Patent Publication Number: US-3877659-A

Title: Bobbin hanger

Description:
United States Patent Takata Apr. 15, 1975 BOBBIN HANGER t Primary Examiner-Leonard D. Christian 75 l e tor: ToshI asu Takata, On mnchi, .la an M n y p Attorney, Agent, or FtrmHall &amp; Houghton [73] Assignees: NTN Toyo Bearing Company Ltd.;  
 Zenzaburo Tsukumo, both of Osaka, japan [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed; June 26, 1973 A bobbin hanger construction for mounting on a creel bar in a suspended state is provided which includes [21] Appl&#39; 373877 upper means for mounting the upper end of the bob- 1 bin hanger to a creel for universal movement relative [30] Foreign Application Priority D t thereto, intermediate means connected at one end to June 29. 1972 Japan 47-65642 the upper mehhs for universal movement relative thereto, and lower means connected to the intermedi- 52 us. c1 242/1302; 242/1291 ate means verhmlly reciprocating rehhhhship 51 Int. Cl. i. B65h 49/02; D03j 5/08 therewith with the lower means having locking means [58] Field of Search 242/1291, 130.2 which will he in engagement with one end 0f bobbin- The locking means including means which will be pro- [56] References Cited jected laterally outwardly or retracted inwardly for engagement or non-engagement with the shoulder por- UNITED STATES PATENTS tion of a bobbin, and a reciprocating actuating memgetcrson ber movable in a vertical plane for actuating the prorunner. ected or retracted means laterally outwardly or In- 3,5lZ,73l 5/1970 Kitamura 242N302 warm).  
  FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 502,532 7/1952 Belgium 242 1302 7 Clam, Drawmg F&#39;gures BOBBIN HANGER DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART As for the bobbin holder systems. there have heretofore been two types. one using a skewer and the other using no skewer. or the so-called skewerless system. Thus. the bobbin carrying skewer is point-supported by support cups. or such cups directly carrying the bobbin are point supported. thereby reducing the frictional resistance to allow smooth rotation of the bobbin. These types. however. require much time and labor in assembly and maintenance. and. when used for a long time. they have cotton dust collected at the support areas and the resulting damage to the pointed ends of the skewer produces resistances to the rotation of the skewer or bobbin support surfaces. so that the rotational resistance of the bobbin varies.  
  In recent years, as a result of changes in the arrangement of the creel to keep pace with the trend to the making of large packages. in most cases there are restrictions imposed by the operating conditions, driving the bottom support cup system into an unusable stage.  
  As a result, in recent years, in order to facilitate the design of creels and the manipulation of bobbins, to achieve modernization and to secure high quality, bobbin hangers adapted to rotatably suspend bobbins. easy to handle and designed to make it easier to obtain smooth rotation have become to be frequently used in place of said support systems.  
  Thus, such bobbin hanger consists of upper and lower members, but there are many problems about the engagement between these members and about the individual members themselves, forming a bottleneck in obtaining a yarn of superior quality. Therefore, improvements in the individual members and the piling up of individual improvements will certainly have an extremely great effect on yarn quality and operation, playing a major role in this project.  
  In this connection, in order to facilitate the mounting and dismounting of the bobbin, this type of bobbin hanger has to be suspended at the upper end thereof so as to be rotatable and swingable in all directions. Further, bobbins are inserted or extracted from the lower ends of the bobbin hangers. During use, the bobbins were in a condition in which they were easily forced to deflect. In that case, if the bobbins should be angularly attached or deflection should occur, it is desirable that they immediately swing back to their normal position. To this end. it is most effective to use a universal joint at the upper portion of the hanger and self-aligning balls at the lower portion.  
  Further. the conventional type is provided with a thrust bearing using bearing balls at one of the connec tions. However, the thrust bearing is exposed to ambient air incurring various inconveniences including deposition of cotton dust, formation of dew-drops and rust in the internal construction, consequently detracting from the performance of the bearing. This has a serious effect on yarn quality and textile operation. Further, upon pendulum movement, the bobbin hanger must be able to quickly return to the normal position through damped oscillation. With the conventional type, however, this problem has not been satisfactorily solved. It has been found that the cause underlies the fact that the upper member, which, in itself, should naturally be a two-component body, has been constructed in a unitary body. This has been the cause of ununiformity of roving tension. incorretncss of draft and uneveness of yarn.  
