US3608687A

US3608687A - Apparatus for orienting tapered bobbins

Info

Publication number: US3608687A
Application number: US45671A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gunter Schulz; Gerhard Haussmann
Original assignee: Zinser Textilmaschinen GmbH
Current assignee: Oerlikon Textile GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1969-06-12
Filing date: 1970-06-12
Publication date: 1971-09-28
Anticipated expiration: 1988-09-28
Also published as: DE1929866B2; DE1929866C3; FR2046699B2; FR2046699A2; DE1929866A1; GB1303189A

Abstract

Random-oriented conical bobbins, having a wide end and a narrow end are, one-by-one, positioned over the opening of a discharge chute. A pusher, when moved transversally towards a positioned bobbin, gradually displaces the latter axially in the direction of its narrow end, so that the bobbin falls into said chute wide end first. The displacement of each bobbin is effected by that one of two working edges forming part of said pusher and disposed obliquely with respect to the bobbin length which is adjacent said wide end.

Description

United States Patent Inventors Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Priority Gunter Schulz Ebershach;

Gerhard Haussmann, Ebersbach-Sulpach, both of Germany June 12, 1970 Sept. 28, 1971 Zinser-Textilmaschinen Gesellschait mit beschrankter Haftung Ebersbach, Germany June 12, 1969 Germany APPARATUS FOR ORIENTING TAPERED BOBBINS 9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 193/43 B, 198/33 AD, 221/157 Int. Cl B65g 11/20 [50] Field of Search 43 13,43 D; 198/33 AD; 221/157, 171

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,456,770 7/1969 Walk 3,489,262

1] l 970 Roberts FOREIGN PATENTS 906,400 3/1954 Germany Primary Examiner-Andres H. Nielsen Attorney-Edwin E. Greigg ABSTRACT: Random-oriented conical bobbins, having a wide end and a narrow end are, one-by-one, positioned over the opening of a discharge chute. A pusher, when moved transversally towards a positioned bobbin, gradually displaces the latter axially in the direction of its narrow end, so that the bobbin falls into said chute wide end first. The displacement of each bobbin is effected by that one of two working edges forming part of said pusher and disposed obliquely with respect to the bobbin length which is adjacent said wide end.

APPARATUS FOR ORIENTING TAPERED ROBBINS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is generally a requirement to supply spinning and twisting machines, or the like, with empty, conical bobbins in such a manner that they are uniformly oriented, i.e., like ends point in the same direction.

To provide a uniform orientation of tapered or conical bob? bins, orienting devices are used, to which the bobbins are delivered in a random oriented condition.

An apparatus of the aforenoted type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. to Walk, No. 3,456,770, issued July 22, 1969. The apparatus described therein includes a discharge chute having an inlet opening which is shorter, but wider than the bobbins to be oriented. A bobbin, supplied through a feed chute, is positioned over said inlet opening in lengthwise alignment therewith. Adjacent each end of the inlet opening there are provided pivotable bars, both move simultaneously towards the bobbin resting above the inlet opening of the discharge chute. The two bars, forming part of the bobbin-ejecting mechanism, are so-positioned that during their pivotal motion, only the bar adjacent the wide end of the bobbin collides with the latter, pushing it lengthwise, until the wide end of the bobbin is over the outlet opening. Thereafter, the bobbin drops, wide end first, through said inlet opening into the discharge chute. Thus, the bobbins leave the discharge chute in a uniformly oriented manner.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to provide an improvement of the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,456,770 to ensure by simple means an operationally safe driving means, a noiseless operation and a particularly protective handling of the bobbins.

Briefly stated, according to the invention, the ejecting mechanism of the orienting apparatus includes two contour elements having working edges movable transversely to the longitudinal direction of the bobbin to be oriented. The contour elementseach of which is associated with one end of the bobbin to be oriented-move preferably as a rigid unit along a path of travel so designed that only that working edge will contact the bobbin which is adjacent the wide end thereof. The working edge which is contact with the wide end of the bobbin displaces the latter axially andcauses it to fall, wide end first, into the discharge chute. The working edges, which may be straight or curved, are so designed that despite a rapid transverse motion of the contour elements, they engage and displace the bobbins gently so that a highly protective handling thereof by the ejecting mechanism is ensured.

' The invention will be better understood and further objects, as well as advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the ensuing detailed specification of a preferred, although exemplary embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a sectional front elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line 11-11 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational sectional view of the preferred embodiment and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one component of the preferred embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now to the figures, the orienting apparatus shown therein includes a feed chute 200 for delivering the bobbins 201 to be oriented, an orienting number chamber 202 adjoining the outlet of chute 200 and a downwardly conically tapering discharge chute 203 for receiving the oriented bobbins.

