Abstract:
A creel magazine for delivering packaged stranded material to a creel. The magazine includes magazine frame having guides for directing stranded materials to a creel or manufacturing process. Movable magazine cartridges rotatably support packages of stranded materials and are positioned on either side of the magazine frame. The apparatus and method provide for sequential delivery of stranded materials by alternating delivery sources between cartridges, intermediate replenishment of spent packages by rotation of a full package to a delivery position, and replenishment of spent cartridges.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Technical Filed 
         [0002]    The present invention generally relates to creels used for supplying stranded materials to a machine or process for subsequent treatment of the stranded materials or for the fabrication of articles out of the stranded materials. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for supporting a plurality of spools of stranded material, or packages, such that the stranded material carried by the packages may be sequentially supplied to a machine or industrial process. With even greater particularity, the invention relates to a creel magazine capable of receiving and guiding a predetermined number of strands of material to a machine or industrial process, wherein a creel cartridge carries a plurality of material packages sequentially connected for each of the predetermined strands. 
         [0003]    2. Related Art 
         [0004]    The use of creels for supporting stranded material packages is well known in the textile industry and finds application in other industries utilizing stranded materials as well. Modern high-speed processing systems require a continuous, uninterrupted supply of yarns, fed from a plurality of yarn packages supported throughout the creel. However, despite their widespread use, the task of loading and maintaining the supply of stranded materials in the creel remains an extremely labor intensive operation, involving both gross and fine motor skills. Moreover, the efficiency of these systems is dependent upon the ability to provide a continuous stream of material to the process. Interruptions of the process are usually caused by a breakage of the stranded material which occur most frequently where successive material packages are joined, such as by a knot or other methods well known in the art. 
         [0005]    Depending on the location of the breakage, process down time can be a matter of minutes, reflecting system shutdown, fault diagnosis, rejoining the broken strands, and system restart procedures. Moreover, modern high speed processing systems are usually designed with fault detection measures that are intended to prevent broken strands from entering the processing machinery. However, should these systems fail and a strand breakage enters the system, or where a strand breaks internally of the system, delays on the order of hours may be experienced as the entire machine will need to be reset. 
         [0006]    Conventional creel systems utilize yarn package supports which are arrayed on a plurality of support posts extending from a free standing frame of the creel and positioned so as to feed the manufacturing process. Eyelets or other guide means are provided vertically and laterally throughout the creel through which each of a plurality of yarn strands are fed to the processing system. Accordingly, monitoring, loading and maintenance of the creel is performed from a front side of the creel so that the operators will not be exposed to hazards presented by running lengths of stranded materials extending from the back side of the creel. In the typical process, a pair of package supports are configured in alignment with each eyelet and the respective yarn strands from the paired packages are tied or otherwise attached in series to alternately feed the process. 
         [0007]    Replacement of a yarn package in a creel typically requires a worker to remove a rotate a depleted package cone out of the creel from its working position to a loading position; remove and dispose of a spent cone from the package holder; lift the replacement yarn package from a delivery platform, such as a pallet or bulk container cart; transport the package to the indicated package support; manipulate the package to mount it on the package support; rotate the replenished package support into the creel; and tie or otherwise secure the lead end of the replenished yarn package to the tail end of the paired feeding yarn package. As can be readily seen, the operation and maintenance of a typical creel is and remains a labor intensive task 
         [0008]    In systems utilizing manual loading methods, a typical package will be limited to having a weight on the order of 8 to 14 pounds. In a given shift, a textile worker tasked with loading and maintaining the creel in a conventional process will lift, transport, and manipulate as much as six thousand pounds of packaged materials. Because the package supports are arrayed at varying heights and distances from the delivery platform, the typical laborer is subjected to significant risk of musculo-skeletal injuries presented at each step of the yarn package replacement process. Moreover, because the loading and replenishment of individual packages occurs at the creel, the activity remains a complex labor intensive one when combined with the related tasks of monitoring the condition, maintenance and performance of the system. Accordingly, there remains a need for improving the efficiency and reducing the complexity of creel operations. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    Objects of the present invention are to improve the efficiency of creel systems utilized in manufacturing processes utilizing packages of stranded materials. This object is realized by providing the process with a pre configured supply of materials ready for direct loading into the creel. The preconfigured supply of materials, carried on movable carts, or cartridges, are preferably loaded by automated means at a separate work station. More preferably, the packages are loaded directly onto the cartridge following completion of a preceding process. Other aspects of the invention provide means for reducing the complexity of operator tasks performed at the creel, thereby relieving the risk of musculo-skeletal stresses on the laborers tasked to operate a creel and improving efficiency and performance of the operator manning that station. 
