U.S. patent application number 10/938576 was filed with the patent office on 2005-03-24 for sample warper with idle running preventing mechanism of yarn guide.
Invention is credited to Aihara, Takatsugu, Tanaka, Yoshihiro.
Application Number | 20050060857 10/938576 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34191348 |
Filed Date | 2005-03-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050060857 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tanaka, Yoshihiro ; et
al. |
March 24, 2005 |
Sample warper with idle running preventing mechanism of yarn
guide
Abstract
There is provided a sample warper with an idle running
preventing mechanism of a yarn guide, wherein yarns are
automatically exchanged and successively wound on the warper drum
according to a preset yarn order by passing the yarns between the
yarn guides and the yarn selection guides, and wherein, when a
first yarn being wound on the warper drum by a first yarn guide is
exchanged to a second yarn, after a yarn removing operation for
removing the first yarn from the first yarn guide is finished, a
yarn feeding operation for feeding the second yarn to a second yarn
guide is performed while the empty first yarn guide makes one
rotation. The sample warper can achieve such an advantage that an
idle running time of a yarn guide when exchanging yarns can be
reduced considerably and a speed of yarn exchanging is improved
remarkably.
Inventors: |
Tanaka, Yoshihiro;
(Kiryu-shi, JP) ; Aihara, Takatsugu; (Kiryu-shi,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
RADER FISHMAN & GRAUER PLLC
LION BUILDING
1233 20TH STREET N.W., SUITE 501
WASHINGTON
DC
20036
US
|
Family ID: |
34191348 |
Appl. No.: |
10/938576 |
Filed: |
September 13, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
28/190 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D02H 3/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
028/190 |
International
Class: |
D02H 005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 18, 2003 |
JP |
2003-326244 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A sample warper with an idle running preventing mechanism of a
yarn guide comprising: a plurality of yarn guides each rotatably
mounted on a side surface of a warper drum for winding yarns on the
warper drum; a yarn selection device provided with a plurality of
yarn selection guides which are in correspondence with the yarn
guides, each of the yarn selection guides being pivotally moved to
project to a yarn exchanging position when exchanging yarns and
retract to a standby position when storing yarns; a fixed creel for
supporting a plurality of bobbins on which the same kind and/or
different kinds of yarns are to be wound and which are associated
with the plural yarn selection guides; and yarn removing guides
which are provided such that one of the yarn removing guides
corresponds to each of the plural yarn selection guide, wherein
yarns are automatically exchanged and successively wound on the
warper drum according to a preset yarn order by passing the yarns
between the yarn guides and the yarn selection guides, and wherein,
when a first yarn being wound on the warper drum by a first yarn
guide is exchanged to a second yarn, after a yarn removing
operation for removing the first yarn from the first yarn guide is
finished, a yarn feeding operation for feeding the second yarn to a
second yarn guide is performed while the empty first yarn guide
makes one rotation.
2. The sample warper according to claim 1, wherein, when yarn
exchanging is performed from a yarn of the yarn selection guide
positioned downstream of the yarn selection device to a yarn of the
yarn selection guide positioned upstream of the yarn selection
device, the yarn guide positioned downstream of the first yarn
guide is used as the second yarn guide.
3. The sample warper according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, after a
yarn removing operation for removing the first yarn from the first
yarn guide is finished, a yarn guide which has first reached the
position of the yarn selection guide which supplies the second yarn
is used as the second yarn guide.
4. A sample warper with an idle running preventing mechanism of a
yarn guide comprising: a plurality of yarn guides each rotatably
mounted on a side surface of a warper drum for winding yarns on the
warper drum; a yarn selection device provided with a plurality of
yarn selection guides which are in correspondence with the yarn
guides, each of the yarn selection guides being pivotally moved to
project to a yarn exchanging position when exchanging yarns and
retract to a standby position when storing yarns; a fixed creel for
supporting a plurality of bobbins on which the same kind and/or
different kinds of yarns are to be wound and which are associated
with the plural yarn selection guides; and yarn removing guides
which are provided such that one of the yarn removing guides
corresponds to each of the plural yarn selection guide, wherein
yarns are automatically exchanged and successively wound on the
warper drum according to a preset yarn order by passing the yarns
between the yarn guides and the yarn selection guides, and wherein,
when a first yarn being wound on the warper drum by a first yarn
guide is exchanged to a second yarn, after a yarn feeding operation
for feeding the second yarn to a second yarn guide is finished, a
yarn removing operation for removing the first yarn from the first
yarn guide is performed while the second yarn guide holding the
second yarn makes one rotation.
