Apparatus for the automatic handling of bobbin tubes and completely wound bobbins of spinning machines

A device for the at least partially automatic handling of empty bobbin cases and fully wound bobbins in spinning machines is designed to provide a system by which the manipulation of both finished bobbins and also empty cases is simplified, while a special aim of the invention is to automate the removal and insertion processes as completely as possible. This is achieved in that on a shared fixture frame (12) there is a reception/transfer arm (8) for empty cases (5), a reception/transfer arm (6) for bobbins (4) and an actuating and pivoting mechanism (16-18) to take arms (6,8) from a stopped to a transport position.

The invention is directed to an apparatus for at least partially automatic 
handling of bobbin tubes and completely wound bobbins of spinning 
machines. 
There are many fibers, threads and the like which are wound by spinning 
machines to form bobbins, either supply bobbins for intermediate storage 
or complete bobbins for further processing and the like. In general, the 
winding of plastic fibers to form bobbins is of primary concern in the 
present case. Of course, the present invention can also be used for 
manipulating textiles bobbins of non-synthetic origin, for wire coils or 
for bobbins of threads or cords of hemp or the like. 
These bobbins are sometimes so heavy that their handling by personnel 
requires great effort, i.e. removing completely wound bobbin bodies from 
the winders or from the bobbin heads can be very burdensome. In addition, 
the exposed winding spindle must be re-outfitted with empty tubes of paper 
or plastic as quickly as possible after this. These paper tubes must be 
taken from a storage location and placed on the winding spindles. The 
completely wound bobbins which are removed must be deposited in another 
location for further transportation. 
The object of the invention is to provide a solution for simplifying the 
handling of complete bobbins as well as empty tubes, wherein a particular 
aim of the invention consists in automating the removal and placement 
processes in the most comprehensive manner possible. 
This object is met, according to the invention, with an apparatus of the 
type described in the beginning in such a way that a take-over/transfer 
arm for empty tubes, a take-over/transfer arm for bobbins, and an 
actuating and swivel mechanism for moving the arms from a work position 
into a transporting position are provided on a common or combination 
apparatus frame. 
As a result of the invention, outfitting with empty tubes, removal of 
bobbins and transporting of either empty tubes or bobbins can be carried 
out by a single apparatus, since the take-over and transfer arms can work 
automatically for the empty tubes or the bobbins after the apparatus is 
positioned. 
In a further construction of the invention the take-over/transfer arms are 
supported so as to be swivelable around at least one common axis of 
rotation via the swivel mechanism. It can be provided in another 
construction that the take-over/transfer arms are supported inside the 
apparatus frame so as to be swivelable around all three spatial axes. 
The advantage of this construction consists particularly in that the 
apparatus can be designed as a very compact device, since the ability of 
the arms to swivel around the same spatial axis enables a compact 
construction. 
It is advantageous if the actuating swivel mechanism is constructed for a 
synchronous driving of the arms at least by areas, as is likewise provided 
by the invention. An asynchronous swiveling is also possible, although 
this is effected around the same spatial axis. 
The invention also provides that the take-over/transfer arms are outfitted 
at their free ends with positioning heads to compensate for slight 
positioning inaccuracies. In addition to the above-mentioned steps 
according to the invention, it can also be provided for the compensation 
of positioning inaccuracies that the actuating and swivel mechanism and 
accordingly also the take-over/transfer arms are supported at the 
apparatus frame by means of a torque rod suspension. 
It can also be provided in a construction according to the invention that 
the torque rod suspension itself is supported at the apparatus frame by 
means of a swivel mechanism. This swivel mechanism can also be used to 
swivel the work position in the horizontal plane of the take-over/transfer 
arms by at least 90.degree.. 
The invention also provides that the take-over/transfer arms are outfitted 
in each instance with a device for slipping off and slipping on the tubes 
or bobbins to enable a substantially fully automated operation. 
In a preferred construction of the invention it is also provided that the 
apparatus frame can be outfitted with an undercarriage. In particular, the 
undercarriage is provided with all-wheel steering. 