         [0010]    The invention also alleviates risks to operators associated with high speed running strands of material as they are supplied to the process, such as the risk of severing appendages. This hazard is reduced significantly by elevating the running strands overhead of the operator&#39;s work station. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  depicts an overhead plan view of a stranded material magazine supply system for a manufacturing process. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  depicts an alternative overhead plan view of a stranded material magazine supply system for a manufacturing process. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  depicts a side elevational view of a stranded material magazine supply system for a manufacturing process. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4A  depicts an overhead plan view of a magazine. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4B  depicts a detailed view of material routing in the magazine shown in  4 A. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  depicts an end elevational view of a magazine. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  depicts a side elevational view of a magazine. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  depicts an end view of a cartridge. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  depicts a side elevational view of a cartridge. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  depicts a detailed end elevational view of the threading of successive packages. 
           [0021]      FIG. 10A  depicts a side elevational view of a cartridge post and package rotator. 
           [0022]      FIG. 10B  depicts an overhead plan view of a cartridge post and package rotator. 
           [0023]      FIG. 10C  depicts a perspective view of a guide channel, defined in a cartridge post. 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  depicts a side elevational view of transfer device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0025]    The creel magazine supply system and method of the present invention may be constructed as a complete system or is adaptable to an existing manufacturing facility working stranded materials. In reference to  FIGS. 1-4 , the system comprises a creel  10 , a plurality of creel magazines  20  each containing a plurality of spools of stranded material, or packages  30 . After leaving the creel magazines  20 , the running ends of the stranded material S are routed to the manufacturing process via creel  10  comprising a plurality of guides  11 , guide boards  12 , or return rollers  13 , supported in the facility according to conventional methods. As will be appreciated by those of skill in the art the length of the creel run L, is generally determined by the machine or process treating the stranded material, particularly with respect to parameters for detecting and preventing material breaks from entering the machine proper, such as the machine operating speed, break detection time, and machine interrupt or shut down times. 
         [0026]    The creel magazine supply system and method is designed around magazine  20  comprising a pair of movable replenishable carts, or cartridges  40  and a stationary magazine frame  21 . Each cartridge  40  is configured to carry a plurality of packages  30 . In the embodiment described, cartridge  40  allows for six running ends of material S to be fed to creel  10  at a time. As may be seen in reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , each cartridge  40  is configured to carry packages  30  in an array of two vertical columns and three rows at a depth of two packages  30  each, for a total of twelve packages  30  per cartridge  40 , and total of twenty four packages  30  in a magazine  20  utilizing two cartridges  40 . 
         [0027]    As may be appreciated, magazines  20  can be arranged to supply creel  10  with any number of running ends of material S. Utilizing the maximum capacity of each magazine  30  configured as described above, incremental strand counts of 48, 42, 36, 30, 24 may be readily achieved according to the needs of the manufacturing process by the addition or subtraction of magazines  30  to the site layout. Magazines  30  may be arranged any number of ways determined by the physical dimensions and process requirements of the manufacturing facility. In a preferred configuration, such as that depicted in  FIG. 1 , magazines  30  will be angled with respect to the creel run L towards return roller  13  to help reduce friction on the material S and drag on the machine as it pulls the material into the process. An angled design also allows for better access to the magazine  20  and cartridges  40  carts for tying and routing strands and other maintenance tasks. Maintenance in this area is typically referred to as a “break out” and must be attended to by the machine operator. 
