A METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MARKING AND IDENTIFYING TEXTILE SUPPORTS

Abstract: A bobbin of roving or yarn (1) is provided with a reference element (5), movable with said bobbin, that can be positioned in a series of preset positions corresponding to as many distances, in a bobbin axial direction, with respect to a fixed reference element placed on the bobbin run. By coupling a particular position of the mobile reference element (5), and therefore a particular distance, to a specific type of roving or yarn, this can be used as an identifying datum of the bobbin and the roving wound on it.

Description: The present invention concerns a method and a device for marking and identifying bobbins, reels or similar textile supports, particularly in order to select them in an automatic equipment for feeding textile machines (see e.g. DE-A-1 760 065). As in all sectors of the manufacturing industry, in the textile industry as well most of the innovative efforts are directed to reduce the personnel necessary in the different productive cycles and for this purpose several types of equipments have been developed to automatically feed textile machines. Since, for obvious economical reasons, it is necessary to use a single feeder for several machines and since the machines must operate with products of different type according to the machine, said feeder must handle at the same time bobbins and reels with yarns of different type, which makes their identification necessary to be in position to select the yarn suitable for each single machine. On the other side, the use of bobbins or reels with different structure, due to their manufacture and to subsequent modifications, creates the problem of identifying and selecting them not only before sending them to the relevant machine, namely when they are still "full", but also when they are "empty", after they have come out from said machines and before they are loaded again with the appropriate yarn or roving. Accordingly, there still remains the need of a method and a device which allow an identification and easy selection of bobbins and reels to be fed to textile machines, avoiding the necessity of re-identifying and selecting them before rovings or yarns are wound on them again. An object of the present invention, therefore, is to solve the abovesaid problems by providing a method a device for marking and identifying bobbins, reels or similar textile supports, in order to carry-out their selection only before they are fed to their relevant textile machines. Another object of the present invention is to provide a marking device of a mechanical type, allowing an easy, reproducible and reliable marking method. In order to achieve said objects, the present invention concerns a method for marking and identifying bobbins, reels or similar textile supports in order to select them in an automatic equipment adopted to feed textile machines, characterized in that the textile support identifying datum is the distance, in the bobbin axial direction, between a reference element fixed on the bobbin run and a reference element movable with the bobbin itself. The invention also concerns a device for marking and identifying bobbins, reels or similar textile support, characterized in that it comprises a reference element movable with the bobbin and a fixed reference element, consisting of a sensor element placed in a fixed position along the run of the bobbin or the like to detect the position of said movable reference element. The invention will be now described more in detail with reference to the drawings attached with illustrative and not limiting purpose, where in: figure 1 is a cross section of a bobbin placed on a marking support according to the invention; figure 2 is a cross section of a bobbin placed on a second marking support according to the invention; figure 3 is a cross section of a bobbin with a marking support provided with a mobile reference element according to the invention; figure 4 is a cutaway side view of a bobbin provided with an internal marking device with mobile reference element according to the invention; figure 5 is a cutaway side view of a positioning gudgeon pin for the reference element of figure 4; and figure 6 is a magnified view of the mobile reference element and part of the bobbin of figure 4. With reference first of all to figure 1, the bobbin as shown in cross section, is formed by a small tube 18 on which a roving or yarn 19 is wound; said small tube is inserted on a vertical hollow arm 20 of an inverted "T" shaped support 21. The upper end of said small tube 18 has a closing diaphragm 22 which serves as a reference element movable with the bobbin and integral to it. The distance of said reference element 22 from a sensor acting as a second fixed reference element and which is positioned along the travel of the bobbin to the textile machine, can be adjusted by varying the height of the vertical arm 20 or also, as illustrated in figure 2, by varying the height of the support base 21. Of course, the reference element 22 may be positioned not only on the upper end of the small tube 18, but also in an intermediate position, according to individual configurations. In any case, a different support 21 corresponds to each different height of reference element 22. A reference element movable with the bobbin and also movable with respect to the bobbin is shown in figures 3 to 6. Examining figure 3 first, the bobbin is formed by a small tube 18 on which a roving or yarn is wound, in a manner similar to the previously illustrated embodiment the small tube being housed on the vertical arm 20′ of a support 