Abstract:
A core cabling device and method provides a first supply of yarn supported by a structure having a bore, such as a yarn cone, and a second supply of yarn that is then directed through the bore. As the first and second yarns are fed simultaneously, the first yarn winds, at least loosely, about the second yarn. It will become apparent that more than two yarns may be cabled together in such a manner.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/791,241 filed Mar. 15, 2013 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to core cabling techniques possibly for use for textile machinery such with creels, tufting machines, warping machines or the like, and particularly to a core cabling technique wherein a group of at least one of plurality of yarn strands such as received from a like number of yarn cones or other supplies are fed through at least one yarn guide tube (i.e., a cone) to which another yarn is then wound about as it dispenses from the cone for use with various technologies, in particular for some embodiments, textile machinery. 
     In textile machines, such as tufting machines, yarn is fed to the machine either directly from a creel or from a warper. A creel is a frame having an array of vertical and horizontal support members and including a multiplicity of yarn cone holders. A yarn cone is a spool about which yarn is wound. There are a multiplicity of yarn cone holders provided in horizontally and vertically disposed pairs, one cone holder of the pair mounting the active yarn cone and the other mounting a reserve or magazine cone used after the active cone is emptied. Conventionally, each cone holder pair has its own yarn guide tube through which yarn on each holder of the pair may be fed. A warper is a machine having a large spool, known in the art as a beam, on which yarn is wound and which subsequently supplies the yarn to a tufting machine. 
     In the art of tufting, generally a single strand of yarn is fed to each needle. 
     However, there are some occasions when it may be desirable to feed a plurality of fine yarn strands to each needle for providing tufted fabrics having unique patterns. Presently, when such need arises, in order to supply more than one yarn strand to a needle of a tufting machine, the yarn strands are cabled together onto a single yarn cone, or the reserve or magazine position is also used for mounting an active cone. Cabling involves winding the plural yarns onto a single yarn cone, but yarn manufacturers merchandise yarn cones with but a single yarn thereon. Thus, cabling requires unwinding the yarns from several cones and rewinding the yarns as a group onto multi-yarn cones. Cabling is therefore inconvenient and time consuming. Magazining, on the other hand, limits to two the number of yarn strands capable of being used and thus limits the pattern potential. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,392, a group of yarn cone holders of a plurality of cone holders mounted in a vertical array have all of the guide tubes except the guide tube associated with the uppermost cone holder replaced by an eyelet. The yarn strand from a cone on a lowermost cone holder is directed through and by its associated eyelet to the next vertically adjacent or second eyelet and together with the yarn from the cone on the cone holder associated with the second eyelet is directed upwardly and through each subsequent eyelet and finally to and through the guide tube associated with the uppermost cone holder. All the yarns of the group including the yarn from the cone on the uppermost cone holder are guided by the guide tube to a header. Thus, all the yarns in a vertically disposed group can be fed together to a needle of a tufting machine or the like without cabling the yarns onto a yarn cone with the limitations thereof. 
     It may, however, sometimes be desirable to combine the yarns of a group of horizontally or laterally disposed yarn cones in a manner which also eliminates the need for vertical cabling such as is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,643. If, however, the yarns of a conventional creel are combined horizontally, there would be a mass of yarns in the location where the creel operator is positioned to service the creel, thereby preventing easy creel servicing. It should be realized that the creel operator must change yarn cones as the cones become exhausted of yarn and must also connect the leading end of the yarn on the reserve or magazine cone to the trailing end of the active cone. Thus, conventionally on at least the cone holder support post closest to the operator, the wire frame of the yarn cone holders face toward the operator. 