  Further. if the hanger can rotate too easily. it tends to turn excessively as a result of its inertial rotation. Consequently. as described above the tension on the roving being withdrawn becomes ununiform and incorrect draft takes place, forming the cause of uncvcness of yarn. In extreme cases, the roving breaks at the creel region.  
  The above will now be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 1 illustrating a conventional bobbin hanger. the entire bobbin hanger B including a bobbin A is a unitary body. with the upper end articulated to the underside ofa hanger rail D by means of a universal joint C. As a result. when the hanger is deflected. the entire structure is oscillated in a single pendulum. If the overall length of the hanger is 1, then the period T is as follows.  
  &#39;1 211&#39; l/ g Thus. the period T ofa pendulum is proportional to the root of the hanger length I. That the period T is great means that the resumption of normal position through damped oscillation is late, which accounts for the fact that the oscillation of the conventional hanger cannot be easily brought to a stop. Further, with the conventional bobbin hanger. the system for attaching the hanger to the hanger rail is by attaching a bearing portion directly to the hanger rail, as described above. and the pivot portion is not necessarily set vertically and is liable to be subjected directly to violent external forces during bobbin operation.  
  Further, since the bearing portion is not in a sealed condition, it is directly influenced by changes in the humidity in the room. In connection with the hanger rail, position and air conditioning. dew-drops are formed on the bearing portion when the dew point is reached. Further, due to this unsealed condition, air currents are created within the bobbin hanger by a pumping or similar action particularly at the time of mounting and dismounting of bobbins.  
  Coupled with said formation of dew-drops, the resulting air currents cause the deposition of cotton fly and dust and the formation of rust on the races and ball surfaces of the bearing. It is not rare that in less than one year from the use of a fresh unit, the turning torque of the hanger is remarkably increased and the amount of scatter of torque over the individual units is extremely increased, thus bringing about a serious decrease in quality and a frequent trouble in operation, this being the present situation. These effects immediately form the cause of detraction from yarn quality and frequent occurrence of yarn breaks.  
  Further, the conventional bobbin hanger is designed so that when a bobbin is inserted over the movable portion, a pair of locking members folded in the movable member are transversely unfolded to project in opposite directions, whereby said locking members are engaged with the shoulder portion of the bobbin, and that when the bobbin is detached, the locking members are automatically folded into the movable member in connection with the operation of detaching the bobbin from the movable portion.  
  However, since this type of conventional bobbin hanger is designed to suspend a bobbin by two locking members, the support of the bobbin is effected at two points, so that the support of the bobbin becomes unstable and the center line of the hanger is not aligned with the center line of the bobbin. with the result that at the time of and during the withdrawal of the roving, the rotation of the bobbin becomes unsmooth or the bobbin executes an eccentric rotation or precessional movement. causing tension irregularity to the roving and damage to the inner surface of the suspension system of the hanger; all these lead to uneveness of yarn and breakage of roving.  
 SUMMARY OF THE lNVENTlON.  
  The present invention provides a bobbin hanger for textile machinery, comprising an upper member, a lower member, a bar-like intermediate member for interconnecting said upper and lower members. said upper member being swingably suspended from a hanger rail, the upper member and the upper end of the bar-like intermediate member being rotatably and swingably interconnected, the lower member and the lower end of the bar-like intermediate member being rotatably and swingably interconnected, three locking members installed near the lower end ofa movable portion installed in the said lower member and at places trisecting the circumference, said locking members being adapted to engage the shoulder portion of a bobbin at desired times, and a cylindrical member disposed between said upper and lower members serving to close the space therebetween and adapted to impart a required rotational resistance to the lower member.  
 FEATURES OF THE INVENTION.  
  According to the present invention, since upper and lower members E and F constituting the bobbin hanger B are interconnected by a bar-like intermediate member G and are adapted to be bendable at the respective connections. even if the bobbin hanger is swung by external force, principally the upper member E along executes an interference oscillation in the manner of a pendulum as shown in FIG. 2, while the lower member F only slightly deflects to and fro in a nearly vertical condition. Further, since the upper member E has a short length I, the period of the oscillation is short, and the weight ofa bobbin A and locking member H rollably installed in the movable portion of the lower member interfere with the upper member to effect extremely quick damping whereby the bobbin hanger B including the bobbin quickly returns to its normal position in a vertical line. Therefore, yarn breakage and incorrect draft can be excluded. Further, accordingly to the invention, since the lower member F is suspended from the upper member E through the intermediate member G in such a manner that it is somewhat restrained at the central region from rotation but is freely swingable, there is no possibility that the lower member F having the bobbin A mounted thereon is excessively rotated by the withdrawal of the roving during operation. Thus the withdrawing torque becomes a predetermined one and is maintained in the best condition, while the roving being withdrawn is always at an approximately constant tension.  