As shown in FIG. 1, under the discharge chute 203 there is a disposed conveyor belt 204 of an automatic bobbin-changing device (not shown) for replacing the bobbins on a spinning machine or the like. To the conveyor belt 204 there are affixed spaced pins 205, each of which receives, while in temporary alignment with the outlet spout 206, an oriented bobbin 201 as the latter leaves, wide end first, the discharge chute 203. The motion of the conveyor belt 204 may be synchronized with the operation of the orienting apparatus as disclosed in the aforenoted US. Pat. No. 3,456,770;

The cross section of the feed chute 200 is so designed that the bobbins 201 to be oriented are superimposed therein in an axially parallel, random-oriented manner. The bobbins may be introduced into the feed chute 200 through a hopper (not shown) or the like by means of gravitational forces.

The height of the orienting chamber 202 is slightly greater than the diameter of the wide end 207 of each bobbin. In the example described, the bobbins are conical configuration and used in spinning, twisting or winding machines. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to orienting conical bobbins but may find application in case of slender articles, each having ends of different sizes measured transversally with respect to the length dimension of the article.

The orienting of each bobbin 201 in the orienting chamber 202 and the discharge of each bobbin is an oriented condition through discharge chute 203 is effected by different elements of a pusher generally indicated at 210.

To the pusher 210 there is affixed a push rod 212 guided by yoke 211 secured to the. housing 234 of the apparatus. A precompressed coil spring 213 surrounds the push rod 212 and engages, with one end, a collar 212a affixed to the push rod 212 and engages, with the other end, a spring seat 214 secured to the housing 234. The spring 213 urges the pusher 210 into a withdrawn position, which it assumes in its inoperative position, as shown in FIG. 2.

To the terminus of the push rod 212, remote from the pusher 210, there is affixed, in alignment with push rod 212, a bar 215 fonned of a nonmagnetizable front portion 216 and'a soft magnetic rear portion 216'. The bar 215 passes through the inner space of the solenoid 219 which may be energized by electric current supplied to terminals 220. When the solenoid 219 is in an energized condition, the magnetic field generated exerts a force on the bar portion 216', overcoming the force of spring 213. As a result, the push rod 212 and-the pusher 210 are displaced in the direction of the arrow 221. Upon deenergization of the solenoid 219, the spring 213 mores the pusher. 210 into its position of rest shown in FIG. 2.

The pusher 210 includes a lifting or separating element 222, two contour elements 223 and a locking element 224 provided with a discharge window 225. As particularly well seen in FIG. 3, these elements have a flat configuration and are arranged horizontally parallel to one another in such a manner that the path of travel of the locking element 224 extends immediately above the inlet opening 225' of the discharge chute 203 and the path of travel of the separating element 222 extends immediately under the outlet opening 226 of the feed chute 200. The path of travel of the two contour elements 223 is situated at identical heights and their distance from the travelling path of the locking element 224 is smaller than the wide end 207, but larger than the narrow end 209 of the bobbins to be oriented. Thus, as will be described later, when a random oriented bobbin 201 lies on the locking element 224, only that working edge 245 will engage the bobbin that is adjacent the wide end 207. After such engagement with base 231 of the bobbin 201, the pusher 210, by virtue of the contacting inclined working edge 245, displaces the bobbin lengthwise in the direction of arrow 232. During the course of the lastnamed displacement, the narrow end 209 of the bobbin may freely pass under the adjacent working edge 245.

In the embodiment described, the working edge 245 of the contour elements 223 are straight and so-arranged that they are divergent in the direction of the forward motion of the pusher 210 and symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane disposed parallel to said direction. The working edges 245 are inclined with respect to one another at an angle of between 45 and 70 preferably between approximately 50 and 60 Also, in this embodiment, the travelling path of the contour elements 223 is substantially horizontal. It is, however, within the scope of the invention to move said contour elements in a path which is inclined to the horizontal (including a vertical direction).

Transversally to the direction of motion of the pusher 210, there extends through the orienting chamber 202 a stationary horizontal web 233 which at both ends is affixed to the housing 234 of the orienting apparatus and which is disposed approximately at mid-distance between the locking element 224 and the separating element 222. The purpose of web 233 is to prevent a slippage of the bobbin, resting on the locking element 224, from its position shown in FIG. 3 in the direction of the back wall 237 of the pusher 210.