     Still further improvements are possible over these prior art designs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Consequently, it is a primary object of many embodiments of the present invention to provide a yarn core cabling device wherein a plurality of yarn cones or other strand supplies may feed in series or parallel or linearly to and through a single yarn guide tube for cabling therearound and feeding a plurality of yarn strands for use by a machine such as a needle of a tufting machine or for winding onto the beam of a warping machine or the like. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a core cabling device wherein a group of yarn spool holders or other supplies direct yarn linearly along an axis of the spool holder or otherwise to and through at least one spool holder or cone in the group with its yarn being wound around the other(s) as they feed through the spool holder. Accordingly, the yarn on a spool mounted on the outermost holder of the group has yarn then fed through a bore in the spool or yarn cone to then be cabled enough by the strand on the outermost holder to be directed to a machine such as a textile machine utilizing the plural strands of yarn through a single needle directing yarn through a second yarn cone. 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides a core cabling device for feeding strands, such as yarn to a textile machine such as a tufting machine or a warper, the core cabling device for at least one embodiment comprising a framework of interconnected support members, a plurality of spaced yarn cone mounting members fixed to spaced apart support members for mounting respective yarn cones. Certain of the spaced mounting members form a group. A first of the yarn cones (or other yarn or stand holder) of the group directs its yarn or strand to and through a subsequent yarn or stand cone(s) of the group and onward, possibly finally to a yarn tube, and from the tube to the header leading to the textile machine. With this an arrangement, it is not necessary to cable yarns onto yarn cones as aforesaid. More than two yarns or strands may be fed to a yarn using instrumentality, such as a needle, of a textile machine, such as a tufting machine. The use of eyelets as has been done with the inventor&#39;s prior patents can be eliminated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The particular features and advantages of the invention as well as other objects will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of a creel constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the manner in which yarn strands from a group of two yarn cones are guided; 
         FIG. 3  is fragmentary perspective view illustrating the manner in yarn strands from a group of three yarn cones are guided; and 
         FIG. 4  is an elevation view of the apparatus illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3  along the feed axis. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     One core cabling device  10  constructed as a creel in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of horizontally disposed side and end support members  12 ,  14  forming a base of the creel, the members  14  extending substantially 90 degrees to the members  12 . Spaced above, and substantially parallel to each of the horizontal support members  12 ,  14  is a plurality of similarly disposed side and end members  16 ,  18  which may form the top of the creel. Secured to and extending vertically between the side members  12 ,  16  are a plurality of vertical support members  20 . The device  10  as a creel thus comprises a framework in an array of vertical and horizontal support members, it being understood that the framework includes a substantial number of similar such supports and that for purposes of presentation only a small number are illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The length of the sides and ends of a creel of this type, for example, may be approximately 15 to 25 feet long and extend 12 to 15 feet in height. Secured at various locations between each pair of horizontal support members  14 ,  18  is a vertical post or frame member  22  corresponding to a vertical support member  20 . Each creel post preferably comprises cylindrical pipe whereas the frame members  12 ,  14 ,  16 ,  18  preferably comprise angle irons. While a creel is illustrated, the technology is applicable to many other structures, as will be explained in further detail below. 
     Conventionally, as disclosed in the aforesaid patents, each creel post  22  normally includes a plurality of pairs of vertically spaced apart cone holders. However, in accordance with the present invention the cone holders  24  are mounted on the support members  20 ,  21 . More support members  20 ,  21  could be provided for providing additional yarn strands in a group. Each cone holder may be formed from metal rod  26  bent into a U-shape form having a central portion and a pair of outstanding legs. The central portion of each cone holder is welded to the support member  20 , and each of the legs may be constructed from a wire form  28  on which a yarn cone  30 , about which yarn  32  is wound, may be frictionally held. The wire form  28  faces toward a corresponding vertical frame member  22  and receives the yarn cone. The yarn end may feed from the cones away from the operator. A cone thus may be mounted on each wire form, one of the cones actively supplying yarn, while the other may be a magazine or reserve cone. Each creel support member  20 ,  21  may contain a stack of yarn cone holders  24  as illustrated. 
     Except for the nature of yarn feed through yarn cones and a corresponding grouping of yarn strands to a guide, a creel constructed as thus described is conventional and well known in the art. In the prior art there is an elongated plastic yarn guide tube such as tube  34  corresponding to each yarn core holder  24  having an inlet end facing the respective cone holders and an outlet end opening in a header at the top of the creel at the end facing the textile machine served by the creel. A strand of yarn from each cone is directed into the corresponding guide tube and guided to the header where it exits and is directed to the textile machine. 
     In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the yarn strands from a group of yarn cones are fed to the inlet of a single guide tube  34  with yarn from preceding yarn cone directed through the center of the next yarn cone, etc. While this can be done with creels as a device, it also can occur with other yarn strands, such as those fed from beams, spools or other dispensers, but the strands or strands then proceed through a cone holder bore about which the next yarn is disposed (wound) and is directed off. The guide tube associated with the yarn cones of a group receive the loosely joined yarns for all of the group of yarns to be fed through a single needle for the preferred embodiment. 
