Abstract:
There is provided a multi-shaft rotary creel where the degree of freedom for warping can be further improved as compared with the conventional single shaft rotary creel and occurrence of tension fluctuations can be prevented. There are further provided a sample warper and a warping method where warping can be performed efficiently by installing the multi-shaft rotary creel. The multi-shaft rotary creel comprises: a base body; a main shaft rotatably mounted on the base body so as to project forward, a plurality of supporting shafts rotatably mounted on a forward projecting portion of the main shaft; and a plurality of bobbins mountable on each of the supporting shafts, which is installed opposing to a sample warper with a plurality of yarn guides, and wherein, while the main shaft or each of the supporting shafts rotates in synchronism with rotation of the yarn guides, simultaneous warping of plural yarns by the main shaft or each of the supporting shafts can be performed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a multi-shaft rotary creel suitably used for a sample warper which is provided with a plurality of yarn guides for winding yarns on a warper drum and automatically exchanges yarns in preset pattern data (a preset yarn order) to wind yarns on the warper drum, a sample warper provided with the multi-shaft rotary creel and a warping method.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     As a sample warper used conventionally, there has been known, for example, a structure disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 1529104, namely a structure, wherein using a fixed creel for supporting a plurality of bobbins on which different kinds (different colors or twisted differently) of yarns are to be wound, the yarns are successively wound on a warper drum by yarn guides while yarn exchanging is performed by a yarn selection device according to preset pattern data (a preset yarn order).  
         [0005]     Further, there has been also known a sample warper for winding a plurality of yarns simultaneously, wherein using a rotary creel and omitting a yarn exchanging step, it is possible to cancel loss of time for yarn exchanging, to wind simultaneously a plurality of yarns on a warper drum, and further to reduce a warping time (refer to Japanese Patent No. 1767706, U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,662 and EP375480).  
         [0006]     The fixed creel has a plurality of bobbins on which the same kind and/or of different kinds (mainly different kinds) of yarns are to be wound, wherein since yarns can be warped for each yarn while yarn exchanging is freely performed by the selection device, a warping operation for pattern warping can be advantageously performed, but since yarns are sequentially wound on the warper drum for each yarn, much time is disadvantageously required for a warping operation. On the other hand, the rotary creel has a plurality of bobbins on which the same kind and/or different kinds of yarns are to be wound, and it can be applied to repetition warping for an extremely limited number of patterns such as solid color warping (for example, one color of a red color yarn), one to one warping (for example, repetition of one red yarn and one white yarn, or repetition of one S-twisted yarn and one Z-twisted yarn), two to two warping (for example, repetition of two red yarns and two white yarns, or two S-twisted yarns and two Z-twisted yarns) and the like. In the rotary creel, a warping operation of pattern warping except for the extremely limited number of patterns can not be disadvantageously performed but a warping time can be advantageously reduced to a great extent because the plural yarns are wound on the warper drum simultaneously.  
         [0007]     The present applicant has already proposed a sample warper provided with a plurality of yarn selection devices corresponding to a fixed creel and a rotary creel, which can perform jointly pattern warping and repetition warping and reduce a warping time of a warping operation requiring solid color warping and pattern warping to achieve an extremely high efficiency (refer to JP2000-136456A and EP933455A2).  
         [0008]     Further, the present applicant has also proposed a sample warper, wherein a plurality of rotary creel are combined to freely perform the pattern warping and the repetition warping (JP2002-339183A).  
         [0009]     In the above-described sample warper with the rotary creel, improvement has been conducted aiming at how to reduce a warping time by effectively utilizing an advantage of the rotary creel that allows feeding a plurality of yarns simultaneously.  
         [0010]     On the other hand, there has also been proposed a sample warper without a yarn selection device, wherein yarns are wound on a warper drum by performing yarn winding and suspension thereof alternately (refer to Japanese Patent No. 3263050 and JP2002-212851A).  
