Abstract:
A tube holder on a creel receives a cardboard tube with a yam wound thereabout. The tube holder is preferably equipped with a tube stop at a non-feeding portion of the tube holder and a tube end protector which is preferably connected to the tube holder at a feeding end of the tube holder. The tube end protector is constructed at least partially out of a resilient material wherein the tube is placed over the tube end protector causing it to deflect until the cardboard tube is properly located on the tube holder wherein the tube end protector resumes its normal configuration and protects the line wound about the cardboard tube from any potential defects at the feeding end of the cardboard tube.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a cone holder device with a tube end protector, and more particularly to such a device for use with creels feeding yarn to a tufting machine, warpers, heatset equipment, twisters, cabling machines, etc. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Cardboard tubes are widely utilized throughout the carpet industry, and likely in other industries, to provide yarn or other materials such as string, wires, cable, etc., collectively referred to herein as “line” for further processing, such as by a tufting machine in the carpet industry. Once the material about a particular cardboard tube has been spent, the tube is often reutilized at some manufacturing locations. Over time, the cardboard tubes are kicked, dropped, squished or otherwise deformed and/or damaged to their use and abuse. The workers which utilize the cardboard tubes in the manufacture of finished goods are sometimes negligent in their inspection of the cardboard tubes. When a damaged tube is utilized, the line fed from the tube may get hung up on the tube end and break the line or disadvantageously apply tension to affect the end product. 
     It is common in the industry to utilize the end cap as shown in FIG. 1 on a cardboard tube to protect a damaged tube end. While this cap works with tubes which are still round, if a tube is out of round, the cap is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to put on the damaged tube. Furthermore, constant training is required of employees to ensure that they correctly and consistently put the caps on the tubes prior to directing the yarn from the cardboard tubes to the tufting machine or the like. 
     Accordingly, a need exists for an improved way to protect potentially damaged ends of cardboard tubes which is not subject to the inadvertent or negligent failure of some employees to fail to put the caps on damaged ends, or the need to utilize cardboard tubes which cannot have caps placed on the end due to their being squished in a somewhat elliptical shape, or otherwise. 
     As suggested above, there are problems with having an exposed damaged end. One problem is as yarn or other conduit is fed from the cardboard tube, the line can get snagged on the damaged end and cause breakage. A broken line usually results in downtime for the machine which is utilizing the line to provide a finished good. Furthermore, once the problem is corrected, there is a splice which connects the line back together which may result in an imperfection in the finished good thereby potentially decreasing the value of the finished good. Even a snag which pulls free may cause an excessive tension affecting the finished good. All of these issues are serious concerns for industry. 
     Accordingly, a need exists for an improved tube end protector. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Consequently, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for protecting a damaged end of a tube. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cone holder which replaces existing springs or tube holders or other devices. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a protector mechanism preventing line material from catching or breaking on rough edges, torn or nicked tubes, oblong or crushed tubes, or otherwise. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a permanent part of the creel with a protector to eliminate the need for personnel to manually install protectors on each individual tube prior to its use. 
     Accordingly, an existing tube holder on a creel is equipped with a tube stop which is typically located proximate to the non-feeding end of the tube holder. The feeding or free end of the tube holder is equipped with a deflectable tube end protector which is preferably connected to the end of the existing tube holder. Accordingly, a cardboard tube may be placed onto the tube holder which results in the deflection of the end protector until the cardboard tube is properly located on the tube holder between the end protector and tube stop which allows the end protector to deflect back to its normal position against the feeding end of the cardboard tube. In the normal configuration, the outer perimeter of the tube protector extends beyond the outer perimeter of the cardboard tube. Accordingly, as yarn or other material is fed from the cardboard tube, it contacts the edge of the tube protector instead of the end of the cardboard tube, therefore any imperfections at the end of the cardboard tube are no longer problematic for feeding the yarn from the cardboard tube. 
    
    
     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 cardboard tube with line wrapped there around and an end cap as it is known in the prior art; 
     FIG. 2 is a front view of an end protection device installed on a cardboard tube according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded side view of the end protection device illustrated in FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of the end protection device assembly and a cardboard tube readied for positioning on the tube holder; 
     FIG. 5 is the assembly and the cardboard tube of FIG. 4 with the cardboard tube partially placed over the tube holder; and 
     FIG. 6 shows the preferred placement of the end protection device relative to the cardboard tube in a normal configuration. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 shows a prior art cap  2  connected to a cardboard tube  4 . The cap  2  is molded from plastic and is not resilient. The cap  2  has an inner flange  6  and an outer flange  8  which are spaced apart to substantially correspond to the thickness of the tube  4  so that the cap  2  may be pushed on the dispensing end  10  of the cardboard tube  4  and be connected by friction thereto. In this manner, damage illustrated by nicks  12 , tears or otherwise, may be separated or spaced from the line  14  such as yarn as it is fed off the cardboard tube  4  as illustrated. As has been explained in the background of the invention, the caps  2  do not work well when the tube  4  has been partially crushed such as to create an elliptical or other non-circular shape so that the inner and outer flange  6 , 8  do not properly match up with the end of the cardboard tube  4  with the dispensing end  10  of the cardboard tube  4 . Furthermore, a need exists so that operators are not required to manually apply the cap  2  to the tubes  4  prior to use of loaded cardboard tubes  4 . 
     The cardboard tubes  4  are typically placed on a tube holder  16  shown in phantom and a spring  18 , also shown in phantom, is typically utilized to retain the tube  4  in a desired position on a creel. 
