U.S. patent number 3,761,031 [Application Number 05/140,159] was granted by the patent office on 1973-09-25 for storage apparatus for filamentary material.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Sulzer Brothers Limited. Invention is credited to Erwin Pfarrwaller.
United States Patent |
3,761,031 |
Pfarrwaller |
September 25, 1973 |
STORAGE APPARATUS FOR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
Abstract
A device for the storage of filamentary material includes a
storage member supported from a support member for rotation with
respect thereto, the storage member having a free end over which
stored material can be taken off, the storage member having at its
free end a cross-sectional area declining toward that free end, the
device comprising an annular member surrounding the storage member
adjacent the free end thereof, the opening of the annular member
having a cross-sectional area declining toward the free end for
checking ballooning of the filamentary material during
take-off.
Inventors: |
Pfarrwaller; Erwin (Winterthur,
CH) |
Assignee: |
Sulzer Brothers Limited
(Winterthur, CH)
|
Family
ID: |
4321167 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/140,159 |
Filed: |
May 4, 1971 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
May 14, 1970 [CH] |
|
|
7181/70 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
242/365.4;
66/132R; 139/452 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D03D
47/364 (20130101); B65H 57/22 (20130101); B65H
51/22 (20130101); D03D 47/366 (20130101); B65H
2701/31 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65H
51/20 (20060101); B65H 51/22 (20060101); B65H
57/00 (20060101); B65H 57/22 (20060101); B65h
051/20 () |
Field of
Search: |
;242/36,37,39,47.01,47.08,47.12,47.13,128 ;66/132 ;139/122,127P
;57/106 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Schroeder; Werner H.
Claims
I claim:
1. A device for the storage of filamentary material comprising a
support member, a storage member supported from the support member
for rotation about an axis with respect thereto, the storage member
having a free end over which stored material can be taken off, the
storage member having at its free end a portion of cross-sectional
area declining toward that free end, the device further comprising
an annular member surrounding at least a portion of the storage
member adjacent the free end thereof, the opening of the annular
member having a cross-sectional area declining toward said free end
for checking ballooning of the filamentary material during
take-off, the device further including means to impose a cyclical
relative motion on the storage member and annular member parallel
to said axis.
2. A device for the storage of filamentary material comprising a
support member, a storage member supported from the support member
for rotation about an axis with respect thereto, the storage member
having a free end over which stored material can be taken off, the
storage member having at its free end a portion of cross-sectional
area declining toward that free end, the device further comprising
an annular member surrounding at least a portion of the storage
member adjacent the free end thereof, the opening of the annular
member having a cross-sectional area declining toward said free end
for checking ballooning of the filamentary material during
take-off, the device further including means to adjust the position
of the annular member relative to the storage member lengthwise of
said axis to adjust the resistance to passage of a thread through
the opening formed between the annular member and the storage
member.
3. Apparatus for the accumulation and temporary storage of lengths
of filamentary material withdrawn from a supply, said apparatus
comprising a hollow rotatable shaft, a bearing supporting the shaft
for rotation, a storage member rotatably supported at one end from
the shaft, means restraining the storage member against rotation, a
flyer arm affixed to the shaft and extending radially and axially
into exterior overlapping relation with the storage member at said
one end thereof, the storage member having a smooth exterior
surface conforming substantially to a surface of revolution, said
exterior surface including at said one end a substantially
frusto-conical portion aligned with said flyer arm, the large end
of said portion being adjacent said shaft, a filamentary material
passing through the hollow rotatable shaft and over the flyer arm
being laid on said exterior surfaces of the storage member into a
single layer wrapping of filamentary material on said surfaces
whereby the turns of the single layer wrapping of the filamentary
material so laid onto said member by said flyer arm are readily
axially slideable toward the opposite end of said storage member,
said exterior surface further including at said opposite end of the
storage member a substantially frusto-conical portion the small end
of which is remote from said one end, said apparatus further
comprising an annular member surrounding with clearance said
last-named portion, the opening of the annular member having over
at least part of the axial length of said last-named portion a
cross-sectional area declining toward said opposite end.
