Tension adjustment structure for fabric winding machine

A tension adjustment structure for fabric winding machine includes a driving mechanism, a roller, a fabric pressing mechanism and an adjustment mechanism. The roller and the driving mechanism have corresponding transmission wheels strode by a belt. The driving mechanism drives the roller to roll up a fabric. The fabric pressing mechanism has an action arm and a fabric pressing bar located on the action arm. The fabric pressing bar has a first position without in contact with the fabric and a second position in contact with the fabric and lifted by the fabric. The adjustment mechanism is butted by the action arm when the fabric pressing bar is at the first position to butt the belt and increase initial rolling force of the roller. The action arm releases the belt while the fabric pressing bar is at the second position so that fabric rolling tightness can be controlled.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a tension adjustment structure for fabric winding machine and particularly to a tension adjustment structure adopted for a high-stand high-speed fabric winding machine to control initial fabric winding tension.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Finished fabric of a conventional knitting machine generally is rolled up by a fabric winding machine. Reference can be found in R.O.C. patent No. M243472. It discloses an improved fabric conveying roller for a fabric winding machine. The fabric winding machine has two side chests. The two side chests have two tracks located in a middle portion in a diagonal and upward manner to receive two ends of a roller. There are a first fabric conveying axle and a second fabric conveying axle transversely located below the two tracks in a parallel manner. When the fabric winding machine proceeds fabric rolling operation, the first and second fabric conveying axles move the fabric to be rolled up by the roller. During fabric rolling operation, the amount of fabric on the roller gradually increases, the roller moves the fabric upwards along the tracks. The fabric winding machine thus constructed has drawbacks in practice, notably:

1. The entire batch of the fabric rolled on the roller presses downwards on the first and second fabric conveying axles. When the amount of the fabric rolled on the roller increases, the fabric is heavier and results in a greater downward pressure on the first and second fabric conveying axles. The fabric becomes tighter. Hence varying fabric tightness is formed.

2. The roller is merely wedged in the tracks with a less desirable coupling effect. The roller could be thrown out of the machine chassis during fabric winding operation and cause hazards.

3. It provides a smaller fabric holding capacity, about 20 kgs. Fabric dying and treatment are more troublesome, and a greater amount of wastes are produced.

To remedy the aforesaid disadvantages, other improvements have been proposed, such as R.O.C. patent No. M303921 and I296293 granted to the Applicant. These two patents propose a fabric winding machine with side chests at two sides, a fabric winding means and a fabric conveying means interposed between the two side chests, and a driving means to drive the fabric winding means and fabric conveying means through a belt and pulleys. The fabric conveying means has a rack arm and a fabric roll-over roller located on the rack arm. During fabric winding, the amount of fabric rolled on the roller of the fabric winding means gradually increases to butt the fabric roll-over roller and generate friction to drive the roller to take up the fabric. Hence the fabric roll-over roller keeps pressing on the fabric with the entire weight without forming a tighter fabric tension. However, they still leave a lot to be desired, such as:

1. At initial fabric winding, in order to ensure that the roller can roll the fabric tightly, the belt and pulleys that drive the roller have to be formed in a tighter condition so that the roller has a greater rolling force to roll the fabric. The belt wears off easily under the tighter condition for a prolonged period of time and results in a shorter life span. Hence the belt has to be displaced frequently. Repair and maintenance cost and time are higher. It is not economic effect.

2. As the belt easily wears off at the tighter condition, friction between the belt and pulleys diminishes and results in slipping. This causes insufficient initial fabric rolling force and too loose of fabric on the roller. The rolled fabric tends to skew at high speed rotation of the fabric winding machine. When the amount of rolling fabric increases and fabric skews to one side of the roller, during operation of the fabric winding machine, unbalance occurs and operation of the fabric winding machine could be interrupted.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to solve the aforesaid disadvantages by providing a sufficient fabric rolling force for the roller at the initial fabric rolling stage so that the fabric can be rolled tighter on the roller at the initial rolling stage without skewing.

