Yarn winding mechanism

Abstract

 A yarn winding mechanism (10) in a textile machine has a suction device (21) mounted in alignment with but radially spaced from a package tube supporting end cap (13a) that has a yarn catcher (20) on its periphery. On completion of winding of the package (15), the traverse guide (18) is stopped on the centreline of the package (15) and the running yarn (16) is lifted from the traverse guide (18) by movement of a central point of origin guide (17), the suction device (21) is pivoted laterally of the winding mechanism (10) so that the nozzle (22) moves towards the traverse guide (18) to entrain a yarn end (16) when a cutter (29) is operated to cut the yarn (16), and then the suction device (21) and point of origin guide (17) are returned to their original positions. The suction device (21) is then pivoted so that the nozzle (22) moves towards the end cap (13a) and the yarn end (16) is caught by the yarn catcher (20) to wind a tail on the end (33) of the empty tube (11) which has replaced the full package (15). The yarn (16) entering the nozzle is broken and the suction device (21) again returned to its original position, whilst the traverse guide (18) recommences its traverse motion to engage the yarn tail and commence winding a new package (15).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to winding mechanisms for textile yarns in which a running yarn is fed to a tube to form a package thereon by means of a yam guide reciprocating along a path parallel to the axis of the tube, the periphery of the tube or package being driven by contact with a driving bowl, and the method of operation of such mechanisms. In particular the invention relates to yarn winding mechanisms in which the removal of fully wound packages and their replacement by empty tubes is performed automatically.

[0002] In textile machines having such mechanisms, from time to time a fully wound package in a cradle must be replaced by an empty tube. At such a time it is customary to disengage the yarn from the traversing yam guide so that the yam moves to a central position. A lever or other mechanism moves the running yam from the central position to a position adjacent an end cap at one end of the winding mechanism. Then the yarn is cut and that free end of the yarn coming from the processing section of the machine is entrained into a suction gun. When the full package has been removed from the cradle and a new tube is located on the end caps, the yam passing into the suction gun is again moved by a lever or other mechanism and caused to pass across a catcher device on the adjacent end cap so that the yarn can begin to wrap around the new tube. As this happens the yarn must break so that the yam in the suction gun can go to waste and the yarn coming from the processing section of the machine can be wound on the tube to form a new package. A disadvantage of the known arrangements is that the yam, in passing from a centrally located fixed guide, i.e. a point of origin guide, to the end cap and then to the suction gun, has a large total wrap angle around the various surfaces It is necessary to provide a high suction force to pull the yarn over these surfaces, although the yam tension leading to the end cap can be very low. In consequence, it can be difficult to control the yarn, and the range of running speeds for the more delicate yarns is restricted. It can be difficult to break the low tensioned yam, particularly with heavier deniers of yarn, and various devices have been provided to overcome this problem. The provision of cutting devices on the end cap can lead to a significant hazard for the operator, and guarding of the end cap area severely restricts the access to the cradle for the operator or an automatic mechanism for loading empty tubes or removing full packages.

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a yarn winding mechanism and a method of operation of the mechanism such that the above mentioned disadvantages are avoided or reduced by a significant amount.

[0004] The invention provides a yam winding mechanism comprising a cradle having end caps for supporting a tube therebetween, one of the end caps having a yarn catcher device thereon, and a suction device having a nozzle end positioned adjacent the cradle in a first position spaced from but substantially aligned radially with that one end cap and adapted to entrain a running yarn thereinto, the suction device being movable so that the nozzle end is movable from the first position to a second position adjacent that end cap, whereby yarn passing into the suction device is guided to the end of the tube supported by that end cap..

[0005] The mechanism may comprise a tailing arm mounted on the suction device adjacent the nozzle end operable on such movement of the suction device to deflect the yarn across the one end cap whereby the yam is caught by the yarn catcher device to cause breakage of the yarn and form a tail winding on the tube.

[0006] The suction device may be mounted so that the nozzle end is movable laterally of the winding mechanism between the first position and a third position in which the nozzle end is positioned substantially centrally of the winding mechanism. Preferably the suction device is mounted to pivot about axes remote from the nozzle end. The suction device may be mounted in a position substantially aligned radially with the one end cap.

[0007] The yarn winding mechanism may comprise a cutting device for cutting the running yam. The mechanism may also include a traversing yam guide, and a centrally disposed point of origin yam guide which may be movable so as to disengage the yam from the traversing yarn guide. The mechanism may include a control device operable to lift the point of origin yam guide on completion of winding of a full package, simultaneously with moving the suction device from the first position to the third position. The cutting device may be attached to the point of origin yam guide to move therewith.