These constructions make it possible to make use of the entire apparatus as 
a handling robot in a fully automated manner, possibly via microcomputers, 
since it can work in a fully automatic manner by means of the positioning 
device, all-wheel steering and possibly its own drive without the aid of 
personnel. 
Further constructions and advantages of the invention follow from the 
additional subclaims. It is particularly advantageous if the undercarriage 
is constructed as a three-wheel undercarriage with single-wheel drive, 
which can be provided in a modification according to the invention. 
The take-over/transfer arms can be advantageously constructed for receiving 
and delivering a plurality of elements. In this respect, the invention can 
be effected in such a way that a transfer or take-over or pushing movement 
is controllable in such a way that the tubes or bobbins can be positioned 
so as to be closely adjacent to one another and/or at a distance from one 
another. 
All movements of the apparatus, those for the take-over/transfer arms and 
those for the slip on and slip off movements, can be provided by magnet 
couplings and/or magnet brakes for the purpose of positioning the 
movements at the various positions of the work cycle. 
Further, hysteresis couplings can be provided in the drives so that every 
movement can be defined with respect to force in an adjustable manner. 
Moreover, this allows each movement to be moved against fixed stops at end 
points. End switches operating either with or without contact are provided 
only at the respective starting point (zero reference). 
The positioning of the drives can be carried out by digital pulse counters 
so that when the actual value equals the reference value the movement is 
positioned at the desired location by means of its magnet coupling and/or 
magnet brake.

FIG. 1 is a simplified view of the apparatus according to the invention, 
designated in general by 1, in front of bobbin heads, designated by 2a and 
2b, of spinning machines, not shown in more detail. The spinning heads 2a 
and 2b comprise winding spindles designated by 3a, 3a' and 3b, 3b'. Two 
bobbins 4 and, correspondingly, two empty tubes 5 are provided on the 
spindles 3 in the shown example. 
The handling apparatus 1 according to the invention comprises a slip on and 
slip off spindle 6 at a turret head 7, which slip on and slip off spindle 
6 is swivelable around a horizontal axis "X", and a slip on and slip off 
spindle 8 for tubes which is swivelable around the same horizontal axis 
"X" and is supported so as to be swivelable at a turret head 9. The turret 
heads 7 and 9 are supported on one axis at the apparatus 1 at a supporting 
element 10 as can be seen. 
The supporting element 10 is fastened in turn at the apparatus frame, 
designated by 12, by means of a torque rod suspension 11. The apparatus 
frame 12 is outfitted with an undercarriage, designated generally by 13, 
which possibly has its own drive which is shown only in a suggestive 
manner in FIG. 1 and designated by 14. 
In the following, the spindle for slipping on and slipping off the bobbins 
is designated as "bobbin arm 6" and the spindle for the empty tubes is 
designated as "tube arm 8". 
It can be seen from FIG. 1 that the bobbin arm 6 and the tube arm 8 sweep 
along a circular arc, jointly designated by 15, due to their coaxial 
arrangement on the spatial axis "X". The circular arc is designed 
geometrically in such a way that the two winding spindles 3a and 3a', 
respectively, 3b and 3b', which are arranged at a distance from one 
another, can approach one another when positioning in front of a spinning 
head. 
The spatial axis "Y" is drawn in FIG. 1 in the region of the torque rod 11 
and the spatial axis "Z" is drawn in the region of the turret head 9. The 
supporting plate 10 can be swiveled around the spatial axis "Y" in the 
region of the torque axis 11 as can be seen somewhat more clearly from 
FIG. 7. The supports of the bobbin arm 6 and tube arm 8 are designed in 
such a way that the arms can likewise be swiveled, the spatial axis "Z" 
being given here only as an example. This swiveling possibility can be 
seen clearly from FIG. 2. 
Finally, a drive 16 (indicated only as boxes) for the turret heads 7 and 9 
with the tube arms 6 and 8, a rotating swivel drive 17 for the tube arm 6, 
and a rotating swivel drive 18 at the arm 8 are shown in FIG. 1. Details 
of these drives can be seen from the other figures, particularly FIG. 3. 
