Device for the transfer of bobbins from a conveyor belt with a large loading capacity to a bobbin conveyor with a small loading capacity

An assembly for the orderly and sequentially timed transport of bobbins includes a bobbin producing machine, at least one conveyor belt with a given load capacity and bobbin carrying capacity downstream of the bobbin producing machine in bobbin travel direction, a switching device for the conveyor belt, a controllable individual bobbin retaining device downstream of the conveyor belt including a bobbin retaining element, a bobbin transporter downstream of the bobbin retaining device with a load capacity and bobbin carrying capacity being smaller than the given capacities, the bobbin transporter including receiving elements for individual bobbins, and a device for operating the bobbin transporter in step with the conveyor belt, such as in the form of a timing device of the bobbin transporter and/or a sensor controlling the switching device of the conveyor belt.

The invention relates to a device for the orderly and sequentially timed 
individual transport of bobbins from a bobbin producing machine with at 
least one conveyor belt having a switching device, a relatively large 
loading capacity and a relatively large bobbin carrying capacity, to a 
bobbin transporter with a relatively small loading capacity and a 
relatively small bobbin carrying capacity, the transporter having 
receiving means for individual bobbins and operating in step with the 
conveyor belt. 
If an automatically cycled bobbin transporter with a relatively small 
loading capacity and bobbin carrying capacity requests a bobbin from an 
automatically cycled conveyor with large loading capacity and large bobbin 
carrying capacity, delays in the delivery of the bobbins occur because the 
conveyor belt requires starting time. Due to the great belt length of the 
conveyor belt, the various deflection and friction points and because of 
the great weight of a fully loaded conveyor belt which may carry 500 
bobbins, for example, the acceleration time and the subsequent braking 
time of the conveyor belt is relatively great, so that limits are set on 
the rate of the work cycle which cannot be exceeded, although the bobbin 
transporter may be capable of a considerably shorter cycle times. 
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a device for the 
transfer of bobbins from a conveyor belt with a large loading capacity to 
a bobbin conveyor with a small loading capacity, which overcomes the 
hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of 
this general type and to shorten the cycle time during the transfer of the 
bobbins from the conveyor belt to the bobbin transporter, without 
generating disturbances during the transfer. 
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in 
accordance with the invention, an assembly for the orderly and 
sequentially timed transport of bobbins or cops, comprising a bobbin 
producing machine, at least one conveyor belt with a given load capacity 
and bobbin carrying capacity downstream of the bobbin producing machine in 
bobbin travel direction, a switching device for the conveyor belt, a 
controllable individual bobbin retaining device downstream of the conveyor 
belt including a bobbin retaining element, a bobbin transporter downstream 
of the bobbin retaining device with a load capacity and bobbin carrying 
capacity being smaller than the given capacities, the bobbin transporter 
including receiving means for individual bobbins, and means for operating 
the bobbin transporter in step with the conveyor belt, in the form of a 
switching device of the bobbin transporter and/or a sensor controling the 
timing device of the conveyor belt. 
The invention accomplishes a very desirable reduction of the cycle time. 
The bobbin transporter is supplied with bobbins from the bobbin retaining 
device without any delays. The bobbin retaining device itself can be 
disposed very close to the bobbin transporter so that only a very short 
travelling time need be allowed in the cycle. The sensor which registers 
the presence of a bobbin in the bobbin retaining device, or the control 
device of the bobbin transporter can now request a new bobbin from the 
bobbin conveyor during the time that the bobbin transporter starts its 
motion. The renewed refilling of the bobbin retaining device is performed 
during the total travel time of the bobbin transporter up to its next 
stop, so that the conveyor belt can immediately be started, a feature 
which is impossible without the invention. 
As a whole the desired reduction of the cycle time and the desired increase 
in the number of cycles per unit time is achieved without the danger of 
disturbances during the transfer operations. 
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the individual bobbin 
retaining device is in the form of a loading chute into which the conveyor 
belt delivers bobbins in sequence one after the other, and the bobbin 
transporter includes a bobbin centralizing sleeve below the bobbin 
retaining device. 