5. The sample warper according to claim 4, wherein, when yarn
exchanging is performed from a yarn of the yarn selection guide
positioned upstream of the yarn selection device to a yarn of the
yarn selection guide positioned downstream of the yarn selection
device, the yarn guide positioned upstream of the first yarn guide
is used as the second yarn guide.
6. The sample warper according to claim 4, wherein a yarn guide
positioned upstream in a rotational direction of and adjacent to
the first yarn guide is used as the second yarn guide.
7. A sample warper with an idle running preventing mechanism of a
yarn guide comprising: a plurality of yarn guides each rotatably
mounted on a side surface of a warper drum for winding yarns on the
warper drum; a yarn selection device provided with a plurality of
yarn selection guides which are in correspondence with the yarn
guides, each of the yarn selection guides being pivotally moved to
project to a yarn exchanging position when exchanging yarns and
retract to a standby position when storing yarns; a fixed creel for
supporting a plurality of bobbins on which the same kind and/or
different kinds of yarns are to be wound and which are associated
with the plural yarn selection guides; and yarn removing guides
which are provided such that one of the yarn removing guides
corresponds to each of the plural yarn selection guide, wherein
yarns are automatically exchanged and successively wound on the
warper drum according to a preset yarn order by passing the yarns
between the yarn guides and the yarn selection guides, and wherein,
when a first yarn being wound on the warper drum by a first yarn
guide is exchanged to a second yarn, a yarn removing operation for
removing the first yarn from the first yarn guide and a yarn
feeding operation for feeding the second yarn to a second yarn
guide are performed simultaneously.
8. The sample warper according to claim 1, wherein the yarn
selection guides are grouped into a plurality of groups and
arranged.
9. The sample warper according to claim 4, wherein the yarn
selection guides are grouped into a plurality of groups and
arranged.
10. The sample warper according to claim 7, wherein the yarn
selection guides are grouped into a plurality of groups and
arranged.
11. The sample warper according to claim 8, wherein the grouped
yarn selection guides are arranged according to spaces among the
plural yarn guides.
12. The sample warper according to claim 9, wherein the grouped
yarn selection guides are arranged according to spaces among the
plural yarn guides.
13. The sample warper according to claim 10, wherein the grouped
yarn selection guides are arranged according to spaces among the
plural yarn guides.
14. A high speed warping method using the sample warper according
to claim 1, wherein a time period required for the yarn exchanging
is reduced to the minimum.
15. A high speed warping method using the sample warper according
to claim 4, wherein a time period required for the yarn exchanging
is reduced to the minimum.
16. A high speed warping method using the sample warper according
to claim 7, wherein a time period required for the yarn exchanging
is reduced to the minimum.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a sample warper with an
idle running preventing mechanism of a yarn guide which has a
plurality of yarn guides for winding yarns on a warper drum and
automatically exchanges yarns in a preset yarn order to wind the
yarns on the warper drum, wherein yarns to be wound can be very
effectively exchanged by utilizing the plural yarn guides, and a
high speed warping method.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] As a sample warper used conventionally, for example, there
has been known a structure disclosed in Japanese Patent No.
1529104, namely, a structure where using a fixed creel for
supporting a plurality of bobbins on which different kinds
(different colors or twisted differently) of yarns are to be wound,
the yarns are successively wound on a warper drum by yarn guides
while yarn exchanging is performed by yarn selection guides
according to preset pattern data (a yarn order).
[0005] Further, there has been also known a sample warper for
winding a plurality of yarns simultaneously, wherein by using a
rotary creel and omitting a yarn exchanging step, it is possible to
cancel loss of time for yarn exchanging, to wind simultaneously a
plurality of yarns on a warper drum, and further to reduce a
warping time (refer to Japanese Patent No. 1767706, U.S. Pat. No.
4,972,662 and EP375480).
[0006] The fixed creel has a plurality of bobbins on which the same
kind and/or different kinds (mainly different kinds) of yarns are
to be wound, wherein since yarns can be warped for each yarn while
yarn exchanging is freely performed by the selection device, a
warping operation for pattern warping can be advantageously
performed, but since yarns are sequentially wound on the warper
drum for each yarn, much time is disadvantageously required for a
warping operation. On the other hand, the rotary creel has a
plurality of bobbins on which the same kind and/or different kinds
of yarns are to be wound, and it can be applied to repetition
warping for an extremely limited number of patterns such as solid
color warping (for example, one color of a red color yarn), one to
one warping (for example, repetition of one red yarn and one white
yarn, or repetition of one S-twisted yarn and one Z-twisted yarn),
two to two warping (for example, repetition of two red yarns and
two white yarns, or two S-twisted yarns and two Z-twisted yarns)
and the like. In the rotary creel, a warping operation for pattern
warping except for the extremely limited number of patterns can not
be disadvantageously performed but a warping time can be
advantageously reduced to a great extent because the plural yarns
are wound on the warper drum simultaneously.