[0008] The invention also provides a method of operating a yarn winding mechanism in which an empty tube is supported by end caps in a cradle, one of the end caps having a yarn catcher device thereon, comprising entraining a running yarn into a nozzle end of a suction device positioned adjacent the cradle in a first position spaced from but substantially aligned radially with that one end cap, moving the suction device whereby the nozzle end moves from the first position to a second position adjacent that end cap and guiding yarn passing into the suction device to an end of the tube supported by that end cap.

[0009] The method may comprise deflecting the yarn across the one end cap by moving a tailing arm whereby the yarn is caught by the yarn catcher device to cause breakage of the yarn and form a tail winding on the tube. The suction device may then be moved so that the nozzle end moves back to the first position.

[0010] The method may also comprise moving the suction device so that the nozzle end moves laterally of the winding mechanism from the first position to a third position in which the nozzle end is positioned substantially centrally of the winding mechanism, cutting the running yarn and entraining the cut yarn into the nozzle end of the suction device, and then moving the suction device so that the nozzle end moves laterally of the winding mechanism back to the first position prior to moving it as aforesaid to the second position.

[0011] The method may comprise firstly forwarding a running yarn from a point of origin yarn guide disposed centrally of the winding mechanism to a first tube supported in the cradle whilst the suction device is in the first position, forming a fully wound package on the first tube, disengaging the yarn from the traversing yam guide, moving the suction device so that the nozzle end moves from the first position to the third position, cutting the running yarn and entraining the yarn into the nozzle end, moving the suction device so that the nozzle end moves from the third position to the first position, and exchanging the fully wound package in the cradle for a second tube prior to moving the suction device so that the nozzle end moves as aforesaid to the second position. The method may also include disengaging the yarn from the traversing yarn guide by moving the point of origin yam guide prior to moving the nozzle end of the suction device from the first position to the third position and cutting the running yam. The method may also include moving a cutting device from an inoperative position to a cutting position together with the disengaging movement of the point of origin yam guide, and then operating the cutting device to cut the running yam. The cutting device then may be moved to back to its inoperative position together with a return movement of the point of origin yam guide and moving the nozzle end of the suction device from the third position to the first position.

[0012] One embodiment of the invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1.

is a front view of the winding mechanism in the initial package winding configuration

Fig. 2.

is a side view of the mechanism in the initial package winding configuration

Fig. 3.

is a front view of the mechanism in the yarn cutting configuration, and

Fig. 4

is a side view of the mechanism in the tail forming configuration.

[0013] Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a package winding mechanism 10 in the package winding configuration prior to winding a package on an empty tube 11. The tube 11 is supported in a cradle 12 by means of end caps 13 and is driven in rotation by peripheral contact with a driving bowl 14. To build a package 15 (see Fig. 3) on the tube 11, a running yarn 16 is forwarded from the yarn processing section (not shown) of a textile machine in which the winding mechanism is mounted, via a centrally disposed point of origin yarn guide 17 and a traversing yarn guide 18 to the nip 19 between the tube 11 and the driving bowl 14. One of the end caps 13a has a yam catcher device 20 thereon. A cutting device 29 is mounted adjacent the point of origin yam guide 17 in what is an inoperative position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Such an arrangement is conventional.

[0014] In this case however, the winding mechanism 10 comprises a suction device 21 which is mounted substantially in alignment radially with the end cap 13a. The suction device 21 has a nozzle end 22 positioned adjacent the cradle 12 in a first position spaced from but also substantially aligned radially with the end cap 13a. The suction device 21 is adapted to entrain the running yam 16 into the nozzle end 22, the suction device 21 being mounted to pivot about a first axis 23 and a second axis 24 for purposes to be described later. Yarn 16, when drawn into the suction device 21, is passed to waste along a flexible pipe 25. Mounted on the suction device 21 adjacent the nozzle end 22 is a tailing arm 26. The point of origin yam guide 17 is mounted on the cutting device 29.

