Automatic winder

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic winder that has a control lever with holding arm 7a which presses a tray, located at a rewinding position, against a recessed portion 4b' formed at the rewinding position, and an inhibiting arm 7b that inhibits a full bobbin loading tray Tb at a standby position from moving to the rewinding position. Compared to conventional automatic winders, the present invention has a simpler structure and drive control apparatus, and thus requires less maintenance and fewer inspections.

Description: Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic winder having a means for supplying a tray, on which bobbins around which rewound yarn is wound are loaded, to the rewinding positions of a large number of winding units installed in array, while ejecting a tray on which an empty bobbin from which yarn has been rewound is loaded, from the rewinding position. Background of the Invention In a known automatic winder (Japanese Utility Model Laid Open No. 6-14172), a plurality of full bobbin loading trays (full bobbin or bobbin which is not full but which has a sufficient amount of yarn remaining thereon is hereafter simply referred to as "full bobbin", and tray on which a full bobbin is loaded is hereafter simply refrred to as "full bobbin loading tray".) are stood by on a tray input line, and if all or almost all of yarn of the full bobbin on the full bobbin loading tray is used at the rewinding position, the tray on which empty bobbins is loaded (hereafter simply referred to as "empty bobbin loading tray") is ejected from the rewinding position along a tray output line, while the full bobbin loading trays that are closest to the rewinding position is transferred to the rewinding position along the tray input line. The conventional automatic winder has a lever that holds a full bobbin loading tray at the rewinding position and a lever that inhibits full bobbin loading trays at standbay position from moving to the rewinding position. The conventional automatic winder disposes these two levers so as to be mutually opposed on the respective sides of the tray input line, and uses a spring to enable the lever to inhibit the movement of the trays. The conventional automatic winders have arranged therein many levers, including a lever that holds a full bobbin loading tray at the rewinding position, a lever that inhibits full bobbin loading trays at a standby position from moving to the rewinding position, and a lever that ejects an empty bobbin loading tray from the rewinding position. Thus, the structure of the automatic winder and thus the drive control of each lever are complicated. In addition, when the full bobbin loading trays circulating along the transfer line for full bobbin loading tray that traverses the winding units passes through the inlet of the tray input line, it contacts a full bobbin loading tray at the standby position. The resulting impact may vibrate the lever that inhibits the full bobbin loading tray at the standby position from moving to the rewinding position, thereby allowing the tray to move. It is an object of the present invention to solve this problem of the conventional automatic winder. Summary of the Invention To achieve this object, the present invention provides an automatic winder having a control lever comprising a holding arm that presses a tray, located at a rewinding position, against a recessed portion formed at the rewinding position. The automatic winder also provides an inhibiting arm that inhibits a full bobbin loading tray at the standby position from moving to the rewinding position. In addition, the inhibiting arm of the control lever is formed like a circular arc so that while an empty bobbin loading tray is being pushed out from the rewinding position, the arm inhibits the full bobbin loading tray at the standby position from moving so as to prevent it from being lead to the rewinding position. Finally, a protruding portion is formed on the arm of a driving lever. Brief Description of the Drawing Figure 1 is a partly enlarged top view of an automatic winder according to the present invention. Figure 2 is a partly enlarged top view of an automatic winder according to the present invention similar to that in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a front view of an example tray used in the automatic winder according to the present invention. Detailed Description of the preferred Embodiments An embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The present invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and applies to other embodiments designed using the same principles. 1 is a tray input-output line comprising a tray input line that leads a full bobbin loading tray to a rewinding position of one of a number of rewinding units and a tray output line that leads an empty bobbin loading tray out from the rewinding position. The tray input-output line is disposed for each winding unit of an automatic winder (not shown in the drawings). 2 is a transfer line for full bobbin loading tray that transfers full bobbin loading trays. The full bobbin loading trays transferred along the transfer line for full bobbin loading tray 2 are loaded on the tray input-output line 1 as required. 3 is a transfer line for empty bobbin loading tray. The empty bobbin loading trays transferred along the tray input-output line 1 transfer from this line to the transfer line for empty bobbin loading tray 3, and are subsequently transferred to a circulating line having disposed thereon an empty bobbin pickup apparatus for picking up empty bobbins from trays and a full bobbin installing apparatus for installing full bobbins on trays. 