[0007] The present applicant has already proposed a sample warper
provided with a plurality of yarn selection devices corresponding
to a fixed creel and a rotary creel, which can perform jointly
pattern warping and repetition warping and reduce a warping time of
a warping operation requiring solid color warping and pattern
warping to achieve an extremely high efficiency (refer to
JP2000-136456A and EP933455A2).
[0008] Further, the present applicant has also proposed a novel
yarn removing mechanism that can prevent a yarn from loosing in the
above-described sample warper to perform yarn exchanging
efficiently (refer to JP11-293536A, EP955399A2 and U.S. Pat. No.
5,970,591).
[0009] As described above, conventionally, research and improvement
have been already conducted regarding the yarn loosening prevention
when exchanging yarns in a sample warper. However, yarn exchanging
using a fixed creel in a current sample warper (that is, feeding a
yarn from a yarn selection guide to a yarn guide, or storing a yarn
from the yarn guide to the yarn selection guide) has been performed
by using one yarn guide in a sample warper having one yarn guide,
or by selecting one yarn guide to be used in a sample warper having
a plurality of yarn guides.
[0010] In such a sample warper, for example, when yarn exchanging
is performed from a red yarn to a white yarn, a yarn guide must
perform idle running of at least one rotation between storing of a
yarn and feeding of another yarn in order that the red yarn is
removed from the yarn guide to store the removed red yarn in a yarn
selection guide for the red yarn and the white yarn is fed from a
selection guide for the white yarn to the yarn guide.
[0011] In recent years, as fabric design becomes complicated, the
number of yarn exchanging increases remarkably, so that a ratio of
a total idle running time of the yarn guide during yarn exchanging
increases to the warping operation time. Therefore, it has been
required to provide a yarn exchanging mechanism where the idle
running time of the yarn guide has been reduced to the least
possible level.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present inventors have solved the above-described
problem and have reached to the present invention as a result of
the repeated research about a mechanism for reducing the idle
running time of the yarn guide during yarn exchanging to the least
possible level.
[0013] A first object of the present invention is to provide a
sample warper with an idle running preventing mechanism of a yarn
guide which can reduce an idle running time during yarn exchanging
to the least possible level so as to improve a speed of yarn
exchanging remarkably and hence can shorten a warping time largely
as compared with a case of using a conventional yarn exchanging
mechanism where an idle running is performed.
[0014] A second object of the present invention is to provide a
high speed warping method which realizes a sharp increase in
warping rate and can reduce an idle running time of a yarn guide to
the least possible to perform yarn exchanging while maintaining a
high warping rate, that is, without lowering the warping rate,
thereby reducing the warping time considerably.
[0015] In order to solve the above problem, according to a first
aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sample warper
with an idle running preventing mechanism of a yarn guide
comprising: a plurality of yarn guides each rotatably mounted on a
side surface of a warper drum for winding yarns on the warper drum;
a yarn selection device provided with a plurality of yarn selection
guides which are in correspondence with the yarn guides, each of
the yarn selection guides being pivotally moved to project to a
yarn exchanging position when exchanging yarns and retract to a
standby position when storing yarns; a fixed creel for supporting a
plurality of bobbins on which the same kind and/or different kinds
of yarns are to be wound and which are in correspondence with the
plural yarn selection guides; and yarn removing guides which are
provided such that one of the yarn removing guides corresponds to
each of the plural yarn selection guide, wherein yarns are
automatically exchanged and successively wound on the warper drum
according to a preset yarn order by passing the yarns between the
yarn guides and the yarn selection guides, and wherein, when a
first yarn being wound on the warper drum by a first yarn guide is
exchanged to a second yarn, after a yarn removing operation for
removing the first yarn from the first yarn guide is finished, a
yarn feeding operation for feeding the second yarn to a second yarn
guide is performed while the empty first yarn guide makes one
rotation.
[0016] When yarn exchanging is performed from a yarn of the yarn
selection guide positioned downstream of the yarn selection device
to a yarn of the yarn selection guide positioned upstream of the
yarn selection device, the yarn guide positioned downstream of the
first yarn guide is preferably used as the second yarn guide. After
a yarn removing operation for removing the first yarn from the
first yarn guide is finished, a yarn guide which has first reached
the position of the yarn selection guide which supplies the second
yarn is preferably used as the second yarn guide.