To achieve the foregoing object, the present invention provides a tension adjustment structure for fabric winding machines. It includes a driving mechanism, a roller, a fabric pressing mechanism and an adjustment mechanism that are located on a fabric winding machine. The roller is coupled with the driving mechanism through a first transmission unit. The first transmission unit has two transmission wheels located respectively on the driving mechanism and the roller and a belt striding over the two first transmission wheels so that the driving mechanism can drive the roller to roll up fabric through the two transmission wheels and the belt. The fabric pressing mechanism has an action arm located on the fabric winding machine and a fabric pressing bar located on the action arm. The fabric pressing bar has a first position without in contact with the fabric and a second position in contact with the fabric and lifted by the fabric. The adjustment mechanism has a brake member in contact with the action arm, a pressing member corresponding to the belt and a linkage unit located between the brake member and the pressing member. When the fabric pressing bar is at the first position, the brake member is butted by the action arm, the pressing member butts the belt through the linkage unit to increase fabric rolling tension. When the fabric pressing bar is at the second position and driven by the action arm, the pressing member is released from the belt through the linkage unit. Thus wearing of the belt is reduced and the life span thereof is increased.

As a result, the fabric can be rolled steadily without skewing and the rolled up fabric has a consistent tightness, and the fabric rolling quality is higher than that formed by the conventional techniques.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Please refer toFIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention provides a tension adjustment structure for a fabric winding machine. The fabric winding machine includes two side chests10, a driving mechanism20, a roller30, a fabric pressing mechanism40and a fabric conveying mechanism50that are located between the two side chests10and disposed upwards in this order. There is also an adjustment mechanism in the side chests10between the driving mechanism20and the fabric pressing mechanism40. When the invention is in use for rolling fabric, the adjustment mechanism is driven by the fabric pressing mechanism40to adjust the fabric rolling tension of the roller30. The driving mechanism20is located between the two side chests10close to the bottom, and has an axle21extended outwards from inside. The axle21has two ends running through the two side chests10. The roller30is located between the two side chests10close to the center, and is coupled with the driving mechanism20through a first transmission unit100located in one side chest10. The first transmission unit100has two first transmission wheels101and102that are located respectively on the roller30and the axle21, and a first belt103striding over the two first transmission wheels101and102to drive the roller30to roll up fabric.

The fabric pressing mechanism40includes two action arms41pivotally located in the two side chests10and a fabric pressing bar42located between the two action arms41. The fabric pressing bar42has a friction portion43to press the fabric. The fabric pressing bar42is driven by the driving mechanism20through a second transmission unit200, a third transmission unit300and a fourth transmission unit400. The fabric conveying mechanism50is located between the top of the two side chests10, and includes a main rolling bar51and two secondary rolling bars52and53that are driven by the driving mechanism20through the second and third transmission units200and300. The second and third transmission units200and300are located in another side chest10opposing to the first transmission unit100. The fourth transmission unit400is located on the action arm41abutting the side chest10. In an embodiment of the invention, the second transmission unit200has four second transmission wheels201,202,203and204and a second belt205. One second transmission wheel201is located at another end of the axle21. Another second transmission wheel202is pivoted on one side of the axle21and engaged with the second transmission wheel201. Yet another second transmission wheel203is coaxially mounted with the second transmission wheel202. Still another second transmission wheel204is pivotally located in the side chest10above the roller30. The second belt205winds around the second transmission wheels203and204. The third transmission unit300includes two third transmission wheels301and302, and a third belt303. One third transmission wheel301is pivoted on one end of the action arm41. The other third transmission wheel302is pivoted on one end of the main rolling bar51. The third belt303winds around the third transmission wheels301and302and the second transmission wheel204. By means of the construction set forth above, the third transmission unit300can be driven by the second transmission unit200. The fourth transmission unit400includes two fourth transmission wheels401and402and a fourth belt403. One fourth transmission wheel401is pivoted on one end of the action arm41corresponding to the third transmission wheel301. The other fourth transmission wheel402is pivoted on one end of the action arm41corresponding to the fabric pressing bar42. The fourth belt403winds around the fourth transmission wheels401and402so that the fourth transmission unit400can be driven by the third transmission unit300to drive rotation of the fabric pressing bar42.

