BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a bobbin changing method in a roving frame and an
apparatus for carrying out this bobbin changing method. More particularly, the present
invention relates to a bobbin changing method in a roving frame in which full bobbins
held on a bobbin wheel of a roving frame, having a top-support-type flyer, are exchanged
with empty bobbins suspended by the respective bobbin supporting members which are
arranged in advance in upper corresponding positions above the roving frame, and an
apparatus for carrying out this bobbin changing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0002] A bobbin changing apparatus, in which an operation of exchanging bobbins is carried
out by a bobbin changer capable of running along a machine frame of a roving frame,
is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 50-89642. In this apparatus,
the exchange of bobbins is carried out for each bobbin held by the respective bobbin
wheels of the roving frame by one bobbin changing arm moving forward and backward
and in the vertical direction. More specifically, the top portion of each of two empty
bobbins suspended by the respective bobbin supporting members of a transporting apparatus
is held and taken out by the bobbin changing arm and placed on the corresponding peg
of a bobbin reserving mechanism, and the bobbin reserving mechanism is swung to retreat
the empty bobbins to the position where the taking-out of each full bobbins is not
disturbed. The full bobbins are then taken out from bobbin wheels by the bobbin changing
arm and mounted on the corresponding bobbin supporting members supported by the transporting
apparatus, and the bobbin reserving mechanism is returned to the original position
and the full bobbins are held by the corresponding bobbin changing arms and fed onto
the corresponding bobbin wheels of the roving frame.
[0003] According to this conventional technique, since empty bobbins suspended by the bobbin
supporting members are once taken out and placed on the corresponding pegs of the
bobbin reserving mechanism, and the bobbin changing arms must travel two times between
the respective bobbin wheels and the corresponding bobbin supporting members, and
since only two empty bobbins can be simultaneously exchanged with full bobbins, the
time required for the bobbin changing operation becomes long. Furthermore, since full
and empty bobbins are moved forward and backward and in the vertical direction between
the respective bobbin wheels and the corresponding bobbin supporting members in the
state where the top portions of the bobbins are suspended by the respective bobbin
changing arms, the overhang quantity of the bobbin changing arm holding heavy full
bobbins becomes large and the height of the rising end of the bobbin changing arm
also becomes large, and therefore, the bobbin changer becomes tall and unstable. Further,
it is impossible to move the bobbin changing arm forward and backward and in the vertical
direction at a high speed. Moreover, since the bobbin changing arm transfers full
bobbins on the respective bobbin wheels of front and rear rows to the bobbin supporting
members while maintaining the distance between the front and rear full bobbins as
it is, the same distance as that between the full bobbins on the respective bobbin
wheels of front and rear rows must be maintained between the bobbin supporting members
of the transporting apparatus. If full bobbins suspended by the bobbin supporting
members of the transporting apparatus are arranged in a zigzag manner, the automation
of a roving bobbin exchange in a spinning frame becomes very difficult.
[0004] To solve the above-mentioned problems, we developed a bobbin changing method and
apparatus in which the bobbin reserving mechanism in the above-mentioned bobbin changing
apparatus is omitted and each of the respective bobbin changing arms per se is moved
along a course formed between the respective bobbin exchange positions of bobbin wheels
of the roving frame and bobbin supporting members located above the roving frame (Japanese
Unexamined Patent Publication No. 60-139835 and No. 60-167940). According to this
system, to exchange bobbins held on front and rear rows of bobbin wheels of the roving
frame with bobbins on bobbin supporting members located above the roving frame, two
bobbin changing arms, working separately for the front and rear rows of bobbin wheels,
are used for full bobbins and empty bobbins, respectively, and independent moving
mechanisms are used to cause the respective bobbin changing arms to make forward-backward
movements and vertical movements between the respective bobbin wheels of the roving
frame and the corresponding bobbin supporting members of a bobbin delivery means.
Accordingly, the construction becomes complicated and it is impossible to design the
bobbin changing apparatus in a compact form. Furthermore, according to this system,
since bobbins are held by suspending upper flange portions of the bobbins with the
bobbin changing arm, it is necessary to elevate the bobbin changing arm to such a
position level at which it is adjacent to the bobbin supporting members of the bobbin
transporting apparatus, and the height of the bobbin changing apparatus per se becomes
large. Accordingly, the bobbin changing apparatus becomes unstable, and the bobbins
suspended by the bobbin supporting members interfere with the bobbin changing apparatus,
and the bobbin changing apparatus cannot pass below the bobbins. Therefore, it is
impossible to adopt a layout in which the transporting rails for the trans porting
apparatus and the guide rail of the bobbin changing apparatus sterically cross each
other, and it is difficult to automatically control the bobbin changing apparatus
as a machine for carrying out the bobbin exchange operation for a group of many roving
frames.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a practical bobbin changing
method applied for the roving process, by which the above-mentioned problems are solved,
and an apparatus for use in carrying out this bobbin changing method.
[0006] The basic technical idea for attaining this object is that the unitary cycle of bobbin
changing work, consisting of the bobbin changing operation of displacing and exchanging
full bobbins and empty bobbins between the respective bobbin wheels of a roving frame
and the corresponding bobbin supporting members which are arranged in advance in upper
corresponding positions above the roving frame concerned is divided into the step
of vertically moving each one of the full bobbins and the corresponding one of the
empty bobbins between a bobbin transfer position, which is common for each one of
the full bobbins and the corresponding one of the empty bobbins, at the level of the
bobbin wheels of the roving frame and a bobbin holding and releasing position of the
bobbin supporting member, which is common for the each one of the full bobbins and
the respective one of the corresponding empty bobbins, along the same course, except
for a part thereof, and the step of transferring the bobbins between the respective
bobbin wheels of the roving frame and the above-mentioned corresponding common bobbin
transfer positions, whereby it is made possible to simultaneously perform the operation
of receiving full bobbins from the bobbin wheels of the flyer frame and the operation
of receiving empty bobbins from the bobbin supporting members, and it is also made
possible to simultaneously perform at least parts of the operation of displacing the
full bobbins received from the roving frame toward the respective bobbin supporting
members, from which the empty bobbins have been taken out, and suspending the full
bobbins on the corresponding bobbin supporting members, and the operation of displacing
the empty bobbins taken out from the bobbin supporting members to the above-mentioned
corresponding common bobbin transfer positions. Accordingly, the construction of the
bobbin changing apparatus for carrying out this bobbin changing method is greatly
simplified and the apparatus can be made compact, and the bobbin changing operation
can be performed assuredly and promptly. Furthermore, since in the displacing courses
for full bobbins and empty bobbins, the bobbin transferring position and the bobbin
holding releasing position of each one of the bobbin supporting members are common
to the corresponding full bobbin and empty bobbin, in order to avoid interference
in the vertical movements of the full bobbins and empty bobbins, a stand-by position
for each empty bobbin is formed in the displacing course for each one of the empty
bobbins at a position deviated from a linear course connecting the above-mentioned
holding and releasing position and the bobbin transferring position.
[0007] In view of the desired compactness of the bobbin changing apparatus, where full bobbins
are taken out from the respective bobbin wheels of the roving frame and displaced
to the above-mentioned respective corresponding common bobbin transfer positions,
and where empty bobbins are placed on the respective corresponding bobbin wheels of
the roving frame from the respective common transfer positions, the bobbins are moved
in the state where the upper flange portion of each bobbin is suspended; and where
the full bobbins are elevated from their transfer positions to the respective corresponding
bobbin holding and releasing positions of the bobbin supporting members and are held
by the respective corresponding bobbin supporting members, and where the empty bobbins
are received from the bobbin supporting members and are brought down to the above-mentioned
respective transfer positions, the bobbins are displaced in the state where each bobbin
is held at the bottom thereof. If this method is adopted, the manner of holding bobbins
to be displaced is changed at the above-mentioned respective common bobbin transfer
position. Accordingly, in the bobbin changing apparatus of a roving frame according
to the present invention, the apparatus height can be effectively reduced, and thus
the method according to the present invention contributes greatly to the compactness
of the bobbin changing apparatus.