[0017] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a sample warper with an idle running preventing
mechanism of a yarn guide comprising: a plurality of yarn guides
each rotatably mounted on a side surface of a warper drum for
winding yarns on the warper drum; a yarn selection device provided
with a plurality of yarn selection guides which are in
correspondence with the yarn guides, each of the yarn selection
guides being pivotally moved to project to a yarn exchanging
position when exchanging yarns and retract to a standby position
when storing yarns; a fixed creel for supporting a plurality of
bobbins on which the same kind and/or different kinds of yarns are
to be wound and which are associated with the plural yarn selection
guides; and yarn removing guides which are provided such that one
of the yarn removing guides corresponds to each of the plural yarn
selection guide, wherein yarns are automatically exchanged and
successively wound on the warper drum according to a preset yarn
order by passing the yarns between the yarn guides and the yarn
selection guides, and wherein, when a first yarn being wound on the
warper drum by a first yarn guide is exchanged to a second yarn,
after a yarn feeding operation for feeding the second yarn to a
second yarn guide is finished, a yarn removing operation for
removing the first yarn from the first yarn guide is performed
while the second yarn guide holding the second yarn makes one
rotation.
[0018] When yarn exchanging is performed from a yarn of the yarn
selection guide positioned upstream of the yarn selection device to
a yarn of the yarn selection guide positioned downstream of the
yarn selection device, the yarn guide positioned upstream of the
first yarn guide is preferably used as the second yarn guide. A
yarn guide positioned upstream in a rotational direction of and
adjacent to the first yarn guide is preferably used as the second
yarn guide.
[0019] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there
is a sample warper with an idle running preventing mechanism of a
yarn guide comprising: a plurality of yarn guides each rotatably
mounted on a side surface of a warper drum for winding yarns on the
warper drum; a yarn selection device provided with a plurality of
yarn selection guides which are in correspondence with the yarn
guides, each of the yarn selection guides being pivotally moved to
project to a yarn exchanging position when exchanging yarns and
retract to a standby position when storing yarns; a fixed creel for
supporting a plurality of bobbins on which the same kind and/or
different kinds of yarns are to be wound and which are associated
with the plural yarn selection guides; and yarn removing guides
which are provided such that one of the yarn removing guides
corresponds to each of the plural yarn selection guide, wherein
yarns are automatically exchanged and successively wound on the
warper drum according to a preset yarn order by passing the yarns
between the yarn guides and the yarn selection guides, and wherein,
when a first yarn being wound on the warper drum by a first yarn
guide is exchanged to a second yarn, a yarn removing operation for
removing the first yarn from the first yarn guide and a yarn
feeding operation for feeding the second yarn to a second yarn
guide are performed simultaneously.
[0020] The yarn selection guides may be grouped into a plurality of
groups and arranged. By arranging the grouped yarn selection guides
according to spaces among the plural yarn guides and assigning
arrangement of the plural yarn guides to the grouped yarn selection
guides, the sample warper of the third aspect according to the
present invention can be implemented
[0021] A warping method of the present invention uses each of the
above-described sample warpers and reduces a time period required
for the yarn exchanging is reduced to the least possible level.
[0022] According to the sample warper with an idle running
preventing mechanism of a yarn guide of the present invention, such
an advantage can be achieved that an idle running time of a yarn
guide when exchanging yarns can be reduced considerably and a speed
of yarn exchanging is improved remarkably, and the warping time can
be reduced largely as compared with a case of using the
conventional yarn exchanging mechanism where an idle running of the
yarn guide is performed.
[0023] According to the high speed warping method of the present
invention, such an advantage can be achieved that much increase in
warping speed is realized and yarn exchanging can be performed
while maintaining a high warping speed, namely without lowering the
warping speed, and the warping time can be reduced largely.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory side view showing a
structural example of a sample warper of the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory plan view of FIG. 1;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory front view of FIG. 1;
[0027] FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory view of an essential
portion showing an example of a yarn selection device;
[0028] FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory view showing an action of
the yarn selection device, wherein a yarn selection guide holding a
yarn has been pivotally moved to a yarn exchanging position;
[0029] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an essential portion showing
an example of a moving type yarn guide;
[0030] FIG. 7 is a bottom view of FIG. 6;
[0031] FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a relationship among
intervals L.sub.1 and L.sub.2 between respective yarn guides in a
plurality of yarn guides, a width L.sub.a of a yarn selection
device and a width L.sub.d between respective yarn selection
guides; and
[0032] FIG. 9 is a schematic explanatory front view showing another
structural example of a sample warper of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0033] Embodiments of the present invention will be explained below
with reference to the attached drawings. It is apparent that the
present invention will be modified variously from the illustrated
embodiments without departing from the technical idea of the
present invention.
