WO2006125984A1

WO2006125984A1 - Package holder

Info

Publication number: WO2006125984A1
Application number: PCT/GB2006/001906
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anthony David Treanor; Philip Harold Crossley
Original assignee: Cavalier Carpets Limited
Priority date: 2005-05-26
Filing date: 2006-05-25
Publication date: 2006-11-30
Also published as: GB0723282D0; GB2441679A; GB0510661D0

Abstract

There is provided a package holder (10) for a package of a wound filamentous strand including: a spindle (12) for receiving said package and allowing said package to rotate thereon, the spindle having first and second end regions; means for attaching the spindle to a creel disposed at the first end region of the spindle; and a collar (14) disposed at the second end region of the spindle; in which the collar includes a package retaining portion for retaining in place a package (22) of a wound filamentous strand positioned on the spindle and a strand release surface (B) contacting the spindle so as to permit the strand to be unwound over the collar thereby reducing the risk of snagging the strand behind the collar during a strand unwinding process.

Description

Package Holder

This invention relates to a package holder for a package of a wound filamentous strand, and to creels and filamentous strand processing arrangements incorporating same. The invention has particular, but by no means exclusive, reference to packages of textile yarns.

It is well known in the field of textiles to provide creels which are designed to hold a plurality of yarn packages. Yarn from the yarn packages is then fed to a subsequent textile manufacturing process. Typically, a yarn package is retained on a spindle, and held in place by a spring arrangement or similar gripping device. Commonly, a V shaped metal spring disposed on an end of the spindle is used to retain a yarn package on the creel. However, problems can be encountered when - possibly due to an imperfectly wound yarn package or an imperfectly set creel spindle - yarn does not unwind from the package in a smooth manner. In such instances, there can occur a sudden increase in yarn tension if the yarn is unable to continue to unwind smoothly, and this sudden increase in yarn tension can be sufficient to either break the yarn or pull the yarn package off the creel. The problem is particularly prevalent with arrangements that unwind yarn packages in an over-end fashion. This has been a problem in the industry for many years. The present invention, in at least some of its embodiments, overcomes or ameliorates the above named problems, and provides improved yarn package holders, creels, and associated textile yarn processing arrangements. However, the invention may be applied to the retention of other packages of wound filamentous strand which are to be unwound for a subsequent operation, such as packages of wires.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a package holder for a package of a wound filamentous strand including: a spindle for receiving said package and allowing said package to rotate thereon, the spindle having first and second end regions; means for attaching the spindle to a creel disposed at the first end region of the spindle; and a collar disposed at the second end region of the spindle; in which the collar includes a package retaining portion for retaining in place a package of a wound filamentous strand positioned on the spindle and a strand release surface contacting the spindle so as to permit the strand to be unwound over the collar thereby reducing the risk of snagging the strand behind the collar during a strand unwinding process.

For the avoidance of doubt, the term 'filamentous strand' includes within its scope monofilament and multifilament arrangements, i.e., the strand can comprise one or more filaments. The term includes within its scope textile yarns, including yarns composed of staple fibres.

The provision of a collar at an end region of the spindle conveniently retains the package in place. However, the inventors have realised that a conventional collar, for example a circular disc mounted centrally on the spindle, would not be suitable. This is because, if problems are encountered during unwinding leading to large increases in the tension of the strand, it is possible that the increased tension will cause a portion of the strand to be pulled from the package towards the second end region of the spindle leading to snagging of the strand behind the collar, most likely in the form of unwanted winding of the strand in the region behind the collar. By permitting the package to rotate on the spindle and by providing the strand release surface, a package holder can be provided which prevents the package from being pulled off the creel during processing, reduces strand tension variations, and improves strand take off performance.

Preferably, the collar is mounted eccentrically on the spindle. Advantageously, the collar has a circumferential surface, and is mounted on the spindle so that a portion of the circumferential surface contacts a circumferential surface of the spindle. The portion of the circumferential surface which contacts the circumferential surface of the spindle may extend colinearly with a longitudinal axis of the spindle.

