Patent Publication Number: US-7222815-B2

Title: Doffing apparatus of a high-speed high-stand fabric take-up device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a doffing apparatus of a fabric take-up device, particularly to a doffing apparatus of a high-speed high-stand fabric take-up device, which can promote the safety of fabric-winding and fabric-doffing operations. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   At present, the fabric completed by a knitting machine is wound up into a roll by a fabric take-up device. However, the roll of fabric wound up by a small-size fabric take-up device has a diameter of only about 20 inches, and owing to its small fabric-storage volume, it is gradually obsolete. In order to meet the demand for higher fabric-storage volume, the industry has developed a high-speed high-stand fabric take-up device; as the roll of fabric wound up thereby can reach a diameter up to about 46 inches, it has been widely applied in the industry. 
   A general high-speed high-stand fabric take-up device is usually formed of two side-frame casings sitting opposite to each other, a fabric-conveying apparatus, a fabric-winding apparatus used for taking up fabric, and a fabric-doffing apparatus used for unloading fabric. The fabric-conveying apparatus is primarily composed of several rollers, which are pivotedly installed above two side-frame casings and convey fabric to the fabric-winding apparatus. The fabric-winding apparatus is primarily composed of two drive wheels and a fabric-winding rod, wherein two drive wheels are separately installed on the middle portions of two side-frame casings, and one face of the drive wheel has a rabbet extending to the perimeter of the drive wheel. Each end of the fabric-winding rod protrudes a rod shaft. The fabric-winding rod is coupled to the drive wheels via engaging the rod shafts into the rabbets, and the drive wheels can drive the fabric-winding rod to rotate in order to undertake a fabric take-up operation. The fabric-doffing apparatus is primarily formed of a rod and two support brackets, wherein the rod is pivotedly installed between the portions near the bottoms of the side-frame casings; one end of each support bracket is coupled to the rod, and the other end of each support bracket is used to support the fabric-winding rod to span between two support brackets; via the rotation of the rod, the support brackets bring the fabric-winding rod to descend. 
   However, the conventional high-speed high-stand fabric take-up device has the following disadvantages:
     1. As the rod shaft of the fabric-winding rod is coupled to the drive wheels via engaging the rod shafts into the rabbets of the drive wheels, the coupling effect is inferior, and it is probable for the fabric-winding rod to decouple from the drive wheels when the rotation speed of the fabric rod increases.   2. Currently, the fabric-doffing operation is performed by man. As the weight of the fabric on the fabric-winding rod is appreciable now, it is a probable danger that operators be contused by a fast-descending fabric roll. Therefore, a lifter is usually used to unload fabric rolls. The lifter can solve the problem of personnel contusion; however, it has an appreciable volume, and a special aisle needs reserving for the lifter, which will decrease the number of the fabric take-up devices installed inside the factory and reduce the overall productivity.   

   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The objective of the present invention is to provide a doffing apparatus of a fabric take-up device, wherein not only the safety of fabric-winding operation can be promoted via enhancing the connection between the drive wheels and the fabric-winding rods, but also the safety of fabric-doffing operation can be promoted via decelerating the rotation speed of the support brackets that sustain the fabric-winding rod. 
   To achieve the aforementioned objective, the doffing apparatus of a fabric take-up device of the present invention comprises: a couple of control handles, a couple of safety pins, a rod, a couple of support brackets, and a couple of hydraulic cylinders. The couple of control handles are separately installed on two side-frame casings sitting opposite to each other. Each control handle has a fixed end and a movable end. The fixed end is fixed to the interior of the side-frame casing, and the movable end projects through an opening of the side-frame casing to the exterior of the side-frame casing. Each safety pin penetrates the corresponding drive wheel. One end of the safety pin is fixed to the control handle, and the connection and disconnection between the other end of the safety pin and the rod shaft of the fabric-winding rod can be implemented via shifting the movable end of the control handle. The rod is pivotedly installed between two side-frame casings. One end of support bracket is fixed to the rod, and the other end of the support bracket has a longitudinal notch, which is used to support the fabric-winding rod to span between two support brackets. The couple of hydraulic cylinders are separately disposed in two side-frame casings. One end of the hydraulic cylinder is pivotedly installed to the side-frame casing, and the other end of the hydraulic cylinder has a cylinder shaft, which can move back and forth along the hydraulic cylinder, and the external end of the cylinder shaft is pivotedly installed to the support bracket. The hydraulic cylinders can provide a buffer force to decelerate the rotation of the support bracket. 
