but showing the inflatable member, inflated;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of an alternative embodiment showing the inflatable member, deflated;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the inflatable member inflated;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of a part of the midsection of the creel of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of a part of the creel; I

FIG. Sis the pneumatic braking circuit;

FIG. 9 is the electrical circuit, and

FIGS. 10 and10a are diagrams illustrating an end break detector.

A creel, a part of which is shown in FIG. 1 comprises a framework of uprights 2 and horizontal channel members 4 mounting a number of supports for the packages 6 each support comprising a dish 8 having a spigot (not shown) on which the package rests with its axis vertical, each dish 8 having a spindle 10 mounted for rotation in bearings 11 secured to the horizontal member 4 of the creel. Yarn or plastic tape indicated at 13 is drawn sideways from each package through 1 guide eyes 12 on the uprights and the tension in the yarn which isbeing wound for example by a beaming machine causes the packages and their supports, to rotate. If one of the yarn ends should break or if winding should be interrupted for any other reason it is necessary for all the packages to be stopped as quickly as possible because if the many packages, for example 1,000, on the creel should continue to rotate for even one revolution an enormous overspill of slack material is created which would become entangled with parts of the creel and around or under the package supports. The brake mechanism to stop this overrun comprises an inflatable member in the form of a tube 14 which extends along each of the horizontal members 4 beneath all the dished package supports 8 and is located by clamps 16. Either a single tube may extend in a tortuous path so as to pass beneath all of the package supports or alternatively as illustrated in FIG. 6 a number of separate tubes one for each row, are employed each connected at 18 to a common manifold 20.

A separate brake strip 21 of wear resistant material is positioned between the tube 14 and the underside of the dishes 8.

The manifold, the tube, or each tube, is connected to a source of compressed air or other fluid and means are provided to cause the tube to be inflated to the position shown in FIG. 3 when winding is interrupted. During normal winding,

the tube is deflated and is in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 so that it does not contact the'package or its support which can freely revolve. On inflation of the tube caused by operation for example of a standard stop motion generally illustrated at 22 (FIG. 7) which forms part of the beamer and which is connected to a valve controlling the supply of compressed air, the brake strip 21 is caused to engage the underside of the dishes 4 as shown in FIG. 3 immediately to stop rotation of the spindle.

During use air is fed from a main supply (not shown) through a pipeline 22 (see FIG. 8) which passes through a hand operated valve 24 a filter 26 and a reservoir 28 of suffrcientv'olume to be able virtually instantaneously to inflate the complete length of the brake tube 14 employed on the creel.

During operation of a machine a pneumatic valve 30 which is connected to the reservoir 28 by a line 32, is maintained in the position indicated at A by energization of a solenoid 34 so that air can pass from the supply through the valve 30 to a charge cylinder 36.

The solenoid 34 is energized by operation of the main drive start button for a short period to enable the beam to absorb any slack in the ends being wound especially so as to give end break detectors diagrammatically illustrated at 42 in FIG. time to close if no end is in fact still broken. Should, however, any of the ends not be properly joined then one of the contacts '42 remains open so that the holding coil 44will not be energized and hence the main contact 46 will reopen when the start button 38 is released.

If, however, all the contacts 42 are made, the effect of the holding coil 44 acts to keep the main contactor 46 closed and when the start button is released the machine is kept energized as and until one of the end break detectors acts to open one of the contacts 42.

As can be seen in FIGS. 10 and 10a one form of suitable end break detectors or stop motion comprises a pivoted lever 48 having an eye 50 through which the yarn end runs between two fixed eyes 52. When the yarn end is not broken and is under tension it maintains the pivotal lever 48 in the position shown in FIG. 10 with a contact 54 in engagement of a second contact 56 providing a circuit through the contact generally indicated at 42 in FIG. 9. When the yarn end breaks and the tension is removed the pivoted lever 48 pivots in a clockwise direction to the position shown in FIG. 10a in which the contacts 54 and 56 are apart and the contact generally indicated at 42 in FIG. 9 is open.

Once the contact 42 has opened the holding coil 44 is deenergized and the main contactor 46 opens so as to stop the main drive to the machine. At the same time the valve solenoid 34 is deenergized so that the pneumatic valve 30 shown in FIG. 8 changes over to the position indicated at B connecting by a line 58, the charge cylinder 36 to a pilot cylinder 60 of a pneumatic valve generally indicated at 62. The pressure acts to change the valve 62 against its spring loading from the position shown at A to that shown at B. When the valve is in the position B, air passes from the reservoir 28 through a pipeline 64 to the manifold and hence to the brake tubes 14 which are instantaneously inflated to stop the rotation of the various packages on the creel.