The individual bobbin retaining device or loading chute can be disposed 
directly at the bobbin delivery end of the conveyor belt. The bobbin 
centralizing sleeve of the bobbin transporter in turn can be disposed 
directly under the bobbin retaining device. However, this is not always 
possible, so that this feature also includes the possibility of a lateral 
displacement between the bobbin retaining device and the bobbin 
centralizing sleeve. 
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the bobbin 
centralizing sleeve includes movable wall elements and an operating device 
for laterally withdrawing the wall elements, and including means for 
preventing advancement of the bobbin transporter until the wall elements 
are laterally withdrawn, and a sensor of the bobbin centralizing sleeve 
being associated with the bobbin transporter for differentiating between 
filled and empty receiving means or elements and controlling the bobbin 
retaining element of the bobbin retaining device. This helps to reduce the 
cycle time. 
Therefore the time which elapses until a bobbin is reliably accepted by the 
receiving element of the bobbin transporter is reduced. The centering of 
the bobbins is very reliably performed and the bobbin centralizing sleeve 
cannot be over filled. 
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the operating device 
for the wall elements is controlled by the sensor. The sensor recognizes 
if a bobbin has been accepted, and then immediately operates the wall 
elements, thereby initiating the cycling motion of the bobbin transporter 
and at the same moment that the sensor recognizes an empty receiving 
element it requests a new bobbin from the bobbin retaining device and in 
some case also turns on the bobbin conveyor belt which requires a certain 
time to get started. 
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the wall 
elements of the bobbin centralizing sleeve are in the form of laterally 
pivotal flaps or fingers. 
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, a thread remnant 
cutting device is disposed below the bobbin retaining device. This is done 
in order to prevent disturbances of the bobbin transport caused by 
dragging threads. In the most simple form such a thread remnant cutting 
device is formed of a blade which is disposed along the side of the path 
which the bobbin travels, against the edge of which the thread is pressed 
during the motion of the bobbin, so that the remaining thread is severed 
by the applied tension. However, it is more reliable to use controllable 
thread scissors, which perform a cutting motion after each discharge of a 
bobbin by the bobbin retaining device, regardless of whether a thread 
remnant is present or not. 
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the bobbin 
retaining device is movable or pivotal between a bobbin receiving position 
in the vicinity of the conveyor belt and a bobbin delivery position and 
includes an operating or pivot device, and including a bobbin presence 
sensor controlling the operating means. This is done because a lateral 
displacement between the bobbin retaining device and the bobbin 
centralizing sleeve, for example, is also sometimes of advantage, as 
explained below. 
It is advantageous if the bobbin receiving position is disposed at the 
bobbin delivery end of the conveyor belt. For example, the bobbin presence 
sensor which operates in conjunction with the bobbin retaining device, may 
control the operating or pivot device to move in the direction toward the 
bobbin discharge position, after it has registered the presence of a 
bobbin. However, after discharging this bobbin, it registers the absence 
of the bobbin, and directs the operating or pivot device so that the 
bobbin retaining device moves as rapidly as possible to the bobbin 
accepting position. Simultaneously, or with a predetermined delay, the 
same bobbin presence sensor also controls the cycle control device of the 
conveyor belt, in order to deliver a new bobbin to the bobbin retaining 
device. 
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the at least 
one conveyor belt is in the form of first and second conveyor belts, and 
the bobbin receiving position is in the vicinity of at least one of the 
first and second conveyor belts. The bobbin retaining device can be 
pivoted back and forth from a receiving position in the vicinity of the 
first conveyor belt, and a receiving position in the vicinity of the 
second conveyor band into a bobbin discharge position. This embodiment of 
the invention is of advantage in double-sided machines, which are provided 
with a bobbin transport belt at each machine side. 
In accordance with still another feature of the invention, the bobbin 
transporter includes a common bobbin centralizing sleeve below the bobbin 
retaining device, the bobbin delivery position being disposed above the 
bobbin centralizing sleeve. 
It is advantageous if the bobbin discharge position of the bobbin retaining 
device lies above the bobbin centralizing sleeve of the bobbin 
transporter. Thereby shorter transport distances can be achieved. 
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the conveyor 
belts have bobbin discharge ends, and the bobbin centralizing sleeve and 
the bobbin discharge position are disposed between said bobbin discharge 
ends of said conveyor belts. This structure results in a pivot path. If 
the bobbin centralizing sleeve is disposed exactly in the middle between 
the bobbin delivery ends of the transport belts, equally long pivot 
motions can be used. 