4a and 4b are two guide plates forming the tray input-output line 1. The plates are located so as to bridge the transfer line for full bobbin loading tray 2 and the transfer line for empty bobbin loading tray 3 disposed at a lower position than the transfer line for full bobbin loading tray 2. The first and second guide plates 4a and 4b are located in such a way as to tilt downward from the transfer line for full bobbin loading tray 2 toward the transfer line for empty bobbin loading tray 3. The width of the tray input-output line 1 is smaller than the diameter of a disc-shaped base t1 of a tray T, which is shown in Figure 3, and is larger than a disc-shaped stage portion t2 integrally protruding from the middle of the top surface of the base t1. t3 is a peg that is inserted into a vertical hole in a cylindrical bobbin. The tray input-output line 1 is composed of a tray input line 1a on the transfer line for full bobbin loading tray 2 side and a tray output line 1b on the transfer line for empty bobbin loading tray 3. The lines 1a and 1b are formed to sandwich a recessed portion 4b' provided in the middle of the second guide plate 4b, and are generally V-shaped as seen from the horizontal direction. 1c is a branching recessed portion formed to branch from the tray input line 1a described below. Part of the stage portion t2 of the tray T located at the rewinding position is adapted to be inserted into the recessed portion 4b' formed in the second guide plate 4b, as described below. A tilted disc 5 that is rotationally driven as required and on which full bobbin loading trays can be loaded is disposed on the tray input line 1a side below the first and second guide plates 4a and 4b. The tilted disc 5 is configured to extend almost parallel with the first and second guide plates 4a and 4b. The first and second guide plates 4a and 4b are located to tilt from the transfer line for full bobbin loading tray 2 toward the transfer line for empty bobbin loading tray 3. The base t1 of the tray T that is loaded on the tilted disc 5 is adapted to be inserted into the gap between the first and second guide plates 4a, 4b and the tilted disc 5. In addition, a guide plate 6 on which full bobbin loading trays or empty bobbin loading trays are loaded is disposed below the first and second guide plates 4a and 4b in a region in Which the tilted disc 5 is not disposed. The guide plate 6 is disposed to tilt downward toward the transfer line for empty bobbin tray 3. In addition, the base t1 of the tray T that is loaded on the guide plate 6 is adapted so that it can be inserted into the gap between the first and second guide plates 4a, 4b and the guide plate 6. 7 is a control lever that pivots around a shaft 8 and is located above the first and second guide plates 4a and 4b. The control lever 7 has a holding arm 7a extending from the shaft 8 in the radial direction and a circular inhibiting arm 7b extending from the tip of the holding arm 7a. The holding arm 7a and inhibiting arm 7b comprising the control lever 7 may be integrally manufactured from a single member or may be separately manufactured and then put together. In addition, an outer circumferential edge 7b' of the inhibiting arm 7b is preferably configured to form part of an imaginary circle that runs around the shaft 8. When yarn is being rewound from a full bobbin loaded on a tray Ta located at a rewinding position (the position of the recessed portion 4b' formed in the second guide plate 4b), the control lever 7 protrudes into the tray input line 1a as shown in Figure 1, and the holding arm 7a of the control lever 7 presses the stage portion t2 of the tray Ta, located at the rewinding position, against the recessed portion 4b' so to prevent the tray Ta located at the rewinding position from moving. The outer circumferential edge 7b' of the inhibiting arm 7b of the control lever 7 contacts the outer circumferential surface of the base t1 of the full bobbin loading tray Ta at the standby position to regulate its movement so as to hinder it from moving to the rewinding position. 7c is a pressing device disposed on the holding arm 7a and having a cap that is urged downward by a spring, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid Open No. 6-14172. The cap is adapted to contact the top surface of the base t1 of the tray Ta at the rewinding position to urge the tray Ta at the rewinding position downward, thereby pressing the bottom surface of the tray Ta against the top surface of the guide plate 6 and preventing the tray Ta at the rewinding position from moving. When the control lever 7 is rotated until it is removed from the tray input line 1a, the pressing device is inserted into the branching recessed portion 1c described above so as not to collide against the second guide plate 4b. The pressing device can be omitted if the holding arm 7a of the control lever 7 presses the tray Ta against the recessed portion 4b' to prevent the tray Ta at the rewinding position from moving. 