[0008] The bobbin changing method in a roving frame based on the above-mentioned basic technical
concept, according to the present invention, is a bobbin changing method in which
the bobbin changing operation of a group of bobbins is carried out by using a bobbin
changing apparatus for empty bobbins prepared and arranged in advance at an upper
position of the roving frame and full bobbins held on bobbin wheels of the flyer frame.
After completion of the above-mentioned unit operation for a group of bobbins, the
bobbin changing apparatus is displaced along bobbin rails and is located at a position
corresponding to bobbin wheels for the subsequent unit operation, and this unit operation
is repeated, until the above-mentioned bobbin changing operation is completed for
all bobbin wheels of a roving frame. This method is characterized by the following
constitutional elements of the invention, that is, the bobbin changing operation is
carried out by displacing full bobbins and empty bobbins along the respective bobbin
moving courses formed between the positions of bobbin wheels of the roving frame and
the corresponding positions for holding bobbins by the respective bobbin supporting
members and releasing these bobbins therefrom above the roving frame; a common lower
bobbin transfer position is formed in each of the above-mentioned bobbin displacing
courses, to which position a full bobbin taken out from a bobbin wheel of the roving
frame is carried before this bobbin is displaced to the above-mentioned position
for holding by the corresponding bobbin supporting member and empty bobbin previously
received from the corresponding supporting member is displaced before this empty bobbin
is carried to a such position for mounting the corresponding bobbin wheel of the roving
frame, at substantially the same height level as the height of the bobbin wheels within
the bobbin changing apparatus; the bobbins are displaced along the respective displacing
courses between the above-mentioned respective common lower transfer positions and
the positions of the respective corresponding bobbin wheels, while holding the upper
position of each bobbin, and the bobbins are displaced along the respective displacing
courses between the respective common lower transfer positions and the holding and
releasing positions of the respective corresponding bobbin supporting members while
holding the lower portion of each bobbin; the state of holding each bobbin is changed
to the other bobbin holding state at each common lower transfer position; and empty
bobbins received from the respective bobbin supporting members are reserved for a
while at a position deviated from the respective linear courses connecting the respective
bobbin supporting members to the respective corresponding common lower transfer positions
when the full bobbins are displaced to the corresponding bobbin supporting members
from the above-mentioned respective common lower transfer positions during the unit
operation of the bobbin changing operation. The above-mentioned position for holding
a full bobbin by the corresponding bobbin supporting member and also for releasing
an empty bobbin from this bobbin supporting member is hereinafter referred to as a
common upper transfer position.
[0009] As the method in which empty bobbins to be subjected to the bobbin changing operation
are prepared and arranged in advance in the upper portion of the roving frame, there
can be mentioned a method in which a bobbin transporting apparatus comprising a plurality
of transporting members, each having a plurality of bobbin supporting members for
suspending a bobbin is travelled along transporting rail means laid out in the longitudinal
direction of the roving frame in the upper portion of the roving frame and is stopped
at predetermined positions for carrying out the bobbin changing operation. Instead
of this automatic method, there may be adopted a method in which a creel or creels
for holding bobbin supporting members is arranged above the roving frame, empty bobbins
are manually suspended by the bobbin supporting members in advance, these empty bobbins
are exchanged with full bobbins by the bobbin changing operation of the present invention,
and then are manually delivered out from the bobbin supporting members. Moreover,
such a manual operation may be performed by a method similar to the known bobbin exchange
method in a spinning frame, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication
No. 58-120826. In view of the above-mentioned, the bobbin changing method and apparatus
of the present invention can be utilized in various modes according to actual conditions
at the spinning mills.
[0010] In the present invention, since application of an automatic system for supplying
roving bobbins from the roving process to the spinning process is intended, the pitches
of bobbin supporting members are made to correspond with the pitches of bobbin hangers
of the creel of a spinning frame. Accordingly, when the operation is carried out in
a roving frame in which front and rear rows (two rows) of bobbin wheels are arranged,
this two-row arrangement is not in agreement with the one-row arrangement of the bobbin
supporting members and the operation is disturbed by this disagreement. However,
this problem can be practically solved by changing the pitches of bobbins held by
the respective bobbin changing arms, and by changing the arrangement conditions between
the zigzag arrangement and a linear arrangement, while the bobbins are displaced between
the position of the bobbin wheels and the respective corresponding lower transfer
positions.
[0011] As is apparent from the above-mentioned description, in the apparatus for use in
carrying out the bobbin changing method in a roving frame according to the present
invention, a peg bar for full bobbins and a peg bar for empty bobbins, each having
a plurality of bobbin holding pegs, are used for moving full bobbins and empty bobbins
between the above-mentioned common lower transfer positions and the common upper transfer
positions for the respective bobbin supporting members, these two peg bars are moved
between the position coinciding to the common lower and upper bobbin transfer positions
along the above-mentioned respective displacing courses except an intermediate stand-by
position for each peg bar for empty bobbins, a carrying mechanism is used to carry
full bobbins and empty bobbins between the respective bobbin wheels of the roving
frame and the respective corresponding common lower bobbin transfer positions, the
full bobbins received from the respective bobbin wheels of the roving frame are transferred
to the respective corresponding peg bar for full bobbins at the respective corresponding
common lower transfer positions, and the empty bobbins taken out from the respective
bobbin supporting members to the peg bar for empty bobbins at the respective common
upper transfer positions are displaced to the respective common lower transfer positions
by displacing the peg bar for the empty bobbins downward, and these empty bobbins
are transfered to the carrying mechanism from the peg bar for empty bobbin at the
corresponding respective common lower transfer positions.
[0012] Elements having different functions are combined in the above-mentioned manner to
construct the apparatus of the present invention. Since these elements are arranged
so that mutual interference is avoided among these elements, the apparatus is made
compact by a combination of simple mechanisms, and therefore, the operation can be
carried out in simple way and the operational steps can be promptly carried out. Accordingly,
the practical value of the present invention is very high.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013]
Figure 1 is a side view of a bobbin changing apparatus for a roving frame, wherein
a part of a bobbin transporting apparatus is shown;
Figure 2A is a front view of an upper portion of the bobbin changing apparatus, together
with the part of the bobbin transporting apparatus shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 2B is a front view of the bobbin changing apparatus shown in Fig. 1 wherein the
upper portion thereof is omitted;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bobbin changing apparatus shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is a side view of a part of a lifting mechanism for a peg bar for full bobbins;
Fig. 5 is a schematic front view of the bobbin changing apparatus, omitting machine
elements except for the lifting mechanism for the peg bar for full bobbins, for illustrating
the displacing operation of the peg bar for full bobbins;
Fig. 6 is a side view of a main part of the lift mechanism for a peg bar for empty
bobbins;
Fig. 7 is a view taken along the line VII-VII in Fig. 6;
Fig. 8 is a diagram illustrating the moving locus of the peg bar for empty bobbins;
Fig. 9 is a sectional view of a bobbin changing bar of a bobbin carrying device mounted
on the bobbin changing apparatus shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 10 is a view showing the section taken along the line X-X in Fig. 9;
Fig. 11A and Fig. 11B are diagrams illustrating the operation of a bobbin changing
arms for front and rear rows which are mounted at the bobbin changing bar shown in
Fig. 9;
Fig. 12 is a plan view showing a bobbin transporting apparatus, a travelling rail
and a roving frame, which are designed so that they are adapted to the bobbin changing
apparatus in a roving frame according to the present invention;
Fig. 13 is a plan view showing a connection unit of the bobbin transporting apparatus;
Fig. 14 is a side view showing the unit transporting device and a positioning device
thereof;
Fig. 15 is a sectional view of a positioning device taken along the line XV-XV in
Fig. 14.
