Patent Publication Number: US-5154365-A

Title: Bobbin holder for a high speed textile spindle

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a bobbin holder for high speed textile spindles. 
     A large number of types of bobbin holders are known which have a greater or lesser number of defects either with respect to handling, manufacture, safety or else of an economic nature. 
     Federal Republic of Germany Utility Model 7409733, published May 28, 19875 describes a textile bobbin holder having a bayonet lock base. A danger has been noted in practice that the retaining web on the core of the spindle of the bobbin holder sometimes breaks. Further, cylindrical pins in the bobbin adapter rest merely linearly in the bayonet receiver. This leads to vibrations which loosen the pins, and the adapter is released. In this connection, the bobbin also is loosened resulting in consequences of that are unforeseeable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a functional bobbin holder which is reliable in handling, is economically feasible and does not have the above indicated defects. 
     The present invention relates to a bobbin holder which relies on two opposed spaced apart, conical receiving means located on adapters on the spindle. The tapered narrow ends of the adapter receiving means are inserted into the open opposite ends of the tubular bobbin and their tapered shapes wedge the adapters against the bobbin securely and also self adapt the adapters to different size end openings into the tubular bobbin. The upper adapter is the adapter that is usually removable from the spindle, enabling installation of the bobbin from the top of the spindle. 
     The engagement force between the removable adapter and the spindle is advantageously distributed over a large surface area. Yet, the engagement between the adapter and the spindle acts like a bayonet lock to optimally secure the bobbin. This is accomplished by providing a large surface area of contact between the upper adapter and the spindle. There is a recess in the upper end of the adapter to receive the enlarged top end of the spindle and particularly to engage the large surface area sidewalls and the bottom surface of the spindle top end. This arrangement is of a bayonet lock type and it prevents relative rotation of the spindle and the adapter. 
     A spring acts on at least one of the adapters to bias the respective conical receiver toward the bobbin and the other conical receiver to securely hold the bobbin and to compensate for different bobbin lengths. The spring can be in either the removable upper adapter or in the nonremovable adapter which is installed at the lower end of the spindle. 
    
    
     Other objects and features of the invention are explained below with reference to examples shown in the drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a cross section of the top part of a textile spindle and the spindle receiving adapter of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is the top view of the removable adapter with the bayonet type bobbin lock mounted to a spindle; 
     FIG. 2A is a top view of the removable adapter of FIG. 2 when each adapter is dismounted from the bobbin supporting spindle. 
     FIG. 3 shows the top part of a textile spindle with a spring element in the lower adapter. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 shows the upper part of a textile spindle with a bobbin receiving and retaining means 10, 11 on it. A textile spindle 1 is usually non-removably held on a textile thread using machine, not shown. The spindle 1 receives a removable bobbin 7, which spins with the spindle. 
     A removable upper adapter unit 10 includes an upper adapter 4 around the top of the spindle 1. An upper conical receiver 9 is movably attached to and extends below the upper adapter 4 and tapers narrower downward toward the bobbin 7. The tapered end of the receiver 9 engages into the top end of the opening is in the hollow bobbin 7. Coiled spring 8 seated between the adapter 4 and the conical receiver 9 biases the conical receiver into the bobbin opening 15. The upper conical receiver 9 is tapered narrower downwardly to adapt its shape to various width bobbin openings and to enable it to be securely wedged into the bobbin opening. 
     There is a rectangular or double flat top part at the upper end of the spindle 1, which has two parallel, flat, opposite surfaces 33, 34. The top part 2 is movable into and out of the two intersecting, correspondingly shaped openings 21, 22 in a part 31 that is permanently anchored into the top 5 of the adapter 4 aligned with circular vertical passage 3 through adapter 4. The entire length of opening 21 extends through part 31 for the full depth thereof. Only the central portion of opening 22 extends through part 31 for the full depth thereof. Ledges 23 at each end of opening 22 limit the depth of opening 22 at these regions and provide seats for supporting the ends of top part 2 in the holding position of FIG. 1. Effectively, opening 22 is a recess that receives part 2 and holds same so unit 10 is held against rotation with respect to spindle 1 in that the sidewalls which define recess 22 are adjacent to and confront the two flat side surfaces 33, 34 of top part 2 of spindle 1. Thus, in this holding position the ends of top part 2 are disposed in shallow recess having a broken bottom wall that is defined by seats 23. 
     To dismount unit 10 from spindle 1 upper adapter 4 is moved downward against the force exerted by spring 8 until the bottom of part 2 is above upper surface 5 of adapter 4. Then the latter is pivoted a quarter turn from its positioned of FIG. 2 until part 2 and opening 21 are aligned. Now adapter unit 10 is free to be lifted upward clear of spindle 10. 
     When part 2 is aligned with opening 22, upward movement of adapter 4 is limited by engagement of seats 23 with part 2. Now force exerted by spring 8 presses down on the conical receiver 9. 
     The bobbin 7 rests on the lower conical receiver or adapter 11 that is seated on spindle ledge 24. Adapter 11 is tapered narrower upwardly so that its narrowed end may be received into the bottom of central passage 15 through the hollow bobbin 7. The lower adapter 11 is firmly installed on the spindle 1 and spring 8 presses the bottom 7 down firmly in place on the lower conical receiver 11. 
     FIGS. 2 and 2A show the bayonet type lock of the removable adapter unit 10 in top view. In FIG. 2 the spindle 1 with its double flat surface top part 2 is shown in an operating position, i.e., held, in the recess provided by opening 22 of the adapter 4, which has the, two intersection openings 21, 22. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the spring 8 is arranged in the lower part on the spindle, making that part a lower adapter 12, rather than the spring being disposed in the upper adapter 13 in FIG. 3. The upper adapter 13 is removable from the top of the spindle 1, together with its conical receiver portion 19 that is held stationary with respect to the remainder of upper adapter 13. In FIG. 3, the conical receiver 6 of the lower adapter 12 is installed for axial movement on the spindle core 1, and that conical receiver 6 is not firmly held on the spindle 1, as it is in the first embodiment. The bottom part 16 of the lower adapter is fixed on the spindle. The spring 8, therefore, biases the conical receiver 6 of the lower adapter 12 up into the bobbin opening 15. 
     The removable upper adapter 13 is developed integral with its bayonet form receiving openings 21, 22 for the top 2 of the spindle 1. Upper conical receiver 19 at the bottom of adapter 13 engages the bobbin opening 15, and limits the upward motion of the bobbin 7 under the bias of the spring 8 acting from below. 
     The conical shaped of the conical receiver 9, 11 and 6, 19 adapts them to the normal variations in the sizes of the bobbin openings 15 and enables them to be securely wedged into the bobbin openings 15 thereby to securely hold the bobbin 7 in place. 
     Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosures herein, but only by the appended claims.