It can be seen from FIG. 2 that the bobbin arm 6 has already moved upward 
from the position shown in FIG. 1, e.g. by 135.degree., after having taken 
over two bobbins 4. The bobbin arm 6 can be swiveled up by 90.degree. from 
this position which is shown in solid lines. This position with a bobbin 
4' and moved by an additional 90.degree. with a bobbin 4" is indicated in 
a dotted line. The swivel circle is designated by 19. 
As indicated above, the swivel axis is designated substantially by the 
spatial axis "Z", wherein a swiveling can also be effected in other 
positions of the spatial axis "Z". 
The position "4'" which faces upward is a transporting position for the 
bobbins 4. Position "4"" can be the slip off position of the complete 
bobbins into a storage or the like, not shown in more detail. 
The tube arm 8 can be swiveled in the same manner. The position facing up 
by 90.degree. is designated by 8'. The position swiveled by 180.degree., 
likewise shown in dashes, is designated by 8". The swivel circle is 
designated by 20, wherein the shown position of the tube arm 8 which is 
likewise swiveled by 90.degree. relative to the position shown in FIG. 1 
is shown here. 
The operation of the inventive apparatus will now be described in more 
detail. In FIG. 1, the bobbin heads 2a and 2b are shown in their 
respective upper and lower service positions in which the completely wound 
bobbins 4 are removed from the respective spindles 3a and 3b.sup.1 and 
empty tubes are placed on the spindles 3a and 3b.sup.1. 
FIG. 1 shows that removal of the completely wound bobbins and placing of 
the empty bobbin tubes thereinstead, can be effected alternatively in 
upper and lower positions of the spindles of the bobbin head. By way of an 
example, the removal of a completely wound bobbin and placing an empty 
tube will be described with reference to the spindle 3b.sup.1. For 
servicing the spindle 3b.sub.1 which is shown in FIG. 1 in its lower 
service position, the turret head 9, together with the tube arm 8, are 
rotated along a circular arc 15 about the axis "X" downward and, the 
turret head 7, together with the bobbin arm 8, are rotated to a position 
in which the bobbin arm 6 is located opposite the spindle 3b.sup.1 with a 
completely wound bobbin thereon. 
After the wound bobbins 4 have been slipped into the bobbin arm 6 in a 
manner, which will be discussed in more detail further below, the turret 
head 7, together with the bobbin arm 6 carrying the bobbins 4, move upward 
along the circular arc 15 and the turret head 9, together with the tube 
arm 8 carrying empty tubes, move to a position in which the tube arm 8 is 
located opposite the spindle 3b.sup.1. In this position, the empty tubes 
are slipped off the tube arm and onto the spindle 3b.sup.1 in a manner 
described in detail further below. 
After the servicing of the spindle 3b.sup.1, both turrets 7 and 9, together 
with their respective arms 6 and 8, move from the servicing position to a 
position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this position, the bobbin arm 6 and 
the tube arm 8 are pivoted into a vertical position, which is shown in 
dashed lines in FIG. 2, and is defined by the axis "Y". With the bobbin 
arm 6 carrying bobbins 4 and the tube arm 8 without empty tubes, the 
undercarriage 13 moves to a bobbin unloading and empty tube loading 
station. 
At the bobbin unloading and empty tube loading station, the bobbin arm 6 
and the tube arm 8 are pivoted or swiveled by 90.degree. into a position, 
defined by the axis "Z", in which the bobbins 4 are slipped off the bobbin 
arm 6 and empty tubes are slipped onto the tube arm 8. 
As can be seen from both FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, there is a slip on and slip off 
apparatus 21 with clamping and thrust arms 22 which is arranged parallel 
to the tube arm 8 for handling the empty tubes positioned there. A 
somewhat more detailed view can be seen from FIG. 3. 