Fig. 16 is a plan view of a switching mechanism applied for the transporting apparatus
shown in Fig. 12;
Fig. 17 is an electric circuit diagram illustrating a control circuit for the transporting
apparatus and positioning device;
Figs. 18A, 18B, 18C, 18D, 18E, 18F, 18G, and 18H are drawings illustrating the operational
steps of the bobbin changing process according to the present invention; and
Figs. 19A and 19B are diagrams illustrating the positional relationship among the
roving frame, the bobbin changing apparatus, and the transporting apparatus when the
transporting apparatus shown in Fig. 12 is utilized.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] Some modifications may be made to the bobbin changing method in a roving frame according
to the present invention when this method is practically carried out, but the above-mentioned
basic technical idea should be always embodied. Accordingly, the bobbin changing apparatus
in which this technical idea is embodied will now be described in detail with reference
to a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
[0015] Referring to Figs. 1 through 3, a bobbin changing machine AD is positioned at a predetermined
position in front of a roving frame 1. In this roving frame 1, top support type front
and rear flyers 3 are disposed in a zigzag manner on a top rail 2 of the roving frame
1 and one group of four top support type flyers 3 are arranged in one staff so that
a pitch P1 (Fig. 3) is maintained between adjacent flyers 3 and a pitch P2 is maintained
between adjacent flyers 3 of adjacent groups, in the longitudinal direction of the
top rail 2. Furthermore, a distance L is set between the front and rear rows of the
flyers 3. The flyers 3 are rotated at a high speed through driving shafts and gears
(not shown) arranged within the top rail 2. Below the flyers 3, a bobbin rail 4 is
vertically movably arranged, and bobbin wheels 5a and 5b concentric with the flyers
3 are arranged on the bobbin rail 4 and are rotated at a high speed through driving
shafts and gears (not shown).
[0016] For a better understanding of the practical value of the bobbin changing method and
apparatus of the present invention, an automatic bobbin changing system in which the
above-mentioned bobbin transporting apparatus is used will now be described in detail.
This automatic bobbin changing system comprises the bobbin changing apparatus AD of
the present invention and a roving bobbin transporting apparatus CR located above
a roving frame 1. The bobbin changing apparatus AD is first described.
[0017] In the bobbin changing apparatus AD, running wheels 9 secured to wheel shafts 8 are
rotatably supported on a bottom plate 7 of a body 6 of the bobbin changing apparatus
AD through a pair of bearings 10 at front and rear parts thereof, in the running direction.
A driven pulley 11 is secured to one wheel 8 (the left wheel in Fig. 3) and a timing
belt 14 is mounted between this pulley 11 and a driving pulley 13 of a driving motor
12 located on the bottom plate 7. The running wheels 9 are mounted on running rails
15 laid out on the front floor surface of the roving frame 1 along the entire length
of the roving frame 1, so as to be able to run in the longitudinal direction thereof.
Approach members 16 are arranged at respective staff centers (bobbin changing centers
CL1, CL2, ..., of the roving frame 1) between bobbin wheels 5a and 5b on the floor
surface along the longitudinal direction of the machine frame. A proximity switch
17 capable of detecting the approach member 16 is secured to the bottom plate 7 of
the machine body 6 of the bobbin changing apparatus AD at a position conforming to
the center of the pitch of bobbin changing arms for the respective second and third
front and rear rows of a bobbin changing bar (described below as bobbin changing center
CL of the bobbin changing apparatus AD). The construction of the bobbin changing bar
and bobbin changing arms will be explained in detail later. When the driving motor
12 is driven, the bobbin changing apparatus AD is displaced on the running rails 15
along the front face of the roving frame 1, and when the approach member 16 confronts
the proximity switch 17, the bobbin changing apparatus AD is atopped at a predetermined
bobbin changing position.
[0018] Full bobbin and empty bobbin peg bars 18 and 19 of the machine body 6 and lifting
mechanisms for these pegs will now be described in detail. Pegs 20 for one staff (four
pegs) are arranged on the top face of the full bobbin peg bar 18 so that the distance
between two adjacent pegs 20 is equal to the bobbin pitch P of a spinning creel. Each
peg 20 is vertically slidable on the upper face of the full bobbin peg bar 18 and
is urged upward by a spring 21, and the top end of the peg 20 is positioned by a fall-preventing
screw 22. Pegs 20 of the empty bobbin peg bar 19, described below, also have the same
structure (see Fig. 6). Guide blocks 23 are secured to both the left and right ends
of the full bobbin peg bar 18, and these guide blocks 23 are slidably mounted on the
corresponding respective guide bars 27 mounted perpendicularly to the corresponding
respective slide blocks 26, which are slidably mounted on the corresponding respective
guide bars 25 extended from the left and right end portions of the bottom plate 7
of the machine body 6 to the top plate 24 thereof. One end of each of first and second
links 28 and 29 is connected by a pin to the front faces of the left and right guide
blocks 23 and the front faces of the left and right slide blocks 26, respectively.
Instead of using the above-mentioned combination of the guide block 23 with the corresponding
end of the full bobbin peg bar 18, both ends of the full bobbin peg bar 18 can be
extended to create a pair of end portions having the same function as the above-mentioned
guide block 23. A pin 31 on the side of each slide block 26 is located vertically
below a pin 30 on the side of the corresponding guide block 23. The other ends of
the first and second links 28 and 29 are turnably connected by a pin to supporting
shafts of a corresponding cam follower 32. Cam plates 34 confronting the corresponding
cam followers 32 and having a inwardly inclined face 34a are attached to left and
right outer side plates 33 of the full bobbin guide bars 25 of the body 8, in the
vertical direction of the machine body 6 substantially along the entire length thereof
(the cam plates 34 are omitted in Figs. 1 and 2). The intervening space between the
two inclined faces 34a is narrowed upward as shown in Fig. 5. A driving shaft 35 is
rotatably supported on the bottom plate 7 over the distance between the side plates
33 along the running direction of the bobbin changing apparatus AD. Driving sprockets
36 are secured to the both end portions of the driving shaft 35 between the full bobbin
guide bars 25 and the side plates 33 in both sides, and a sprocket 37 is secured to
one end of the driving shaft 35 which projects toward the running wheel beyond the
side plate 33 as shown in Fig. 2B. A chain 40 is mounted between this sprocket 37
and a sprocket 39 of the rotation shaft of a driving motor 38. Driven sprockets 41
are rotatably supported on a respective bracket attached to the top plate 24 vertically
above the corresponding driving sprockets 36, and lifting chains 42 are mounted between
left and right corresponding driving and driven sprockets 36 and 41, respectively
(Fig. 1). Intermediate parts of the lifting chains 42 are secured to the corresponding
slide blocks 26 on the side faces in the direction of the running wheels. The lifting
mechanism for the full bobbin peg bar 18 is thus constructed, and as shown in Fig.
5, by the motion of the lifting chains 42, the slide blocks 26 are vertically displaced.
When the slide blocks 26 move upward, the full bobbin peg bar 18 is pushed up by the
slide blocks 26 because the distance between the left and right cam followers 32 is
contracted by engagement with the corresponding respective cam plates 34, and the
full bobbin peg bar 18 is vertically moved among the common upper transfer position
(rise end) S4 where full bobbins FB can be caught by the corresponding bobbin supporting
members of a bobbin transporting apparatus 114 described later, a receiving position
S2 of the common lower transfer motion where full bobbins FB taken out from the respective
bobbin wheels 5a and 5b by a bobbin changing bar described hereinafter and mounted
on the corresponding pegs 20 on the full bobbin peg bar 18, and led to a preparation
position S1 (lowermost displaced position) of the common lower transfer motion below
the receiving position S2.
[0019] As shown in Figs. 1 through 3 and 6 through 8, in the empty bobbin peg bar 19, as
in the above-mentioned full bobbin peg bar 18, pegs 20 (four pegs) of one staff are
arranged in a line, in a condition such that the distance between adjacent two pegs
20 is set at the pitch P in the spinning creel. The lifting mechanism for the empty
bobbin peg bar 19 is now described. Empty bobbin guide bars 43 are arranged in parallel
to the full bobbin guide bars 25 slightly obliquely behind the full bobbin guide bars
25, and a lift block 44 is slidably fitted to each of the empty bobbin guide bars
43. In each lift block 44, a cam lever 46 having a cam follower 45 is connected by
a key to one end of a shaft 47 rotatably mounted on the lift block 44 on the side
of the corresponding side plate 33 and is swung in the front-rear direction (left-right
direction in Fig. 6), and a fan-shaped sector gear 48 is connected by a key to the
other end of the shaft 47. This sector gear 48 is engaged with a gear 51 of a swinging
arm 50 supported by a supporting shaft 49 and swingably movable in the vertical direction.