  Moreover, such is uniformly effected at each unit. Further, even if the bobbin hanger is swung by external forces, the oscillation of the lower member is minimum.  
  Further, according to the invention, since an annular member 1 adapted to close the space between the upper and lower members E and F is provided at the joint portion between the upper and lower members, there is no possibility of cotton dust entering the joint portion to adhere thereto and entry of air is also prevented. As a result, it is little influenced by temperature differences and there is no possibilty of dew-drops forming on the bearing portions. Therefore, it is possible to exclude the formation of rust, the adhesion of cotton fly and dirt and dust or the occurrence of other phenomena at said portion which can form the main cause of troubles.  
  Further, according to the invention, since the bobbin is supported at three points by the locking members H, the condition in which it is attached to the lower member F and particularly to the movable member J is extremely stabilized. Moreover, the alignment between the center lines of the hanger and bobbin assures that the bobbin rotates always smoothly without involving eccentric rotation or other incorrect rotation during withdrawal of roving, thereby completely excluding unevenness of yarn and breakage of roving.  
  Particularly in the case of using rotatable spherical members, it has been experimentally ascertained that the following marked characteristics are obtained.  
  If there occurs a condition in which the forces acting on the three spherical locking members in the bobbin suspending portion of the lower member are unbalanced, then the spherical bodies are caused to be rotated around their own axes and immediately displaced until they resume the perfect balanced condition, whereupon they stop quickly.  
  The resistance to such rotation exerted during this process is so low that the self-alignment is sensitive and takes place accurately and quickly. Further, since steel balls for bearing use can be utilized as the spherical members, the durability is very high, to say nothing of the accuracy, of operation, and they are very strong, free from deformation and damage. Thus, there is obtained an article of high order which cannot be compared to the conventional article in respect of accuracy, maintenance, stability of performance and deity, assuring smooth rotation, and will exert marked characteristics in some applications.  
  Further, the invention, in a constructional aspect thereof, uses a simple combination wherein the lower peripheral surface of the movable portion G of the lower member H is provided with window portions and locking members are simply placedin the interior; among other things, it makes full use of a self-aligning property through an sophisticated application of the law of gravitation of the earth. As a result of this arrangement, the concept of the present invention can be easily applied to the conventional bobbin hangers of this type, and bobbin hangers will be obtained which are simple in construction, to which it is easy to impart the required accuracy, over which the amount of seatter in manufacture can be reduced to the minimum, which are suitable for mass production and which are easy to handle.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the oscillating condition of the conventional bobbin hanger;  
  FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the oscillating condition of the bobbin hanger of the present invention;  
  FIGS. 3 and 4 are front views. in longitudinal section, of a bobbin hanger according to the invention. FIG. 3 showing a condition in which the bobbin has been taken off. FIG. 4 showing a condition in which a bobbin has been mounted:  
  FIGS. 5 and 6 are explanatory views showing the function of a clutch mechanism corresponding to the conditions of FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively. the views being in a developed form:  
  FIGS. 7 and 8 are views partially in section which show modifications of the annular member for sealing a bearing portion; and FIGS. 9 and 10 are views partially in section which show modifications of the bobbin locking member, FIG. 9 showing a condition in which the bobbin has been taken off.  
  FIG. 10 showing a condition in which a .bobbin has been mounted.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In a preferred embodiment of a bobbin hanger shown in FIG. 3, a hanger rail D is provided with openings or rail slots 1 for suspending bobbin hangers B at predetermined intervals of space.  
  The numeral 2 designates a bolt having a bulge 3 integral therewith having a spherical surface, said bolt being inserted at the upper end thereof into an opening 1 in the hanger rail D and fixed in position by nuts 4 and 5.  