With respect to the description of the torque rod suspension, designated in 
general by 11, which is shown in the lower portion of FIG. 3, reference is 
made to FIG. 7 which will be described in the following. 
As can be seen from FIG. 3, the bobbin arm 6 is rotatably supported along 
the swivel axis "X" by a holder 23 at the rotating or turret head 7. The 
rotary drive of the turret head 7 is effected via an internal electric 
motor 24. 
The rotational movement around the spatial axis "X" of the tube arm 8 is 
effected in a similar manner, the tube arm 8 being fastened at the turret 
head 9 via a supporting element 25. 
The control, and accordingly the synchronous or asynchronous rotational 
movement around the axis "X" of the arms 6 and 8, respectively, is 
effected by worm gear units 26 and a V-belt drive 27, shown here only in a 
suggestive manner, as well as by the assigned electromagnetic couplings 
and brakes which are designated only by way of example at one location by 
28. 
The module 28 with an electromagnetic coupling and brake assembly permits 
to select either a simultaneous motion or a separate motion of the turret 
head, as required by the operational cycle, to service a winder. 
The swiveling movements according to radius 19 of the bobbin arm 6 are 
effected by a drive, designated in general by 29, comprising an electric 
motor 30, gear units, brakes and the like, while the linear movement of a 
slip off sleeve 31 is effected according to the double arrow 31' of the 
bobbins 4 via a drive which is designated in general by 32 and likewise 
comprises an electric motor 33, a hysteresis coupling 34 with toothed belt 
drive, and the like. 
The slip-off sleeve 31, which has a length L engages, with its front end 
the tube 5 of a bobbin 4 in order to displace the bobbins 4 from the 
bobbin arm 6, at station 54 (FIG. 8), onto receiving rods of a conveyor 
system to transport the finished bobbins out of the spinning area for 
further handling. The slip-off sleeve 31 is attached by a connecting bar 
31a, to a nut of a lead screw 34b. A motor 33 drives the lead screw 34b 
via a gearbox 34 and a toothbelt drive 34A. The rotation of the lead screw 
34b results in a linear displacement of the nut and the slip-off sleeve 31 
which is connected therewith. After the slip-off sleeve displaces finished 
bobbins 4 from the arm 6, it places the bobbins from the winding spindle, 
e.g., 3a onto the bobbin arm 6. 
The swiveling movement of the tube arm according to radius 20 (FIG. 2) is 
effected by the rotation of a toothed wheel 35 meshing with a fastening 
toothed rim 36 which is fixed at the turret head 9 (FIG. 4). 
The clamping control of the clamping jaws 22 is effected via a lever drive 
40, again by means of corresponding motors and couplings, as well as a 
four-bar linkage 37. With reference to FIG. 4, the pull on and push out 
movement can be effected e.g. via a toothed belt drive designated 
generally by 38 in FIG. 4. 
FIG. 5 shows a possible, soft spring-mounted centering of the tubes for 
centering the latter relative to the substantially smaller tube spindle 8. 
These centering cams 39 are pressed radially outward by a spring arranged 
in the interior of the tube spindle 8 until the cam projections 39' 
contact the inner diameter of the tube 5 and accordingly ensure a slight 
play between the tubes and centering cams. 
When slipping the tubes on the winder spindle by means of the linear unit 
21 the soft tube centering means permits considerable relative movements 
of the tubes for preventing alignment errors relative to the winder 
spindle. 
The apparatus 21 includes tracks 21a and a tooth-belt drive 38 for 
effecting a linear motion of a fork 38a and the clamp jaws 22, which both 
are attached to a guide bracket 38c movable on rollers 38d in the linear 
track 21a. The tooth belt is driven by a motor 30a, tooth-belt 30b, gear 
box 38b and a module 28 containing appropriate electromagnetic coupling 
and brakes. The electromagnetic couplings and brakes provide for axial 
motion of a fork 38a and clamp jaws 22, which have a common support 
bracket 40 with the fork 38a (as shown in FIG. 2). The support bracket 40 
is moved axially by a tooth belt 38. The axial motion of the fork 38a and 
the paws 22 provides for placing the tubes 5, onto the winding spindle, 
for example, with clamp jaws 22 being open. The electromagnetic couplings 
and brakes also provide for swivel actuation of a lever 40, which opens 
the spring-closing clamp jaws 22. The module 28 is provided for each gear 
box 35a, 37b, and 38b which effect the foregoing motions. 