21′. In this case, however, the diaphragm 22 is not present and the movable reference element is formed by the upper surface of arm 20′, if this is closed, or by a diaphragm 23 positioned along the arm 20′ if this is hollow (which allows to read the distance also by means of a sensor located under the bobbin and related support). As a consequence, in this case too, a different distance: fixed reference element amovable reference element, and therefore a different support or an axially movable diaphragm 23 must correspond to each different type of bobbin. An alternative configuration to the previous ones is shown in figures 4, 5 and 6, wherein a reference element movable with the bobbin, and movable with respect to the bobbin, consists of a cylinder placed inside the bobbin and appertaining to the bobbin itself. More particularly, from figure 4 it can be seen that the shown bobbin does not need supports, in that it is provided with a supporting base 24, and that it shows in a traditional way, a hollow duct 1 coaxial with its own axis of rotation. Said duct, which has a circular section, is formed by two sections 2, 3 of different diameter, joined by a taper 4. Along section 3, near the end zone of the bobbin, there is provided a small cylinder 5, movable within a series of preset positions. To move said small cylinder from a position to another, a small gudgeon pin 6 (fig. 5) can be used, or another similar elongated body of the type shown in figure 5; said gudgeon pin is formed by a supporting piece 7 provided at one end with a taper 10 from which a spacer body 8 is protruding. Said spacer 8 is partly housed in a seat 9 provided inside the support 7 and can be furtherly extracted from or inserted into said seat 9, in order to protrude from the taper 10 for a more or less long section according to needs. Figure 3 shows a magnified section of the bobbin part where the movable small cylinder 5 is housed. As it can be noticed, the small cylinder 5 has a slightly smaller diameter than that of the part 3 of duct 1 where it is housed. Moreover, said small cylinder 5 presents a series of notches 12 provided on its side surface; said notches serve to univocally position the small cylinder 5, cooperating with a resilient ring 13 housed in a seat 11 provided on the surface of duct 3. Of course, the above described disposition can be inverted, envisaging to house said elastic ring in a seat provided on the surface of the small cylinder, while a series of notches are provided on the corresponding surface of the hollow duct. Each notch corresponds to a different position and therefore to a different distance of the external surface 14 of small cylinder 5 from the fixed reference element. During operation with the embodiments illustrated in the three first figures, the "full" small tubes 18, namely with roving or yarn wound on them, are housed on related supports, selected according to the type of roving or yarn present and then transferred to their textile machine. Each bobbin is then identified by means of a sensor which defines a fixed reference element and which measures its own distance from the reference element movable with the bobbin examined. The measurement of said distance is performed axially to the bobbin itself and is carried out by means of a sensor which can be placed either in an upper or lower position with respect to said bobbin. Said sensor consists of two readers of the inductive type, one set on the desired distance and the other on an immediately smaller distance; the bobbin will be considered as positively identified if it gives a positive response to the first reader and a negative one to the second reader, while two positive responses or two negative ones identify a non desired bobbin. After their identification, bobbins are taken and used, while supports are carried elsewhere; in this way, bobbins are constituted only by small tubes without any identifying data, and as such they can be used for any type of yarn without need to be identified and selected again. During operation with the embodiment of figures 4 to 6, the bobbin generally presents at the beginning a zero-set position of the small cylinder 5, namely a position in which, for example, the small cylinder 5 its at the maximum distance from the upper end of the bobbin. To move the small cylinder 5 to a preset position, the spacer 8 is adjusted to a preset length, corresponding to said preset position, and then the gudgeon pin 6 is inserted into the duct 1 of the bobbin from the end opposite to that housing the fixed reference element 5. As it can be noticed from figures 4 and 5, the support 7 and taper 10 of the gudgeon pin 6 are complementary to the section 2 and taper 4 of the hollow duct 1; the section 3 of duct 1 and the spacer 8 are themselves complementary as for diameter, while the length of the spacer 8 is such as to move the small cylinder 5 to one of the preselected positions between the zero one and that of maximum displacement (that is of minimum distance of the surface 14 from the fixed reference element). The distance between the surface 14 of the small cylinder and the fixed reference element 16 is then measured by a sensor in a way similar to that hereinabove described. Once used, the empty bobbin is "set to zero" moving the small cylinder 5 to the position of maximum distance from the reference edge 16; in this way the bobbin can be marked again according to the type of roving or yarn which is wound on it, thus avoiding also in this case to perform another identification or selection of empty bobbins according to their marking, in that, as mentioned above, said markings are all cancelled.

Claims: A method for marking and identifying bobbins, reels or similar textile supports in order to select them in an automatic equipment for feeding textile machines, characterized in that the textile support identifying datum is the distance, in the bobbin axial direction, between a reference element (22,23;5) fixed on the bobbin run and a reference element movable with the bobbin itself. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said reference element (22) movable with the bobbin is integral to the bobbin itself, and in that said distance is adjusted by varying the height of the bobbin with reference an advancing plane on which said bobbin rests. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that said bobbin is positioned on an "inverted T¨-shaped support (21) and in that its height from said advancing plane is varied by varying the size of the vertical or the horizontal arm (20) of said support in that bobbin axial direction. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that it said reference element (23;5) movable with the bobbin is placed inside the bobbin itself, within an axial hollow duct (20';3), and in that said distance is adjusted by varying the height of said movable reference element with respect to the bobbin. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that said bobbin is placed on an "inverted T¨-shaped support (21') and in that the upper end of the vertical arm (20') of said support is used as to adjust said movable reference element (23). A method according to claim 4, characterized in that said distance is adjusted by moving said movable reference element (5) into several preset positions along said hollow duct (3), and in that said displacement is performed by means of an adjustable length control means (6). A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said distance is measured by means of a sensor consisting of two readers, one set on the desired distance and the other on the immediately lower distance, and in that only those bobbins which give a positive response to the correctly calibrated reader and a negative response to the other reader of the same sensor are considered as positively identified. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that sensors of the inductive and/or infra-red and/or photoelectric type are used. A device for marking and identifying bobbins, reels or similar textile supports, characterized in that it comprises a reference element (22,23;5) movable with the bobbin and a fixed reference element in the form of a sensor detecting the position of said movable reference element, and fixedly placed along a bobbin run. A device according to claim 9, characterized in that said reference element (22) movable with the bobbin is integral to the bobbin itself, said bobbin being housed on an inverted T-shaped support (21) having a size selected at will. A device according to claim 9, characterized in that said reference element (23;5) movable with the bobbin is housed in an adjustable manner inside an axal hollow duct (20';3) of said bobbin. A device according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises an inverted T-shaped support (21) to house said bobbin and in that the upper end of the vertical arm (20) of said support has a length selected at will and constitutes said movable reference element. A device according to claim 11, characterized in that said movable reference element (23;5) is a small cylinder, a prism or a diaphragm of a size slightly smaller than that of said duct (20';3) in which it is housed. A device according to claim 13, characterized in that it further comprises an element to position and hold said small cylinder (5) or the like, consisting of an elastic ring (13) partially housed in a seat (11) provided on the surface of said hollow duct (3). A device according to claim 14, characterized in that said small cylinder (5) or the like as a series of notches (12) provided on its side surface, each corresponding to a preset position, and in that said notches cooperate with said elastic ring to position the small cylinder or the like. A device according to claim 13, characterized in that it comprises a positioning structure consisting of an elastic ring (13) partially housed in a seat (11) provided on the surface of said small cylinder (3) or the like, and of a series of notches (12) provided on the surface of said hollow duct. A device according to claim 13, characterized in that it further comprises a gudgeon pin (6) or a similar elongated body having a length adjustable at will to position said small cylinder (5) or the like within said hollow duct (3). A device according to claim 9, characterized in that said sensor is formed by a couple of readers of inductive and/or infra-red and/or photoelectric type, the first one being set to detect the presence of the movable reference element approximately at the desired distance and the second one being set to detect the presence of said reference element approximately at an immediately smaller distance than the desired one.

Inventors: SCAGLIA, ENZO
Applicants: SCAGLIA, ENZO
Application year: 1988
Main classification: B65H75
IPC codes: G09F3, D03D47, B65H75, B65H67, D03D45, B65H49