The shaft 49 is secured to each lift block 44. Each swinging arm 50 clips a stationary
shaft 52 with the top end thereof and a pair of timing belt pulleys 53 integrally
secured to both the left and right sides of the empty bobbin peg bar 19 are rotatably
fitted to the corresponding swinging arm 50. A timing pulley 54 is connected by a
key to the top end of each supporting shaft 49 so that the pulley 54 does not turn
relative to the corresponding lift block 44. Timing belts 56 is mounted between the
above-mentioned each pair of timing pulleys 54 and 53 through a respective tension
pulley 55, so that even if the swinging arms 50 swing, the empty bobbin peg bar 19
is always kept at the horizontal posture. Driving sprockets 57 secured to a driving
shaft 58 are rotatably supported at the bottom plate 7 of the machine body 6 of the
bobbin changing apparatus in the rear of the empty bobbin guide bars 43, and a driven
sprocket 59 is secured to one end of the driving shaft 58 and a driving chain 62 is
mounted between this sprocket 59 and a sprocket 61 of a driving motor 60 (see Figs.
1 and 3). Driven sprockets 63 corresponding to the driving sprockets 57 are pivoted
in the vicinity of the top plate 24 vertically above the driving sprockets 57. A pair
of lift chains 64 are mounted between each pair of these driving and driven sprockets
57 and 63, and an intermediate part of each chain 64 is connected to the rear face
of the corresponding lift block 44 (see Fig. 6). Grooved cam plates 64 having a cam
groove 65a, in which the cam followers 45 are fitted and guided, are secured to the
inner sides of the left and right side plates 33. Each cam groove 65a is formed to
have a cam groove shape such that with the vertical movement of each lift blocks 44,
the empty bobbin peg bar 19 can be displaced along a locus T shown in Fig. 8, and
at the stand-by position S7 intermediate in the vertical direction, the axial center
of each peg 20 is located in the rear of the empty bobbin guide bar 43 so that the
pegs 20 do not interfere with the vertical movement of the full bobbin peg bar 19
carrying full bobbins FB thereon. The upper receiving position S8 of the empty bobbin
peg bar 19 and the common upper transfer position S6 and completion position (fall
end) S5 of the common lower transfer position of the empty bobbin peg bar 19 are in
agreement with the respective positions S4, S2, and S1 of the full bobbin peg bar
19. The lift device for the empty bobbin peg bar 19 is thus constructed with a mechanism
for forward-backward movement.
[0020] The full bobbin and empty bobbin carrying device will now be described with reference
to Figs. 1 through 3 and 9 through 11. On the bottom plate 7 of the machine body 6
of the bobbin changing apparatus AD, brackets 67 are arranged on the left and right
sides at positions equidistant with respect to the bobbin changing center CL. Horizontal
guide bars 68 are laterally arranged between the brackets 67 and rear plates 66. A
supporting block 69c is secured on the axial line of the bobbin changing center CL
and a feed bar 69a parallel to the horizontal bars 68 is rotatably supported between
the supporting block 69c and the rear plate 66. A sprocket 69b is secured to the end
of the feed bar 69a on the side of the rear plate 66, and a chain 71b is mounted between
this sprocket 69b and a sprocket 85 of a motor 70. A feed screw 72 is formed on the
feed bar 69a substantially along the entire length thereof. Legs of a gate-like slide
base 73 are fitted in the horizontal guide bars 68 movably in the front-rear direction,
and a plate 74 is secured to the lower faces of the legs. A feed bracket 75 having
a female screw engaged with the feed screw 72 of the feed bar 69 is secured to this
plate 74. Lift bars 77 arranged vertically on the left and right lower parts of a
bobbin changing bar 76 are vertically movably fitted on the upper portions of the
legs of the slide base 73 respectively. A lift screw lever 78 is vertically mounted
at an intermediate part between the lift bars 77 of the bobbin changing bar 76, and
a female screw 80 of a driving sprocket 79 rotatably supported on the slide base 73
is screwed to the screw lever 78. A chain 83 is mounted between the driving sprocket
79 and a sprocket 82 of a driving motor 81 secured to the slide base 73. Accordingly,
the bobbin changing bar 76 can make a forward-backward movement on the front side
of the roving frame and a vertical movement. As shown in Fig. 10, the upper face of
the bobbin changing bar 76 is opened to form sliding faces 84, and sliders 85 and
86 for the front and rear rows, which have bobbin changing arms (bobbin changing arms
for the front and rear rows) described below, are alternately arranged on the sliding
faces 84 in the order of the slider for the front row and the slider for the rear
row from the left side, when seen from the back face of the machine body 6 of the
bobbin changing apparatus AD, as shown in Fig. 9. The sliders 85 and 86 are movable
only in the left-right direction (Fig. 10) by front and rear slider holders 87 and
88 of the bobbin changing bar 76. Two spline shafts 89 and 90 are supported on the
bobbin changing bar 76 rotatably along the longitudinal direction of the machine frame,
and one end of each of the two spline shafts 89 and 90 is connected to a driving motor
92 through a gear row 91. A groove cam 93 having cylindrical cam grooves 93A and 93B
formed on both sides with a distance corresponding to the distance between the sliders
85 and 86 for the front and rear rows, is slidably spline-fitted to the spline shaft
89. A member 94 for regulating the left-right movement of the groove cam 93, which
is in sliding contact with both the left and right ends of the groove cam 93, is secured
to the bobbin changing bar 76. Cam followers 95 are arranged on the lower faces of
the sliders 85 and 86 for the respective front and rear rows at positions corresponding
to the cam grooves 93A and 93B. These cam followers 95 are engaged with the corresponding
cam grooves. The sliders 85 and 86 for the respective front and rear rows slide in
two adjacent groove cams, except those located on both the ends, and when these groove
cams 93A and 93B are turned by a predetermined angle ϑ (between points A and B shown
in Fig. 10), the slider pitch is changed from P1 to P (or vice versa) (Fig. 3). The
device for changing the left-right distance between the bobbin changing arms for the
front and rear rows is thus constructed. Each slider 85 for the front row has, integrated
therewith, each bobbin changing arm 96 for the front row, which can confront the row
of bobbin wheels 5a of the roving frame 1, and the bifurcate top end of the slider
85 supports a flange B1 of the upper portion of the bobbin from below. Each one of
sliders 86 for two bobbins of the rear row is provided with a bobbin changing arm
97 for the corresponding one of two bobbins of rear row, which can confront the row
of bobbin wheels 5b, and each bobbin changing arm 97 for the bobbins of rear row has
bifrucated fork portion connecting the tip ends of left and right guide levers 98.
The guide levers 98 are inserted in slide apertures 99 of the respective sliders 86
for the two bobbins of the rear row so that the bobbin changing arms 97 for the two
bobbins of the rear row can slide in the front-rear direction. Racks 100 are formed
on the lower sides of each guide lever 98. A pinion 101 rotatably supported on each
slider 86 for the rear row is engaged with the rack 100. The pinion 101 is spline-fitted
to the spline shaft 90 and each slider 85 for the bobbin of front row is freely fitted
to the corresponding spline shaft 90. The device for changing the front-rear distance
between the bobbin changing arms 96 and 96 for the respective front and rear rows
is thus constructed. The tooth numbers of respective gears of the gear row 91 are
set so that when the spline shaft 89 is turned by ϑ, each bobbin changing arm 97 for
the rear row is displaced by L, and the operation of changing the zigzag arrangement
of bobbins of one staff in the roving frame 1 to the arrangement in agreement with
the bobbin arrangement of the spinning creel (or reverse change), as shown in Fig.
11, can be synchronously performed by one driving motor 92.