The fork 38a moves forward, with clamp-jaws 22 opened by the four-bar 
linkage 37, to push the tube 5 from tube-arm 8 onto the winder's 
winding-spindle 3b, for example, from which the finished bobbins 4 have 
just been dispensed onto the bobbin-arm 6. 
Tubes 5 are pushed end to end against a collar on the winder's winding 
spindle by the fork 38a with an adjustable force as provided by torque 
setting of the hysteresis-clutch 30c at the drive-motor 30a. 
This is the O reference position for tube 5 positioned on the winder's 
winding spindle. 
From this position, the fork 38a moves backward, with the clamp-jaws 22 
still opened by the four-bar linkage 37, until clamp-jaws 22 face the 
front tube 5. 
The linear motion of the fork 38a and the jaws 22 stop, and the four-bar 
linkage 37 is retracted by means of gearbox 37b allowing thereby the 
clamp-jaws 22 to close by means of spring 22a in order to grip the front 
tube 5. 
The backward linear motion of the fork 38a and the jaws 22 continues in 
creep-speed until the required spacing S between front and rear-tubes is 
obtained (see FIG. 1). 
The backward linear motion of the fork 38a and the jaws 22 is stopped, when 
spacing S is reached. The clamp-jaws 22 are opened by means of the 
four-bar linkage 37 against the force of the spring 22a. 
The backward linear motion of the fork 38a and the opened clamp-jaws 22 
continues at a normal speed to the retracted end-position, which signals 
completion of positioning of tubes 5. 
The guide-bracket 38c has a pivot-center 40a around which an opening lever 
40 swivels to open the clamp-jaws 22 against the force of the 
closing-spring 22a. 
The lever 40 with its tapered plane at the front end lifts one of the 
rollers 22c attached to both jaws 22, which causes them to swivel around 
the pivot 22b, thus opening the jaws 22 against the force of the spring 
22a. 
The opening-lever 40 opens the jaws 22 by motion of a lever 37a of the 
four-bar linkage 37. 
The four-bar linkage 37 is intended to allow the opening and closing of the 
jaws 22 at each point of the linear motion of the guide-bracket 38c by 
causing a roller 40a on the lever 40 to move around the pivot 40a. 
The support-bracket 40b for the finger-pivots 22b and the closing spring 
22a is supported on the pivot 40a and centered by a soft-mount consisting 
of a pin 40c and a soft-rubber bushing 40d. 
FIG. 6 shows a possible type of all-wheel steering of the undercarriage 13. 
The drive motor itself is not shown, but only the steering motor, 
designated by 41. The all-wheel sheering includes travel-drive motor 41a 
which powers a drive wheel 41b for forward/backward motion. 
The drive-motor 41a and the drive wheel 41b are mounted on a rotational 
steering bracket 41c which rotates around an axis 41d on bearings in 
support 41e with a stationary gear 41f. 
The steering motor 41 with its drive-gear 41g is mounted on the rotational 
steering-bracket 41c as well, which causes steering of the drive-wheel 41b 
and rotation of the bracket 41c around the central axis 41d, whereby the 
steering-motor 41 and its drive-gear 41g meshing with the stationary gear 
41f, move in a planetary fashion around the gear 41f and the axis 41d. 
Attached to the rotating steering-bracket 41c is one set each, at the right 
and left hand side of the undercarriage 13, of pivoted steering-levers 42 
to cause a rotary steering motion of the rear rollers 43, one each 
arranged at the left and right hand side of the undercarriage 13. 
Naturally, the swivel lever system can be omitted depending on the 
construction and manner of use. 