         [0011]     In the sample warper described in JP2002-339183A, wherein a plurality of rotary creels are combined on a plane to allow performing freely pattern warping and repetition warping, since there are positional differences between the warper drum and the respective rotary creels, distances or angles between the bobbins and the distal end guide portions of the yarn guides become uneven according to a rotary creel to be used. For this reason, tension of yarns that are drawn out from the bobbins and wound on the warper drum via the distal end guide portions of the yarn guides become uneven, tension fluctuations being generated.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     The present inventors have reached the present invention as a result of the repeated researches for developing a rotary creel with a novel mechanism, which has solved the above-described problem.  
         [0013]     An object of the present invention is to provide a novel multi-shaft rotary creel where the degree of freedom for warping is further improved as compared with the conventional single shaft rotary creel and generation of tension fluctuations can be prevented, a sample warper with the multi-shaft rotary creel capable of efficient warping and a warping method  
         [0014]     A multi-shaft rotary creel according to the present invention comprises: a base body; a main shaft rotatably mounted on the base body so as to project forward; a plurality of supporting shafts rotatably mounted on a forward projecting portion of the main shaft; and a plurality of bobbins mountable on each of the supporting shafts, which is installed opposing to a sample warper with a plurality of yarn guides, and wherein, while the main shaft or each of the supporting shafts rotates in synchronism with rotation of the yarn guides, simultaneous warping of plural yarns by the main shaft or each of the supporting shafts can be performed. The multi-shaft rotary creel according to the present invention may preferably comprise further a driving unit for performing rotation and suspension of the main shaft and each of the supporting shafts and serving to keep suspended positions thereof.  
         [0015]     One aspect of a sample warper according to the present invention comprises: a warper drum; and a plurality of yarn guides each rotatably mounted on a side surface of the warper drum for winding yarns on the warper drum, wherein yarns are wound on the warper drum according to a preset yarn order, and wherein there is installed the multi-shaft rotary creel according to the present invention having a plurality of bobbins on which different kinds and/or the same kind of yarns have been wound.  
         [0016]     Another aspect of a sample warper according to the present invention comprises: a warper drum; and a plurality of yarn guides each rotatably mounted on a side surface of the warper drum for winding yarns on the warper drum, a yarn selection device for rotary creel provided with a plurality of yarn selection guides which are in correspondence with the yarn guides, each of the yarn selection guides being pivotally moved to a yarn exchanging position when exchanging yarns and retract to a standby position when storing yarns, wherein yarns are automatically exchanged and successively wound on the warper drum according to a preset yarn order by passing the yarns between the yarn guides and the yarn selection guides, and wherein the multi-shaft rotary creel according to the present invention having a plurality of bobbins on which different kinds and/or the same kind of yarns have been wound is installed in correspondence with the yarn selection device.  
         [0017]     According to the above-described structure, the following warping modes (1) to (3) will be made possible.  
         [0018]     (1) Simultaneous warping of a plurality of yarns is performed using all bobbins under the following conditions. The main shaft is rotated in synchronism with rotation of the yarn guides of the sample warper and each of the supporting shafts is rotated to positions such that the guide plates form a shape approximating to a circle shown in  FIG. 3 , and then suspended at the positions, the suspended state of each of the supporting shafts being kept. All bobbins mounted on the suspended supporting shafts are used for warping.  
         [0019]     (2) Simultaneous warping of a plurality of yarns using a plurality of bobbins mounted on one of the supporting shafts is performed under the following conditions. The only one supporting shaft is rotated in synchronism with rotation of the yarn guides for warping. The plural bobbins mounted on the rotating supporting shaft are only used for warping.  
         [0020]     (3) Single yarn warping is performed using any one of bobbins of the multi-shaft rotary creel under the following conditions. The main shaft and each of the supporting shafts are suspended and the suspended states are kept. Any one of the bobbins mounted on the suspended supporting shafts is only used for warping.  