         [0028]    In reference to  FIGS. 7-8 , replaceable cartridge, or cart  40 , is comprised of a platform  41  supported by ground wheels  42  and a post, or vertical frame  43  mounted to and extending from platform  41 . In the embodiment depicted, support arms  44  are provided in opposed pairs, pivotally mounted to vertical frame  43  via a package rotator  50 . As may be seen, package rotators  50  are attached to vertical frame  43  arranged in a creel like fashion having a predetermined number of columns, rows and banks defining a array which are selected based upon facility requirements or other operational considerations. In this embodiment support arms  44  are arranged in a 2×3×2 array, that is two columns, three rows, and two banks, about vertical frame  42  for a total of twelve packages  30  per cartridge  40 . A lateral frame  45  may be provided between adjacent vertical frame members  43  for added support. 
         [0029]    In the configuration depicted, package rotator  50  permits rotation of support arms  44  through an arc of 180 degrees about a vertical axis corresponding to its respective vertical frame member  43 . Package rotator  50  is comprised of support arms  44  attached to and extending laterally outwardly from a collar  51 . Collar  51  rotates about a rotator bearing surface  52 , which is provided with a guide channel  53 . Guide channel  53  receives a guide pin  54  extending from an inner surface of collar  51 , to guide and constrain the extent of rotation of support arms  44 . Guide channel  53  should also have a detent  51  to ensure positive alignment of support arm  44  and to alert the operator when support arm  44  is rotated to the correct position. 
         [0030]    Package rotator  50  may be configured according to the arrangement described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/885,743, incorporated herein by reference, with guide channel  53  defined in a substantially horizontal plane. Alternatively, instead of providing a discrete rotator bearing, rotator bearing surface  52  may be provided by an outer surface of the vertical frame members  43 , and guide channel  53 , may be cut in the vertical frame members  43 . Package rotators  50  are positioned at an appropriate elevation on vertical frame  43  based on the diameter of the package  30  and material being utilized in the manufacturing process. A modified set collar  56  may be mounted below each rotator bearing surface  52  to support collar  51  at the bearing surface  52 . Collar  51  may then be slid down vertical frame  42  during assembly. In the embodiment depicted, collar  51  has threaded apertures  57  spaced 180 degrees apart. The support arms  44  may then be inserted into the treaded apertures  57  to protrude into the guide channel  53 , thus allowing 180 degree movement around the upright  23  and supporting the weight of the package  30 . As best seen in reference to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , cartridge  40  further comprises a guide system for routing stranded material S to magazine  20  when cartridge  40  has been inserted into magazine  20 . 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  6 , stationary magazine frame  21  is secured to the floor of the manufacturing facility and is fed material supplied from either side of magazine frame  21  by packages  30  carried by cartridge  40 . Stationary magazine frame  21  comprises a plurality of longitudinal member  22  interconnecting upright members  23 . Upright members  23  are spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the width of cartridge  30 . Horizontal members  22  are positioned between upright members  23  at a position slightly above its associated package  30  carried by cartridge  40  and below a subsequent package  30  positioned above the associated package  30 . Magazine frame  21  and cartridges  40  should be configured such that cartridges  40  are received within in the frame  21  in proper alignment and are properly secured to prevent unwanted movement during use. Any suitable means are acceptable, for example, carts  40  may be indexed with respect to magazine frame  21 , a floor tracks or even cartridge guides, whether incorporated with frame  21  or ancillary to them may also be suitable. 