[0034] In FIGS. 1 to 3, reference numeral 200 denotes a sample
warper according to the present invention that has a basic
structure and function in common with the conventional sample
warper except for a characteristic structure and function according
to the present invention, which will be described later.
[0035] As illustrated, like the above-described conventional sample
warper, the sample warper 200 of the present invention comprises a
plurality of yarn guides 6a to 6h (the number of the yarn guides is
not limited to a specific number, but eight of the yarn guides are
shown in the illustrated embodiment), each of which is rotatably
mounted on a side surface of a warper drum 208 for winding yarns 22
on the warper drum 208, and a yarn selection device 27 provided
with a plurality of yarn selection guides 27a to 27j which are
mounted in correspondence with the yarn guides 6a to 6h on an end
portion of a base 210 supporting the warper drum 208, each of the
yarn selection guides 27a to 27j being pivotally moved to project
to a yarn exchanging position when exchanging yarns and retract to
a standby position when storing yarns, wherein yarns 22 are
automatically exchanged and successively wound on the warper drum
208 according to a preset yarn order by passing the yarns 22
between the yarn guides 6a to 6h and the yarn selection guides 27a
to 27j. In this case, reference numerals 7a to 7h denote guide
pieces which are provided at distal ends of the yarn guides 6a to
6h for performing yarn catching and yarn holding.
[0036] In FIG. 1, reference numeral 79 denotes a controller; 212, a
yarn change portion; 214, a side cover; 216, a view window, and
218, a driving portion.
[0037] As illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in the sample warper
200 of the present invention, a fixed creel 202 for supporting a
plurality of bobbins 110 which are associated with the plural yarn
selection guides 27a to 27j and on which yarns of different yarns
(yarns with different colors or yarns twisted differently) have
been wound.
[0038] The yarns 22 of the fixed creel 202 are respectively stored
in the plural yarn selection guides 27a to 27j and can be
sequentially wound on the warper drum 208.
[0039] The fixed creel 202 comprises a bobbin stand 102 and a creel
stand 104. The bobbin stand 102 has a bobbin frame 108 provided
with casters 106 on a lower surface thereof. A suitable number of
the bobbins 110 are mounted on a back end side of the bobbin frame
108. Guide plates 112 are provided ahead of the bobbins 110,
respectively.
[0040] As illustrated in FIG. 1, since a leading end of a yarn 22m
being warped is wound on the warper drum 208 via the yarn guide 6,
the tension of the yarn 22m fluctuates and a drop ring 124 moves up
and down according to the fluctuation. On the other hand, a yarn
22n being suspended (a yarn stored in the yarn selection device 27)
is stored inside the yarn selection device 27 in a state that a
drop ring 124 has fallen into the lowest position.
[0041] Reference numeral 17 denotes a plurality of conveyor belts
movably mounted on a circumferential surface of the warper drum
208, and a feed rate of the conveyor belt 17 is controlled by a
conveyor belt feed means according to warping conditions (the
number of yarns to be warped, the width to be warped, the winding
number of yarns to be warped and the like). The movement of the
conveyor belts is synchronous with rotation of the yarn guides.
Reference numerals 33, 34, 38a and 38b denote shedding bars, and 35
and 37 denote cut shedding bars. Shedding means (not shown) are
provided on distal end portions of the shedding bars 33 to 35, 37,
38a and 38b on the side of the yarn guides, and a shed of a yarn
can be formed by the shedding means. Incidentally, the basic
structure and function of the sample warper 200 are well known from
the above-described patent publications and the others, and hence
the detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.
[0042] As the above-described yarn selection device 27, one
described in JP11-293536A, for example, shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5
can be used. In FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the yarn selection device 27 has
a plurality of yarn selection guides 27a to 27h (the yarn selection
guides 27d to 27f are shown in FIG. 4, and the yarn selection guide
27a is shown in FIG. 5), and each of the yarn selection guides 27a
to 27h is pivotally moved to an operation position (a yarn
exchanging position) or a suspended position (a standby position)
by a corresponding selection solenoid 29 of a rotary solenoid so as
to put the yarn 22 in and out.
[0043] Yarn removing guides 136a to 136h (in the illustrated
embodiment, the yarn removing guides 136e to 136g are shown in FIG.