In accordance with still a further feature of the invention, the bobbin 
retaining device is movable or pivotal between the bobbin receiving 
position which is in the vicinity of the first conveyor belt and the 
bobbin delivery position above the bobbin centralizing sleeve, and 
including another bobbin retaining device having an operating or pivot 
device and a bobbin presence sensor controlling the operating device, the 
other bobbin retaining device being movable between the bobbin receiving 
position which is in the vicinity of the second conveyor belt and the 
bobbin delivery position. 
The combined motion of the bobbin retaining devices has various advantages. 
For example, both conveyor belts are to be emptied at the same time, the 
cycling time can be shortened considerably and in this case the cycling 
time depends only on the shortest possible cycle time of the bobbin 
transporter. 
While one bobbin retaining device is ready to give off a bobbin or has 
already delivered it to the bobbin transporter, the other bobbin retaining 
device is already ready to receive a bobbin or has already done so, and 
after one bobbin is delivered after the shared pivot motion of the two 
bobbin retaining devices, the other bobbin can be delivered, so that one 
of the two bobbin retaining devices is again at the bobbin acceptance 
position near the other conveyor belt. 
On the other hand, it is also possible with the same device to clear only 
one conveyor belt. 
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, there is 
provided an additional individual bobbin retaining device disposed at the 
bobbin discharge end of one of the conveyor belts having a bobbin 
retaining element being controlled by the bobbin retaining element of the 
bobbin retaining device disposed downstream thereof, and the additional 
bobbin retaining device including a bobbin presence sensor controlling the 
switching device of the one conveyor belt. This construction can lead to a 
further reduction of the cycle time. 
Therefore the bobbin retaining device which feeds the bobbin centralizing 
sleeve of the bobbin transporter does not receive its bobbins from the 
conveyor belt, but from an additional bobbin retaining device; which was 
refilled with plenty time available to do so. 
According to this embodiment of the invention, if there is only one 
conveyor belt, there are two bobbin retaining devices disposed in series. 
If there are two conveyor belts at a double-sided bobbin producing 
machine, there are at least three individual bobbin retaining devices 
provided. Of these two are disposed at the bobbin delivery ends of the 
conveyor belts, while one, and in some case two pivotal bobbin retaining 
devices working together supply the bobbin centralizing sleeve. 
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the at least one 
conveyor belt is in the form of at least two conveyor belts each having a 
switching device and feeding the controllable bobbin retaining device in 
common, the bobbin presence sensor selectively controlling the switching 
device of a respective one or at least two of the conveyor belts. 
The bobbins are conducted to the individual bobbin retainer on slides or 
through tubes. This provides a quite simple yet still reliable structure. 
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are 
set forth in the appended claims. 
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a 
device for the transfer of bobbins from a conveyor belt with a large 
loading capacity to a bobbin conveyor with a small loading capacity, it is 
nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since 
various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without 
departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range 
of equivalents of the claims.

Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, 
particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen a machine unit 1 formed of 
a two-sided ring-spinning machine 6 which produces cops or bobbins 2, 3 on 
both sides thereof, and which is followed by a winding machine 7. The two 
machines are interconnected by a device which is designated as a whole 
with reference numeral 8 and serves for the orderly transfer of the 
bobbins 2-5 which were produced by the ring spinning machine 6, to a 
bobbin transporter or conveyor 9, which in turn conducts the bobbins to a 
winding machine 7. 
A respective conveyor belt 10.11 is disposed at each side of the 
ring-spinning machine 6. Each of the two conveyor belts is provided with 
receiving means 12, 13 in the form of mounting pins for the respective 
bobbins 2,3. The conveyor belt 10 is driven by a belt roller 15 and the 
conveyor band 11 is driven by a belt roller 16. A shaft 17 of the roller 
15 is driven in steps by a motor or switching device 19, in such a way 
that the receiving means 12 always advance a distance equal to the spacing 
between the pins, so that one bobbin is always transferred into a chute 
21. In the same way, a shaft 18 of the roller 16 is driven step by step by 
a motor or switching device 20, in such a manner that the receiving means 
13 advances one spacing between pins, so that one bobbin is discharged 
into a chute 22 with its base or foot forward. 