9 is an extruding lever one end of which is attached to the shaft 8. The extruding lever 9 is separated from the control lever 7 counterclockwise through a predetermined angle and is located below the second guide plate 4b. A roller 9b that can rotate freely and that can contact the outer circumferential surface of the base t1 of the tray Ta at the rewinding position is pivotally supported on a pin 9a that stands on the free end of the extruding lever 9. While the holding arm 7a of the control lever 7 is contacting the stage portion t2 of the tray Ta fitted in the recessed portion 4b' at the rewinding position, the roller 9b of the extruding lever 9 located counterclockwise relative to the control lever 7 is separated from the base t1 of the tray Ta. The control lever 7 and the extruding lever 9 are designed rotate integrally around the shaft 8, and are encouraged to move in this way by means of an elastic device such as a spring (not shown in the drawings). Thus, the counterclockwise force of the elastic device causes the holding arm 7a of the control lever 7 to press the tray Ta at the rewinding position against the recessed portion 4b' formed in the second guide plate 4b. This prevents the tray Ta at the rewinding position from moving. 10 is a driving lever attached to a drive shaft 11. The driving lever 10 has an arm portion 10a extending from the drive shaft 11 in the radial direction, and a circular restraining section 10b extending from the tip of the arm portion 10a. A protruding portion 10c is formed on the arm portion 10a opposite to the side from which the circular restraining section 10b extends. As shown in Figure 1, while yarn is being rewound from the full bobbin loaded on the tray Ta at the rewinding position, the driving lever 10 is at the standby position, separating from the roller 9b of the extruding lever 9. When the driving shaft 11 rotates appropriately and the driving lever 10 rotates counterclockwise from the standby position, the arm portion 10a of the driving lever 10 or the circular restraining section 10b contacts the roller 9b of the extruding lever 9 to rotate the lever 9 clockwise. When the counterclockwise rotation of the driving lever 10 causes the extruding lever 9 to rotate around the shaft 8, the control lever 7 rotating integrally with the extruding lever 9 also rotates clockwise to separate the holding arm 7a of the control lever 7 from the tray Ta at the rewinding position. Furthermore, when the extruding lever 9 is rotated clockwise, the roller 9b of the extruding lever 9 contacts the outer circumferential surface of the base t1 of the tray Ta at the rewinding position to push the tray Ta at the rewinding position, which is no longer pushed by the holding arm 7a of the control lever 7, out from the recessed portion 4b' formed in the second guide plate 4b. As the driving lever 10 is further rotated counterclockwise, the protruding portion 10c formed on the arm portion 10a of the driving lever 10 contacts the base t1 of the tray Ta to transfer the tray Ta that has been pushed out from the recessed portion 4b', along the tray output line 1b toward the transfer line for empty bobbin loading tray 3. Since, in this embodiment, the protruding portion 10c is on the arm portion 10a opposite to the side from which the circular restraining section 10b of the driving lever 10 extends, the tray Ta can be led out to the transfer line for empty bobbin loading tray 3 along the tray output line 1b. Thus, the tray Ta transferred by the driving lever 10 is not led out to the transfer line for empty bobbin loading tray 3 as in the prior art, and can be prevented from stopping in the middle of the tray output line 1b. As a result, the tray Ta can be reliably transferred from the tray output line 1b to the transfer line for empty bobbin loading tray 3. In addition, as the driving lever 10 rotates counterclockwise, the control lever 7 rotating integrally with the extruding lever 9 also rotates clockwise. While, however, the tray Ta is being pushed out from the recessed portion 4b' that is the above rewinding position, the circular inhibiting arm 7b contacts the stage portion t2 of the full bobbin loading tray Tb at the standby position to inhibit the tray Tb from being led to the rewinding position. The further counterclockwise rotation of the driving lever 10 causes the control lever 7 rotating integrally with the extruding lever 9 to further rotate clockwise, thereby causing the control lever 7 to leave the tray input line 1a, as shown in Figure 2, and allowing the inhibiting arm 7b to move back to a position where it does not contact the full bobbin loading tray Tb at the standby position. Thus, the full bobbin loading tray Tb at the standby position slides along the tilted disc 5 and the guide plate 6, which is tilted downward toward the transfer line for empty bobbin loading tray 3. The full bobbin loading tray Tb stops moving toward the transfer line for empty bobbin loading tray 3 when the base t1 of the tray Tb contacts the roller 9b of the extruding lever 9, part of which is protruding into the tray input line 1a. When the driving lever 10 is rotated clockwise to leave the roller 9b of the extruding lever 9 contacting the circular restraining section 10b of the driving lever 10, the extruding lever 9, which is urged by an elastic device such as a spring (not shownin the drawings) so as to rotate counterclockwise around the shaft 8, rotates counterclockwise integrally with the control lever 7 to allow the roller 9b of the extruding lever 9 to leave the base t1 of the full bobbin loading tray Tb. This causes the tray Tb contacting the roller 9b of the extruding lever 9 to move toward the transfer line for empty bobbin loading tray 3 again. The full bobbin loading tray