         [0032]    Magazine frame  21 , includes a magazine guide system that will accommodate each running end of material S supplied by cartridge  30  and route it to the creel  10 . As best seen in reference to  FIG. 5 , the guide system includes guide rods  24  extending laterally and inwardly from upright members  42  towards the interior of magazine  20 . Guide rods  24  are positioned slightly above a longitudinal axis of its associated package  30 , and laterally outwardly from a longitudinal centerline of magazine frame  21 . As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, particularly with respect to stranded materials such as yarns utilized in textiles, as the yarn is pulled from the package  30 , it will unwind from package  30  and form a balloon around and at the end of the package  30 . Guide rod  24  is positioned to reduce the diameter of the balloon coming off the package. Preferably, guide rod  24  will be vertically adjustable to maintain a limiting effect on balloon formation as package  30  is depleted. Guide rods  24  may include a roller sleeve  25  to reduce friction between the rod  24  and material S. Primary guides  26  are provided in horizontal members  22  in spaced relation to each other to direct each strand of material from guide rod  24  and route it vertically to the top of magazine  20 . Primary guides  26  are preferably ceramic, but may be made of any suitable material. Secondary guides  26 , which may include a guide board or roller, are mounted on an upright member  23  proximal to creel  10 , and receives material directed laterally from an uppermost set of primary guides  24 . Material leaving secondary guides  25  is then directed towards and carried by guides  11 , guide boards  12 , and/or return roller  13  of creel  10 , depending upon the magazine&#39;s placement in relation to creel  10 . 
         [0033]    To reduce the potential for the balloons of adjacent packages becoming entangled, magazine frame  21  may also be provided with a shield  28  mounted to transverse members  29  attached to and extending perpendicular to upright members  23 . More preferably, shield  28  is comprised of a transparent material, such as glass or plexiglass, so that the operator may visually inspect the condition of the yarn feeds within magazine  20  and that of the supplying packages  30  and cartridges  40 . A transparent shield  28  will also facilitate the operator&#39;s ability to join and route successive running ends. 
         [0034]    The configuration of the creel magazine supply system thus described permits improved efficiency in the delivery of stranded material to a manufacturing process. First, the transportability of cartridges  40  permits loading of packages  30  by automated methods such as that disclosed in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/885,743, so that loading of packages  30  onto support arms  44  is performed remotely from the magazine  20 , thereby reducing the complexity of tasks performed at the magazines  20 . Similarly, because cartridge  40  may be loaded via automated means, the size, and thereby the length of stranded material carried by a package  30  may be dramatically increased, from the 8-14 pounds in conventional manual systems, to at least forty pounds permitted by automated loading systems. Because the strand length is increased, a significant source of breakages, i.e. knots or joints, are substantially reduced, thereby contributing to the efficiency and reliability of the process. 
         [0035]    Next, the magazine configured creel eliminates a primary and substantial source of musculo-skeletal injury exposure presented by loading packages  30  at the creel. By providing a mobile, fully loaded cartridge  40 , the magazine  20  can be replenished without lifting necessary in conventional methods. As will be more fully described below, the creel magazine  20  of the present invention permits the system to be pre-loaded with at least four packages  30  of material prior to initiating a run. The unique configuration of the magazine  20  and its associated cartridges  40  permits each of four packages  30  to be fed in sequence to the manufacturing process, alternating between packages  30  carried on a first cartridge  40  and second cartridge  40 ′. As annotated in  FIG. 5 , packages S 1 -S 4 , are fed sequentially to magazine  20 , in a modified tip to tail, back and forth fashion, whereas current systems feed tip to tail in a side by side configuration. This magazine configuration and method effectively doubles the initial package  30  capacity of the creel  10  from two packages  30  to four. 
         [0036]    To run packages  30  in the modified tip to tail fashion, the leading end of material from package S 1  is routed under guide rod  24  and then upwardly through primary guides  26  to the top of magazine  20 . From there, the leading end is carried horizontally to secondary guide, or guide board  27  and then integrated with the guides  11 , guide boards  12 , or return roller  13  of the creel  10  depending upon a magazine&#39;s  20  placement in the process configuration. Each of the six corresponding S1 packages are routed in similar manner. By guiding the materials to the top of the magazine frame  21 , the operators may have ready access to the magazine  20  and its associated cartridges  40 . 