     FIG. 2 shows a front view of the end protector  20  of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the protector  20  along with the tube holder  22 , tube  24  having an open mouth  25 , and tube stop  26  comprise the preferred embodiment of the tube feed assembly  30 . The tube  24  is preferably cardboard and wound with a line (as shown in the prior art of FIG. 1) which could be comprised of yarn, thread, fiber optic cable, or other string, cable, or other such material as is commonly wound about a tube  24  for storage and dispensing. 
     Referring back to FIG. 2, details of the end protector  20  are illustrated. The end protector  20  preferably has an outer ring  32  comprised of a resilient material such as rubber or other appropriate material. The preferred ring  32  is circular, but a substantially continuous curve or other configuration may also suffice. The outer ring  32  is connected to the tube holder  22  by one or more spokes  34 , 35 , 36 . In fact, a single spoke  34  may encompass the entire interior volume interior of the outer ring  32 . The preferred embodiment utilizes a plurality of spokes  34  which are also made of a resilient material such as rubber. The ring  32  is preferably spaced a distance from an exterior surface of the tube  24  as illustrated. 
     A mount  37  is illustrated in FIG. 3 for connecting the outer ring  32  such as along one of the spokes  34  or otherwise to the tube holder  22  illustrated in FIG. 4, or a cap or frame  43  or other structure connected to the tube holder  22 . A fastening screw  38  is illustrated extending through stop  40  through the mount  37  and a receiver  42 . Support  41  may also be utilized. The purpose of the stop  40  will be explained in further detail below. 
     The receiver  42  is preferably located on frame  43  as shown in FIG.  3 . This frame  43  connects to tube holder  22  as illustrated in FIG.  4 . In other embodiments, the frame  43  may be a portion of the tube holder  22  such as integrally connected, or otherwise. Additionally, the preferred frame  43  has elbow  45  which allows for the displacement of the receiver at a distance below frame member  47  and from the tube holder  22 . As illustrated in FIG. 6, frame member  47  supports an inner surface  49  of cardboard tube  24 . The elbow  45  displaces leg  51  so that receiver  42  may be located approximate to a center line of the cardboard tube  24  when installed. Receiver  42  connects to leg  51  as illustrated. 
     In order to locate the receiver  42  with the center line of the cardboard tube  24 , the distance between receiver  42  and the frame member  47  is substantially the distance from the center axis of the cardboard tube  24  to the inner surface  49 , i.e., the internal radius of the cardboard tube  24 . In other embodiments, the receiver  42  need not be at the center of the tube  24 . 
     In order to connect the frame  43  to the tube holder  22 , the frame  43  is equipped with connectors  68  which may include the housings  70  with bore  72  therein. After placing the frame  43  in the desired position, set screw  74  will be utilized to secure the frame  43  to the tube holder  22 . In FIG. 4, the tube holder  22  is illustrated extending from creel  44 . 
     Referring back to FIGS. 2 and 3, the spokes  34 , 35 , 36  are preferably resilient so that when the tube  24  as shown in FIG. 4 is aligned along the axis of the tube holder  22 , then as shown in FIG. 5, the outer ring  32  and spokes  34 , 35 , 36  deflect to allow a tube  24  to be located as shown in FIG.  6 . The interior surface  49  of the tube  24  preferably is supported by the tube holder  22 , such as by portions of frame member  47  of the tube holder  22  or otherwise. The tube  24  has a bore extending through at the mouth  25  which the end protector  20  passes through in a deflected configuration. 
     The tube stop  26  may or may not be present in all embodiments. However, when utilized, the tube stop  26  provides a slanted surface  46  which may “catch” the distal end  48  of the tube  24  and, along with gravity, direct the proximal or feeding end  50  of the tube  24  against the back side  51  of the spokes  34 , 35 , 36  and/or ring  32  or at least down on the tube stop  22  as illustrated in FIG.  6 . The slanted surface  46  of the tube stop  26  is illustrated as having about a  45  degree angle relative to the tube holder  22  and may be connected with an adjustable slide to the tube holder  22  in some embodiments. 
     While many materials may be utilized for the spokes  34 , 35 , 36  and ring  32 , rubber of various thicknesses has been found to be helpful. In fact, the reinforcement along the same spokes  35  may be found helpful to provide additional rigidity toward the certain portions of the outer ring  32  during operation. The use of materials with varying degrees of resiliency may also be utilized. Since the mount  37  is located centrally relative to tube  24  in the preferred embodiment, the rigidity of the spokes  34 , 35 , 36  may be similar. 
     As the tube  24  is placed over the tube holder  22  as shown in FIG. 5, the end protector  20  deflects as it passes along the inner surface  49  of the tube  24 . When the outer ring  32  is deflected as shown in FIG. 5, the stop  40  may be spaced apart from the spokes  34 , 35 , 36  or a hub  60 . However, when the tube  24  is in the position shown in FIG. 6, the stop  40  retains the hub  60  and spokes  34 , 35  from flexing in the opposite direction (i.e., the feeding direction). Of course, the stop  40  need not be utilized in all embodiments, however, it has been found helpful in the preferred embodiment illustrated. 
     Once the tube  24  is installed as shown in FIG. 6, line  62  such as yarn, fiber optic cable, or other wound material about the tube  24  is directed for further processing such as to a tufting machine, to a braider, or to an appropriate machine for further processing. As the line  62  is fed to the machine, as illustrated, it contacts the outer surface  64  of the outer ring  32  thereby preventing the line  62  from contacting the damaged portion  66  illustrated in FIG.  6 . This design is believed to greatly reduce the number of breaks or snags of the line  62  and thus increase the efficiency of the downstream machine in production process while minimizing the number of imperfections in the finished good produced. 
     Numerous alternations of the structure herein disclosed will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. 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.