[0021] On the inner sides of the left and right side plates 33 of the machine body 6 of
the bobbin changing apparatus, proximity switches SW1 through SW8 are arranged at
predetermined positions in the vertical direction. The proximity switches SW1 through
SW4 are for detecting approach members 102 (Fig. 2) mounted on the slide blocks 26
of the full bobbin peg bar 18, and these proximity switches SW1 through SW4 confirm,
in the order form below, the preparation position (lower end) S1 of the position for
lower transfer operation of the full bobbin peg bar 18, the slightly elevated receiving
position S2 of the above-mentioned position for the lower transfer operation, and
the intermediate stop position S3 and the position for upper transfer operation S4,
respectively, to stop the driving motor 38 (Fig. 3) and stop the full bobbin peg bar
18 at the respective positions. The proximity switches SW5 through SW8 are for detecting
approach members 103 (Fig. 3) projected from the rear faces of the slide blocks 44
of the empty bobbin peg bar 19, and these proximity switches SW5 through SW8 confirm,
in the order from below, the completion position (lower end) S5 of the position for
lower transfer operation of the empty bobbin peg bar 19, the slightly elevated receiving
position S6 of the position for the lower transfer operation, the stand-by position
S7 shown in Fig. 8, and the position for upper transfer operation S8, respectively,
to stop the driving motor 60 (Fig. 3) and stop the empty bobbin peg bar 19 at the
respective positions. Limit switches LS1 through LS3 are for confirming the retreat
end of the slide base 73, the transfer position (the position where the forks of the
bobbin changing arms 96 and 97 for the bobbins of front and rear rows are arranged
in one line vertically above the line of the pegs of the full bobbin peg bar 18),
and the front ends of the forks of zigzag bobbin changing arms for the respective
bobbins of front and rear rows on zigzag bobbin wheels, and the limit switches LS1
through LS3 are energized by a dog 104 attached to the leg of the slide base 73 to
stop the slide base 73 at the respective positions. Furthermore, as shown in Fig.
2, a dog 105 is attached to one slide bar 77 on the lower face of the slide base 77
and upper and lower limit switches LS4 and LS5 are arranged on the slide based through
brackets to confirm the rise end and drop end of the bobbin changing bar 76 and stop
the bobbin changing bar 76 at the respective positions.
[0022] A roving bobbin transporting unit CR used in combination with the bobbin changing
apparatus AD of the present invention will now be described with reference to Fig.
2 and Figs. 12 through 17.
[0023] A main transporting rail connecting the roving frame 1 to the creel of the spinning
frame (not shown) is laid out above the end side of the machine frame. A branched
transporting rail 111 on the side of the roving frame is connected to the main transporting
rail 110 through a changeover switch device 112. The branched transporting rail 111
is disposed vertically above the full bobbin peg bar 18 of the bobbin changing apparatus
AD at the time of bobbin changing along the bobbin wheels 5a and 5b of the roving
frame 1 and is laid out at the rear of the machine frame while bypassing the outer
end side of the machine frame. Each of the transporting rails 110 and 111 has a rectangular
cross-section having the lower side opened, and wheels 113 roll within the transporting
rails 110 and 111 to displace bobbin transporting members 114 for the transportation
of roving bobbins along the transporting rails 110 and 111. A plurality (6 in the
present embodiment) of bobbin supporting members 116 are suspended from the lower
side of a base plate 116 of the bobbin transporting member 114 while keeping the bobbin
pitch P of the spinning creel in the longitudinal direction between two adjacent bobbin
supporting members 116. The bobbin transporting members 114 are connected to each
other through a connecting lever 117. These bobbin transporting member 114 are connected
so that roving bobbins of one roving frame can be held, whereby a large bobbin transporting
unit 118 is constructed. The bobbin changing centers are set at points L1, L2, .....,
that is, these centers are set at the center between the second and third bobbin supporting
member 116 members counted from the bobbin supporting member 116 located on the right
end in Fig. 2A and the positions apart from this center by 4·P and multiples thereof.
A driving device 119, which is provided with a mechanism for displacing the transporting
unit 118, is mounted on the transporting rail 110 in a condition wherein it is capable
of running on the branched transporting rail. A plurality of driving devices 119
are arranged at intervals shorter than the entire length of the transporting unit
118. In this driving device 119 (Figs. 13 and 14), swinging arms 122 are supported
swingably in the horizontal direction with a vertical shaft 121 on both sides of a
base 120 secured across the transporting rails 110 and 111, a rotary disk 123 is rotatably
supported on one swinging arm 122, and a rotary disk 125 attached to a driving motor
124 is rotatably supported on the other swinging arm 122, so that the rotary disk
125 confronts the rotary disk 123.
[0024] The base plate 115 of the bobbin transporting member 114 is clipped from both sides
by the force of a spring 126 and the rotary disk 125 is positively driven to move
the bobbin transporting unit 118. On the base plates 115 of these bobbin transporting
members 114 located in the rear (the right side in Figs. 14, 19A, 19B) of the bobbin
transporting unit 118, positioning split cotter pins 127 in a number corresponding
to the frequency of stoppage for bobbin changing in one roving frame are secured while
maintaining the mutual pitch P4 which coincides with the difference between one movement
pitch (3·P1 +P2) of the bobbin changing apparatus AD and the bobbin changing center
pitch (4·P) of the bobbin transporting member 114 (see Fig. 3). A proximity switch
PX for detecting the positioning split cotter pin 127 is attached to the transporting
rail 111 through a bracket 128 (see Fig. 15). On the side opposite to the proximity
switch PX, a catcher 129 is swung by the operation of a cylinder 130 mounted on the
rail 111. (see Fig. 14). When the transporting unit 118 is at the first bobbin changing
position L1, the first positioning split cotter pin 127 confronts the proximity switch
PX and the catcher 129 is capable of engaging to the split cotter pin 127, and after
the completion of the bobbin change operation for the first bobbin transporting member
114, the catcher 129 is capable of disengaging from this positioning split cotter
pin 127. At the time of carrying out the bobbin changing operation, the driving motor
124 and cylinder 130 make a one-pitch (P4) feeding of the bobbin transporting unit
118, and after completion of the bobbin changing operation, displace the bobbin transporting
unit 118 to the spinning process to feed full roving bobbins to the spinning frames,
and displace the bobbin transporting unit having empty bobbins EB to the roving frames
which must carry out the bobbin changing operation by a control circuit 210 shown
in Fig. 17. In this control circuit, a controller SPC is disposed to control the driving
motor 124, and turning-ON and turning-OFF of the motor and changing of the rotation
speed or rotation direction are controlled by opening and closing contacts RMH-1 and
the like. The changeover switch device 112 (see Fig. 16) comprises a supporting bracket
131 secured to the transporting rail 110 and a solenoid 133 turnably mounted to the
bracket 131, a swing · arm 134 turnably pivoted on a free end portion of a piston
of the solenoid 133, a delivery course changeover plate 32, one end portion of which
is connected by a pin to the other end of the swing arm 134 in a condition such that
the plate 132 is capable of taking two guide positions for guiding the transporting
unit 118 along the transporting rail 110 or to the branched transporting rail 111.
[0025] The bobbin changing operation by the above-mentioned preferable embodiment will
be hereinafter described in detail. When an advance instruction to start the bobbin
changing operation is electrically sent to a particular roving frame 1, the transporting
unit 118 having empty bobbins EB is displaced to the branched transporting rail 111
along the front face of the roving frame 1 from the main transporting rail 110. At
this point, the driving device 119 closes a contact Hi of a high speed switch of the
circuit 205 shown in Fig. 17 and a contact R of an inversion switch of the circuit
207, to excite relays RTH and RTHR, and a normally closed contact RTH-1 of the circuit
208 is opened and a solenoid SOL of a solenoid valve (not shown) connected to the
cylinder 130 for the catcher 129 is changed over, whereby the cylinder 130 (Fig. 14)
is advanced and the catcher 129 is moved upward. Simultaneously, a contact RTHR-1
connected to the controller SPC of the circuit 209 is closed and the forward end of
the cylinder 130 turns ON the forward end limit switch LSA (circuit 200) to turn ON
a relay RLSA, whereby a contact RLSA-2 of the contact 206 is closed to turn ON a relay
RMH and close contacts RMH-1 and RMH-2 of the circuit 209, and the driving motor 124
(Fig. 14) of the driving device 119 is reversed at a high speed to displace the transporting
unit 118 at a high speed by the rotary disk 125. When the top end of the transporting
unit 118 is detected by the proximity switch 135 as shown in Fig. 19-(A), the contact
Hi of the circuit 205 is opened and the solenoid SOL is changed over to retreat the
cylinder 130 and engage the catcher 129 with the first positioning split cotter pin
127, whereby the bobbin changing center L1 of the transporting unit 118 is made to
correspond with the bobbin changing center CL1 of the roving frame 1 and the transporting
unit 118 is stopped at the bobbin changing position. In this condition, when an electrical
signal is issued to indicate that the size of the thread package of bobbins of the
roving frame becomes full, so that the bobbin changing operation must be applied to
this roving frame, the bobbin changing apparatus AD is brought close to the front
face of this roving frame 1, and the first approach member 16 confronts the proximity
switch 7 and the bobbin changing apparatus AD is stopped at the first bobbin changing
position, whereby the bobbin changing centers CL, L1 and CL1 of the bobbin changing
apparatus AD, the transporting unit 18 and the roving frame 1 are made to correspond
with one another (see Figs. 2 and 3). At this point, the bobbin changing bar 76 is
located at the position of the lower end or retreat end (stand-by position), the full
bobbin peg bar 18 is located at the preparation position (lower end position) S1 of
the common lower transfer position and the empty bobbin peg bar 19 is located at the
stand-by position S7 (Fig. 18A).