  The bobbin hanger B comprises an upper member E suspended by the lower end of the bolt 2, an intermediate member G suspended by the lower end of said upper member E, and a lower member F suspended by the lower end of said intermediate member G, said members E, F and G being rotatably and swingably suspended. The upper member E consists of a cylindrical member I0 of two-split construction having a space portion 7 grasping the bulge 3 formed on the lower end of the bolt and a space portion 9 grasping a bulge 8 formed on the upper end of the intermediate member G, and a cylindrical holder member 11 for holding said cylindrical member 10 of two-split construction in its face-to-face assembled condition, said holder member ll having a cover portion 12 integral therewith. Opening 13 and 14in the cylindrical member 10 which open into the space portions 7 and 9, respectively, are larger in diameter than the corresponding shaft portions to be inserted therein. The peripheral edges of the openings l3 and 14 into the space portions 7 and 9 terminate in spherical surfaces 15 and 16, respectively, In the suspended condition, the spherical surfaces 15 and 16 and the spherical surfaces of the bulges 3 and 8 abut against each other to allow smooth rotation and swing therebetween.  
  In this connection, the upper member E may be rotatably and swingably suspended by fixedly securing the lower end of the bolt to the top surface of the upper member, forming a spherical bulge on the upper end of the bolt and fitting said spherical bulge in an opening formed in the guide rail D. The intermediate member G is in the form of a bar-like member having bulges 8 and 17 at the opposite ends thereof, the upper bulge 8 being fitted in the lower space portion (9) of the upper member E. the lower bulge 17 being fitted in the space portion 18 of the lower member F through hearing means 19. Thus. the lower member F is suspended by the bearing means 19 so that it can he smoothly rotated. It is preferable that such portion be ofpivot bearing construction (not shown) without providing steel balls between the upper end bulge 8 and the periphery of the opening 14 in the lower space portion 9. Thus. this is concerned with braking and the formation of dew-drops and rust.  
  The lower member F consists of a base portion 20, suspended by said intermediate member G. a movable portion J suspended by said base portion 20 so as to be vertically movable with respect to said base portion, three locking members H received in the lower portion of said movable portion j in such a manner that they can be projected and retracted, and a spindle member 21 adapted to cause said three locking members H to be projected and retracted in unison in connection with the upward and downward movement of the movable portion 1.  
  The base portion 20 consists of a top plate portion 22 having a space portion 18 in the upper central region thereof, and a cylindrical guide member 24 having a conical opening 23 in the lower region thereof, the upper end of said guide member being fixed to the outer periphery of the top plate portion. The bearing means 19 to be installed in the space portion 18 of the top plate portion 22 is composed of a plurality of steel balls 25 and a bowl-like member 26 providing a surface on which said steel balls run. The numeral 27 designates an opening for receiving the shaft portion of the intermediate member G. said opening being larger in diameter than said shaft portion. The bearing means 19 is disposed on the bulge 17 of the intermediate member G.  
  The movable portion J consists of a bobbin insert portion 34 which, in the upper region thereof, has an open portion 29 fitted in the guide member 24 and having a conical surface 28 conforming to the conical opening 23 in the guide member 24, which, in the intermediate peripheral region thereof, has a step portion 32 against which the upper end shoulder 31 ofa bobbin will abut, and which has window portions 33 extending downwardly from said step portion 32 and located at places trisecting the peripheral surface near the lower end, the arrangement being such that the locking members H can be projected and retracted through said window portions 33. The numeral 35 designates a spring compressed and disposed on the top plate portion 22 and in the interior of the movable member .I, the elastic force of said spring 35 serving to urge the conical surface 28 of the movable portion J into elastic abutment against the conical surface 23 of the guide member 24. The locking member H may be in the form of a spherical member as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 or in the form of an arm member 38 having a curved surface at the front end thereof as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. Further, it is preferable that a spherical member be rotatably mounted on the arm member 38 at the front end thereof. I  
  The following description will be made with reference to the case where spherical members 37 are installed in the window portions 33, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.  
  The spindle member 21 is inserted in the movable portion J and has at the front end region thereof a large diameter portion adapted to project the spherical members 37 through the window portions 33 and a small diameter portion 40 adapted to retract the spherical members 37 into the window portions 33. Thus. the condition shown in FIG. 4 is such that the spherical members 37 are partly projected through the peripheral surface of the bobbin insert portion 34 to lock the inner shoulder 42 of the axial bore 41 of the bobbin 30. The diameter of the window portions 33 is such that the spherical members 37 are prevented from falling off therethrough. Further, the configuration of the window portions is such that when the small diameter portion 40 is positioned opposed to the window portions 33, the spherical members 37 in the window portions 33 roll by their own weights. The numeral 43 designates a spring which keeps the spindle member 21 in an upwardly urged condition.  