         [0037]    As may be seen in reference to  FIG. 9 , the trailing end of package S n  is tied or joined with the leading end of package S n+1 , which is mounted on cartridge  40 ′ positioned transversely across magazine  20  from cartridge  40 . As previously described, as the yarn spools off its package  30  it creates a balloon around the package  30 . Therefore, when joining the tip of a subsequent package S n+1  to the tail of its preceding package S n , the joined material, primarily the leading end of S n+1 , must be retained out of the way to prevent the “balloon” on the running package S n  from tangling. In like manner, the running of material from the subsequent package must be allowed pull thru and out of the retaining apparatus once transfer to the subsequent package commences. 
         [0038]    To achieve this, a transfer device  60 , such as that depicted in  FIG. 11  is provided mounted near the center line of the magazine frame  41  to the outside of each package  30  running position, as may be seen in reference to  FIGS. 6 and 9 . Transfer device  60  comprises an elongate member, or bar  61 , having a U-shaped notch  62  formed at a first end of bar  61  and a counterweight  63  formed at a second end of bar  61 . Bar  61  is pivotally mounted to a post  64  via a pivot  65 . Counterweight  63  is selected such that notch  62  is oriented vertically in a retaining position and that slight lateral forces will permit bar  61  to pivot and orient notch  62  to a release position. 
         [0039]    In reference to  FIG. 9 , the routing of the running ends is depicted in detail illustrating the initial routing of package S n , the modified tip to tail side by side interconnection of packages S n  and S n+1 , and the transfer of material supply between S n  and S n+1 . The initial routing of the running end of package S n  is shown by the arrowed line a, at the top of the left hand package S n . The running end is routed under guide rod  24  and upwardly to primary guide  26 . At the lower left hand side, the leading end of yarn S n+1  is depicted by dashed arrowed line b, and is shown tied to the tail end of package S n  and is routed through transfer device  60 . As the material from package S n  is depleted, the joined ends of material S n  and S n+1 , are drawn towards guide rod  24  and primary guide  26  as depicted by the joined lines at c, at the lower end and slightly to the right of package S n . As the joined ends are drawn upwardly towards primary guide  26 , running end S n+1  begins to exert pressure on the side of notch  62  so that transfer device  60  tips laterally to release running end S n+1 , from notch  62 , shown by dashed line d, effectuating transfer of supply from package S n  to package S n+1 , which will be complete once the running end of S n+1  is released from transfer device  60 ′. Depending upon the diameter of packages  30 , an additional transfer device  60  may be required to be positioned on each cart and at the outer ends thereof, so that effective retention and transfer may be effectuated. Upon complete transfer, running end S n+1  will be pulled upwardly until engaging guide rod  24 ′ and routing will proceed according to the initial condition for package S n+1 . After transfer to package S n+1  is complete the depleted package S n  is rotated about axis A as depicted in  FIG. 5  and fresh package  30  is positioned within magazine frame  21 . In repeating the sequence, the previously defined package S +1  becomes S n  and the rotated replenished package  30  becomes the next S n+1 . According to this method, a fully loaded creel magazine  20  can provide an initial run twice that of conventional creels before the magazine  20  will require replenishment, thereby leading to greater efficiency in the process. As will be readily appreciated, once a cartridge  40  is depleted, it may be removed from the magazine  20  and replaced with a replenished cartridge  40 , and the process continued. 
         [0040]    Thus, one of the may objectives of the present invention is to allow the cartridges  40  to be loaded at a remote location so as to eliminate loading tasks at the magazine  20 . Additional efficiency may be realized where a material undergoes a prior process to be produced as a package  30  at the conclusion of that process. Customarily, packages  30  produced in a previous process are simply loaded and stacked in a bulk carrying cart and then wheeled to the next process station at which the packages  30  are then manually removed from the bulk carrying cart and loaded into the next process. By the method contemplated by the present invention, the packages  30  may be directly loaded onto a cartridge  40  upon completion of the previous process, thereby saving labor costs and increasing efficiency by eliminating double handling the packages  30 . 
         [0041]    While this invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that variations and modifications can be affected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described herein and as described in the appended claims.