The bobbin transporter 9 is provided with a disc 23 on which receiving 
means 14 in the form of mounting pins are disposed in a circle, so that a 
central shaft 24 of the disc can be driven in programmed steps by a motor 
25, in such a way that the receiving means 14, only one of which is shown, 
always advances one spacing between mounting pins. 
According to FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, a carrier or support 27 is fastened at a 
table 26 which surrounds the disc 23 and a bobbin centralizing sleeve 28 
is fastened to the carrier bracket 27. According to FIGS. 5 and 6, the 
bobbin centralizing sleeve 28 is provided with wall-elements 30 to 33, 
which are disposed in pairs and are activated by an operating device 29 in 
the form of an electro-magnetic drive, so that they can move laterally out 
of the way. 
A sensor or timing device formed of sensor elements 34 and 35 which can 
differentiate between a filled and an empty receiving element 14 of the 
bobbin transporter 9, is provided at the carrier bracket 27. Respective 
functional or operative connections 36 and 37 connect the sensor elements 
34 and 35 to a control or switching device 44. The same control device 44 
is connected to the motors 25, 20 and 19 by functional or operative 
connections 38, 40 and 41. A functional or operative connection 43 is also 
provided from the operating device 29 of the bobbin centralizing sleeve 28 
to the control device 44. 
The two conveyor belts 10 and 11 have a common controllable individual 
bobbin retaining or holding back device 45. The individual bobbin 
retaining or hold-back device 45 has a bobbin retaining or hold-back 
element 49 in the form of a flap which can pivot about an axis 50 and 
which can be operated by an electro-magnetic drive 52 through a linkage 
51. The electro-magnetic drive 52 is connected by a functional or 
operative connection 42 with the control device 44. Furthermore, the 
individual bobbin retaining device 45 is provided with a sensor 53 which 
senses the presence of a bobbin and is connected with the control device 
44 through a functional or operative connection 39. 
The sensors mentioned above may be opto-electrical sensors, for instance. 
The control device 44 contains all of the electronic and/or 
electro-mechanical switching means for accomplishing the following 
functions: 
The control device of the bobbin transporter 9 controls the motor 25 
through the functional connection 38 and causes it to step the disc 23 
forward one mounting pin spacing of the receiving means 14. This motion 
takes place counter-clockwise, when the sensor element 34 detects the 
presence of a bobbin on the mounting pin under the centralizing sleeve 28, 
such as the bobbin 5 according to FIG. 1. As soon as the sensing element 
35 detects the presence of other receiving means under the bobbin 
centralizing sleeve 28 at the end of the movement of the bobbin 
transporter 9 and the other sensing element 34 does not report the 
presence of a bobbin, the sensor element 35 causes the activation of the 
electro-magnetic drive 52 through the functional connection 42 and opens 
the bobbin retaining element 49. In this way according to FIG. 1, for 
example, the bobbin 4 drops into the bobbin centering sleeve 28 and after 
the bobbin sensor 53 detects the absence of the bobbin 4, it causes the 
motor 19 to advance the conveyor belt 10 one pin division of the receiving 
means 12 through the functional connection 39 and the control device 44, 
because the pointer-shaped knob of a switch 54 of the control device 44 is 
in a position I. At this position of the switch 54, the bobbin retainer 45 
only operates in conjunction with the motor 19 of the conveyor belt 10 to 
empty the conveyor belt. The other conveyor belt 11 is therefore at rest. 
However, if the pointer-shaped knob of the switch 54 is in a position II, 
the bobbin retaining device 45 operates exclusively with the motor 20 of 
the conveyor belt 11. Finally, if the pointer-shaped knob of the switch 54 
is in the position I + II, whenever the bobbin sensor 53 reports the 
absence of a bobbin, the motor 19 is activated one time and the next time 
the motor 20 is alternatingly activated in order to empty both conveyor 
belts 10 and 11. 
The bobbin presence sensor 53 is always activated for only one switching 
operation. It is only activated if it detects the presence of a new bobbin 
in the bobbin retaining or hold-back device 45 after a bobbin was 
requested. 
