Patent GB-1242868-A (GB)
Title: Yarn handling apparatus
Inventor: CRUICKSHANK D
IPC: B65H67/06
Filed: 1968-08-07
Abstract: 1,242,868. Endless conveyers; rotary elevators. LEESONA CORP. 7 Aug., 1968 [11 Sept., 1967 (3); 12 Sept., 1967], No. 37578/68. Heading B8A. [Also in Divisions D1-D2] A yarn handling apparatus for distributing supply bobbins, segregated according to the type of yarn thereon, to a plurality of package winding stations, includes means whereby each package winding station receives only supply bobbins having yarn of a type appropriate to that station; there being control means for operating said distributing means to deliver a bobbin from the handling means to a package winding station in response to a demand from said station. In Fig. 1 the yarn handling apparatus for a textile mill comprises (1) a yarn processing area 11 having a plurality of spinning frames or twisters 14 and storage bins 16 receiving the filled bobbins 15 in a jumbled condition, there being one storage bin for each type of yarn to maintain the bobbins segregated according to the type of yarn thereon; (2) conveyers 17 for transporting the filled bobbins 15 from the bins 16 to bobbin orienting equipment 25 in a winding area 12; and (3) means for distributing the oriented bobbins to the yarn winding stations 28 of a package winding machine 27. The bins 16.-Each bin 16, Fig. 2, comprises a conveyer belt 38 in the form of a double-skinned U-shaped trough, the upper skin 39 moving towards its associated conveyer 17 and then returning as the under skin 40. Depending tools 42 prevent the jumbled bobbins from escaping from the rear of the bins. As the various types of filled bobbins 15 are doffed from the processing machines 14, each type is deposited in a separate storage bin 16 where the bobbins remain until they are required in the winding area 12. The conveyers 17.-Each conveyer belt 17 runs on V-shaped supports and commences with an inclined portion 74 so that if a bobbin is disposed to roll down the belts it will roll towards the centre of the belt and align itself with the direction of motion of the belt. Above the lower end 46 of each belt is a diagonal member (79), Fig. 6 (not shown), that prevents bobbins from rolling off the belt 17 and aligns them with the direction of motion of the belt. The speed of the belt 17 is greater than the speed of the U-shaped belt 38 to facilitate the separation of telescoped bobbins. The discharge end of the belt 17 drops the bobbins down a shoot 85 to a bobbin orienting drum 86. Bobbin orienting drum 86.-This is a cylindrical housing 91, Figs. 8 and 9, that runs on rollers 93, 94 between stationary walls 88, 89. The inner surface of the housing 91 has channels 121 into which the bobbins are dropped by the shoot 85. The drum rotates in the direction of the arrow 123 and the channels 121 are of such a size that only one bobbin can be accommodated in each channel. A guide plate 130 prevents the bobbins from dropping out of the channels 121 until they reach top dead-centre. At top deadcentre are a pair of gauges 133, one pair for each of the two ends of the bobbin. Each gauge 133 comprises a pair of abutments spaced apart sufficiently to pass only the small end 20 of a bobbin 15 but not its large end. Therefore, the small end 20 of the bobbin falls between the adjacent gauge abutments 134 and the bobbin 15 pivots downwardly with its large end 19 supported on the other gauge 133 so that the bobbins pass out of the drum 186 through a discharge shoot 135, opening through the drum end wall 89, always with their small end 20 first. A resilient finger 136 is mounted on and extends upwardly from the upper end of the guide member 130 to lift any partially full bobbins 15 so that they will be properly positioned for receipt by the gauges 133. The discharge shoot 135 leads the bobbins into a tube 136 at the bottom of which is a plunger 137 of a double-acting accelerator drive cylinder 138. The rollers 93 are associated with weighing means that is capable of stopping the drive motor 32 of the associated storage bin 16 should the weight of the drum 86 exceed a predetermined value. Accelerator drive cylinder 138.-When a bobbin is required by a distributing conveyer 26, a solenoid valve 140 is actuated to drive the plunger 137 upwardly. This shoots the bobbin up the tube 136, around an arcuate inverting tube 141, and into a bobbin holder 143 having upper and lower gates 146, 144 so operated that only one bobbin at a time can enter a tube 142 of the bobbin holder 143. Distributing system 26.-This includes an endless conveyer 158, Fig. 2, carrying a plurality of bobbin-receiving buckets 160 and, as described hereinafter, if a plurality of different types of bobbins are available the apparatus is so constructed that each bucket will receive only bobbins of a particular type. The buckets 160 pass over the open tops of stationary bobbin receivers 161, there being a bobbin receiver 161 above each of the winding stations 28. Each bucket 160, Fig. 17, has a closure gate 166 at its lower end. This closure gate 160 can be opened by raising a pin 190 on an appropriate bobbin receiver 161. The pin 190 then co-operates with a cam 170 on a bail 186 to rock the closure gate 166 to an open setting. The bail 186 has a plurality of holes 188 so that the cam 170 can be positioned in any one of several other settings. The pin 190 is in a body 191 that can be secured by bolts 193 in any one of several settings on the bobbin receiver 161 by virtue of the bolt receiving holes 194. The pin 190 is raised when a solenoid valve 214a is operated. Thus a bobbin receiver 161 can only receive a bobbin from a travelling bucket 160 if (1) the pin 190 is raised; and (2) the setting of the cam 170 on the bail 186 matches the setting of the pin holding body 191 on the bobbin receiver 161. When a bobbin is discharged from a bucket 160 into a bobbin receiver 161, it rests on a gate 198 at the bottom of the bobbin receiver 161 until its associated winding station 28 again requires a bobbin, whereupon the gate 198 opens and the bobbin is fed through a tube 199 and into a creel 200 of the winding station. Refilling an empty bucket 160.-When a wound bobbin has been discharged from its bucket 160, the empty bucket cam 170 is in a setting such that when the empty bucket next passes under its appropriate bobbin holder 143, the cam 170, Fig. 11, closes a switch 169 below said holder 143 to cause the holder 143 to deliver a bobbin to the empty bucket 160 whose gate 166 has been previously closed by cams 171 and 172, closure of the switch 169 also causing another bobbin to be fired by the accelerator plunger 137 to the bobbin holder 143.