   The preferred embodiments and the technical contents of the present invention are to be described below in cooperation with the attached drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective assembly diagram showing that the doffing apparatus of the present invention is assembled to a high-speed high-stand fabric take-up device. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective assembly diagram from the identical viewing angle of  FIG. 1 , wherein the coupling relationship between the drive wheel and the doffing apparatus inside the side-frame casing is particularly illustrated. 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view showing a portion of elements of the doffing apparatus of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4A  to  FIG. 4C  show the procedures of the fabric-doffing operation via the doffing apparatus of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Refer to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 , and  FIG. 3 . The doffing apparatus of a high-speed high-stand fabric take-up device  100  is applicable to a fabric take-up device having a higher fabric-storage volume. In the current embodiment, the fabric take-up device  100  at least comprises: two side-frame casings  110  sitting opposite to each other, a fabric-winding rod  120 , and two drive wheels  130 . Two hollow rod shafts  121  separately project from each end of the fabric-winding rod  120 . One side of the drive wheel  130  has a rabbet  131 , and one end of the rabbet  131  extends to the perimeter of the drive wheel  130 . The shape of the rod shaft  121  mates with the contour of the rabbet  131 , and the shape of the rod shaft  121  is preferred to be rectangular. The rod shaft  121  can be engaged to the drive wheel  130  via the rabbet  131 . The drive wheels  130  are linked to a transmission mechanism (not shown in the drawings) and drive the fabric-winding rod  120  to rotate between two side-frame casings  110  and wind fabric up. 
   The doffing apparatus comprises: a couple of control handles  140 , a couple of safety pins  150 , a rod  160 , a couple of support brackets  170 , and a couple of hydraulic cylinders  180 . The couple of control handles  140  are separately installed on two side-frame casings  110 . Each control handle  140  has a fixed end  141  and a movable end  142 . The fixed end  141  is fixed to the interior of the side-frame casing  110 , and the movable end  142  projects through an opening  111  of the side-frame casing  110  to the exterior of the side-frame casing  110 . Each safety pin  150  penetrates the corresponding drive wheel  130 . One end of the safety pin  150  is fixed to the control handle  140 , and the other end of the safety pin  150  is normally inserted through the hollow rod shaft  121  and coupled to the fabric-winding rod  120 . The rod  160  is pivotedly installed between two side-frame casings  110  and near the bottom of two side-frame casings  110 . Each support bracket  170  is installed between the fabric-winding rod  120  and the rod  160 . One end of the support bracket  170  is fixed to the rod  160 , and the other end of the support bracket  170  has a longitudinal notch  171 , which is used to support the fabric-winding rod  120  to span between two support brackets  170 . The couple of hydraulic cylinders  180  are separately disposed in two side-frame casings  110 . One end of the hydraulic cylinder  180  is pivotedly installed to the side-frame casing  110 , and the other end of the hydraulic cylinder  180  has a cylinder shaft  181 , which can move back and forth along the hydraulic cylinder  180 , and the external end of the cylinder shaft  181  is pivotedly installed to the support bracket  170 . As the safety pin  150  is normally inserted through the hollow rod shaft  121  of the fabric-winding rod  120 , the connection between the drive wheel  130  and the rod shaft  121  of the fabric-winding rod  120  is thus enhanced. In other words, in addition to the engagement between the drive wheel  130  the rod shaft  121  via the rabbet  131 , the design of the safety pins  150  further promotes the safety of fabric-winding operation via preventing the fabric-winding rod  120  separating from the drive wheel  130 . 