4 and the yarn removing guide 136a is shown in FIG. 5) are provided
such that each of the yarn removing guides 136a to 136h forms a
pair with corresponding one of the yarn selection guides 27a to
27h. Each of the yarn removing guides 136a to 136h is pivotally
moved to an operation position (a yarn removing position) or a
suspended position (a standby position) by a yarn removing solenoid
138 provided in proximity to the selection solenoid 29 to perform a
yarn removing operation. In FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, reference numeral 16
denotes a drum spoke; 59, a front cover; 59a, a front guide rod;
and 212, a yarn change portion.
[0044] As the yarn selection device 27, besides the device shown in
FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, there may be also used a yarn selection device
having a structure provided with conventionally known yarn removing
members as separate members.
[0045] As the plural yarn guides 6a to 6h, fixed type yarn guides
can be used, but it is preferable to use movable type yarn guides.
As the movable type yarn guides, those described in JP2002-30536A,
for example, shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 may be used. The movable
type yarn guides 6a to 6h are provided with arm portions 308 and
guide pieces 7a to 7h which are rotatably provided at distal end
portions of the arm portions 308 and can hold yarns, as illustrated
in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 (only the movable yarn guide 6a is shown).
[0046] A holder portion 312 is provided at a distal end portion of
the arm portion 308, and a cylinder base 314 is continuously
attached to the holder portion 312. The cylinder base 314 is
provided with a rotary air cylinder 316 having a swinging shaft
316a, and a guide piece 7a is fixed to the swinging shaft 316a and
is rotatable together with the swinging shaft 316a. Reference
numerals 318a and 318b denote air tubes mounted so as to
communicate with the rotary air cylinder 316, and compressed air is
supplied from an unillustrated solenoid valve into the rotary air
cylinder 316.
[0047] For example, when compressed air is supplied from the air
tube 318a into the rotary air cylinder 316, the guide piece 7a is
rotated in one direction, for example, to a position indicated by a
solid line in FIG. 7, that is to say, projected to the yarn holding
position to serve as the yarn guide. On the other hand, when
compressed air is supplied from the air tube 318b into the rotary
air cylinder 316, the guide piece 7a is rotated in the other
direction, for example, to a position indicated by an imaginary
line in FIG. 7, that is to say, retracted to a position where the
guide piece 7a does not hold a yarn, so that the guide piece 7a
does not serve as the yarn guide. In FIG. 7, reference numerals 320
and 320 indicated by an imaginary line denote stoppers which serve
to limit a rotation range of the guide piece 7a.
[0048] The sample warper of the present invention comprises: the
plural yarn guides 6a to 6h which wind the yarns 22 on the warper
drum 208; the plural yarn selection guides 27a to 27j which are
mounted on an end portion of the base 210 supporting the warper
drum 208 in correspondence with the yarn guides 6a to 6h and each
of which is pivotally moved to project to a yarn exchanging
position when exchanging yarns and retract to a standby position
when storing yarns; the fixed creel 202 provided in correspondence
with the plural yarn selection guides 27a to 27j and for supporting
the plural bobbins 110 on which yarns of the same kind and/or
different kinds have been wound; the yarn removing guides 136a to
136j each provided in correspondence with each of the plural yarn
selection guides 136a to 136j, wherein the yarns 22 are
automatically exchanged and successively wound on the warper drum
208 according to a preset yarn order by passing the yarns between
the yarn guides 6a to 6h and the yarn selection guides 27a to 27j,
wherein, when yarn exchanging is performed, a yarn removing
operation for removing the first yarn (red), for example, the yarn
22a from the first yarn guide, for example, the yarn guide 6a
winding the first yarn 22a on the warper drum 208 and a yarn
feeding operation for feeding the second yarn (white), for example,
the yarn 22b to the second yarn guide 6b are performed while a
reference yarn guide first subjected to the yarn removing operation
or the yarn feeding operation and selected from either of the two
yarn guides 6a, 6b makes one rotation.
[0049] Modes of yarn exchanging in the present invention are as
follows: (1) after the yarn removing operation is finished, the
yarn feeding operation can be performed; (2) after the yarn feeding
operation is finished, the yarn removing operation can be
performed, and (3) the yarn removing operation and the yarn feeding
operation can be performed simultaneously.