Tb is stopped when fitted in the recessed portion 4b' which constitutes the rewinding position. Then, the holding arm 7a of the control lever 7 rotating counterclockwise subsequently to the extruding lever 9 contacts the stage portion t2 of the full bobiin loading tray Tb, which is stopped while being fitted in the recessed portion 4b' which constitutes the rewinding position. Thus, the full bobbin loading tray Tb is prevented from moving from the rewinding position. In this manner, the rotation of the extruding lever 9 and control lever 7 is stopped by allowing the control lever 7 to contact the stage portion t2 of the full bobbin loading tray Tb, which is stopped while being fitted in the recessed portion 4b'. In this stopped condition, the roller 9b of the extruding lever 9 is separated from the base t1 of the tray Ta as shown in Figure 1, and the inhibiting arm 7b of the control lever 7 protrudes into the tray input line 1a. This restrains the movement of the full bobbin loading tray, which are now located at the standby position after being loaded from the transfer line for full bobbin loading tray 2 into the tray input line 1a, thereby preventing the tray from moving toward the rewinding position, that is, toward the recessed portion 4b'. As described above, the present invention includes the control lever 7 having the holding arm 7a which presses the tray Ta located at the rewinding position against the recessed portion 4b' formed in the second guide plate 4b and the inhibiting arm 7b that inhibits the movement of the full bobbin loading tray Tb located at the standby position toward the rewinding position. Because the holding arm 7a and the inhibiting arm 7b described above are integrally or nearly integrally formed, the present invention simplifies the structure of the automatic winder and its drive control apparatus and reduces the need for maintenance and inspections compared to conventional automatic winders, wherein levers are separately provided and independently operated. In conventional automatic winders, one lever holds the tray Ta at the rewinding position and another lever restrains the movement of the full bobbin loading Tb located at the standby position, thus preventing them from moving toward the rewinding position. In Figures 1 and 2, 12 is a guide plate disposed above the transfer line for full bobbin loading tray 2, and a protruding portion 12a having a triangular planar shape and extending in the direction of the second guide plate 4b is formed on the guide plate 12. The full bobbin loading tray T transferred along the transfer line for full bobbin loading tray 2 contacts the protruding portion 12a of the guide plate 12 and is guided toward the inlet 1a' of the tray input line 1a. If there are two full bobbin loading trays T on the tray input line 1a, the full bobbin loading tray T transferred along the transfer line for full bobbin loading tray 2 contacts the full bobbin loading tray T at the standby position located further from the full bobbin loading tray Ta at the rewinding position to have its transfer direction changed, and is further transferred along the transfer line for full bobbin loading tray 2, as shown in Figure 1. Due to the above configuration, the present invention has the following effects. Compared to conventional automatic winders, its structure and its drive control apparatus can be simplified so as to reduce the need for maintenance and inspections. In addition, the holding and inhibiting arms are integrated so that an impact, which is caused when the full bobbin loading tray that passes through the inlet of the tray input line contacts the full bobbin loading tray at a stanby position, acts as the pressing force of the holding arm. Consequently, the movement of the full bobbin loading tray toward the rewinding position can be reliably inhibited using a simple configuration. Since the inhibiting arm of the control lever is shaped like a circular arc, the full bobbin loading tray at the standby position can be reliably prevented from moving toward the rewinding position while the empty bobbin loading tray is being pushed out from the rewinding position. Since the protruding portion is formed on the arm portion of the driving lever, the empty bobbin loading tray can be reliably transferred to the transfer line for empty bobbin loading tray from the tray output line.

Claims: An automatic winder comprising a holding arm (7a) that presses a tray (T) located at a rewinding position against a recessed area (4b') formed at the rewinding position, and an inhibiting arm (7b) that inhibits a full bobbin loading tray at a standby position from moving to the rewinding position, characterized in that a control lever (7) comprises the holding arm (7a) and the inhibiting arm (7b). An automatic winder according to claim 1 characterized in that the inhibiting arm of the control lever is formed like a circular are (7b') so that while an empty bobbin loading tray is being pushed out from the rewinding position, the arm inhibits the full bobbin loading tray at the standby position from moving so as to prevent it from being led to the rewinding position. An automatic winder according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that a protruding portion is formed on an arm portion of a driving lever (10).

Inventors: MORIGUCHI TOSHIKI, MORIGUCHI, TOSHIKI
Applicants: MURATA MACHINERY LTD, MURATA KIKAI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B65H67
IPC codes: B65H67