In the frontal wall 235 of the housing 234 there are provided spaced openings 236 for accommodating the leading end portions of the contour elements 223 and the locking element 224 so that, as indicted with dash-dot lines in FIG. 3, during the forward position of the pusher 210, these elements may assume a position in which their free ends protrude beyond the front wall 235 of the housing 234.

The locking element 224 has a planar locking face 240 and a discharge window 225 disposed between the locking face 240 and the rear wall 237 of the pusher 210. The striplike parts 242 of the locking element 240, which extend adjacent either side of the discharge window 225 up to the leading edge 241 of the locking element, constitute, in accordance with the invention, support faces for the wide and narrow ends of the bobbin to be oriented.

The width of the discharge window 225 measured in the direction of motion of the pusher 210 is greater than the I diameter of the wide bobbin end 207, whereas the length of the discharge window 225 is less than the length of the bobbin.

In the position of the rest of the pusher 210, the locking face 240 of the locking element 224 blocks the inlet opening 225' of the discharge chute 203, so that in this position of the pusher, the bobbin to be oriented may under no circumstances (even if in an incorrect position) drop into the discharge chute 203. On the other hand, in the position of the pusher 210 indicated in dash-dot lines in FIG. 3, the discharge window 225 of the locking element 224 registers with the inlet opening 225' of the discharge chute 203, so that the bobbin may drop thereinto, as it will be described hereinafter.

The separating element 222, forming the part of the pusher 210 is constituted by a rectangular horizontal plate and has the function to lift that bobbin which rests on the lowermost bobbin to be oriented and which is partially still in the feed chute 200. Such a lifting operation is effected prior to the displacement of the lowermost bobbin of a contour element 223.

OPERATION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As the pusher 210 is upon terminating an orienting and separating step, returned into its position shown in FIG. 3, the bobbins 201 stacked in the supply chute 200 fall downwardly until the lowermost bobbin comes to test on the locking face 240 of the locking element 224. When the electromagnetic device 216' 219 is energized, the pusher 210 moves in the direction of the arrow 221. During such a movement, first the separating element 222 is inserted between the two lowermost bobbins, so that the upper bobbin is slightly lifted and comes to rest on the upper face of the separating element 222. In this manner, the lowermost bobbin to be oriented is freed. In the case the bobbin to be oriented has fallen onto the locking face 240 in such a manner that the bobbin with its narrow end 209 does not engage properly a supporting face 242, but would immediately fall into the discharge chute 203 upon opening the latter, the working edge 245 adjacent the wide bobbin end 207 displaces the bobbin 201, so that the narrow bobbin end 209 shifts into its proper position before the discharge window 225 registers with the inlet opening 225' of the discharge chute 203. On the other hand, if the narrow bobbin end 209 was initially correctly positioned, then the working edge 245 adjacent the wide bobbin end 207 contacts the base 231 of the bobbin 201 only after a further advance of the pusher 210. Thus, in this stage of the orienting operation, the bobbin to be oriented lies above the opening 225' on the locking face 240,

the narrow and

wide ends

209 and 207, respectively, extending into the surface portions 242.

As the pusher 210 further advances, that working edge 245 which is adjacent to the wide bobbin end 207, displaces the bobbin, narrow end first, in its longitudinal direction, as indicated by arrow 232. The narrow bobbin end 209 passes under the adjacent working edge 245, clearing the same. At the same time, there is a relative lateral shift between the bobbin 201 and the pusher 210 as the locking face 240 gradually emerges from the rear wall 235 of the housing 234 through opening 236. As the discharge window 225 arrives into registry with the inlet opening 225' of the discharge chute 203, the bobbin is momentarily so disposed that it is supported only at its narrow end 209, while a substantial part thereof, including its wide end 207, hangs over the window 225 which is in alignment with the opening 225' of the discharge chute 203. From this position the bobbin 201 necessarily tumbles, wide end first, into the discharge chute, as indicated in dash-dot lines in FIG. 1.

It is noted that by virtue of the particularly arranged working edges 245 of the contour elements 223, the contact between a working edge 245 and the base 231 of bobbins 201 and their subsequent lengthwise displacement occur in a rapid and relatively gentle manner, thus providing for a highly protective handling of the bobbins.

The pusher 210 is advanced until it abuts a stop, not shown, and thereafter, upon deenergization of the solenoid 219, returns into its position of rest under the effect of spring 213, terminating one cycle of operation. This cyclical operation may be repetitively performed in a fully automatic manner.