Preferably, the collar has a circular cross section in which instance the circumferential surface of the collar may be cylindrical, frusto-conical or in the form of a flared bell. Alternatively, the collar may have a cross section substantially in the form of a segment of a circle, preferably in the form of a semi circle, or substantially in the form of an ellipse or a segment of an ellipse. It is preferred that the circumferential surface is smooth, so as to reduce the risk of the strand snagging thereon. The spindle is preferably cylindrical. In a preferred embodiment, the spindle is cylindrical, the collar has a cylindrical, frusto-conical or trumpet- shaped circumferential surface, and the collar is mounted eccentrically on the spindle so that a portion of the cylindrical circumferential surface of the collar contacts a portion of the cylindrical circumferential surface of the spindle. The spindle may be of a non-cylindrical form, such as a cruxiform configuration.

The spindle allows the package to rotate thereon. Generally during use the package does not rotate on the spindle, but should snagging occur it is necessary that the package can rotate on the spindle so that the strand can be freed. The package may rotate directly on the spindle or on means such as bearings provided on the spindle.

The means for attaching the spindle to a creel may include means for attaching a spindle to an existing spindle of the creel. In this way, package holders of the invention may be retrofitted to an existing creel. The means for attaching the spindle to an existing spindle of the creel may include a collar mounted on the spindle and having a bore in which the existing spindle can be received. The collar may be secured to the existing spindle by a press fit or by a locking element, such as a grub screw. Alternatively, a creel may be designed so as to include package holders of the present invention, in which instance the means for attaching the spindle to a creel may be of conventional design. In general, the spindle is fixed so as not to rotate during usage.

The package can be of any convenient configuration, such as a cone, a parallel package or similar package. Generally, the package is wound so that the strand can be taken off by over-end unwinding. The strand may be a wire or a textile yarn. A wire package may be formed from metal wire or wire of another type, such as polymeric wire. Textile yarns may be mono or multi filamentous, plied and/or in the form of a thread, and may be composed of synthetic or natural fibres, which may be staple fibres or continuous fibres.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a creel including a frame and one or more package holders for a package of a wound filamentous strand, the package holder including: a spindle for receiving said package and allowing said package to rotate thereon, the spindle having first and second end regions and being attached to the frame via the first end region; and a collar disposed at the second end region of the spindle; in which the collar includes a package retaining portion for retaining in place a package of a wound filamentous strand positioned on the spindle and a strand release surface contacting the spindle so as to permit the strand to be unwound over the collar thereby reducing the risk of snagging the strand behind the collar during a strand unwinding process.

The package holder may have any of the features described above with reference to the first aspect of the invention. The package holder may be retrofitted to a creel, or the creel may be manufactured so as to incorporate package holders of the above described type.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a filamentous strand processing arrangement comprising a creel of the second aspect of the invention and unwinding means for over-end unwinding of a package of wound filamentous strand held on the package holder.

The arrangement may be for processing a textile yarn, in which instance the processing arrangement is a textile processing arrangement. Examples of suitable textile processing arrangements include tufting, assembly winding, twisting, warping, bearing, weaving, sewing, and knitting. Alternatively, the package may be a package of wound wire, in which instance the filamentous strand processing arrangement may be a wire processing arrangement such a wire coating or wire twisting arrangement. Examples of package holders in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a side view of a yarn package holder of the invention; and Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the yarn package holder along the line A-A' of Figure 1. Figure 1 depicts a yarn package holder, showing generally at 10, which comprises a spindle 12 having at one end thereof an offset collar 14 and at the other end thereof a connecting collar 16. The position of the yarn package 22 held on the holder 10 is shown in dotted lines. The connecting collar 16 has a bore (not shown) in which the spindle 12 is received and retained. The connecting collar 16 also has a bore 18 which is sized to receive the spindle 20 of a conventional creel device. The connecting collar 16 can fit to the creel spindle 20 via a press fit or grub screw or like securing arrangement. The connecting collar 16 may be secured to the spindle 12 in a similar manner. The offset collar 14 is a disc like member mounted eccentrically on the spindle 12 in a manner that can be seen more clearly in Figure 2. The offset collar 14 and spindle 12 are both of circular cross section, the diameter of the offset collar 14 being greater than the diameter of the spindle 12. As shown in Figure 2, the offset collar 14 is mounted on the spindle so that the face of the spindle in engagement with the offset collar 14 is entirely overlapped by the offset collar 14. However, the offset collar 14 is mounted so that a portion of its circumference is in register or substantially in register with a portion of the circumference of the spindle 12. This region is shown as B in Figure 2. If a surge in yarn tension occurs due to poor unwinding of the yarn, possibly due to inferior winding of the yarn package, it is possible that yarn will be rapidly propelled towards the offset collar 14 and thence trapped behind the package facing surface 14a of the offset collar 14. However, rotation of the yarn package ensures that yarn will pass over the region B which provides a surface over which yarn snagged behind the offset collar 14 can be removed. Conveniently, the offset collar 14 is sized so that a yarn package can be passed over the offset collar 14 and thereby received by the spindle 12. Once the yarn package is entirely located behind the surface 14A of the offset collar 14, the yarn package can be released so as to drop onto the spindle 12, whereupon the offset collar 14 acts as an obstacle preventing the yarn package from being removed from the spindle 12. Alternatively, the offset collar 14 might be removable from the spindle 12 so as to allow mounting/unmounting of the yarn package on the spindle 12.