Description
The present invention relates to storage devices for filamentary
material such as yarn, thread, wire or the like (hereinafter
sometimes called "thread" for brevity), and is particularly useful
in conjunction with textile machines such as looms, among others.
The present invention constitutes an improvement on that disclosed
in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,548 assigned to the assignee hereof. That
patent discloses a thread storage apparatus which includes a
rotating flyer or thread guide having a hollow shaft through which
the thread is passed to an arm on the flyer, and a drum supported
on and rotatable with respect to that shaft. By rotation of the
flyer the thread is wound onto the drum, at a portion thereof of
conical shape sloping radially inwardly toward the free end of the
drum. Successive coils of thread laid onto this concial part push
previous coils onto the cylindrical part of the drum to form a
length of thread stored thereon and available to be pulled off.
Weights or magnets are provided to hold the drum against rotation
without interfering with pulling of the thread off the free end of
the drum as the thread is picked through the shed of the loom, for
example in a loom of the gripper shuttle type.
In one form of apparatus disclosed in that patent the drum incudes
at its free end a conical portion of diameter declining toward the
free end, and with the drum there is associated an annular array of
radially inwardly directed bristles which engage this conical
portion and constitute a braking ring. In another form of apparatus
disclosed in that patent the drum is cylindrical, except for the
conical part onto which the thread is laid by the flyer. In
particular the drum is cylindrical at the free end thereof, and a
ring of short axial length and inwardly bounded by a cylindrical
surface surrounds the free end of the drum with clearance
therefrom. The thread pulled off the drum by the gripper shuttle in
the course of a pick must pass through an eye situated on the axis
of the drum, and in the apparatus disclosed in that patent this eye
must be disposed at a relatively long axial distance from the drum.
This relatively long axial distance is required to avoid too sharp
a change in direction of the thread toward the axis during the
pull-off motion. As a result of this distance, however, the storage
device must be relatively far from the machine with which it
cooperates.
According to the present invention a storage device includes a
storage member onto which filamentary material is wound. The
storage member has a free end over shich stored material is taken
off, the end having a progressively reduced cross-sectional area.
The storage device also includes an annular member in the region of
the free end of the storage member, the opening of the annular
member having a progressively reduced cross-sectional area for
checking ballooning of the filamentary material during take-off.
The material to be taken off can then be diverted towards the
storage member axis immediately after it leaves the storage member.
There is a very little friction between the material and the
storage member or the balloon checking member, and the ballooning
of the material taken off is very slight, so that the material
processed is subject to less stress and its take-off tension is
reduced. The free end of the storage member and the annular balloon
checking member are adapted to the course followed by the material,
and the material takes a very short path to the eye through which
it must pass on the axis of the storage member. Since the distance
between this eye and the storage member can therefore be reduced,
the storage device takes up less space beside the associated
textile machine.
The gap between the storage member and annular member may be
variable. Preferably the annular member is axially movable. If the
material to be processed on the storage device is, for example,
very thin or easily tangled yarn the gap can be made smaller than
in the case of thicker material such as jute. In the latter case
the gap may be made large enough to allow any knots, impurities in
the yarn or the like, to pass through unhindered.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be further described in terms of a number of
exemplary embodiments and with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic axial sectional view through a storage
device for filamentary material in accordance with the invention as
applied to intermediate weft thread storage in association with a
gripper shuttle loom schematically indicated;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary axial section through another form of
storage device for filamentary material according to the
invention;
FIG. 3 is a view in elevation taken in the direction indicated by
the arrow II in FIG. 2, of the member 101 of FIG. 2;
FIGS. 4 and 5 are fragmentary views similar to that of FIG. 3, but
showing variant shapes for the slot 109 seen in FIG. 3;
FIGS. 6, 7 and 9 are fragmentary axial sections through other forms
of storage device for filamentary material according to the
invention;
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the base member
106 in the embodiment of FIG. 7; and
FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic view of still another form of storage
device for filamentary material according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In FIG. 1, a hollow shaft 26 is rotatably mounted in ball bearings
25 in a base 24 fixed to the frame of a loom. The shaft is pierced
laterally by at least one hole 38 providing an exit for a weft 10,
which comes from a weft supply bobbin 11 on the loom. During
operation of the loom, the bobbin 11 remains permanently outside a
shed indicated at 72, formed from warp yarns 71 by a shedding
mechanism not shown and constituting part of the loom. After the
weft has passed through the temporary weft store of the invention,
generally indicated at 2 in FIG. 1, it runs through a fixed eye 66
in the loom and then through a yarn tensioner 68 and another fixed
eye 69 in the loom. The yarn tensioner 68 moves up and down during
loom operation as indicated by arrow 67. After the weft 10 leaves
the eye 69, a yarn feeder and positioner 97 feeds it to a gripper
shuttle 12 before each pick, and this shuttle grips the weft and
picks it into the shed 72. The yarn feeder 97 reciprocates as
indicated by an arrow 96.