After the bobbin retaining element 49 is activated or opens, it only 
remains open for a short time and automatically closes itself again. For 
example, the closing may be effected by a return spring inside the 
electro-magnetic drive 52 which works in conjunction with a timing 
element. 
Every time the sensor element 34 detects the presence of a bobbin, such as 
the presence of the bobbin 5 in the centralizing sleeve 28, the sensor 
activates the operating device or electromagnetic drive 29 through a 
functional connection 43, so that the wall elements 30 to 33 are spread 
apart and they do not obstruct the travel of the bobbin 5 on its circular 
path. Thereafter, the wall elements 30 to 33 return to their original 
position automatically, in order to resume guidance of the centering of a 
bobbin on one of the receiving means 14 of the disc 23. 
In the second embodiment of the invention according to FIG. 2, several 
parts which have already been explained with regard to the first 
embodiment are present, such as the conveyor belt 10 with its receiving 
means 12, the roller 15 with the shaft 17, the motor 19, the bobbin 
transporter 9 with the disc 23 and the bobbin centralizing sleeve 28 with 
some of its accessories. 
FIG. 2 shows that the conveyor belt 10 runs in an upwardly slanted 
direction and that an additional bobbin 55 follows directly behind the 
mounted bobbin 2. 
In the FIG. 2 embodiment, a retaining device 46 for individual bobbins is 
located at the end of the conveyor belt 10 it is also constructed like a 
chute and has the same individual parts as the bobbin retaining device 45 
of the preceding embodiment. 
A thread cutting device 56 is disposed below the bobbin retaining device 46 
for cutting off thread remnants. The thread cutting device 56 is formed of 
two blades 57, 58 of a pair of scissors which can be opened and closed by 
an electro-magnetic drive 59. The electromagnetic drive 59 is connected to 
a control device which is designated in the FIG. 2 embodiment by reference 
numeral 44', through a functional or operative connection 60. 
According to FIG. 2, the bobbin centering sleeve 28 has just accepted the 
bobbin 5. This is registered by the sensor element 34, which thereafter 
causes the following events to occur with the aid of the control device 
44': 
The motor 25 which is only shown in FIG. 1, is started. At the same time 
the electro-magnetic drive 59 is operated through the functional 
connection 60 for a short time and the thread cutting device or scissors 
56 for removing thread remnants are therefore closed and opened again, in 
order to remove a thread which may have been dragging behind. 
After the bobbin 5 has travelled further on, the sensor element 34 detects 
that the receiving means 14 under the bobbin centralizing sleeve 28 is 
empty, and then operates the electro-magnetic drive 52 through the 
functional connection 42, so that the bobbin retaining element 49 releases 
the bobbin 4 and it can fall into the bobbin centralizing sleeve 28. 
Thereafter, when the bobbin presence sensor 53 detects the absence of the 
bobbin 4, it causes the motor 19 to advance the conveyor belt 10 a 
distance equal to the spacing of the mounting pins in the direction of an 
arrow 61, by way of the functional connections 39 and 41. 
After the bobbin 4 has dropped down, the bobbin retaining element 49 closes 
again and the next following bobbin 2 can be accepted by the bobbin 
retaining device 46. 
The third embodiment according to FIGS. 3 and 4 differs from the first 
embodiment according to FIG. 1 as follows: 
The device 8 of the machine unit 1 in the third embodiment has two bobbin 
retaining or hold-back devices 47 and 48 which pivot together. The first 
device can move between a bobbin receiving position in the vicinity of the 
first conveyor belt 10 and a bobbin discharge position, which is located 
above the bobbin centralizing sleeve 28. The second bobbin retaining 
device can move between a bobbin receiving position in the vicinity of the 
second conveyor belt 11 and the same bobbin discharge position. 
FIG. 3 shows that the bobbin retaining device 47 is in the bobbin receiving 
position and the bobbin retaining device 48 is in the bobbin discharge 
position. 
