Apparatus for storing filamentary material

The means for storing material in filamentary form comprises basically a tension member consisting of elastic material, e.g. plastics or rubber, which is fitted into the bobbin of the storage system and serves to support components situated inside the bobbin. Such components may, for example, be retaining magnets for securing the bobbin against rotation, or a reflective strip for a photoelectric cell system for controlling the axial length of the yarn package formed on the bobbin. The tension member is secured in the bobbin by means of noses or ribs and associated recesses. The components to be fitted in the bobbin, e.g. magnets or reflective strips, are also secured by suitable projections on the tension member or resilient tabs. The tension member and the components to be mounted in the bobbin can readily be removed therefrom.

This invention relates to an apparatus for storing filamentary material. 
More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus for storing yarn 
for use in a textile machine. 
Heretofore, it has been known to store filamentary material, such as yarn, 
wire, strip and the like, on bobbins by winding the material about an 
outer substantially cylindrical surface of the bobbin. Generally, these 
bobbins contain storage components which are introduced internally into 
the bobbins in order to effect a storage operation. For example, the 
bobbins frequently have magnets inserted therein for the purpose of 
securing the bobbin against rotation by cooperating with external 
permanent magnets. Also, in some cases, the storage components include 
components which are utilized to control the axial length of a stored 
package. 
In one known storage system for yarn, for example as described in Swiss 
Pat. No. 569,655, magnets which are used to secure the system against 
rotation are fixed inside the bobbin by means of an adhesive. Other 
storage components, such as a reflective strip which forms part of a 
photoelectric cell system controlling the axial package length, are also 
stuck in the bobbin. However, in such conditions, it is difficult to 
position the components, e.g. the magnets, in the specified position. 
Further, some time is required before the adhesive has dried and the 
magnets are fixed. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus of 
relatively simplified construction for storing filamentary material. 
It is another object of the invention to provide a system for storing 
filamentary material which can be readily assembled. 
It is another object of the invention to provide a simplified mounting of 
storage components within a bobbin of a yarn storage system. 
Briefly, the invention provides an apparatus for storing filamentary 
material which includes a bobbin with a substantially cylindrical 
peripheral surface to receive windings of a filamentary material and an 
internal cavity for receiving storage components, and a tension member 
which is made at least partially of elastic material and is fitted into 
the bobbin cavity for securing the storage components herein. The tension 
member which is mounted under tension inside the bobbin enables the 
storage components to be readily introduced in the exact position and to 
be easily removed.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus for storing a filamentary 
material includes a bobbin 11, storage components in the form of a 
plurality of magnets 2 and a light reflective strip 3, and a tension 
member 1 which secures the magnets 2 and strip 3 within the bobbin 11. 
As shown in FIG. 1, the bobbin 11 has a substantially cylindrical 
peripheral surface of generally known contours to receive windings 21 of a 
filamentary material, e.g. a yarn. In addition, the bobbin 11 has a hub 4 
of annular shape which is disposed coaxially of a longitudinal axis 16 of 
the bobbin 11. As indicated, the hub 4 has an outer surface which is 
initially conical and which merges into a cylindrical shape before merging 
into the remainder of the bobbin 11. Still further, the bobbin 11 has an 
internal cavity 25 formed between the hub 4 and the outer part of the 
bobbin 11 forming the peripheral surface as well as an aperture 23 formed 
in the peripheral surface to communicate with the cavity 25. 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the tension member 1 has a central portion 
which defines a shaped bore so as to be fitted onto the hub 4 of the 
bobbin 11. As indicated in FIG. 1, the central portion is internally 
tapered to fit onto the conical portion of the hub 4. The member 1 also 
has three outwardly directed peripheral recesses 17 for receiving the 
magnets 2. Each recess 17 includes a boundary tab 18 (FIG. 2) along each 
opposite longitudinal side to hold a magnet 2 against circumferential 
movement relative to the recess 17 and a nose 22 (FIG. 1) at one end for 
retaining a magnet 2 against axial movement relative to the recess 17. As 
shown in FIG. 2, each magnet 2 is of the permanent type and is held in a 
recess 17 by pole shoes 19. 
The tension member 1 also has a radially outwardly directed retaining means 
in the form of a resilient tab 24 for securing the reflective strip 3 
relative to the bobbin 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the tab 24 is of 
folded-over configuration so as to be biased radially outwardly to hold 
the strip 3 in the aperture 23 from within the cavity 25. 
In order to prevent rotation of the tension member 1 relative to the bobbin 
11, the central portion of the tension member 1 is formed with a 
longitudinal projection 12 which is directed radially inwardly to fit 
within a longitudinal groove 6 in the hub 4. Further, in order to secure 
the tension member axially relative to the bobbin 11, the central portion 
of the tension member 1 has at least one resilient tab 13 extending from 
one end, as shown with a radially inwardly directed projection 14 fitting 
into an annular groove 15 in the hub 4. 
The tension member 1 is made at least partially of elastic material for 
example of rubber and may be constructed of a plurality of parts. As 
shown, the member 1 is of one piece construction and is made of plastics, 
e.g. of Nylon, Teflon or the like. 
The magnets 2 serve to secure the bobbin 11 against rotation during 
operation by use of an associated stationary permanent magnet 32 disposed 
in a machine frame 31 so that the windings 21 of a yarn package can be 
formed by a rotating yarn guide 33 in known manner. 
The reflective strip 3 is made, for example of Scotchlight, and has a 
peripheral shoulder so as to be abutted against the bobbin 11 about the 
aperture 23. 
In use, the tension member 1 with the magnets 2 in the recesses 17 can be 
pushed into the bobbin cavity 25 and fitted in place on the hub 4 by 
snapping of the projection (s) 14 into the groove 15. The reflective strip 
3 can then be inserted in the aperture 23 by pressing down the tab 24 to 
provide access to the aperture 23. 
In order to change the reflective strip 3, the strip 3, is pressed 
downwards as viewed into the chain-line position 3a, 24a in FIG. 1, the 
tab 24 being pressed down for this purpose. The strip 3 can then be 
removed to the left with reference to FIG. 1. 
The tension member 1 and magnets 2 can be removed to the left with 
reference to FIG. 1 by opening the tabs 13, i.e. by deflecting the tabs 13 
outwardly to disengage the projections 14 from the groove 15. 
The tension member 1 can be used both for a package forming system 
comprising a stationary bobbin 11 (as described above) and a system having 
a rotating bobbin. Further, the means for securing the member 1 axially 
and against rotation can be constructed in various ways and depend on the 
configuration of the bobbin 11 and particularly the internal configuration 
of the bobbin 11. 
Of course, other components required for the package forming system can be 
held inside the bobbin 11 by means of the tension member 1. The latter 
must then be given a corresponding configuration. 
The parts 12, 6 and 14, 15 from positive and nonpositive means of securing 
the member 1 in the bobbin 11. The noses 22 and tabs 24 represent 
non-positive and positive means for retaining the magnets 2 and the 
reflective strip 3 in the bobbin 11. 
The system described may be used as a means of storing weft yarn, for 
example, in conjunction with a weaving machine.