In the temporary weft thread storage device or store generally
indicated at 22, a cone 39 is mounted on the hollow shaft 26, the
right-hand end of which extends beyond the cone to a stub 42, on
which a yarn storage member or drum 44 is mounted by means of ball
bearings 43.
The shaft 26, shown broken away at 81, is rotated by suitable means
not shown, which may for example be of the character shown in U. S.
Pat. No. 3,411,548. A weight 70, cast in the bottom of the drum 44
or otherwise fastened thereto, unbalances the drum and therefore
prevents it from rotating with the shaft 26.
The storage drum 44 has a conical extension 45 on the (in FIG. 1)
left-hand end thereof and a conical portion 82 on its free
right-hand end. An annular member 101 is provided in the region of
the conical portion 82 and has on its inside surface substantially
the same conicity as the portion 82. Thus, at the free end of the
drum, its cross-sectional area declines progressively toward that
free end, and the cross-sectional area of the opening in the
annular member 101 similarly declines toward that free end.
The weft is taken off the bobbin 11, runs through the hollow shaft
26, through a hole 38 and a feed eye 41 on the cone 39 and then
reaches the conical extension 45 on the drum 44. A coil of weft
forms on this extension 45, but because the extension is conical
this coil slides to the right in FIG. 1 on to the smooth surface of
the drum. As each further coil is formed, the coil which has
slipped off is pushed further to the right. As soon as there are
several coils on the drum, the entire single-layer winding 73 is
moved further to the right thereon.
During each pick a supply of weft equal to the weaving width of the
loom is pulled off the drum 44, over the free conical end 82
thereof. During this operation the weft 10 runs through the conical
gap 102 between the conical portion 82 and the annular member 101,
which latter is provided to prevent the formation of a balloon of
weft.
Since the weft being taken off the drum is diverted directly
towards the drum axis 85 due to the conicity of the portion 82 and
the member 101, i.e. due to the conical shape of the gap between
them, and since practically no ballooning of the yarn can occur in
the vicinity of the portion 82 and the member 101, the temporary
weft store 22 can be located relatively close to the fixed eye 66
in the loom. The distance 103 is therefore relatively short.
In FIG. 1 therefore the shaft 26 constitutes a support member from
which the storage drum or member 44 is supported for rotation with
respect to that support member. The storage member 44 has at its
free end a cross-sectional area, in planes perpendicular to the
axis of relative rotation of the members 26 and 44, which declines
toward the free end of the storage member. The ring 101 constitutes
an annular member surrounding the storage member 44 adjacent the
free end of the latter, and the cross-sectional area of the opening
in the member 101 likewise declines toward the free end of the
storage member.
In the temporary weft store of FIG. 2, the drum 44 has on its free
right-hand end a shoulder 104, provided to prevent the individual
coils of weft 10 at the right-hand end of the layer 73 from
slipping off prematurely. The axial length of the layer 73 required
on the drum 44 for a given yarn supply is greater in the case of
thicker, heavier yarn than in the case of thinner, lighter yarn.