         [0021]     The warping modes (1), (2) and (3) are preferably applied to a sample warper without a yarn selection device, but a sample warper with a yarn selection device mounted below the center line of the warper drum is desirably applied with the following warping modes (2′) and (3′) in addition to the above mode (1).  
         [0022]     (2′) Simultaneous warping of a plurality of yarns is performed using a plurality of bobbins mounted on one of the supporting shafts under the following conditions. The one supporting shaft to be used for warping is moved to a close position vertically above an extension line of the center position of a front face of the warper drum by rotating the main shaft, then suspended at the position and the suspended state of the supporting shaft is kept, the supporting shaft being rotated in synchronism with rotation of the yarn guides of the sample warper, and the remaining supporting shafts are rotated to positions such that guide plates become approximately horizontal as shown in  FIG. 4 , and then suspended at the positions, the suspended state of each of the remaining supporting shafts being kept.  
         [0023]     (3′) Single yarn warping is performed using one bobbin under the following conditions. The main shaft is rotated such that a supporting shaft which supports the bobbin to be used for warping is positioned at a close position vertically above an extension line of the center position of the front face of the warper drum, then suspended at the position and the suspended state of the main shaft is kept, and next after the supporting shaft is rotated such that a bobbin to be used for warping is positioned at the highest position, the suspended state of each of all the supporting shafts is kept.  
         [0024]     By performing warping according to the warping modes (1), (2) and (3), or (1), (2′) and (3′), warping is made possible with less tension fluctuations among the respective yarns. A warping method according to the present invention using the sample warper of the present invention is characterized in that there is performed simultaneous warping of a plurality of yarns using all the bobbins, simultaneous warping of a plurality of yarns using a plurality of bobbins mounted on one supporting shaft or a single yarn warping of one yarn using one bobbin.  
         [0025]     According to the multi-shaft rotary creel of the present invention, such an advantage is achieved that the degree of freedom for warping can be further improved as compared with the conventional single shaft rotary creel, and occurrence of tension fluctuations can be prevented. Further, the sample warper of the present invention is capable of warping efficiently by installing the multi-shaft rotary creel. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0026]      FIG. 1  is a schematic explanatory perspective view showing an embodiment of the sample warper of the present invention;  
         [0027]      FIG. 2  is an explanatory side view showing a structural example of the multi-shaft rotary creel of the present invention;  
         [0028]      FIG. 3  is an explanatory front view of the multi-shaft rotary creel shown in  FIG. 2 ; and  
         [0029]      FIG. 4  is an explanatory front view showing a state that yarns have been pulled out from bobbins held by respective bobbin holders of the multi-shaft rotary creel. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0030]     An embodiment of the present invention will be explained below with reference to the attached drawings. The embodiment described herein is illustrative, and it may be modified variously without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.  
         [0031]     In  FIG. 1 , a sample warper  200  of the present invention comprises: a warper drum  202 ; and a plurality of yarn guides  6   a  to  6   h  (in this illustrated example, the number of the yarn guides is eight, but actually yarn guides of the same number as the total number of bobbins are used, for example, if the number of bobbins is sixteen, the number of yarn guides is sixteen) each rotatably mounted on a side surface of the warper drum  202  for winding yarns  22  on the warper drum  202 , a yarn selection device  27  for a rotary creel provided with a plurality of yarn selection guides which are in correspondence with the yarn guides, each of the yarn selection guides being pivotally moved to a yarn exchanging position when exchanging yarns and retract to a standby position when storing yarns; and a multi-shaft rotary creel  206  having a plurality of bobbins  146  on which different kinds and/or the same kind of yarns  22  have been wound and installed in correspondence with the yarn selection device  27 , wherein yarns  22  are automatically exchanged and successively wound on the warper drum  202  according to a preset yarn order by passing the yarns  22  between the yarn guides  6   a  to  6   h  and the yarn selection guides of the yarn selection device  27 . Incidentally, the basic structure and function of the sample warper  200  are broadly known from the above-described patent documents and the like, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.  