According to FIG. 4, the shaft 24 of the bobbin transporter 9 is supported 
in stationary bearings 62 and 63. Vertically above the shaft 24, a second 
shaft 66 is also supported in stationary bearings and two levers 67 and 68 
are attached to the second shaft. The lever 67 carries the bobbin 
retaining device 47 and the lever 68 carries the bobbin retaining device 
48. Otherwise the bobbin retaining devices are constructed like the bobbin 
retaining device 45 according to FIG. 1. The electro-magnetic drive of the 
bobbin retaining element of the bobbin retaining device 48 is designated 
with reference numeral 52 in FIG. 3. The drive 52 is connected to a 
control device which is designated with reference numeral 44" in FIG. 4, 
through a functional or operative connection 69. The sensor which 
registers the presence of a bobbin in the bobbin retaining device 48 is 
designated with reference numeral 53' in FIG. 3. A functional or operative 
connection 70 connects the sensor 53' to the control device 44". 
For stabilization, the two levers 67 and 68 are connected with each other 
by a crossbar 71. A common operating or pivot device of the two individual 
bobbin retaining devices 47 and 48 is constructed as an electro-magnetic 
unit and is designated with reference numeral 72. The device 72 is 
connected to the control device 44" by a functional or operative 
connection 73. 
A funnel 74 is disposed at the bobbin discharge end of the conveyor belt 
10. The bobbin retaining device 47 is located directly below the funnel 
74. 
The device 56 for cutting remaining threads, which is described above with 
regard to the embodiment according to FIG. 2, is disposed above the bobbin 
centralizing sleeve 28 according to FIG. 4. The electro-magnetic drive 59 
is connected with the control device 44" by the functional connection 60. 
The common pivot device 72 is controlled by the bobbin presence sensors 53 
and 53, in such a way that the sensor positioned above the bobbin 
centralizing sleeve always controls the pivot device 72. According to FIG. 
3, the bobbin presence sensor 53' performs this function. Meanwhile, the 
other bobbin presence sensor controls the switching device of the 
respective conveyor belt. Accordingly, in the embodiment at hand, the 
bobbin presence sensor 53 controls the stepping motor 19 of the conveyor 
belt 10, when it registers the absence of a bobbin in the bobbin receiving 
position. The selection of the respective sensor 53 for controlling the 
pivot device 72 and the correct motor 19 or 20 is effected by a 
non-illustrated switching device which is influenced by the respective 
position of the levers 67 and 68. 
Similar to the first embodiment according to FIG. 1, it can be determined 
with the aid of the switch 54 if only the conveyor belt 10 or 11 is to be 
emptied, or if both conveyor belts should alternatingly deliver their 
bobbins. 
According to FIG. 4, the switch 54 is in the position I + II. A bobbin 76 
has just been delivered into the bobbin centralizing sleeve 28. 
Consequently, the bobbin retaining device 48, which is only shown in FIG. 
3, does contain a bobbin. However the other retaining device 47 has 
already requested and received a bobbin 77 from the conveyor belt. At this 
moment the conveyor belt 10 has already stopped again. The thread-end 
cutting device 56 has already been operated to cut off a thread which may 
be dragged along and is again in the open position. 
The sensor element 34, which therefore detects the presence of the bobbin 
76, causes the motor 25 to advance the bobbin transporter 9 one mounting 
pin distance. In FIG. 3 the division distances are designated with 
reference symbol a and are all equal. The sensing element 34 
simultaneously activates the operating device 29 and expands the wall 
elements of the bobbin centralizing sleeve 28. So that the bobbin 
transporter 9 can advance one division without obstruction. 
After the bobbin presence sensor 53' has registered the absence of the 
bobbin 76, it causes the shifting of the pivot device 72, through the 
functional connections 70 and 73 and the control device 44", so that the 
lever 68 moves to the position 68' and the bobbin retaining device 48 
moves under the funnel 75. The other bobbin retaining device 47 then moves 
into the position previously occupied by the bobbin retaining device 48. 
The bobbin transfer operation subsequently repeats, but now the conveyor 
belt 11 delivers a bobbin. 
If the pointer-shaped knob of the switch 54 is moved to the position I, 
only the conveyor belt 10 can be emptied. In this case the bobbin 
retaining device 48 is not used. If the switch 54 is moved to position II, 
only the conveyor belt 11 can be emptied. In this case the bobbin 
retaining device 47 is not used, but goes through its motion. As already 
mentioned above, that the bobbin transporter 9 or its disc 23 advances 
counter-clockwise. FIG. 5 indicates that the bobbins 82, 83, 84 are 
sequentially mounted onto the receiving means 14. The bobbin centralizing 
sleeve 28 is ready to receive the next bobbin. FIG. 6 shows the moment at 
which the bobbin centralizing sleeve 28 has received the next bobbin 85 
and its wall elements 30 to 33 are already spread apart to permit the 
further advance of the disc 23. 
