System for automatically conveying cotton laps from a ribbon lap machine to a combing machine assembly

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for automatically conveying cotton laps from a ribbon-lap machine to a combing machine assembly, which has the feature of comprising, downstream of a ribbon-lap machine (1), a cradle lifting device (2) for taking up a lap roller (4) from a lap roller collecting frame (3). A gripper taking up device (10) is more­ over provided which is adapted to remove a lap roller (4) from the cradle lifting device and to load an empty roller (4a) on an empty roller collect­ ing frame (15). The gripper taking up device (10) is sup­ ported on a carriage (20) slidable on a guide path so as to selectively reach a combing machine, which is selected from an assembly of combing machines in order to discharge the lap roller (4) on a supply­ ing frame while simultaneously taking up an empty roller (4a).

Description: The present invention relates to a system for automatically conveying cotton laps from a ribbon-lap machine to a combing machine assembly according to the features in the pre-characterizing portion of claim 1, which are known from US-A-3388432 and FR-A-2237994. The document EP-0-118 600 discloses a system of the above mentioned type having the feature that the carriage supporting the rollers simultaneously takes up an empty roller while a lap roller is discharged on a supplying frame. The empty rollers are discharged in an empty roller collecting container which is positioned near the ribbon-lap machine. The document FR-A- 2 237 994 discloses an automatic apparatus for supplying carding or the like machines with slivers of wool fibers wound on bobbins, this apparatus comprising a conveyor having a plurality of full bobbin supports and a plurality of empty bobbin supports the apparatus further including a transfer device for transferring full bobbins which device comprises a raising element receiving the full bobbin and driving it to a transfer point toward a full bobbin support. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a conveying system of very reduced size and high operating efficiency. Another object of the present invention is to provide a conveying system which can be constructed with different configurations so as to perfectly meet the user requirements. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a conveying system which is very reliable and of comparatively low cost. According to one aspect of the present invention the above mentioned objects as well as yet other objects which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a system for automatically conveying cotton laps from a lap-ribbon machine to a combing machine assembly according to the main claim. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed description of two embodiments of a system for automatically conveying cotton laps from a ribbon-lap machine to a combing machine assembly which are illustrated, by way of an indicative but not limitative example, in the figures of the accompanying drawings where: figure 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a conveying system according to the present invention in which the combing machines have a parallel arrangement; figure 2 is a schematic top plan view illustrating a gripper device; and DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings,the system for automatically conveying cotton laps from a ribbon-lap machine to a combing machine assembly according to the present invention comprises,downstream of said ribbon-lap machine, indicated overally at the reference number 1,a cradle lifting device or elevator 2,which is arranged at one end of a frame or bench 3 for collecting lap rollers 4. More specifically,the lap rollers 4 are fed from a winding device 5,thereat a given number of ribbons are transformed into a given or set weight lap by means of a drawing process in which the ribbons are drawn and wound on an empty roller indicated at 4a. The cradle lifting device is in turn supported by an upright 7 able of upwardly displacing the lap roller 4 for automatically arranging it on the mentioned end portion of the collecting frame 3. At said cradle lifting device 2 there is provided a gripper take up device,indicated overally at the reference number 10,which comprises,as shown in a more detailed way in figure 2,a supporting frame 11 thereon there are pivoted two jaw pairs 12 having opposite end portions and able of alternately operating,as disclosed in a more detailed way hereinafter. At the gripping zone of said gripper device 10 there is provided a frame 15 for collecting the empty roller 4a to be supplied again to the winding device of the ribbon-lap machine 1. The pivoted jaw pairs 12 are able,as they are rotated on their pivot pins,to take up a lap roller and simultaneously release an empty roller on the empty roller collecting frame or bench. As shown,the gripper take up device 10 is supported on a carriage 20 able of sliding on a guiding path in order to selectively reach a combing machine,which can be preselected from an assembly of combing machines,to discharge the lap roller on a supplying frame while simultaneously removing the empty roller. As shown in figure 1,the guiding path comprises a single rail 21 thereon said carriage 20 is able of sliding,said single rail being arranged perpendicular to a rail pair 22 thereon a bridge crane 23 slides. The bridge crane 23 is provided with a driving motor 24,supporting a transfer single rail 25 which constitutes an extension of the mentioned single rail 21. With the disclosed arrangement,the combing machines 30 are arranged with an adjoining relationship under the region encompassed by the rail pair 22. Thus, as the bridge crane 23 is displaced on the rails 22,the lap roller,supported by the gripper device 10,will be supplied to the loading board 31 of the selected combing machine and,simultaneously,the empty roller will be removed. In order to automatically arrange the carriage 20 at the selected combing machine,there is provided a photocell system,supported by said carriage 20 or by the bridge crane 23,which can be actuated by reflector members 32 supported by the system frames. Thus,by tilting or covering a reflector member 32,it will be possible to override a combing machine,as the lap roller is to be supplied to another combing machine. During the operation of the system according to the present invention,the gripper take up device will take up from the cradle the lap roller 4 and,simultaneously,will release the empty roller. Then,the carriage 20 will be displaced on its guiding path and brought to the preselected combing machine,thereat said gripper device will be actuated again to release,by means of the pivoting jaws,a lap roller while simultaneously removing the empty roller. From the above description it should be apparent that the invention fully achieves the intended objects.

Claims: A system for automatically conveying cotton laps from a ribbon-lap machine to a combing machine assembly, comprising downstream of said ribbon-lap machine a cradle lifting device (2) adapted to take up a lap roller (4) from a lap roller collecting frame (3), there being moreover provided a gripper take up device (10) adapted to take up a lap roller (4) from said cradle lifting device (2), said gripper take up device (10) being supported on a carriage (20) adapted to slide on a guiding path so as to selectively reach a combing machine selected from said combing machine assembly to discharge a lap roller (4) on a supplying frame, characterized in that said gripper take up device (10) is also adapted to discharge an empty roller on an empty roller collecting frame (15), in that said carriage (20) is adapted, as said carriage (20) discharges said lap roller (4) to simultaneously take up an empty roller (4a) and in that said guiding path comprises a single rail (21) slidably supporting said carriage (20) and being arranged substantially perpendicular to a pair of spaced rails (22), and in that a bridge crane (23) can slide on said pair of spaced rails said bridge crane (23) supporting a transfer rail (25) arranged as an extension of said single rail (21), and being displaceable above the region of said combing machines. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that said cradle lifting device (2) is slidably supported on an upright (7) being arranged at an end portion of said lap roller collecting frame (3), in that the lap rollers (4) are supplied from said lap roller collecting frame (3) to said cradle lifting device (2) and in that said empty roller collecting frame (15) is arranged above said lap roller collecting frame (3). A system according to claim 1 and 2 characterized in that said gripper take up device (10) is provided with a supporting frame (11) comprising two pivoted cooperating jaw pairs (12), the end portions of the jaws of said jaw pairs cooperating with said rollers (4, 4a) for taking up and discharging them. A system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said system comprises, on said bridge crane (23) and/or on said carriage (20) a photocell assembly adapted to cooperate with reflector members (32) for stopping said carriage (20), said reflector members (32) being provided for being tilted or covered so as to override a selected combing machine.

Inventors: BIANCHI MARZOLI PIETRO, BIANCHI MARZOLI, PIETRO
Applicants: MARZOLI & C SPA, FRATELLI MARZOLI & C. S.P.A.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: D01G21
IPC codes: D01G27, B65G37, D01G21