         [0032]     Reference numeral  17  denotes a conveyor belt movably mounted on a circumferential surface of the warper drum  202 . A feed rate of the conveyor belt  17  is controlled by a conveyor belt feed unit in accordance with warping conditions (the number of warping yarns, a warping width, the winding number of warping yarns and the like). The movement of the conveyor belt  17  is synchronized with rotation of the yarn guides  6   a  to  6   h . Reference numerals  18   a  to  18   g  denote shedding bars. Distal end portion of the shedding bars  18   a  to  18   g  on the yarn guide side are provided with shedding units for forming a shed of the yarns  22 .  
         [0033]     In this connection, as the yarn selection device  27 , there can be used a conventional one, for example, one described in JP2002-339183A.  
         [0034]     In the sample warper  200  of the present invention, the multi-shaft rotary creel with a novel structure is adopted, which will be explained below. As shown in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , the multi-shaft rotary creel  206  has a base body  100 , and a front frame  102   a  and a rear frame  102   b  are mounted opposing to each other on an upper surface of the base body  100  in a standing manner. Incidentally, in  FIG. 2 , reference numeral  107  denotes a slip ring provided on a surface of a main shaft  106 .  
         [0035]     A pair of front and rear bearings  104   a ,  104   b  for the main shaft  106  are provided on upper portions of the front frame  102   a  and the rear frame  102   b , respectively. The main shaft  106  is rotatably mounted via the main shaft bearings  104   a  and  104   b . The main shaft  106  is provided such that the front end side thereof is projected ahead of the front frame  102 .  
         [0036]     A main shaft counter pulley  108  is provided at a rear end portion of the main shaft  106  protruding rearward from the rear main shaft bearing  104   b . Reference numeral  110  denotes a main shaft motor, which is disposed at a suitable portion of the rear frame  102   b . A main shaft motor axis  112  protrudes at a rear end portion of the main shaft motor  110 , and the main shaft motor axis  112  is provided with a main shaft motor pulley  114 . The main shaft counter pulley  108  and the main shaft motor pulley  114  are coupled with a main shaft belt  116 . Therefore, by driving the main shaft motor  110 , its driving force is transmitted to the main shaft  106  via the main shaft motor axis  112 , the main shaft motor pulley  114 , the main shaft belt  116  and the main shaft counter pulley  108 , whereby the main shaft  106  is rotated. In this connection, as the main shaft motor  110 , a servomotor may be used. Further, it is preferable that when toothed pulleys are used as the main shaft counter pulley  108  and the main shaft motor pulley  114  and a toothed belt is used as the main shaft belt  116 , the main shaft counter pulley  108  and the motor pulley  114  can be coupled in a state that no slip occurs therebetween.  
         [0037]     A pair of front and rear supporting plates  118   a  and  118   b  are provided opposing to each other at a projecting portion  106   a  of the main shaft  106  projecting forward from the front main shaft bearing  104   a . Plural (four in this embodiment, namely, first to fourth) supporting shafts  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126  are rotatably mounted between the supporting plates  118   a  and  118   b  via front or rear supporting shaft bearings  128   a ,  128   b ,  130   a ,  130   b ,  132   a ,  132   b , and  134   a ,  134   b  (only the shaft bearings  128   a ,  128   b , and  130   a ,  130   b  are illustrated in  FIG. 2 ) so as to be positioned radially about the projecting portion  106   a  of the main shaft  106 . In this connection, reference numeral  127  in  FIG. 2  denotes each of slip rings provided on a surface of the supporting shafts  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126 .  
