Patent ID: 9688504
Date: 2017-06-27
CPC Classifications: B65H,D02H

Claim:
1. A yarn feed assembly for puffing yarn from a wound yarn source to a yarn feed tube, the wound yarn source having a longitudinal axis, the yarn feed assembly comprising: a frame member positioned adjacent to the wound yarn source and having an longitudinal axis, the frame member defining at least one elongate interior chamber that extends along the longitudinal axis and an elongate slot that extends parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein the elongate slot has a bottom end and an opposed top end and is in communication with at least a portion of the elongate interior chamber, and wherein a distal end of the yarn tube is positioned adjacent the elongate slot; and a weighted member slideably received therein the elongate interior chamber, the weighted member positioned for axial movement in the elongate interior chamber and defining a bore extending through the weighted member, wherein one yarn is pulled off of the wound yarn source, through the bore of the weighted member and into the yarn feed tube, wherein, in response to tension applied to the yarn as a result of yarn hang ups on the wound yarn source, the weighted member is axially movable along the longitudinal axis of the frame member such that the bore of the weighted member is axially movable about and between the bottom end and the top end of the elongate slot, and wherein, under tension, the yarn extending from the wound yarn source to the bore of the weighted member is at a variable yarn pull-off angle that is minimized when the weighted member is at the bottom end of the elongate slot of the frame member and is maximized when the weighted member is at the top end of the elongate slot of the frame member.