FIG. 7 shows the suspension via a torque rod system. This torque rod 
suspension 11 substantially comprises a torque rod 45 which is securely 
supported at the top in a bearing bush 44 and is held below in the worm 
wheel of the gear unit 47A, its position being adjustable relative to the 
stationary supporting frame 10, shown here only in a suggestive manner, 
via an adjusting motor 47 according to the double arrow 48. On the one 
hand, this arrangement permits the entire apparatus 1 with the supporting 
frame 10 fastened at the bearing bush 44 to be swiveled horizontally by 
means of the adjusting motor 47 in the event that the bobbin store for 
slipping off the bobbin and the tube magazine require this orientation. 
The fork 46 grasps the protuberance of the supporting frame 10 with a play 
of e.g. approximately 2 mm and serves only as an accessory swiveling means 
so as not to overburden the torque rod 45. On the other hand, the 
arrangement makes it possible for the torque rod 45 to compensate for 
inaccuracies in the aligning positions of the take-over/transfer of 
bobbins and tubes in every horizontal position of the swiveling 48. 
The manner of functioning and operation of the apparatus is explained in 
the following with reference to FIG. 1 in combination with FIG. 8: 
Two rows of spinning machines with bobbin heads 2a and 2b facing an aisle 
designated by 52 and 53, respectively, are set up in a workshop hall which 
is designated in general by 51 and shown in FIG. 8 only in a suggestive 
manner. The winding spindles 3 of the bobbin heads 2a and 2b are aligned 
in the direction of the aisles 52 and 53. The apparatus 1 according to the 
invention is used for removing the bobbins 4 which are completely wound on 
the winding spindles and is capable of automatically moving toward every 
position of a spinning machine in the area of the winding heads 2a and 2b 
so as to be controlled e.g. via floor contact lines. It is assumed that an 
apparatus 1 outfitted with empty tubes moves through the aisle 52 into 
position 1a, shown in FIG. 8, proceeding from a transfer station 
designated by 54. The apparatus 1a is positioned in such a way that the 
winding spindles 3b and 3b' can be sweeped along the swivel radius 15 
(FIG. 1). For exact positioning and alignment relative to the winding 
spindles 3, both the bobbin arm 6 and the tube arm 8 comprise 
corresponding positioning heads 6a and 8a, respectively, which enable an 
accurate alignment. A slight twisting is likewise enabled by the torque 
rod suspension 11. The latter reinforces the positioning in the event of 
slightly incorrect positions. 
Moreover, a repositioning of the apparatus 1 can be effected 
electronically, e.g. by measurement of force or twisting. This 
repositioning can be effected in that the drive moves the apparatus 1 a 
short distance on the floor of the workshop hall, i.e. the supporting 
frame 10 is guided in a corresponding manner via the swivel fork 46 (FIG. 
7), i.e. by means of the adjusting motor 47. 
When the apparatus 1 is in position, the bobbin arm 6 swivels on a winding 
spindle which is filled with one or more bobbins 4. The completed bobbins 
4 are now slipped on the bobbin spindle 6 via a linear drive belonging to 
the winder, as shown in FIG. 1 with winder 2b, by means of a fork G. 
When the bobbins 4 are slipped on, the bobbin arm 6 can first be moved into 
the swiveled up position designated by 4' in FIG. 2. The tube arm 8 is 
then swiveled into the corresponding aligning position relative to the 
winder spindle which has just been emptied and the empty tubes 5 are 
slipped onto the empty winder spindle via the push out mechanism. 
The tube spindle 8 can now also be swiveled up and the bobbins 4 can be 
moved with the apparatus 1 for delivering to the station 54, as can 
likewise be seen from FIG. 8. 
Different starting positions between a bobbin spindle 6 and a winding 
spindle 3 are shown in FIGS. 9 to 12, particularly with respect to the 
positioning head 6a of the bobbin spindle 6. 
A construction of the positioning head 6a is shown in more detail in FIGS. 
13 and 14. 