         [0038]     Supporting shaft counter pulleys  136   a ,  136   b ,  136   c  and  136   d  are provided at rear end potions of the supporting shafts  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126  projecting rearward from the rear bearings  128   b ,  130   b ,  132   b  and  134   b . Reference numerals  138   a ,  138   b ,  138   c  and  138   d  denote supporting shaft motors, which are provided at suitable portions of the rear supporting plates  118   b . Supporting shaft motor axes are protruded at rear end portions of the supporting shaft motors  138   a ,  138   b ,  138   c  and  138   d , and the supporting shaft motor axes are provided with supporting shaft motor pulleys  140   a ,  140   b ,  140   c  and  140   d . The supporting shaft counter pulleys  136   a ,  136   b ,  136   c  and  136   d  and the supporting shaft motor pulleys  140   a ,  140   b ,  140   c  and  140   d  are coupled with supporting shaft belts  142   a ,  142   b ,  142   c  and  142   d . Therefore, by driving the supporting shaft motors  138   a ,  138   b ,  138   c  and  138   d , their driving forces are transmitted to the supporting shafts  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126  via the supporting shaft motor axes, the supporting shaft motor pulleys  140   a ,  140   b ,  140   c  and  140   d , the supporting shaft belts  142   a ,  142   b ,  142   c  and  142   d , and the supporting shaft counter pulleys  136   a ,  136   b ,  136   c  and  136   d , whereby the supporting shafts  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126  are rotated. In this connection, as the supporting motors  138   a ,  138   b ,  138   c  and  138   d , servomotors may be used. It is preferable that, when toothed pulleys are used as the counter pulleys  136   a ,  136   b ,  136   c  and  136   d  and the motor pulleys  140   a ,  140   b ,  140   c  and  140   d , and toothed belts are used as the supporting shaft belts  142   a ,  142   b ,  142   c  and  142   d , the counter pulleys  136   a  to  136   d  and the motor pulleys  140   a  to  140   d  are coupled in a state that no slip occurs therebetween.  
         [0039]     Annular bobbin holders  144   a ,  144   b ,  144   c  and  144   d  are fixed to distal end portions of the supporting shafts  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126  projecting forward from the front supporting shaft bearings  128   a ,  130   a ,  132   a  and  134   a . Plural (four in this embodiment) bobbins  146  are mounted on each of the bobbin holders  144   a ,  144   b ,  144   c  and  144   d , respectively. Different kinds and/or the same kind of yarns  22  have been wound on the bobbins  146 . Therefore, supply or suspension of the yarns  22  can be performed by suitably combining rotating or suspending state of the main shaft  106  and rotating or suspending state of the supporting shafts  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126 . In  FIG. 2 , such a situation is shown that yarns  22   m  from the bobbins  146  held by the bobbin holder  144   a  provided on the distal end portion of the first supporting shaft  120  are in a warping state, i.e., the yarns  22   m  are caught by the yarn guides  6   a  to  6   h  to be wound on the warper drum  202 , while the yarns  22   n  from the bobbins  146  held by the bobbin holder  144   b  provided on the distal end portion of the second supporting shaft  122  are in a suspending state, i.e., the yarns  22   n  are stored in the yarn selection device  27 .  
         [0040]     Reference numerals  148   a ,  148   b ,  148   c  and  148   d  denote guide plates, which serve to guide the plural yarns  22  not to get tangled. The structure of each of the guide plates  148   a  to  148   d  is not limited to a specific one, but rod shaped one is shown in the illustrated embodiment. Incidentally, in a general structure of the rotary creel, as shown in JP2002-339183A, a yarn reserving device and a yarn returning device are disposed between the bobbins and the guide plate, but they are omitted in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 . With such a structure, plural yarns  22  which have been wound on plural bobbins  146  respectively are guided through the yarn reserving device, the yarn returning device and guide plates  148  and the yarns  22   m  to be warped are introduced to the yarn guides  6   a  to  6   h , whereby the yarns  22   m  are wound on the warper drum  202 . On the other hand, the suspending yarns  22   n  are guided through the yarn reserving devices, the yarn returning devices and the guide plates  148 , and then the yarns  22   n  are introduced to the yarn selection device  27  and stored therein.  
         [0041]     Various warping methods can be employed using the multi-shaft rotary creel of the present invention, which will be explained below.  