With heavier yarn the right-hand end of the winding 73 may come
close to the shoulder 104 during operation.
Another difference in the modification shown in FIG. 2 is that the
rotating cone 39 of FIG. 1 is replaced by a rotating feed tube 105,
to whose outer end the feed eye 41 is fixed. The cone 39 and the
feed tube 105 may both be described as a flyer arm. Instead of the
weight 70, the modification of FIG. 2 has a magnetic arrangement to
prevent the drum 44 from rotating. This comprises a first permanent
magnet 107, housed in a fixed base portion 106, and a second
permanent magnet 108 situated inside the drum 44 and cooperating
with the first permanent magnet. The conical annular member 101 is
fixed to the base portion 106, a spacer ring 110 being inserted
between them. The conical gap 102 can be varied by inserting
thicker or thinner spacer rings 110 according to the yarn being
processed.
As FIG. 3 shows, the annular member 101 contains a tear-shaped slot
109, through which to pull the yarn. The spacer ring 110 also has a
slot located in FIG. 2 on the left of slot 109. Furthermore the
member 101 contains a hole 111 through which the operator can
insert his finger when operation begins, before there is a coil 73
of weft on the drum. The weft 10 is first threaded through the tube
105, inserted in the slot 109, so that its free end is pushed in
FIG. 2 to the right. Afterwards the free end of the thread is
pulled out through the end of the member 101 to the right in FIG.
2. At the same time the thread passes through the slot of spacer
ring 110. It is then passed through components 66, 68 and 69, shown
in FIG. 1, to the yarn feeder 97. When the temporary weft store has
been switched on and the rotor 105 set into rotation, the finger or
some other article is inserted through the hole 111 and held on the
shoulder 104. The coil 73 then forms immediately.
FIG. 2 also shows a device comprising a stationary light source 112
and a reflector 113 on the drum by means of which rotation of the
tube 105 can be braked or stopped when the winding 73 extends far
enough to the right on the drum to interrupt a light beam extending
from the source 112 to the reflector 113. When subsequent picks
have used up enough of the yarn supply at 73 for the light beam to
pass from the source 112 to the reflector 113 again, rotation of
the feed tube 105 is resumed.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show modifications 109a and 109b of the yarn slot
109. The slot 109b extends continuously across part of the annular
member 101.
The temporary weft store shown in FIG. 6 has a device, synchronized
with the picking action of the loom, for adjusting the conical gap
102 between the conical or substantially conical outer surface on
the storage member 44 and the conical or substantially conical
inside surface of the annular member 101. The synchronization is
provided by a plate 116 which is mounted on the main shaft 114 of
the loom, or coupled thereto to turn revolution for revolution
therewith. The plate 116 contains a slit 115 which cooperates with
a signal generating device 117. The device 117 may be of known
construction and may be photoelectric in nature, or may operate on
principles of electromagnetic induction or otherwise, to generate a
periodic electrical signal at the rate of rotation of the plate
116. The device 117 is connected to a switching device 118, by
means of which an electromagnet 119 is periodically energized, once
for each rotation of plate 116. This magnet 119 is housed in a
fixed base portion 121, and its armature is formed by a member 122
to which the annular member 101 is fixed. The members 122 and 101
are movable horizontally in FIG. 6 in a bearing element 123 and are
biased by a spring 124 in the direction of a stop 125.
Toward the end of each pick the slit 115 in the plate 116 passes
the device 117 permitting light to pass between the two limbs of
the device so that the electromagnet 119 is energized by the
switching device 118. The member 101, with the armature 122,
thereupon moves to the left in FIG. 6, overcoming the bias of the
spring 124, until components 119 and 122 touch. The gap 102 is
thereby reduced, optionally to the extent of producing a slight
braking action on the yarn.
The gap 102 is then restored when the electromagnet 119 is
de-energized. The resistance to passage of the thread through the
gap 102 is thereby made low at the beginning of each pick.