The yarn is unwound from the package 22 using conventional means (not shown) and supplied to a desired textile processing or manufacturing operation. The applicants have utilised the present invention to advantageous effect in the tufting of carpets. However, other tufting operations are within the scope of the invention, as indeed are other forms of textile processing and manufacture. Instead of retrofitting the package holder to the creel, the package holder may be a constituent element of the creel, in which instance the package holder may be directly attached to the frame of the creel.

The package holder can be formed from any convenient material, such as metal or plastic.

Claims

1. A package holder for a package of a wound filamentous strand including: a spindle for receiving said package and allowing said package to rotate thereon, the spindle having first and second end regions; means for attaching the spindle to a creel disposed at the first end region of the spindle; and a collar disposed at the second end region of the spindle; in which the collar includes a package retaining portion for retaining in place a package of a wound filamentous strand positioned on the spindle and a strand release surface contacting the spindle so as to permit the strand to be unwound over the collar thereby reducing the risk of snagging the strand behind the collar during a strand unwinding process.

2. A package holder according to claim 1 in which the collar is mounted eccentrically on the spindle.

3. A package holder according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the collar has a circumferential surface, and is mounted on the spindle so that a portion of the circumferential surface contacts a circumferential surface of the spindle.

4. A package holder according to claim 3 in which the portion of the circumferential surface which contacts the circumferential surface of the spindle extends colinearly with a longitudinal axis of the spindle.

5. A package holder according to any preceding claim in which the collar has a circular cross section.

6. A package holder according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the collar has a cross section substantially in the form of a segment of a circle.

7. A package holder according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the collar has a cross section substantially in the form of an ellipse or a segment of an ellipse.

8. A package holder according to any preceding claim in which the means for attaching the spindle to a creel includes means for attaching the spindle to an existing spindle of the creel.

9. A package holder according to claim 8 in which the means for attaching the spindle to an existing spindle of the creel includes a collar mounted on the spindle and having a bore in which the existing spindle can be received.

10. A package holder according to claim 9 in which the collar is secured to the existing spindle by a press-fit.

11. A package holder according to claim 9 in which the collar is secured to the existing spindle by a locking element.

12. A creel including a frame and one or more package holders for a package of a wound filamentous strand, the package holder including: a spindle for receiving said package and allowing said package to rotate thereon, the spindle having first and second end regions and being attached to the frame via the first end region; and a collar disposed at the second end region of the spindle; in which the collar includes a package retaining portion for retaining in place a package of a wound filamentous strand positioned on the spindle and a strand release surface contacting the spindle so as to permit the strand to be unwound over the collar thereby reducing the risk of snagging the thread behind the collar during a strand unwinding process.

13. A filamentous strand processing arrangement comprising a creel according to claim 12 and unwinding means for over end unwinding of a package of wound filamentous strand held on the package holder.

14. An arrangement according to claim 13 for processing a textile yarn.

15. A package holder, creel or processing arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.