[0050] (1) The mode where after the yarn removing operation is
finished, the yarn feeding operation is performed, for example, the
first yarn 22a is removed from the first yarn guide 6a winding the
first yarn 22a and the second yarn guide 6b catches the second yarn
22d is performed in the following manner. The first yarn 22a is
first removed from the first yarn guide 6a winding the first yarn
22a on the warper drum 208 by having the first yarn 22a caught on
the yarn removing guide, for example, the yarn removing guide 136a,
and the caught first yarn 22a is passed to the corresponding yarn
selection guide 27a to be stored. Next, while the empty first yarn
guide 6a (in this case, the first yarn guide 6a which is first
subjected to the yarn removing operation, and the first yarn guide
6a serves as the reference yarn guide) makes one rotation, the
second yarn 22d is fed from the yarn selection guide 27d storing
the second yarn 22d to the second yarn guide 6b, and the second
yarn 22d is wound on the warper drum 208 in a state that the second
yarn 22d has been held by the second yarn guide 6b. By performing
such yarn exchanging, a time period from removing the first yarn
22a from the first yarn guide 6a to holding the second yarn 22d by
the second yarn guide 6a is considerably short, so that an idle
running state of the yarn guide (in a state that none of the yarn
guides 6a to 6h holds the yarns 22) can be avoided to the
utmost.
[0051] In the mode (1) described above, by utilizing as the second
yarn guide a yarn guide which first passes through after the state
that the yarn selection guide 27d feeds the second yarn 22d has
been realized, an idle running time of the empty first yarn guide
6a may be reduced to the minimum. It is most preferable that a yarn
guide provided adjacent to and downstream of the first yarn guide
6a, for example, the yarn guide 6b in FIG. 3 is used as the second
yarn guide because the idle running time may be reduced to the
minimum. However, in order to allow utilization of the yarn guide
6b as the second yarn guide, as illustrated in FIG. 8, it is
required that a length L.sub.1 of an arc formed by the yarn guide
6a and the yarn guide 6b is larger than an installation width
L.sub.a of the yarn selection device 27 (that is, a total
installation width L.sub.a of all the yarn selection guides 27a to
27j), namely, L.sub.1>L.sub.a. If L.sub.1<L.sub.a, the yarn
guide 6b can not be used as the second yarn guide; a length L.sub.2
of an arc formed by the yarn guide 6a and the yarn guide 6c is
further compared with the installation width L.sub.a of the yarn
selection device 27, and if L.sub.2>L.sub.a, the yarn guide 6c
can be used as the second yarn guide. If L.sub.2<L.sub.a, a yarn
guide forming a further larger arc is selected to be used
similarly. In fact, when a relationship between an installation
width between one of the yarn selection guides 27a to 27j first
used and one of the yarn selection guides 27a to 27j next used, for
example, L.sub.d (the installation width between the yarn selection
guides 27a and 27d in the example shown in FIG. 8) and the
above-described L.sub.1, L.sub.2 meets L.sub.1, L.sub.2>L.sub.d,
it is possible to implement the yarn exchanging mode (1) in the
present invention. If L.sub.1 or L.sub.2>L.sub.a, all the yarn
selection guides 27a to 27j can be advantageously utilized.
[0052] Regarding the mode (1), more specifically speaking, for
example, when a yarn being warped by the first yarn guide 6a is a
yarn of the yarn selection guide 27a (the yarn 22m in the example
shown in FIG. 2), any one of the yarn guides 6b to 6h can be used
as the second yarn guide, but the yarn guide 6b is the most
preferable second yarn guide. As a yarn to be fed to the second
yarn guide of the yarn guides 6b to 6h, any one of the yarns stored
in the yarn selection guides 27b to 27h (the yarns 22n in the
example shown in FIG. 2) may be used. In the mode (1) where the
yarn exchanging is performed from the yarn guide 6a to the yarn
guide 6b, it is sufficient for the yarn guide 6a to make 1/8
rotation of idle running as compared with the conventional mode
where after the yarn guide 6a has made one rotation of idle
running, the yarn exchanging is performed.
[0053] (2) The mode where after the yarn feeding operation is
finished, the yarn removing operation is performed, for example,
the empty second yarn guide 6a catches the second yarn 22a and the
yarn 22d is removed from the first yarn guide 6b winding the first
yarn 22d is performed in the following manner. First, the second
yarn 22a is fed to the second yarn guide 6a, and the second yarn
22a is held by the second yarn guide 6a and wound on the warper
drum 208. Next, while the second yarn guide 6a (in this case, a
yarn guide which is first subjected to yarn feeding is the second
yarn guide 6a, and the second yarn guide 6a serves as the reference
yarn guide) makes one rotation, the first yarn 22d is removed from
the first yarn guide 6b winding the first yarn 22d on the warper
drum 208 by having the first yarn 22d caught on the yarn removing
guide, for example, 136d, and the first yarn 22d is passed and
stored to a corresponding yarn selection guide 27d. Even when such
yarn exchanging is performed, a time period from the second yarn
22a being fed and held to the second yarn guide 6a to the first
yarn 22d being removed from the first yarn guide 6b is considerably
short, so that an idle running state of the yarn guide can be
avoided to the utmost. In the mode (2), the yarn selection guide
storing a yarn to be first fed is preferably positioned on an
upstream side of the yarn guide in a rotational direction thereof.