The position of the stop 125 is adjustable by means of a setscrew
126. FIG. 6 also shows teeth 127 for guiding the gripper shuttle 12
as it flies through the shed.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the gap 102 between the
annular member 101 and the shoulder 104 on the drum 44 is
adjustable manually by means of an adjusting screw 128 inserted in
an oblique slot 129 in the base member 106, as shown in FIG. 8.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the winding diameter a of the
drum 44, which has a rounded-off or cambered free end 120, is
greater than the diameter b at the small end of the annular
checking member 101a, which is shaped with a corresponding
rounded-off or cambered reduction 130. The drum 44 may be provided
with a shoulder 104 whose diameter c is greater than the diameter
b. In this embodiment either the winding diameter a or, if there is
a shoulder 104, the diameter c of this shoulder is greater than the
exit diameter b of the checking member 101a.
Alternatively the annular member 101 may extend further to the
right in FIG. 1, optionally as far as or almost as far as the fixed
eye 66. The eye 66 may be constituted by the right-hand end of the
annular checking member (FIG. 10), so that this member forms a
complete funnel 101b.
The yarn 10 may also be fed to the drum 44 from a point fixed with
reference to the loom, if the drum 44 itself rotates. In this case
the drum 44 must be driven. In such an embodiment the base or other
stationary bearing member in which the drum is journaled
constitutes the support member, in place of the rotatable shaft 26
of FIG. 1. The drum constitutes the storage member as before, and
the annular member may be of substantially the same construction as
in the embodiments heretofore described, notwithstanding the
relative motion between it and the storage member which occurs
during laying of coils onto the storage member.
Particularly if, as is desirable, the gap 102 is small, the two
members 82 and 101 of FIG. 10 cooperate to form a funnel-shaped
guide pointing in the direction of the eye 66, for the purpose of
stabilizing the yarn 10.
In a further embodiment, the free end of the drum 44 may be rounded
off or cambered and the associated annular member 101 may be
conical, or vice versa. Instead of a drum 44 a reel or cage-like
storage member may be used. Also, the annular member 101 may be
split.
The storage device can also be used, for example, as a feed wheel
unit for the knitting points of a knitting machine, or with winding
frames, wire winding machines and the like.
It will thus be seen that the invention provides a device for the
storage of filamentary material comprising a support member 26, and
a storage member 44 supported from the support member for rotation
with respect thereto. The storage member has a free end over which
stored material can be taken off, and the storage member has at its
free end a portion of cross-sectional area declining toward that
free end, for example as indicated at 82 in FIG. 1. The device
further comprises an annular member 101 surrounding at least a
portion of the storage member adjacent the free end thereof, the
opening of the annular member having a cross-sectional area
declining toward that free end for checking ballooning of the
filamentary material during take-off.
According to another feature of the invention, the annular member
may be made movable lengthwise of the axis of relative rotation of
the support member and storage member, and there may be provided
means, as illustrated for example in FIG. 2, to impose a cyclical
relative motion on the storage member and annular member parallel
to that axis. The storage member may include an annular radially
extending shoulder, for example as illustrated at 104 in FIG. 2,
axially adjacent the annular member. The annular member may include
a slot, as shown for example at 109 in FIG. 3, through which the
filamentary material can pass. The annular member may be apertured
opposite the surface of the portion of the storage member of
declining cross-section, for example as shown at 111 in FIG. 3.
Desirably the smallest diameter of the storage member on the side
of that portion which is remote from the free end of the storage
member is greater than the smallest diameter of the opening through
the annular member. The annular member may also have the shape of a
funnel, as shown at 101b in FIG. 10. The portion of the storage
member of declining cross-section may have a conical surface, as
indicated at 82 in FIG. 1. It may however have a surface
conforming, for example, to a zone of a sphere, or other surface of
revolution generated by a curve concave toward its axis of
revolution.
While the invention has been described hereinabove in terms of a
number of presently preferred exemplary embodiments, the invention
itself is not limited thereto but rather comprehends all
modification of and departures from those embodiments falling
within the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *