YARN STORE

Abstract: A yarn storage apparatus for supplying yarn to a yarn consuming apparatus, the storage apparatus comprising a storage body (10) having a bore (20) in which yarn (4) is stored, the bore having a yarn discharge opening (21) at one end and a yarn insertion opening at its opposite end, a yarn loading means (30) for inserting yarn into the bore, the yarn loading means including a rotatable yarn guide (32) located within the bore which on rotation discharges windings of yarn into the bore to create a compact body (40) of coiled yarn, which progressively increases in length along the length of the bore during rotation of the yarn guide.

Description: An alternative construction of loading disc 6 is illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 wherein the disc 6 has a rotatable end wall portion 80 defining the abutment face 37. Accordingly, during loading of yarn, the abutment face 37 remains stationary as the disc 6 rotates and thereby avoids resistance to rotation of the disc 6 caused by engagement with the yarn compact body 40. The embodiment illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 also includes a yarn retention means 90 located adjacent the insertion opening 24 for resisting inadvertant removal of yarn and thus collapse of the compact body on removal of the yarn loading means 30. In the illustrated embodiment the yarn retention means 90 comprises a resilient stirrup member 91 conveniently made from bent spring wire which in a relaxed condition extends into the interior of the tube. The disc 6 is preferably rotatably mounted in a collar 92 which on insertion into the tube deflects the stirrup member 91 to a stowed position during yarn loading. <Desc/Clms Page number 5> The embodiment of Figures 4 and 5 also includes a yarn winding restriction means 100 which is located upstream of the loading disc 6 and serves to restrict the crosssectional size of the compact body to be extruded along the tube downstream of the restriction means without causing excessive resistance at the yarn loading means created by sliding resistance between the compact body and the internal walls of the tube. The restriction means 100 preferably comprises one or more restriction members 103 which project into the bore of the tube to provide a restricted opening. The restriction members 103 may be of a resilient nature or may be rigid. It assists the even formation of coils in the bore if the yarn loading means includes a yarn retraction means 50 which intermittently engages the yarn in its passage from the feed device 12 to the disc 6 so as to alternately pull back and release the yarn as shown. When the yarn is pulled back, the coil formed is tightened and thus pulled to the centre of the bore. When the yarn is released, the yarn forms coils at the inside walls of the bore. The retraction means 50 is preferably in the form of an eccentric disc or cam 13 mounted on a rotatable shaft 14. The disc <Desc/Clms Page number 6> eccentricity and the relationship between the speed of shaft 14 to shaft 8 can be designed to give the coil formation in the tube which gives the maximum stored length of yarn. When the fabric forming machine is in operation, there will always be yarn in the bore for disc 6 to push against to start winding. However, when first installed, additional means need to be provided to get the coil formation to start. This may be in the -form of a bung 16 ( Fig 3 ) resiliently pressed against the bore wall by typically a leaf spring 17. The bung is pushed along the tube as winding proceeds and can be taken out of the front end before transferring the front of the yarn to the fabric forming machine. Alternatively a resistant bung may be provided formed for instance from a body of resilient material such as for example a body of foam plastics material. Once initially set up, the yarn need never be rethreaded to the fabric forming machine. It is envisaged that an array of tubes 1 could be associated with say a weaving loom, an individual tube 1 serving to supply a warp yarn to the loom. A single yarn loading means may be provided which is movably mounted so as <Desc/Clms Page number 7> to be able to be positioned for loading yarn into any one of the tubes forming the array of tubes. Sensing means may be provided associated with each tube and arranged to provide a signal when a predetermined quantity of yarn is left in the tube. The signal can be used to automatically cause the loading disc 6 to be moved to load fresh yarn into the appropriate tube. It is envisaged that the loading disc 6 may be controlled by programmable control means which can be programmed to automatically move the loading disc 6 to selected tubes and load a predetermined colour into the selected tube. <Desc/Clms Page number 8> CLAIMS 1. A yarn storage apparatus for supplying yarn to a yarn consuming apparatus, the storage apparatus comprising a storage body having a bore in which yarn is stored, the bore having a yarn discharge opening at one end and a yarn insertion at its opposite end, a yarn loading means for inserting--yarn into the bore, the yarn loading means including a rotatable yarn guide located within the bore which on rotation discharges windings of yarn into the bore to create a compact body of coiled yarn, which progressively increases in length along the length of the bore during rotation of the yarn guide. 