Patent GB-1074854-A (GB)
Title: Bobbin autodoffing machine
IPC: D01H9/10
Filed: 1964-08-04
Abstract: An autodoffing device travels along the front of a spinning, twisting or like machine in stepwise manner to doff a group of wound bobbins and replace them with empty bobbins.  Locating the auto-doffer  The auto-doffer has a wheel (6), see Fig. 8 not shown, which runs on a rail (5).  Notches (11) in a disc (9) mounted in the auto-doffer periodically engage projections (19) on the rail (5) to cause the shaft (26) on which disc (9) is mounted to rotate and thus via a microswitch and solenoid arrangement de-clutch the drive wheel (6). A biased stop pin (21) engages a hole (27) in disc (9) to precisely locate the auto-doffer.  Auto-doffer level control means.  The auto-doffer is supported on the floor by wheels (32) (see Fig. 9, not shown), and has hydraulic valve operating levers (36) engaging a datum bar (31) above and parallel to rail (5) so that should e.g. the floor drop and the autodoffer tend to lean outwardly, the hydraulic valves are adjusted by levers (36) such that pistons (33) in the supports for wheels (32) are actuated and thus the level of the auto-doffer is regulated.  Loosening Full Bobbins.  Preliminary to doffing, a longitudinal kicker shaft (53), see Fig. 10 not shown, is moved towards the spindles so that a kicker carried by a lever mounted on the shaft is inserted between the lower end of the bobbin tube and the wharl to loosen the bobbin. The outer end (55\sv) of the lever is then moved downwardly to lift the full package, a presser being provided on the kicker shaft to hold down the wharl.  Removing Full Bobbins.  The top of a full bobbin is gripped by oppositely slidable chuck elements contained within a chuck (80), see Fig. 11 not shown. The chuck head is then retracted and lifted by a three cam mechanism, lifting being performed by a linkage (81), see Figure 12 not shown.  Yarn manipulating Means.  As the full package is lifted its lower end is engaged by a rod on the end of a pivoted, cam operated lever (91), see also Fig. 13 not shown, so that the lower part of the bobbin is over a shoot into which it falls when the chuck elements are opened.  Yarn Severing Means.  The yarn running from the spindle to the removed full bobbin, see Fig. 14 not shown, is held by suction orifice (103) and severed by a rotating cutter (104). Storing Full Bobbins.  The full bobbins fall into a container (111), Fig. 15, not shown, and lie on a series of traps (112) which are periodically opened by a solenoid (113) so that each bobbin falls between a pair of sheets (115) normally drawn together at their lower ends by magnets (116, 116\sv).  The sheets break the fall of the bobbins before the magnets are forced apart and the bobbins laid gently in the bottom of the container.  The sheets (115) are wound up on to reels (117, 117\sv) as the container fills.  Each sheet may be replaced by a row of cords.  Donning Empty Bobbins.  The empty bobbin tubes are arranged in columns in a case (121), see Figs. 2 and 19 not shown, which is fitted with guides such that the tubes must all point in the same direction.  A slidable apertured member (132), Fig. 19 not shown, lies between the bottom of the case (121) and a member (134) which contained a number of bobbin receiving troughs (133). Upon moving the slidable member a point is reached where each aperature therein lies directly beneath a column of tubes and one tube falls into each aperture. On further movement of the sliding member the apertures therein become aligned with the trough (133) and the tubes fall into these troughs.  Spring urged members adjacent the wallls of the troughs grip the empty tubes.  The member (134) which lies in a horizontal position to receive the tubes is then moved and rotated by cam operated mounting links, see Fig. 23 not shown, to lie in a vertical position above the line of the spindles.  Further cam means release the spring biased bobbin tube gripping means so that the bobbins fall onto the empty spindles.  A resilient member mounted on a rotatable shaft then applies a downward pressure to the top of the tubes to secure them on the spindles.  Re-starting the Wind. When re-starting the spindles the ring rail lifting lever (169), Fig. 24 not shown, is engaged by a lever (166) driven by a hydraulic device (164) so that the rail is moved in such a way as to equalise the tension in the yarn and prevent breakage thereof.