  The small and larger diameter portions 39 and 40 of the spindle member 21 alternately face the window portion 33 for each upward and downward movement of the movable portion J. A clutch mechanism 44 for upwardly and downwardly moving the spindle member 21 in connection with the upward and downward of the movable member J as described above is as follows. The clutch member 44 is composed of a shaft portion 45 fixed to the top plate portion 22, a cylindrical portion 46 fixed inside the movable portion J and a spindle member 21. On the peripheral surface of the upper end of the spindle member 21 and at places quadrisecting the circumference, there are formed saw-tooth-like teeth 48 each having an inclined surface 47, said surfaces 47 being inclined in the same direction. Of four valleys defined by said four teeth, two opposed ones are formed with grooves 49 which extend vertically downward.  
  The shaft portion 45 opposed to the spindle member 21 is provided with teeth 51 on the peripheral surface of the&#39;lower end thereof and at places bisecting the circumference. each of said teeth having an inclined surface 50 on the lateral surface thereof. Such inclined surface 50 is provided with an vertically upwardly extending groove 52 in the intermediate region thereof. It is so arranged that when said grooves 49 and 52 are vertically aligned with each other, the inclined surfaces 47 and 50 of the opposed teeth 48 and 51 overlap each other with some clearance therebetween adjacent the tops thereof.  
  The cylindrical portion 46 is provided with vertically extending ridges 53 at two places on the inner surface, said ridges being adapted to engage the grooves 49 in the inner surface of the spindle member 21 and the grooves 52 in the inner surface of the shaft portion 45. Engagement between the grooves 52 and the ridges 53 enables the cylindrical portion to move axially with respect to the shaft portion 45, while engagement between the grooves 49 and the ridges 53 enables the spindle member 21 to move with respect to the cylindrical portion 46. In addition, the ridges 53 are permanently engaged with the grooves 52.  
  The condition shown in FIG. 4 is such that the ridges 53 on the cylindrical portion 46 abut against the valleys of the spindle member 21 as shown in FIG. 6, while the condition shown in FIG. 3 is such that the ridges 46 on the cylindrical portion 46 are aligned with and fitted in the grooves 49 in the spindle member 21 as shown in FIG. 5.  
  In the condition shown in FIG. 4, if the bobbin is upwardly thrusted so that its upper end shoulder 31 upwardly thrusts the step portion 32 of the movable portion J, then the movable portion J is upwardly moved within the guide member 24 while compressing the spring 35. Along with this movement of the movable portion J, the cylindrical portion 46 is also moved along the shaft portion 45. When the cylindrical portion 46 is upwardly moved, the spindle member 21 elastically urged against the lower ends of the ridges 53 on the cylindrical portion 46 by the spring 43 is also moved. That is, the relative position between the window portions 33 and the spindle 21 will not change until the teeth 48 on the front end surface of the spindle member 21 abut against the teeth 51 on the lower end surface of the shaft portion 45. When the inclined surfaces 47 and 50 of the teeth 48 and 51 abut against each other, the upward movement of the spindle member 21 is stopped by the shaft portion 21, and when the ridges 53 are disengaged from the valleys, the inclined surfaces 47 of the teeth 48 of the spindle member 21 are rotated along the inclined surface 50 of the teeth 51 of the shaft portion 45 until the grooves 49 in the spindle member 21 and the grooves 52 in the shaft member 45 are vertically aligned with each other. In this condition, if the movable portion J is relieved of the upward thrust, the elastic force stored in the spring pushes down the movable portion J so that the cylindrical portion is lowered along with the movable portion J and the ridges 53 are slid into the grooves 49, while the position of the spindle member 21 is maintained unchanged regardless of the downward movement of the movable portion J and cylindrical portion 46. That is, the net result is that the spindle member 21 has been moved upwardly relative to the movable portion J and that the small diameter portion 40 has been positioned opposed portion 39 causes the spherical member 37 to be projected in unison through the window portions 33 to lock the bobbin in position. During the downward movement of the movable portion J, the centering between the guide portion 24 and movable portion J is automatically effected by virtue of their conical surfaces.  
  Installed between the upper and lower members E and F to surround the intermediate member G is an annular member I which serves to seal the connection, particularly the bearing means 19. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the annular member I is in the form of a coiled spring 54 around which a soft material 55 such as a film sheet is stretched. The upper and lower ends of the annular member-slidably abut against the opposed surfaces of the upper and lower members E and F. By setting the elastic force of the spring of the annular member I at a suitable value, the excessive rotation of the lower member F can be suppressed.  
