Patent ID: 7261251
Filing Date: 2007-08-28
Classification: D04B

Abstract:
1. A yarn delivery device for delivering yarn to a yarn consumption arrangement having variable yarn requirements comprising: a yarn delivery wheel having a storage area with a yarn bearing area for receiving a wound yarn lap and an inlet area with a forward feed arrangement for forward feeding of the wound lap; a drive shaft upon which said yarn delivery wheel is mounted, a drive mechanism connected to said drive shaft for driving said delivery wheel such that an outer circumferential surface of said delivery wheel has a predetermined circumferential speed, a yarn lifting element mounted in spaced apart relation to the outer circumferential surface of said delivery wheel, said yarn lifting element having a pair of straight yarn contact and guide surfaces disposed in outwardly spaced relation to the outer circumferential surface of the delivery wheel and extending substantially parallel to an axis of said yarn delivery wheel, said yarn contact and guide surfaces being laterally spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the axis of said delivery wheel such that yarn can encircle and freely travel about the delivery wheel and said laterally spaced contact and guide surfaces of said yarn lifting element in a lap comprising a plurality of windings with the contact and guide surfaces allowing only a portion of the windings corresponding to an arc less than 240° the circumference of the yarn delivery wheel to contact the yarn bearing area of the yarn delivery wheel with said windings being free to move along the lengths of said straight contact and guide surfaces such that the yarn delivery wheel may be driven by said drive mechanism at a greater circumferential speed than the speed of movement of the windings about the delivery wheel and yarn lifting element and when the yarn requirement of the yarn consumption arrangement is reduced a resulting lowering in tension of the yarn lap about the yarn delivery wheel and yarn lifting element as an incident to the reduced yarn consumption requirement permits a reduction in frictional contact of the yarn with the yarn delivery wheel and a reduction in the speed of movement of the yarn about the delivery wheel relative to the predetermined circumferential speed of the delivery wheel and a slowing of the yarn delivery speed to the yarn consumption arrangement.