In such a constitution, it is required that the second yarn guide
6a is positioned on the upstream side of the first yarn guide 6b in
the rotational direction thereof, but a relationship in size
between the width L.sub.a of the selection device 27 and the widths
L.sub.1, L.sub.2 of arcs among the yarn guides 6a to 6h causes no
problem. Incidentally, even in the mode (2), such a constitution
can be employed that the yarn selection guide storing a yarn to be
first fed is positioned on a downstream side in the rotational
direction of the yarn guide. In case of this constitution, the
above-described relationship of L.sub.1 or L.sub.2>L.sub.d may
be enough in order to remove the second yarn 22d from the first
yarn guide 6b, but if L.sub.1 or L.sub.2>L.sub.a is met, all of
the yarn selection guides 27a to 27j can be advantageously utilized
like the mode (1).
[0054] Further, regarding the mode (2), more specifically speaking,
for example, when a yarn being warped by the first yarn guide 6b is
a yarn of the yarn selection guide 27h, it is preferable to use the
yarn guide 6a as the second yarn guide. As the yarn fed to the
second yarn guide 6a, any one of yarns stored in the yarn selection
guides 27a to 27j except for the yarn selection guide 27h can be
used. In the case (2) where the yarn exchanging is performed from
the yarn guide 6b to the yarn guide 6a, idle running of the yarn
guide 6b is completely prevented as compared with the conventional
mode where after the yarn guide 6a has made one rotation of idle
running, the yarn exchanging is performed, so that a state that
both the yarn guides 6a and 6b are winding the yarns (so-called
double winding) occurs during making final 1/8 rotation. However,
the double winding in such an extent does not cause any
problem.
[0055] (3) The mode where the yarn removing operation and the yarn
feeding operation are simultaneously performed, for example, the
first yarn 22a is removed from the first yarn guide 6a winding the
first yarn 22a and the second yarn guide 6b catches the second yarn
22d is performed in the following manner. The first yarn 22a is
removed from the first yarn guide 6a winding the first yarn guide
22a on the warper drum 208 by having the first yarn 22a caught on a
yarn removing guide, for example, the yarn removing guide 136a, and
the first yarn 22a is passed and stored to a corresponding yarn
selection guide 27a. Simultaneously therewith, the second yarn 22d
is fed from the yarn selection guide 27d storing the second yarn
22d to the second yarn guide 6b and the second yarn 22d is wound on
the warper drum 208 in a state that the second yarn 22d has been
held by the second yarn guide 6b. In this case, it is required that
the width L.sub.1 of the arc formed by the first yarn guide 6a and
the second yarn guide 6b and the installation width L.sub.d between
the yarn selection guides 27a and 27d are approximately equal to
each other, namely, L.sub.1=L.sub.d such that the yarn 22a can be
removed from the first yarn guide 6a and the yarn 22d can be fed to
the second yarn guide 6b.
[0056] In the above-described mode (3), besides the arrangement of
the yarn selection device 27 illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 8, it
is preferable to employ arrangement where the yarn selection device
27 are grouped to a plurality of groups (the device is grouped into
a first yarn selection group 27A and a second yarn selection group
27b), as illustrated in FIG. 9. The first yarn selection device 27A
is provided with the yarn selection guides 27a to 27e and the
second yarn selection device 27B is provided with the yarn
selection guides 27f to 27j. When an installation angle (45.degree.
in FIG. 9) between the two yarn selection devices 27A and 27B is
set to be equal to an angle formed by adjacent yarn guides of the
yarn guides 6a to 6h (in case of eight yarn guides, an angle formed
by adjacent yarn guides, for example, by the yarn guides 6a and 6b,
is 45.degree.), the space between the yarn guides 6a and 6b can be
coincident with the space between the yarn selection devices 27A
and 27B. With such a constitution, it is easy to perform the yarn
removing operation from the yarn guide 6a and the yarn feeding
operation to the yarn guide 6b like the mode (3). In case that the
yarn removing operation and the yarn feeding operation are
simultaneously performed in this manner, idle running of the yarn
guide 6a is completely prevented, so that ideal yarn exchanging is
performed. Incidentally, even if the constitution shown in FIG. 9
where the yarn selection device 27 has been grouped into groups is
employed, of course, such a constitution can be applied to the case
that the yarn removing operation and the yarn feeding operation are
sequentially performed like the modes (1) and (2).
* * * * *