   Refer to  FIG. 3 . Further, a movable positioning bolt  112  is installed on either of the side-frame casings  110  and near the drive wheel  130 , and the drive wheel  130  has a positioning hole  132  on its perimeter. When the fabric-doffing operation is to be undertaken, the positioning bolt  112  is inserted into the positioning hole  132  lest the drive wheel  130  rotate once more, and the rabbet  131  of the drive wheel  130  can also be oriented to a transverse direction so that the rod shaft  121  of the fabric-winding rod  120  can be easily disengaged from the rabbet  131 . 
   The fabric-doffing process is to be described below in detail. Refer to from  FIG. 4A  to  FIG. 4C . As shown in  FIG. 4A , when the fabric-doffing operation is to be undertaken, firstly, the positioning bolt  112  is inserted into the positioning hole  132  lest the drive wheel  130  rotate again and so that the rabbet  131  of the drive wheel  130  can also be oriented to a transverse direction. Next, the movable end  142  of the control handle  140  is shifted to draw the safety pin  150  away from the rod shaft  121  of the fabric-winding rod  120 , also as shown in  FIG. 4A . And next, the fabric-winding rod  120  is moved to enable the rod shafts  121  of the fabric-winding rod  120  to disengage from the rabbets  131  of the drive wheels  130 . And then, the fabric-winding rod  120  sustained by the support brackets  170  moves downward along an arc path until it reaches an appropriate position where the fabric together with the fabric-winding rod  120  is doffed from the support brackets  170 , as shown in  FIG. 4B  and  FIG. 4C . 
   It is to be noted that when the support brackets  170  moves downward along the aforementioned arc path, the cylinder shafts  181  of the hydraulic cylinders  180  will gradually stretch out to buffer the descending speed of the support brackets  170  lest the fabric  10  together with the fabric-winding rod  120 , whose weight is great, descend too fast and harm operators. Obviously, according to the spirit of the invention disclosed herein, the persons skilled in the art can modify the buffer force of the hydraulic cylinders  180  according to the weight of the fabric roll so that the descending speed of the support brackets  170  can be appropriately adjusted and the safety and convenience of fabric-doffing operation can be promoted. 
   In the current embodiment, as the descending speed of the support brackets  170  is buffered by the hydraulic cylinders  180 , the fabric together with the fabric-winding rod  120  can be doffed by man and free from using a lifter. Thus, the special aisle for the lifter is no more needed in the factory, and the number of the fabric take-up devices  100  can be increased in order to promote productivity. 
   Refer to  FIG. 2 . Further, a first limit switch  113  can be installed inside one of the side-frame casings  110 . When the fabric-winding operation is being undertaken, the first limit switch  113  keeps contacting the control handle  140 . When the fabric-doffing operation is to be undertaken, the control handle  140  is separated from the limit switch  113  via shifting the movable end  142 , which can automatically switch off the power of the fabric take-up device  100  lest the drive wheel  130  rotate mistakenly, so that the safety of the fabric-doffing operation is promoted. 
   Refer to  FIG. 2  again. A second limit switch  114  can also be installed inside one of the side-frame casings  110 . When the fabric-winding operation is being undertaken, the second limit switch  114  keeps contacting one of the support brackets  170 . When the fabric-doffing operation is to be undertaken, the support bracket  170  is separated from the limit switch  114  via moving the fabric-winding rod  120 , which can automatically switch off the power of the fabric take-up device  100 , so that the safety of the fabric-doffing operation is promoted. 
   In summary, via the safety pins&#39; enhancing the connection between the drive wheel and the rod shaft of the fabric-winding rod, the doffing apparatus of a high-speed high-stand fabric take-up device of the present invention can promote the safety of the fabric-doffing operation. Further, the connection and disconnection between the safety pins and the rod shafts of the fabric-winding rod is implemented just via shifting the control handle, so that the operation thereof is thus simple and quick. Furthermore, via the hydraulic cylinders&#39; providing the buffer force to enable the support brackets to gradually rotate, the descending speed of the support brackets can be reduced, so that the safety of the fabric-doffing operation is promoted. 
   Those embodiments disclosed above are only to clarify the present invention but not to limit the scope of the present invention. Any equivalent modification and variation made by the persons skilled in the art is to be included within the scope of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is to be dependent on the claims attached below.