2. A yarn storage apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein the yarn guide is located at the yarn insertion opening during yarn insertion and has an associated abutment face against which the yarn windings abut such that during rotation of the yarn guide the compact body moves toward the discharge opening of the bore as it progressively increases in length. <Desc/Clms Page number 9> 3. A yarn stroage apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the yarn guided comprises an aperture formed is the periphery of a rotatable disc and said abutment face is defined by an axial face of said disc. 4. A yarn storage apparatus according to claim 1,2 or 3 whwerein the yarn loading means includes yarn feed means for positively feeding yarn to said yarn guide. 5. A yarn storage apparatus according to claim 4 wherein yarn retraction means are provided inbetween the yarn feed means and the yarn guide, the yarn retraction means acting intermittently on the yarn being fed to the yarn guide to cause the yarn to be pulled from the yarn guide to thereby reduce the size of the windings being created. 6. A yarn storgae apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the yarn retraction means includes a rotatable cam which on rotation intermittently engages the yarn being fed to the yarn guide. 7. A yarn storage apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the yarn storage body comprises a tube. <Desc/Clms Page number 10> 8. A yarn storage apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein a plurality of yarn storage bodies are arranged side by side and at least one mobile yarn loading means is provided for loading yarn into preselected ones of said plurality of storage bodies. 9. A yarn storage apparatus according to claim 8 wherein each yarn storage body is provided with a sensor for sensing when a predetermined length of said compact body remains in an asssociated bore, a plurality of mobile yarn loading means being provided, each having a different coloured yarn, and programmable means for controlling movement of said plurality of mobile yarn loading means in response to said sensors to cause a preselected mobile yarn loading means to load yarn into a preselected yarn storage means. 10. A yarn storage apparatus substantially a described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings. <Desc/Clms Page number 11> EMI11.1 AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 26 January 1990 (26.01.90), original claims 1-9 amended ; claim 10 unchanged (3 pages)] 1. A yarn storage apparatus for -supplying yarn to a yarn consuming apparatus, the storage apparatus comprising a plurality of yarn storage bodies arranged side by side, each storage body having a bore in which yarn is stored, the bore having a yarn discharge opening at one end and a yarn insertion opening at its opposite end, at least one mobile yarn loading means for inserting yarn into the bores of preselected ones of said bodies, the yarn loading means being movably mounted for insertion into said yarn insertion opening of a selected body and for movement to a remote location, each yarn loading means including a rotatable yarn guide which is located within the bore when the yarn loading means has been inserted into said yarn insertion opening of a selected body and which on rotation discharges windings of yarn into the bore to create a compact body of coiled yarn which progressively increases in length along the length of. the bore during rotation of the yarn guide. 2. A yarn storage apparatus according to Claim 1 wherein each yarn guide is located at the yarn insertion opening during yarn insertion and has an associated abutment face against which the yarn windings abut such that during <Desc/Clms Page number 13> rotation of the yarn guide the compact body moves toward the discharge opening of the bore as it progressively increases in length. 3. A yarn stroage apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each yarn guide comprises an aperture formed is the periphery of a rotatable disc and said abutment face is defined by an axial face of said disc. 4. A yarn storage apparatus according to claim 1,2 or 3 whwerein the or each yarn loading means includes yarn feed means for positively feeding yarn to said yarn guide. 