         [0042]     (1) Simultaneous warping of a plurality of yarns is performed using all bobbins (sixteen bobbins in the illustrated embodiment)  146  under the following conditions. The main shaft  106  is rotated in synchronism with rotation of the yarn guides  6   a  to  6   b  of the sample warper and each of the supporting shafts  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126  is rotated to positions such that the guide plates  148   a  to  148   d  forms a shape approximating to a circle shown in  FIG. 3 , then suspended at the positions and the suspended state of each of the supporting shafts  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126  is kept. All bobbins  146  held by the bobbin holders  144   a ,  144   b ,  144   c  and  144   d  provided on the suspended supporting shafts  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126  are used for warping. By employing such warping, the yarns  22  are pulled out smoothly, which is convenient.  
         [0043]     (2) Simultaneous warping of a plurality of yarns using four bobbins  146  held by the bobbin holder  144   a  provided on one of the supporting shafts, for example, the supporting shaft  120  is performed under the following conditions. First, the main shaft  106  is rotated such that the supporting shaft  120  to be used for warping is moved to a close position vertically above an extension line of the center position of the front face of the warper drum  202 , that is to say, the bobbin holder  144   a  to be used for warping is moved to the highest position. In this state, the suspended position of the main shaft  106  is kept and the supporting shaft  120  to be used for warping is rotated in synchronism with rotation of the yarn guides  6   a  to  6   h  of the sample warper  200 , and the remaining supporting shafts  122 ,  124  and  126  are rotated to their horizontal positions shown in  FIG. 4 , then suspended at the positions and the suspended state is kept for warping. In this case, four bobbins  146  held by the bobbin holder  144   a  are rotated according to rotation of the supporting shaft  120 , so that warping is performed using four yarns. Therefore, in case where various kinds of yarns are warped according to various warping conditions, if different kinds or different colors of yarns  22  are set as the yarns  22  of the bobbins  146  held by the four bobbin holders  144   a  to  144   d , respectively, various kinds of yarns  22  can be warped by sequentially rotating the supporting shafts  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126  to a warping position (the highest position in  FIG. 4 ).  
         [0044]     (3) Single yarn warping is performed using one bobbin  146  under the following conditions. The main shaft  106  is rotated such that the supporting shaft (indicated by reference numeral  120  in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 ) supporting the bobbin  146  to be used for warping is positioned at a close position vertically above the extension line of the center position of the front face of the warper drum  202 , then suspended at the positions and the suspended state is kept for warping. Next, the supporting shaft  120  is rotated such that a bobbin (indicated by reference numeral  146 A in  FIG. 4 ) of the four bobbins  146  on which a yarn for single yarn warping has been wound held by the bobbin holder  144   a  is moved to the highest position. In this state, all the supporting shafts  120 ,  122 ,  124  and  126  are suspended and the suspended positions are kept. Single yarn warping is performed using the bobbin  146 A positioned at the highest position. Accordingly, when single yarn warping of different kinds or different colors is performed, such single yarn warping can be performed by sequentially moving the bobbins on which the yarns of different kinds or different colors have been wound to the highest position in the same procedure as the above one.  
         [0045]     In the illustrated embodiment, there is shown the example where one multi-shaft rotary creel  206  is installed opposing to the sample warper  200 , but the multi-shaft rotary creel  206  may be combined with a fixed creel, as shown in JP2000-136456A and EP933455A2, and a plurality of the multi-shaft rotary creels  206  may be installed, as shown in JP2002-339183A.  
         [0046]     Further, in the illustrated embodiment, there is shown the example where the multi-shaft rotary creel of the present invention is applied to the sample warper  200  provided with the yarn selection device  27  in which pattern warping is performed by winding yarns on the warper drum  202  while exchanging yarns. However, as a matter of course, the multi-shaft rotary creel of the present invention may be applied to a sample warper where yarns are wound on the warper drum  202  by performing winding and suspension of yarns alternately to perform pattern warping without installing the yarn selection device  27 , as shown in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3263050 and JP2002-212851A.