The alignment of the apparatus 1 relative to the winding spindles 3, 3b, 
and 3b', respectively, which was already discussed in the preceding can be 
carried out as shown in FIGS. 9 to 12. The tube 5 of the front bobbin 4 
strikes against the conical positioning head 6a at the bobbin spindle 6 as 
shown in FIG. 9. The positioning head 6a is fastened in the interior of 
the bobbin spindle 6 by means of a bending rod and bends slightly in the 
direction B of an alignment error Pv and accordingly closes an electrical 
contact 6g in the interior of the positioning head 6a, so that a 
repositioning of the apparatus 1 for error Pv is initiated. 
This readjustment is terminated when the front edge of the tube 5 contacts 
the end face of the slip off sleeve 31 and the positioning head 6a has 
arrived centrically in the bore hole of tube 5 and opens the electrical 
contact 6g, since there is no longer any bending of the positioning head 
6a, as shown in FIG. 10. 
This causes the slip off sleeve 31 to move back and the completed bobbin to 
be slipped on the bobbin spindle 6 by means of the fork G, wherein all 
four electrical contacts 6g (see FIG. 14) in the positioning head 6a are 
deactivated in order to prevent error signals due to relative movements of 
the bobbin (FIG. 11). 
The four electrical contacts are provided in the positioning head for: 
position error vertical .+-.P.sub.v, which can be compensated for e.g. by 
forward/reverse running of the turret head drive motor 24 
position error horizontal .+-.P.sub.h, which can be compensated for e.g. by 
means of forward/reverse running of the travel drive motor 41a. 
This readjustment of the apparatus in both planes can be carried out either 
individually or synchronously, since the slight bending of the positioning 
head 6a caused by the position error is vectorial in both planes. 
In the event that the bobbin is slipped on only partially due to incorrect 
functioning or if the last bobbin is drawn back again because of tangling 
of the thread, e.g. with the fork G, as shown in FIG. 11, the bobbin arm 
can not be moved into the position designated by 4' in FIG. 2, but rather 
is stopped by a slight bending of the positioning head 6a when the 
electrical contacts 6g are reactivated. 
In the normal case, the tube arm 8 is then swiveled into the corresponding 
aligning position relative to the winding spindle just emptied and the 
empty tubes 5 are slipped on the empty winding spindle via the push out 
mechanism. 
FIGS. 13 and 14 show a preferred embodiment variant of the positioning head 
6a. The positioning head 6a is connected with the bobbin spindle 6 by 
means of a bending rod 6c and holder 6b. 
The four electrical contacts 6g, each of which comprises a wire shoe 6e, 
are fastened at the holder 6b by leaf springs 6d so as to be electrically 
insulated. 
These four electrical contacts are located opposite a contact ring 6f in 
the positioning head 6a with a slight gap S. 
The vectorial bending of the positioning head 6a on the bending rod 6c 
which is caused by alignment errors .+-.P.sub.v and .+-.P.sub.h causes the 
contact ring 6f to make contact with one or two of the electrical contacts 
6g and causes the readjustment of the apparatus 1 in order to compensate 
for vertical and/or horizontal position errors. 
It is noted here that the entire apparatus can also be designed as a tandem 
apparatus 1AB for synchronous handling of two adjacent bobbin spinning 
head pairs. This is also indicated in FIG. 8. 
Naturally, the described embodiment example of the invention can be 
modified in various respects without departing from the basic concept. 
Thus, other constructional elements can be made use of instead of the 
handling elements indicated here, such as linear drives, clamping jaws for 
the inner and outer clamping of elements, clamping sleeves for gripping 
the free ends of the bobbin tubes, and the like. For example, the inner 
centering of the paper tubes can be effected by means of inflatable 
pneumatic elements, the control can be effected via contactless or 
contacting end switches, etc. 
It is also substantial for the invention that the paper tubes and/or the 
bobbins can be slipped on and off closely adjacent to one another. Of 
course, this can also be effected when the latter are at a distance from 
one another, elements can be held back via corresponding brakes, and the 
like.