Patent GB-1440272-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for supplying cops to winder units of winding machines and for processing the yarn ends
IPC: B65H67/08
Filed: 1973-10-15
Abstract: 1440272 Supplying cops to winding machines; preparing cops for unwinding NIHON SPINDLE SEIZO KK 15 Oct 1973 [17 Oct 1972 (2) 28 Nov 1972 13 March 1973] 48014/73 Headings D1F and D1J The invention relates to apparatus of the kind in which a cop feeder travels along a row of winding machines and automatically feeds fully wound cops into a storage magazine of each winding machine. According to the invention the cop feed apparatus includes means for drawing the yarn end off a delivered cop, yarn guide means by which the drawn off yarn extending between the cop and the draw-off means is guided to a suction opening in the magazine, and means for cutting the yarn between the suction opening and the yarn draw-off means. Fig. 7 shows a fully wound cop 10 that has been delivered to a cop magazine 11 of a winding unit. A draw-off unit 109 then swings downwardly onto the upper end of the cop 10 so that a bunch winding on the cop end enters the draw-off unit 109. Compressed air is then blown into the draw-off unit 109 via a conduit 118 to unreel the bunch winding and blow it via a discharge conduit 115, Fig. 6, into a filter 14. The draw-off unit 109 then rises so that the drawn off yarn extends between the cop and the raised draw-off unit 109. A yarn guide unit 106, comprising parts 121-126, 127a, b, d, and scissor-like parts 127c and 128, then moves forward to engage the yarn and force it towards a suction opening 104 in the centre of the magazine 11. A loop of the yarn is then sucked into the opening 104 and the yarn guide 106 retracts. A yarn cutter 107 then cuts the yarn extending between the opening 104 and the draw-off unit 109. Draw-off unit 109 Fig. 8 shows one embodiment of the draw-off unit. The compressed air fed into the unit via conduit 118 is ejected through an annular passage 119 and discharged onto the bunch winding 10a at an angle that causes a secondary air current to flow in through a recessed rim portion 117. The resulting air currents unreel the bunch winding 10a and pass it down the conduit 115 to the filter. After the yarn end is thus drawn out, the draw-off unit 109 holds the yarn end under the suction effect and is raised to its starting position with the yarn end extending between the unit 109 and the cop 10. Other embodiments of the draw-off unit 109 are described with reference to Figs. 15 to 19 (not shown). Suction opening 104 in magazine 111. In Fig. 7 the suction opening 104 is permanently open. In Fig. 20 (not shown) the suction opening is covered by an eccentrically mounted cover (165) spring biassed to a setting in which a suction hole (164) in the cover (165) is out of alignment with the suction opening 104. When the yarn guide unit 106 swings forwardly to push the drawn-off yarn towards the suction opening, an operating member (182) on the guide unit 106 engages a thrust piece (167) on the cover (165) and rotates the cover to a setting in which the hole (164) therein is in line with suction opening 104. When the guide unit 106 retracts the suction opening 104 is again closed by the cover (165). Supplying cops 10 to the winding machines. The cop feeder that travels along the winding machines receives its cops from a conveyor belt 61, Fig. 2, at the top of the machine. A chute 62 on the cop feeder 2 picks up the cops 10 and conveys them from the belt 61 into a cop storing section 1. In the section 1 are limit switches SWI, SW2 so arranged that if the section 1 is full the uppermost switch SW1 stops the conveyor belt 61 and if the section 1 is empty the lowermost switch SW2 causes the conveyor belt 61 to start again. A solenoid controlled cop feed out section 2 permits the cops to be fed to a charging section 3. The charging section 3 comprises a charging member 30 Figs. 2 and 4, that can be swung upwardly by means 70 to receive cops from the section 2, and downwardly to feed the cops to a magazine 111. The charging member 30 is mounted on wheels running on curved rails 83, 84 so that the cop charging operation can follow the rotation of a cop magazine 111 about the suction opening 104. The charging member 30 has two cop receiving cavities closed at their lower ends by pivotally mounted cover plates 33, 33 spring biassed to a closed setting. Each cover plate 33 has a boss 35, Figs. 12b, and when a cop 10 is in the cavity its weight overcomes the closing effect of the spring means acting on the cover with the result that the cover plate 33 tends to rook to its open setting. This, however, is prevented by a lever 91 that abuts against the boss 35 to block such an opening motion until such time as the travelling feeder 2 has stopped and aligned itself with a winding station. When this occurs a solenoid 92 is actuated to rock the lever 91 out of engagement with the boss 35 and the cover plate 33 then opens under the weight of the cop to deliver a cop to the magazine 111 of a winding unit. If, however, the winding unit already has its supply of fully wound cops the cover plate 33 is held in its closed setting by the cop 10 already in the magazine. When the solenoid 92 is de-energized the lever 91 moves back into engagement with the boss 35 and the undischarged cop is retained in the charging member for conveyance to the next winding machine. Movement of cop feeder 2. The apparatus includes means whereby the cop feeder 2 can be precisely stopped for cop-charging to every other magazine 111 when the feeder is travelling in one direction along the row of winding machines, and to be stopped to charge every intermediate magazine when the cop feeder is travelling in the reverse direction.