5. A yarn storage apparatus according to claim 4 wherein yarn retraction means are provided inbetween the yarn feed means and the yarn guide fed thereby, the yarn retraction means acting intermittently on the yarn being fed to the yarn guide to cause the yarn to be pulled from the yarn guide to thereby reduce the size of the windings being: created. 6. A yarn storage apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the yarn retraction means includes a rotatable cam which on rotation intermittently engages the yarn being fed to the yarn guide. <Desc/Clms Page number 14> 7. A yarn storage apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein each yarn storage body comprises a tube. 8. A yarn storage apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein each body includes a yarn retention means located adjacent its insertion opening for resisting inadvertant removal of yarn on retraction of the mobile yarn loading means from the body. 9. A yarn storage apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein each yarn storage body is provided with a sensor for sensing when a predetermined length of said compact body remains in an asssociated bore, a plurality of mobile yarn loading means being provided each having a different coloured yarn, and programmable means for controlling movement of said plurality of mobile yarn loading means in response to said sensors to cause a preselected mobile yarn loading means to load yarn into a preselected yarn storage means. 10. A yarn storage apparatus substantially a described herein with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

Claims: <Desc/Clms Page number 1> EMI1.1 <Desc/Clms Page number 2> EMI2.1 <tb> <tb> FOR <SEP> THE <SEP> PURPOSES <SEP> OF <SEP> INFORMATION <SEP> ONLY <tb> Codes <SEP> used <SEP> to <SEP> identify <SEP> States <SEP> party <SEP> to <SEP> the <SEP> PCT <SEP> on <SEP> the <SEP> front <SEP> pages <SEP> of <SEP> pamphlets <SEP> publishing <SEP> international <tb> applications <SEP> under <SEP> the <SEP> PCT. <tb> AT <SEP> Austria <SEP> FI <SEP> Finland <SEP> ML <SEP> Mali <tb> AU <SEP> Australia <SEP> FR <SEP> France <SEP> MR <SEP> Mauritania <tb> B8 <SEP> Barbados <SEP> GA <SEP> Gabon <SEP> MW <SEP> Malawi <tb> BE <SEP> Belgium <SEP> GB <SEP> United <SEP> Kingdom <SEP> NL <SEP> Netherlands <tb> BF <SEP> Burkma <SEP> Fasso <SEP> HU <SEP> Hungary <SEP> NO <SEP> Norway <tb> BG <SEP> Bulgaria <SEP> IT <SEP> Italy <SEP> RO <SEP> Romania <tb> BJ <SEP> Benin <SEP> JP <SEP> Japan <SEP> SD <SEP> Sudan <tb> BR <SEP> Brazil <SEP> KP <SEP> Democratic <SEP> People's <SEP> Republic <SEP> SE <SEP> Sweden <tb> CF <SEP> Central <SEP> African <SEP> Republic <SEP> of <SEP> Korea <SEP> SN <SEP> Senegal <tb> CG <SEP> Congo <SEP> KR <SEP> Republic <SEP> of <SEP> Korea <SEP> SU <SEP> Soviet <SEP> Union <tb> CH <SEP> Switzerland <SEP> U <SEP> Liechtenstein <SEP> TD <SEP> Chad <tb> CM <SEP> Cameroon <SEP> LK <SEP> Sn <SEP> Lanka <SEP> TG <SEP> Togo <tb> DE <SEP> Germany, <SEP> Federal <SEP> Republic <SEP> of <SEP> LU <SEP> Luxembourg <SEP> US <SEP> United <SEP> States <SEP> of <SEP> America <tb> DK <SEP> Denmark <SEP> MC <SEP> Monaco <tb> ES <SEP> Spain <SEP> MG <SEP> Madagascar <tb> <Desc/Clms Page number 3> Yarn Store The present invention relates to a yarn storage apparatus for a yarn consuming apparatus. In textile fabric forming machines, a large number of yarns are commonly needed to be fed in to the fabric forming process. This is typically the case in weaving and warp knitting machines. This is done by either storing the yarn on a large number of packages ( or creel ) or by winding all the yarns from a store onto one large drum ( the beam ). In some cases, for instance, in patterned carpet weaving and in sample weaving of fabrics with multi-coloured warp, the warp preparation is time consuming and wasteful in yarn, as it is difficult to ensure that exactly the correct length of yarn is on each package for a given requirement. It is an object of this invention to overcome these disadvantages. According to the present invention there is provided a yarn storage apparatus for supplying yarn to a yarn consuming apparatus, the storage apparatus comprising storage body having a bore in which yarn is stored, the bore having a yarn discharge opening at one end and a yarn insertion opening at its opposite end, a yarn loading means for inserting yarn into the bore, the yarn loading means

Inventors: GRIFFITH JOHN DALTON, GRIFFITH, JOHN, DALTON
Applicants: BONAS GRIFFITH LTD, BONAS GRIFFITH LIMITED
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B65H51
IPC codes: B65H51, D03D47