Also referring toFIG. 3, the adjustment mechanism is located in the side chest10where the first transmission unit100is held. It includes a brake member60pivotally located in the side chest10corresponding to the action arm41, a pressing member80corresponding to the first belt103and a linkage unit70located between the brake member60and the pressing member80, and to connect the brake member60and the pressing member80. The side chest10has a mounting opening63to install the brake member60and a mounting rack64outside the mounting opening63to allow the brake member60to be pivoted thereon. The brake member60has an action end61at one end corresponding to the action arm41and a fastening end62at the other end fastened to the linkage unit70. The pressing member80includes a movable lever81pivotally located in the side chest10and a pressing wheel82located on the movable lever81corresponding to the first belt103, and an elastic element83with two ends coupling respectively with the side chest10and the movable lever81. The linkage unit70includes a linkage element71pivoted on the brake member60and a pulling cord73. The pulling cord73has two ends fastened to the linkage element71and the movable lever81. The linkage element71further has a linking hook72with one end hooked to the pulling cord73and the other end screwing with the linkage element71to adjust the height of the linking hook72to control the tension of the pulling cord73. The fabric winding machine also has an ancillary wheel74to stride over the pulling cord73so that the pulling direction of the pulling cord73can be changed to pull the pressing member80.

When in use, the fabric90is conveyed through the main rolling bar51and the secondary rolling bars52and53of the fabric conveying mechanism50to the roller30. At the initial fabric rolling stage, the fabric pressing bar42is at the first position without in contact the fabric90(referring toFIG. 4A), and the brake member60is pressed by the action arm41due to the fabric pressing bar42at the first position such that the action end61is pushed downwards and the fastening end62is lifted upwards (referring toFIG. 5A). Through the linkage element71and the movable lever81pulled by the pulling cord73and the elastic element83, the pressing wheel82is moved to butt the first belt103(referring toFIG. 6A); hence the first belt103tightly presses the first transmission wheels101and102without slipping. As a result, the rotation speed of the roller30can be increased and fabric tension also can be enhanced, and the fabric90can be steadily rolled up on the roller30.

As the fabric rolling operation continues, the amount of the fabric90rolled on the roller30increases, the fabric pressing bar42is in contact with the fabric90and lifted to the second position (referring toFIG. 4B), and the action arm41is moved upwards to lift the action end61and lower the fastening end62of the brake member60(referring toFIG. 5B); the movable lever81is released loosely through the linkage element71and the pulling cord73, and the elastic element83provides an elastic force to pull the movable lever81back to move the pressing wheel82and release the first belt103(referring toFIG. 6B). Hence if the roller30and the fabric pressing bar42rotate at different speeds, slipping occurs between the first belt103and the first transmission wheels101and102. Rolling up of the fabric90mainly is controlled by the fabric pressing bar42, thus rolling tightness of the fabric90can be maintained consistent.

As a conclusion, adopted the invention, at the initial fabric rolling stage, the brake member60is butted by the action arm41at the first position, the linkage unit70is pulled so that the pressing member80butts the first belt103of the first transmission unit100, therefore, the initial rolling force of the roller30is increased to steadily roll up the fabric90on the roller30at the initial stage. The fabric90also can be rolled on the roller30without skewing during the rolling operation of the fabric winding machine. Moreover, when the fabric90has been rolled up at a selected amount, the action arm41is lifted by the fabric90to the second position, and the brake member60is moved by the action arm41to release the pressing member80through the linkage unit70from the first belt103. Hence wearing of the belt can be reduced and the life span of the belt can be increased. Meanwhile, the roller30is released, and the fabric90is controlled mainly by the fabric pressing bar42while the roller30provides ancillary control. As a result, the rolled up fabric90has consistent tightness and the quality of the rolled up fabric is higher. It provides a significant improvement over the conventional techniques.