It is to be understood that the orienting apparatus described may be modified in many ways without departing from the scope to the invention. Thus, for example, in case there is no danger of a premature discharge of the bobbins through chute 203, the locking element 224 may be omitted without disadvantage. In such a case the base portions of the orienting chamber 202 at either side of the inlet opening 225 of the discharge chute 203 may serve as supporting faces for the bobbin ends 207 and 209.

Or, the locking element may be designed and arranged in such a manner that its path of travel passes between the support faces disposed laterally adjacent the inlet opening 225' of the discharge chute 203. In such a case the locking element serves only to block and open the discharge opening does not contain a discharge window.

Also, the contour elements instead of forming a rigid unit with the pusher, may be so designed that they may be caused to move independently from one another.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for orienting bobbins, or the like having a wide and a narrow end, said apparatus being of the type that includes discharge means having a longitudinal inlet opening, feed means to individually supply and position randomoriented bobbins over said inlet opening in said lengthwise alignment therewith and ejecting means to longitudinally displace each bobbin in the direction of its narrow end, causing it to tumble, wide end first, through said inlet opening into said discharge means, the improvement comprising, at least two contour elements forming part of said ejecting means, at least one of said contour elements disposed beyond and adjacent each end of said inlet opening, each said contour element movable in a path of travel towards and away from said inlet opening transversally to the length dimension of the latter, each said contour element including an integral working edge so positioned that upon displacement of the contour element towards said inlet opening, said working edge advances towards said inlet opening parallel with the length dimension of the latter, said path of travel of said contour elements being so situated that upon displacement of the contour elements solely the working edge adjacent the wide end of the randomoriented bobbin contacts the latter to displace it longitudinally in the direction ofi'ts narrow end.

2. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein said contour elements are rigidly connected and are movable as a unit.

3. An improvement as defined in claim 2, wherein said contour elements are integral with a pusher movable linearly towards and away from said inlet opening transversally to the length dimension of the latter.

4. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein each working edge is linear.

5. An improvement as defined in claim 1, including two support faces beyond and adjacent each end of said outlet opening to engage the wide end and narrow end of a random-positioned bobbin.

6. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein the working edges of the contour elements are arranged symmetrically with respect to a central plane extending parallel to the direction of their displacement and normal to their path of travel.

7. An improvement as defined in claim 1, including a movable locking element for opening and closing said outlet opening; said locking element maintains said outlet opening closed while said contour elements are in position of rest remote from said outlet opening and during an initial displacement of said contour elements towards said outlet opening until an originally incorrectly positioned bobbin is longitudinally shifted by the working edge cooperating with the wide end of the last-named bobbin into correct position in which the narrow bobbin end engages a support face adjacent and beyond an end of said outlet opening.

8. An improvement as defined in claim 7, wherein said contour elements and said locking element form a rigid unit.

9. An improvement as defined in claim 7, wherein said locking element includes a discharge window movable under the random-positioned bobbin into alignment with said inlet opening.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for orienting bobbins, or the like, having a wide and a narrow end, said apparatus being of the type that includes discharge means having a longitudinal inlet opening, feed means to individually supply and position random-oriented bobbins over said inlet opening in lengthwise alignment therewith and ejecting means to longitudinally displace each bobbin in the direction of its narrow end, causing it to tumble, wide end first, through said inlet opening into said discharge means, the improvement comprising, at least two contour elements forming part of said ejecting means, at least one of said contour elements disposed beyond and adjacent each end of said inlet opening, each said contour element movable in a path of travel towards and away from said inlet opening transversally to the length dimension of the latter, each said contour element including an integral working edge so positioned that upon displacement of the contour element towards said inlet opening, said working edge advances towards said inlet opening parallel with the length dimension of the latter, said path of travel of said contour elements being so situated that upon displacement of the contour elements solely the working edge adjacent the wide end of the random-oriented bobbin contacts the latter to displace it longitudinally in the direction of its narrow end.

4. An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein each working edge is linear.

7. An improvement as defined in claim 1, including a movable locking element for opening and closing said outlet opening; said locking element maintains said outlet opening closed while said contour elements are in a position of rest remote from said outlet opening and during an initial displacement of said contour elements towards said outlet opening until an originally incorrectly positioned bobbin is longitudinally shifted by the working edge cooperating with the wide end of the last-named bobbin into correct position in which the narrow bobbin end engages a support face adjacent and beyond an end of said outlet opening.