[0026] When the bobbin changing bar 76 is at the stand-by position, the one-line arrangement
of the bobbin changing arms 96 and 97 for the respective front and rear rows of the
bobbin wheels (hereinafter refers only to the respective front and rear rows) is changed
to the zigzag arrangement, and simultaneously, by rotating the feed bar 69a, bobbin
changing bar 76 is advanced toward the full bobbins FB on the respective bobbin wheels
5a, 5b and is stopped at the forward end. The forks of the bobbin changing arms 96
and 97 for the respective front and rear rows are inserted below the upper flanges
BT of the corresponding full bobbins FB and the lift screw lever 78 is turned to raise
the bobbin changing bar 76 to the rise end and suspend the full bobbins FB on the
respective bobbin changing arms 96 and 7 for the respective front and rear rows. At
this time, the empty bobbin peg bar 9 is moved forward from the standby position S7
by driving the lift chains 64, and raised to the upper transfer position S8, and four
empty bobbins EB of the transporting unit 118 at the bobbin changing position are
loaded on the pegs 20 of the empty bobbin peg bar 9 (Fig. 18B). Then, the empty bobbin
peg bar 19 having the empty bobbins EB loaded thereon is displaced downward, and retreated
and stopped at the stand-by position S7. Simultaneously, while the bobbin changing
bar 76 is being retreated, the bobbin changing arms 96 and 97 for the respective front
and rear rows, which have the full bobbins FB suspended therefrom, are re-arranged
from the zigzag arrangement into a one-line arrangement, and the bobbin changing arms
96 and 97 for the respective front and rear rows are stopped at the transfer position
where the respective full bobbins FB taken out are located vertically above the respective
pegs 20 of the full bobbin peg bar 18. At this point, the full bobbin peg bar 18 is
slightly elevated, and the full bobbins FB are placed on the respective pegs 20 at
the receiving position S2 (see Fig. 18C). Then, the bobbin changing bar 76 is retreated
to the retreat end and the lift chain 42 are driven to elevate the full bobbin peg
bar 18 upward in the vertical direction and attach the full bobbins FB to the bobbin
supporting member 116. Simultaneously, the empty bobbin peg bar 19 located at the
stand-by position S7 is displaced downward to the lower transfering position S6 where
the bobbin changing arms 96 and 97 of the bobbin changing bar 76 for the respective
front and rear rows, located at the elevated end and retreat end in the one-line arrangement,
are at a height allowing insertion of their furcate free end portions into the upper
flanges BT of the corresponding empty bobbins EB (Fig. 18D). Then, the full bobbin
peg bar 18 is displaced downward and stopped at the intermediate stop position S3,
and the bobbin changing arms 96 and 97 for the respective front and rear rows, which
are located at the rise end and retreat end in the one-line arrangement, are advanced
and stopped at the above-mentioned transfer position and the furcate free end portions
of the bobbin changing arms 96 and 97 are inserted below the respective upper flanges
BT of the corresponding empty bobbins EB. The empty bobbin peg bar 19 is then slightly
displaced downward and located at the completion position (lower end position) S5
of the common lower transfer position which coincides with the above mentioned position
S6, and the empty bobbins EB are suspended in a one-line arrangement of the bobbin
changing arms 96 and 97 for the respective front and rear rows (Fig. 18E). Then, while
the one-line arrangement of the bobbin changing arms 96 and 97 for the respective
front and rear rows is changed to the zigzag arrangement, the bobbin changing bar
76 is located on the advance end and the bobbin changing bar 76 is displaced downward,
and the empty bobbins EB are attached to the corresponding empty bobbin wheels 5a
and 5b of the roving frame 1 (Fig. 18F). Then, the bobbin changing bar 76 is retreated
to the retreat end, and the zigzag arrangement of the bobbin changing arms 96 and
97 for the front and rear rows is changed to the one-line arrangement (Fig. 18G).
Then, the empty bobbin peg bar 19 located at the completion position S5 of the common
lower transfer position is displaced upward to the stand-by position S7 and the full
bobbin peg bar 8 located at the intermediate stop position S3 is displaced downward
to the preparation position S1 of the common lower tranfer position, see Fig. 18.H.
[0027] When one cycle of the bobbin changing operation is thus completed, the bobbin changing
apparatus AD is displaced to the position for the next bobbin changing operation.
At this point, a contact Pi (for issuing a one-pitch feed signal) of the circuit 201
shown in Fig. 17 is closed to turn ON a relay RTP. Thereupon, a contact TRP-1 of the
circuit 208 is turned OFF to effect changeover of the solenoid SOL of the solenoid
valve of the cylinder 130, and the cylinder 130 is advanced to swing the catcher 129
upward and release the engagement with the first positioning split cotter pin 127.
Then, at the advance end, the cylinder 130 turns ON the limit switch LSA to turn ON
a relay RLSA, and a contact RLSA-1 of the circuit 202 is turned ON and a relay RMP
is turned ON. Accordingly, contacts RMP-1 and RMP-2 of the controller SPC of the circuit
209 are turned ON to rotate the driving motor 124 at a low speed in the normal direction
and move the transportation unit 118 in the direction of arrow B in Fig. 19. Then,
when the second positioning split cotter pin 127 is detected by the proximity swich
PX, the proximity switch contact PX of the circuit 203 and relay RPX are turned ON
(at this point, the contact PI is turned OFF), and the contact RPX-1 of the circuit
201 is turned OFF, the relay RTP is turned OFF, RPX-2 of the circuit 204 is turned
ON and a timer TR is turned ON. Thereupon, the contact TRP-1 of the circuit 208 is
turned ON to effect changeover of the solenoid SOL, and the timer TR turns the driving
motor 124 in the normal direction excessively for a predetermined time so that the
cylinder 130 is retreated, the catcher 129 is brought down, the transportation unit
118 is displaced at a low speed, the second positioning split cotter pin 127 which
has been moved is caught by the catcher 129, and the second positioning split cotter
pin 127 is firmly pressed to the front end portion of the catcher 129. When the timer
TR runs out, the timer contacts TR-1 and TR-2 are turned OFF, the relays RMP and RPX
are turned OFF, the timer TR is reset, and the driving motor 124 is stopped. Accordingly,
the transporting unit 18 is displaced by one pitch P4, and as shown in Fig. 19B, the
bobbin changing center C1 of the bobbin changing apparatus AD is made to correspond
with the second bobbin changing centers CL1 and L2 of the roving frame 1 and the transporting
unit 118, and the second bobbin changing operation is started. When the above mentioned
operation is repeated and the bobbin changing for one roving frame 1 is completed,
in order to transport the transporting unit 118 at a high speed toward the spinning
frame, the contact Hi is closed at the circuit 205 to turn ON the relay RTH and turn
OFF the contact RTH-1 and to effect changeover of the solenoid SOL, whereby the cylinder
130 for the catcher 129 is advanced to elevate the catcher 129 and the limit switch
LSH at the advance end is turned ON to turn ON the relay RLSA and turn ON the relay
RMH. Thereupon, the contacts RMH-1 and RMH-2 connected to the controller of the circuit
209 are closed, and at this point, since the contact RTHR-2 is closed, the driving
motor 124 is rotated at a high speed in the normal direction and the transporting
unit 118 suspending full bobbins for one spinning frame is transported to the position
adjacent to the creel of the spinning frame.