An air flow regulator 66 is located in the pipeline 58 and acts slowly to exhaust the charged air from the pilot cylinder 60 so that shortly after the brake tubes have been inflated the pneumatic valve resumes its natural position A under the influence of its spring and the air in the brake tubes is then able to exhaust through the valve 62 to an outlet generally indicated at 68 so as to remove the brake tubes from contact with the package supports so that they can then again freely rotate when the machine is restarted.

When the operator has joined the broken end and has pressed the start button 38 the solenoid 34 is reenergized changing the valve 30 back to the position A so that air can again fill the charge cylinder 36 ready for the next brake cycle. It will be appreciated that the braking action comes into effect if the operator breaks the electrical drive circuit of the machine by a main switch as that 46 shown in FIG. 9 and hence it will be appreciated that the brakes are applied even when the operator simply wishes to stop the machine and irrespective of whether an end break has occurred.

The pneumatic circuit also includes a pressure switch 70 which is located in the conductor extending between the start button 38 and coil portion 40 of theelectrical circuit shown in FIG. 9. The purpose of this switch is to ensure that air is always supplied and if, for example, the supply fails or if the pressure falls below a certain value. the switch 70 will open and will act to stop the main drive while sufficient air remains?" shown in FIG. 5 which has the effect of lifting the spindle and hencethe package and its support relatively to the frame of" the creel and so that the dish 8 is clear of the brake pad 78.

On operation of the stop motion of the beamer or an equivalent device the tube is caused to be deflated to the position shown in FIG. 4 whereupon the package and its dish drops relatively to the frame of the creel and the undersurface of the package support 8 contact the brake 78 to stop rotation.

On resumption of winding the tube is again inflated so that the package is then lifted clear of the brake and normal winding can be recommenced. The deflation of the tube can be achieved by the system essentially similar to that described above in connection with FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 but with the valve 62 arranged to connect the manifold 20 to the exhaust 68 when the pilot 60 is pressurized and to the supply when the pilot 60 is depressurized.

If no separate brake :pad 21 isprovided the surface of the brake tubes will normally be protected from undue wear by providing the tubes with a surface of a wear resistant material.

Iclaim: 1 v

l. A method of braking packages mounted on a creel or the like comprising pressure varying the size of an inflatable member and employing the said. variation to cause the package with part of its support rotating therewith to engage a.

brake surface so as to stop rotation of the package.

2. A creel or the like for supporting a number of rotatable packages of yarn or tape having package supports and having to their variation in size cause the package supports rotating a with the packages to engage the braking surfaces of the inflatable members to stop rotation of the packages. 1

' 3. A creel as claimed in claim 2 in which means are provided to cause the members to be pressure varied in size when winding is interrupted due to a-yarn or tape end break, also due to operation of a stop switch, the members being subsequently pressure varied in size to allow winding to commence.

4. A creel as claimed in claim 2 in which the pressure variation comprises a stop motion and a valve device located in the supply of compressed fluid and connected to the stop motion.

5. A creel as claimed in claim 2 in which a number of in flatable tubes are provided each extending along a part of the creel and connected to a common feed pipe manifold.

6. A creel as claimed in'claim 2 in which the inflatable member is a single tube positioned in a tortuous path so as to act on all the packages on a creel.

7. A creel as claimed in claim 2 in which the inflatable members are positioned so that on inflation same directly engage a rotating package support.

8. A creel as claimed in claim 7 in which the inflatable members are provided with wear-resistant brake surfaces.

9. A creel as claimed in claim 8 in which each inflatable member is so positioned and arranged as, on inflation, to cause a separate wear-resistant brake surface to engage a package support rotating therewith.

10. A creel as claimed in claim 9 in which the inflatable members are so arranged and positioned that when inflated 11. A creel as claimed in claim 4 including a fluid reservoir connected to the inflatable members, and a pneumatic valve which is arranged to be changed over to permit the inflation of the members by a solenoid which is energized or deenergized by said stop motion and also by end break detectors when a break in any yarn end occurs.

12. A creel as claimed in claim ll wherein the solenoid operated pneumatic valve acts, when an end break occurs, to allow compressed fluid to act on a second pneumatic valve which is present in the pipeline, between the main reservoir and the inflatable members, a fluid flow regulator being provided in this pipeline slowly to release the pressure of acting on the second valve so that after a predetermined time the valve changes back to its normal position allowing the brake members to deflate.

13. A creel as claimed in claim 11 having a pressure switch which acts to stop the machine if the pressure of fluid falls below a predetermined figure and simultaneously to cause the solenoid operated valve to change to the position in which the inflatable members are inflated.

14. A creel as claimed in claim 11 in which the end break detector contacts are in an electric circuit from the main drive to the machine.

15. A brake system for a creel as claimed in claim 2 comprising one or more inflatable tubes designed to extend along a number of packages on the creel, one brake member being provided for each package, and the inflatable tubes being each provided with a wear resistant surface; and a means to cause the tubes to be pressure varied in size on interruption of a circuit due to an end break.

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