     Thus, as best illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , two or three such cones can be mounted on spaced apart respective cone holders, may form a group in which the cones are disposed vertically, linearly or otherwise, such as one forward the other, etc. The yarn strand  46  from cone  40 , which may be the vertically lowest and/or first cone of the group relative to the cone  44  with which the guide tube  34  (and group) is associated, is threaded into and through the cone  42  in front (and/or above or even below it) and is then directed toward and through the cone  44  and then toward and into the guide tube  34 , or to such as through its center or spool one or more eyelets or cones if the group consists of one or more additional yarn cones. No eyelets are required for many embodiments, for the presently preferred embodiment which differentiates the prior art. 
     A cone holder such as cone  44  has a hollow bore  45  and a structure  47  thereabout about which strand such as yarn strand  50  is wound. Structure  47  could be cone shaped, cylindrical shaped, or other appropriate shape so long as a strand such as strand  48  (regardless of what it is fed from) can feed through the bore  45  which must be internal to the strand  50  when on the structure  47 . As long as the strand  50  is wrapped about the structure  47  and unwinds as it comes off the structure with an internally directed strand such as  46  and/or  48  and/or others, then such technology could apply whether it be related to yarns and tufting or even other technologies. However, even if such technology does exist outside of the tufting area, there is not believed to be any teaching or suggestion to use such technology with the feeding of yarn and/or tufting machines. 
     Referring back to the preferred embodiment, thus, both yarn strands  46  and  48  can be threaded into and through the cone  44  and directed on to and through guide tube  34 . The yarn strands  46  and  48  together with the yarn strand  50  from the outermost cone  40  are thereafter directed into the inlet of the guide tube  34  and on towards an industrial use. The strand  50  is thus an outer strand about  46  and  48  (strand  48  is about strand  46 , but other embodiments may feed strands  46  and  48  in parallel or otherwise into cone  44  for strand  50  to then relatively loosely, for at least some embodiments, be wrapped therearound). If it is desired to supply more than three yarn strands as a group to a needle of a tufting machine or the yarn using instrumentality of another textile machine, there could be other yarn cones, beams, spools, etc., disposed intermediate the cones  40  and  44 . The number of such cones or other structure feeding strands being dependent upon the number of additional yarn strands desired in the group. Each such additional yarn strand could be fed to a corresponding additional cones which would also receive the yarn strands  46  and  48  and all of such yarn strands would together with the yarn strand  50  be directed into the tube  34 . 
     Each tube  34 , if provided, extends into a header  52  at the top of the end of the device  10  if the device is a creel, such as a creel most adjacent to the textile or other machine served, i.e., at the left end of the creel illustrated in the drawings. The yarn strands from each guide tube at the header may then be withdrawn and sent to the textile machine. Other stand types may be fed to winders, warpers, or other machinery or take up devices. For example, the yarn strands from each tube may be guided and threaded into the eye of a needle so that the needle will tuft or sew with the plurality of yarn strands  46 ,  48 , and/or  50 . It should be understood that since each yarn cone  40 ,  42 ,  44  is mounted on a respective yarn cone holder  24 , the plurality of yarn cone holders corresponding to the yarn cones  40 ,  42 ,  44 , etc. form a group of vertically disposed holders, each of which has a corresponding eyelet guide tube  34 . 
     With the construction of the present invention there is but a single guide tube for each group of yarns. Since a tufting machine, for example, may have 1000 to 1500 needles, the number of guide tubes would total that amount. On the other hand, if there was a guide tube corresponding to and carrying but a single yarn strand, a group of three yarns to be fed to a single needle would require 3000 to 4500 tubes and the yarns exiting the header would cause confusion for those threading the machine. 
     While yarn strands and creels are discussed above, they are effective for that use, Still there are other uses for a core cabling device  10  apart from creels for use with various yarn strands such as strands  46 , 48 , 50 . There are certainly other strand types other than yarn that could use similar technologies and other devices other than creels to which this technology would apply including warpers, beam related strand feeding devices, and still others. 
     Numerous alterations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. For example, two yarn strands may be fed, one of which is associated with an eyelet and the other with a guide tube. However, it is to be understood that the present disclosure relates to the preferred embodiment of the invention which is for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as a limitation of the invention. All such modifications which do not depart from the spirit of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.