[0028] As shown in Fig. 18A or 18H, a sufficient vertical space is formed between the lower
ends of the bobbins suspended from the transporting unit 118 and the top end of the
bobbin changing apparatus AD. Accordingly, as shown in Fig. 12, in the portion CP
where the transporting rails 110 and 111 cross the running rail of the bobbin changing
apparatus AD in one plane, even if the transporting unit 118 having bobbins suspended
therefrom is superposed on the bobbin changing apparatus AD in a plane, since the
transporting unit 118 is not superposed on the bobbin changing apparatus AD in the
vertical direction, layout of the transporting rail and the running rail of the bobbin
changing apparatus AD or a running rail 136 (Fig. 12) for a truck for loading and
moving the bobbin changing apparatus along the side face of the roving frame can be
facilitated.
[0029] Incidentally, in the present embodiment, since the zigzag bobbin arrangement in the
roving frame is changed to the bobbin arangement (one-line arrangement) of the creel
in the spinning frame only by the doffing operation of the bobbin changing apparatus,
the post treatment at the time of transporting doffed full bobbins to the spinning
frame can be simplified. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when the full bobbin
peg bar and empty bobbin peg bar are displaced upwards toward the upper transfer position,
the rising slide block or lift block is further moved upward by utilizing this movement
of raising the peg bars, and therefore, the actual rise end of the slide block or
lift block is at a position lower than the upper transfer position of each peg bar
and the height of the machine body of the bobbin changing apparatus can be effectively
reduced. Moreover, in the present embodiment, since the common lower transporting
position of the full bobbin peg bar and the empty bobbin peg bar are set at the same
position, the position for controlling the bobbin changing bar can be set at three
points (front end, rear end, and intermediate position), and the control of the bobbin
changing bar is facilitated and the space necessary for the movement of the bobbin
changing bar in the forward-backward direction is reduced.
[0030] In the present embodiment, at the common lower transfer position, the full bobbin
peg bar is raised to the receiving position from the preparation position and full
bobbins are loaded on the full bobbin peg bar, but there may be adopted a modification
in which the full bobbin peg bar is stopped at the receiving positon of the common
lower transfer position and the bobbin changing bar is vertically moved to transfer
full bobbins onto the full bobbin peg bar. A known battery car or the like may be
used as the driving device of the transporting unit. Furthermore, bobbin changing
bars for the respective front and rear rows of the bobbin wheels of a roving frame
are not limited to those used in the present embodiment, but means using a screw feed
mechanism or a cylinder, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 58-250963
(Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 60-167940), may be used. In the present
embodiment, the lift devices for full and empty bobbins utilize chains and chain sprockets,
but lift devices utilizing a belt driving mechanism or other type of known lifting
devices may be used. In the present embodiment, four bobbins are subjected to the
bobbin changing operation at a time, but an appropriate number of bobbins may be treated
at a time according to the arrangement of bobbin wheels in the roving frame. The same
upper transfer position is used for the full bobbin peg bar and empty bobbin peg bar
in the above-mentioned embodiment as the common upper transfer position, but there
may be adopted a modification in which the forward-backward movement mechanism of
the lift device for the empty bobbin peg bar is omitted, a vertical lift device similar
to that for the full bobbin peg bar is used, and two rails for the full bobbin peg
bar and the empty bobbin peg bar are arranged above the full bobbin peg bar and the
empty bobbin peg bar, respectively. In this modification, full bobbins are taken out
on the full bobbin peg bar and attached to the bobbin supporting members of the full
bobbin transporting rail located vertically above, and then the empty bobbin peg bar
is raised to receive empty bobbins from the empty bobbin transporting rail, and after
the empty bobbin peg bar is brought down, the bobbin changing arm is advanced and
empty bobbins are fed to the roving frame.
1. A method for carrying out a bobbing changing operation applied for a roving frame,
wherein empty bobbins, suspended by respective bobbin supporting members which are
prepared and arranged in advance at positions above said roving frame, are changed
by full packaged bobbins held by respective bobbin wheels of said roving frame by
utilizing a bobbin changing apparatus which is capable of being displaced along a
machine frame of said roving frame, said bobbing changing operation is carried out
continuously by repeated cycle oeprations, each operation cycle being applied for
group of plural bobbins, and therefore, upon completion of one unit cycle of operation,
said bobbin changing apparatus is displaced to the succeeding downstream position
where said bobbin changing apparatus confronts the next group of bobbin wheels of
said roving frame which must be applied to said bobbin changing operation,
said bobbin changing operation consisted of an identical operation for each bobbin
of said group,
said identical bobbin changing operation comprises, exchanging said full packaged
bobbin held by a bobbin wheel of said roving frame by an empty bobbin suspended by
a corresponding one of said bobbin supporting members by separately displacing said
full packaged bobbin and said empty bobbin along the respective displacing passages
formed between a position of said bobbin wheel and an upper transfer position for
these bobbins against said bobbin supporting member,
said bobbin transfer passages are provided with a lower common bobbin transfer position
respectively, to where said full package bobbin taken from said bobbin wheel is displaced
before displaced to said upper tansfer position, and said empty bobbin taken from
said bobbin supporting members is displaced before carrying said full packaged bobbin
taken from said bobbin wheel is displaced to said upper transfer position, said common
lower bobbin transfer position is formed in said bobbin changing apparatus at approximately
the same level as said bobbin wheel,
holding upper portions of these bobbins while displacing between said upper transfer
position and said lower common transfer position, holding lower portions of said bobbins
while displacing between said lower common transfer position and said bobbin wheel,
changing holding conditions of said bobbins at said lower common transfer position,
when said bobbin changing operation is carried out, said empty bobbin taken from said
bobbin supporting member is temporarily reserved at a position biased from a linear
passage connecting said upper transfer position and said lower common transfer position.
2. The bobbin changing method of the roving frame according to claim 1, wherein said
upper transfer position of said displacing passage for said full packaged bobbin is
identical to said upper transfer position of said displacing passage for said empty
bobbin.
3. The bobbin changing method of the roving from according to claim 1, when said bobbins
are displaced from the respective bobbin wheels to said lower common transfer positions
tehreof, arrangement of plural bobbins is changed from a zig-zag arrangement to a
one line arrangement, when said bobbins are displaced from said lower common transfer
positions therof to corresponding bobbin wheels respectively, arrangement of prural
bobbins is changed from the one-line arrangement to a zig-zag arrangement.
4. Bobbin changing apparatus for carrying out bobbin changing operation for a roving
frame, wherein full packaged bobbins held by respective bobbin wheels of said roving
frame are changed for empty bobbins suspended by the respective bobbin supporting
members which are prepared and arranged in advance at their positions above said roving
frame, said bobbin changing operation is carried out for a plurality of bobbins as
a group and upon completion of said bobbin changing operation for one grup of bobbins,
this unit cycle of bobbin changing operation is successively repeated by displacing
said bobbin changing apparatus along a bobbin rail of said roving frame and successively
stoped at predetermined positions confronting said bobbin wheels which are necessary
to apply said one cycle of bobbin changing operation, said unit opreations are continuously
repated until a full operation for all bobbin wheels of said roving frame is completed,
Comprising
a first peg bar provided with a plurality of pegs for supporting full packaged bobbins
by insertion thereinto, a second peg bar provided with an identical number of pegs
to said first peg bar for supporting empty bobbins by inserting therein,
a first means provided with a pair of lifting mechanisms for separately displacing
said first peg bar and said second peg bar along their own lifting passage between
an upper common transfer position where empty bobbins are received from the respective
bobbin supporting members by corresponding pegs of said second peg bar and full packaged
bobbins are taken from pegs of said first peg bar and suspended by corresponding bobbin
supporting members and a lower common transfer position where full packaged bobbins
taken from the respective bobbin wheels are mounted on corresponding pegs of said
first peg bar, or empty bobbins displaced downward by the respective pegs of said
second peg bar are changed their holding condition so as to be carried to corresponding
bobbin wheels of said roving frame.
carrying means for taking off said full packaged bobbins from said bobbin wheels of
said roving frme by catching on upper end portion of each bobbin and there after
carring said bobbins to said lower transfer positions respectively, and then moanting
said full packaged bobbins on corresponding pegs of said first peg bar, while taking
off said empty bobbins from said pegs of said second peg bar by catching send upper
end portion of each bobbin and thereafter mounting said empty bobbins on corresponding
bobbin wheels from which said full packaged bobbins have been taken off,
said guide passage for said second bar being provided with a position for reserving
said second peg bar which is biased from a linear passage connecting said common lower
transfer position and said upper transfer position.