  Such annular member may be in the form of a simple cylindrical member 50 as shown in FIG. 7. In such arrangement. the cylindrical member 56 is placed on the top surface of the lower member F. and the upper edge of the cylindrical member 56 is provided with lugs 57 each adapted to be engaged in a recess 58 cut in the outer periphery of the upper member E. Thus. the C lindrical member 56 can be upwardly and downwardly moved along the outer periphery of the upper member E regardless of the rotation of the upper and lower members E and F. By suitably selecting the mass of the cylindrical member 56. it is possible to suppress the ex- Cessive rotation of the lower member F by the weight of said cylindrical member.  
  FIG. 8 shows another modification of the annular member I. wherein the upper outer periphery of the lower member F is provided with an annular step portion 59 on which an annular member 62 having a flange 61 around the lower edge thereof is placed with a spring 60 interposed therebetween to elastically urge the upper edge of the annular member 62 against the lower surface of the upper member E. achieving the same function and effect as the annular member described above. In FIGS. 9 and 10, the arm members 38 are mounted in grooves 64 located at places trisecting the peripheral surface of the large diameter portion 63 at the lower end of the spindle member 21, the base portions of said arm members being locked by a ring 65. Fixedly secured to the lower end of the bobbin insert portion 34 is an upwardly directed conical member 66 adapted to unfold said arm members 38. Thus, the downward movement of the spindle member 2l causes the three arm members 38 to be unfolded and projected through the window portions 33 until they lock the bobbin 30, as shown in FIG. 10. The upward movement of the spindle member 21 causes the unfolded arm members 38 to be folded and retracted as they are rubbed against the window portions, as shown in FIG. 9.  
  Whiles there have been described herein what are at present considered preferred embodiments of the several features of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications and changes may be made without departing from the essence of the invention.  
  It is therefore to be understood that the exemplary embodiments thereof are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and that all mofifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be included therein.  
 I claim:  
  I. A bobbin hanger for mounting on a hanger rail comprising an upper member having opposed ends and means at one end for fixedly mounting same to a hanger rail for universal movement relative thereto, an intermediate member having means for operatively mounting same at one end to the other end of said upper member for universal movement relative thereto and a lower member having means for operatively connecting same at one end to the other end of said intermediate member for vertical movement relative thereto. said lower member including laterally movable locking means at the lower end thereof for engagement with the internal shoulder portion of a bobbin and vertically rcciprocable actuating means for actuating said locking means to project or retract same laterally for engagement or disengagement with the shoulder portion of the bobbin.  
  2. A bobbin hanger in accordance with claim 1, wherein said locking means will engage the internal shoulder portion of the bobbin at a plurality of circumfercntially spaced points thercaround.  
  3. A bobbin hanger in accordance with claim 1, wherein said locking means are spherical members rotatably mounted in openings circumferentially spaced in the lower end of said lower member, said openings being ofa size just less than the diameter of said spherical members.  
  4. A bobbin hanger in accordance with claim 1, wherein annular means is connected between said upper and lower members to surround said intermediate member and serves as a brake to prevent excessive rotation of said lower member.  
  5. A bobbin hanger in accordance with claim 1, wherein said lower member includes a thrust bearing in the connection between the intermediate member and the lower member.  
  6. A bobbin hanger in accordance with claim 1, wherein the lower member comprises a base portion having a cylindrical guide member provided with conical openings in the lower end thereof. a movable portion mounted in said member for vertically reciprocable movement therein, said movable portion having a conical surface conforming to the conical surface of said guide member. and spherical locking members positioned in the conical openings in the lower end and movable laterally outwardly upon the downward movement of said movable portion.  
  7. A bobbin changer in accordance with claim 1, wherein said upper member includes first bolt means having one end adapted to be connected to the rail in a fixed state and the other end thereof providing an enlarged semi-circular head portion, an upper element connected to and suspended from the enlarged head portion of said first bolt means for universal movement relative thereto, said upper means having an enlarged recess opening in its bottom end, second bolt means having an enlarged semi-circular head portion at one end seated in said recess opening of said upper means of said&#39;upper member for universal movement relative thereto, with the opposite end of said second bolt means having an enlarged head portion, said intermediate member including a recess portion in the upper end thereof in engagement with the enlarged head of said second bolt means for universal movement relative thereto.