The fourth embodiment of the invention according to FIG. 7 is only a 
variation of the third embodiment according to FIGS. 3 and 4. Therefore, 
what was said for the third embodiment generally applies to the fourth 
embodiment as well. The differences are as follows: 
An additional controllable bobbin retaining or hold-back device is provided 
at the bobbin discharge end of each respective conveyor belt. For example, 
FIG. 7 shows that a bobbin retaining device 46" is disposed at the bobbin 
discharge end of conveyor belt 10, which is constructed exactly like the 
bobbin retaining device 46 of the second embodiment according to FIG. 2. 
In order to facilitate differentiation, all of the parts of the device 46" 
carry a double prime. 
A bobbin retaining or hold-back element 49" of the bobbin retaining device 
46" can be controlled by the bobbin presence sensor 53 of the bobbin 
retaining device 47 disposed downstream thereof. For this purpose, 
functional connections 39, 42" are provided from the bobbin presence 
sensor 53 of the bobbin retaining device 47 and the electro-magnetic drive 
52" of the bobbin retaining device 46" to the control device 44'. 
Similar to the second embodiment according to FIG. 2, the bobbin presence 
sensor 53" controls the switching stepping device of the first conveyor 
belt 10, which in this case is the motor 19. Functional connections 39" 
and 41 which lead through the control device 44"' are provided in FIG. 7 
for carrying out this function. 
As opposed to the third embodiment, the pointer-shaped knob of the switch 
54 according to FIG. 7 is in the position I. This means that only the 
conveyor belt 10 is to be emptied. Consequently, only the pivoting bobbin 
retaining device 47 and the stationary bobbin retaining device 46" are in 
operation. The pivotable bobbin retaining device 48, which is not shown in 
FIG. 7, is not in operation and the other stationary bobbin retaining 
device is positioned at the bobbin discharge end of the other conveyor 
belt which is also not shown in FIG. 7. 
FIG. 7 shows that a second thread-remnant cutting device 56' is disposed 
below the bobbin retaining device 46" and the electro-magnetic drive 59' 
thereof is connected to the control device 44"' by a functional connection 
60'. The two thread cutting devices 56 and 56' have already performed 
their cutting function and are again in the open position. The circuits 
are technically constructed in such a way that the sensor element 34 
controls both thread cutting devices 56 and 56'. 
For clarification of the drawing, in FIG. 7 the disc 23 has not yet 
advanced one index step, which normally would have been the case. However, 
the same sensor element 34 according to FIG. 7 has already shifted the 
pivot device 72, so that the bobbin retaining device 47 is already 
positioned vertically below the bobbin retaining device 46". The bobbin 
retaining device 47 has already received a bobbin from the bobbin 87 from 
the bobbin retaining device 46". Therefore, a second cutting operation 
might have been caused by the bobbin presence sensor 53 of the bobbin 
retaining device 47 and performed by the thread remnant cutting device 56. 
FIG. 7 also shows that the bobbin retaining device 46" has already received 
a bobbin 88 from the conveyor belt 10. Additional bobbins 89 and 90 are 
ready on the conveyor belt 10 for the next two deliveries. 
After it has registered the presence of the bobbin 87, the bobbin presence 
sensor 53 shifts the pivot device 72 into the other position, so that the 
bobbin retaining device 47 again moves into the bobbin discharge position 
above the bobbin centralizing sleeve 28. As soon as the sensing element 35 
registers the arrival of the next empty receiving means 14 below the 
bobbin centralizing sleeve 28, the above-described work cycle starts again 
from the beginning. 
The foregoing is a description corresponding in substance to German 
application No. P 35 32 915.7, dated Sept. 14, 1985, the International 
priority of which is being claimed for the instant application, and which 
is hereby made part of this application. Any material discrepancies 
between the foregoing specification and the aforementioned corresponding 
German application are to be resolved in favor of the latter.