5. The bobbin changing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said first means comprises,
a first lifting mechanism for lifting said first peg bar for displacing between a
preparation position slightly below said lower common transfer position and said upper
common transfer position, and for temporarily reserving said first peg bar before
starting said unit cycle of said bobbin changing operation, and a second lifting mechanism
for lifting said second peg bar for displacing between said common upper transfer
position and a completion position slightly below said lower common transfer position,
said first lifting mechanism being provided with a first guide means for leading said
first peg bar along a passage connecting said upper common transfer position and said
preparation position, and a first lift for displacing said first peg bar along said
first guide means,
said second lifting mechanism being provided with a second guide means for leading
said second peg bar along a passage connecting said upper common transfer position
and said completion position and a second lift for displacing said second peg bar
along said passage of said second guide means, said passage of said second guide means
being provided with a position for reserving said second peg bar biased from a linear
line connecting said upper and lower common transfer positions,
an electric control means for control timing for displacing said first and second
peg bars while temporarily reserving either one of said two peg bars when the other
one of said peg bars is displaced so that possible interference between motions of
said peg bars can be completely prevented.
6. The bobbin changing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, said apparatus is
provided with a machine frame formed by bottom plate and a pair of side plates extended
upwards from both side ends thereof and a top plate connecting said side plates at
their top ends respectively;
said first lift for the first peg bar is a sprocket-chain lfit-ing system;
said first guide means comprises,
a pair of first pillars secured to said bottom plate of said machine frame of said
bobbin changing apparatus at both side-end portions thereof adjacent to the respective
side paltes, each of said first pillars extending to said top plate of bobbin changing
apparatus,
a pair of slide blocks slidably mounted on the respective first pillars, each of said
blocks connected to a chain-element of siad sprocket chain lifting system,
a pair of second pillars vertical secured to corresponding one of said slide blocks
respectively in an upwardly extending condition, each of said second pillars slidably
supporting a corresponding side end portion of said first peg bar,
a pair of link motion mechanisms, each one connecting one of said slide blcoks to
a corresonding one of side-end portions of said first peg bar,
a cam follower rotatably mounted to each of said link motion mechanisms,
a pair of guide surfaces formed on said side plates of said machine frame of said
bobbin changing apparatus at respective positions facing and corresponding to said
first pillars, wherein a distance between said guide surfaces becomes gradually narrower
from the level of each bottom end of said guide surfaces to the level of each top
end of said guide surfaces,
each of said link motion mechanisms comprising a pair of link members, a cam pin turnably
connected to one free end of each of said link members, the other free end of said
link members being pivoted to a corresponding side end of said first peg bar respectively,
said cam follower being rotatably mounted on said cam pin,
whereby, when said slide blocks are displaced upwards, said first peg bar is capable
of taking a position more elevated than the elevation of said slide blocks.
7. The bobbin changing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said electric control
means comprises a first position detecting means for detecting said first peg bar
and a second position detecting means for detecting said second peg bar, said first
position detecting means comprises a first approach member secured to said first peg
bar and a plurality of proximity switches disposed on one of said side plates facing
said approach member at respective predetermined positions, whereby when said first
peg bar is being lifted and approaches either one of said predetermined positions,
said first peg bar can be detected by a corresponding one of said proximity switches
mounted at said predetermiend position; said second position detecting means comprising
a second approach member secured to said second peg bar at a position facing the other
one of said side plates and a plurality of proximity switches disposed on said side
plate facing said approach member of said second peg bar at respective predetermined
positions, whereby when said second peg bar is being lifted and approaches either
one of said predetermined positions, said second peg bar can be detected by a corresponding
one of said proximity switches mounted at said predetermined position; and
driving devices to drive said lifting means by an actuating signal issued from a corresponding
one of said proximity switches, respectively.
8. The bobbin changing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said apparatus is provided
with a machine frame formed by a bottom plate and a pair of side plates extended upwards
from both side ends thereof and a top plate connecting said side plates at their top
ends respectively;
said second lift for the second peg bar is a sprocker-chain lifting system,
said second guide means comprises,
a pair of guide grooves formed on said pair of side plates of sid machine frame of
said bobbin changing apparatus,
a pair of pillars secured to said bottom plate of machine frame of said bobbin changing
apparatus at both side-end portions thereof adjacent to respective side plates, each
of said pillars extending to said top plate of said machine frame of said bobbin changing
apparatus,
a pair of lifting blocks secured to respective side-ends of said second peg bar and
slidably supported by a corresponding one of said pillars and also connected to a
corresponding chain-element of the respective one of said sprocket chain lifting systems,
a rotatable shaft rotatably supported by each of said lifting blocks,
a cam lever mounted on one end of each one of said rotatable shafts and secured thereon
by a key,
a cam follower rotatably supported by each one of said cam levers and engaged with
a corresponding one of said cam grooves,
a connecting member for connecting a first horizontal supporting shaft to a corresponding
one of said rotatable shafts, said connecting member being provided with a function
such that when both of said cam followers approach respective elevated positions in
said respective cam grooves by displacing said lifting blocks upwards, said second
peg bar is projected upwards from said lifting blocks, while maintaining the horizontal
attitude of said second pag bar and is further provided with a function of displacing
said second peg bar to a predetermined position biased from a lifting passage of said
first peg bar.
9. The bobbin changing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, each of said connecting
members comprises a sector gear secured to said rotable shaft at the other end thereof,
a second horizontal shaft rigidly supported by each one of said lifting blocks in
parallel to said rotatable shaft,
a swing arm rotatably mounted on each of said second horizontal shafts,
a toothed portion formed on a part of said swing arms respectively for engaging with
a corresponding one of said sector gears,
a pair of first timing belt pulleys secured to a corresponding one of outside extended
portions of said first horizontal supporting shaft of said second peg bar,
a second timing belt pulley rigidly mounted on each one of said second horizontal
shafts,
a timing belt mounted on each bombination of said first and said second timing belt
pulleys,
a free end portion of each second horizontal shaft being secured to the other end
portion of a corresponding one of said swing arms.
10. The bobbin changing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, said first peg bar
and second peg bar are provided with a plurality of pegs aligned on an upper surface
thereof respectively for supporting bobbins, with an intervened pitch P between two
adjacent pegs, which is identical to a creel pitch of a spinning frame.
11. The bobbin changing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, a plurality of pegs
of said first peg bar are positioned at the respective positions right below corresponding
bobbin supporting members prepared in advance at the respective positions above said
roving frame, said first peg bar being capable of lifting in a vertical direction.
12. The bobbin changing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, said apparatus is
utilized to carry out said bobbin changing operation for such roving frame provided
with plural bobbin wheels arranged in a zig-zag arrangement,
said bobbin carrying means being provided with a bobbin carrying bar which is capable
of being displacing forward and backward to said roving frame and also capable of
lifting upwards and downwards,
said carrying bar being provided with a plurality of bobbin changing amrs for said
bobbin wheels of front and rear rows,
said carrying arms being capable being positioned to face corresponding flyers arranged
in a zig-zag arrangement in said roving frame when said bobbin changing apparatus
is positioned at a predetermined working position for carrying out said bobbin changing
operation,
said bobbin carrying bar being provided with a mechanism for changing an arrangement
of said carrying arms from a two rows arrangement to a one-line arrangement, and also
for changing a distance between two adjacent carrying arms.