[0015] Operation of the winding mechanism 10 will now be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4, and will be considered to start with an empty tube 11 mounted in the cradle 12 between end caps 13, in driving contact with the driving bowl 14, and with the running yam 16 already tailed onto the tube 11, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2. The running yarn 16 is forwarded to the tube 11 via the point of origin yam guide 17 and the traversing yarn guide 18, and a package 15 is formed on the tube 11. When the package 15 is fully wound, a control device 28 causes operation of cylinder 31 to lift the point of origin yarn guide 17 to disengage the yarn 16 from the traversing yarn guide 18 and to lift the cutting device 29 from its inoperative position to a cutting position, and causes operation of cylinder 30 to pivot the suction device 21 about the second axis 24 so that the nozzle end 22 is in the third position, all as shown in Fig. 3. The control device 28 then operates the cutting device 29 to cut the yarn 16. One cut end of the yarn 16 is attached to the package 15, but the other cut end coming from the yarn processing section of the textile machine is entrained into the nozzle end 22 of the suction device 21.

[0016] The control device then returns the cutting device 29 and point of origin yarn guide 17 to their respective inoperative and normal operating positions, and the suction device 21 back to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the nozzle end 22 in the first position.

[0017] The fully wound package 15 is then removed from the cradle 12 either manually or preferably by an automatic doffing mechanism (not shown) and replaced by a new empty tube 11. The next movement of the suction device 21 is then initiated by the control device 28. In this movement, the cylinder 32 is operated to pivot the suction device 21 about the first axis 23 and move the nozzle end 22 to the second position adjacent the end cap 13a as shown in Fig. 4. This movement causes yarn 16 running to the suction device 21 to be guided to the end 33 (Fig. 1) of the empty tube 11 which is now supported by the end cap 13a, and also causes the yam 16 running into the nozzle end 22 to be deflected by the tailing arm 26 across the end cap 13a to be caught by the yarn catcher device 20, as shown in Fig. 4. The control device 28 then returns the suction device 21 and the nozzle end 22 back to their original positions causing the yam 16 to be severed. Such yam 16 as has been entrained into the suction device 21 is passed to waste along the flexible pipe 25. The end of the running yarn 16 caught by the yam catcher device 20 forms a tail winding on the end 33 of the tube 11, the yarn 16 tending to move gradually towards the centre of the winding mechanism 10. This causes the running yam 16 to re-engage the traversing yam guide 18 and start the operation of winding a package 15 on the tube 11. The above described process is then repeated.

[0018] By means of the invention the total angle of wrap of the yam 16 about the various yam guides, at the time of it breaking to commence forming the tail winding on the empty tube 11, is in the region of 120°. This is considerably less than with the known winding mechanisms, thereby providing that the yarn tension in the region of the end cap 13a is much greater than was previously the case. This results in a greater range of running speeds for the more delicate yams, greater control of the yarn end after cutting, a reduced suction requirement, a more positive laying of the yam on the end cap 13a and the yarn breaks more readily to commence the forming of the tail winding. In addition a dangerous yarn cutting catcher device is not required on the end cap, thereby reducing the cost of the end cap.

Claims

1. The invention provides a yam winding mechanism (10) , comprising a cradle (12) having end caps (13) for supporting a tube (14) therebetween, one of the end caps (13a) having a yarn catcher device (20) thereon, characterised by a suction device (21) having a nozzle end (22) positioned adjacent the cradle (12) in a first position spaced from but substantially aligned radially with that one end cap (13a) and adapted to entrain a running yarn (16) thereinto, the suction device (21) being movable so that the nozzle end (22) is movable from the first position to a second position adjacent that end cap (13a) whereby yam (16) passing into the suction device (21) is guided to the end (33) of the tube (14) supported by that end cap (13a).

2. A yarn winding mechanism according to claim 1, characterised in that the suction device (21) is mounted so that the nozzle end (22) is movable laterally of the winding mechanism (10) between the first position and a third position in which the nozzle end (22) is positioned substantially centrally of the winding mechanism (10).

3. A yarn winding mechanism according to claim 2, characterised in that the suction device (21) is mounted in a position substantially aligned radially with the one end cap (13a) and is mounted to pivot about axes (23, 24) remote from the nozzle end (22).

4. A yam winding mechanism according to claim 3, characterised by comprising a cutting device (29) for cutting the running yarn (16), a traversing yarn guide (18) and a substantially centrally disposed point of origin yarn guide (17).

5. A yam winding mechanism according to claim 4, characterised in that a control device (28) is operable on completion of winding of a full package (15), to lift the point of origin guide (17) so as to disengage the yarn (16) from the traversing yarn guide (18) simultaneously with moving the suction device (21) from the first position to the third position.

6. A method of operating a yarn winding mechanism, in which an empty tube (14) is supported by end caps (13) in a cradle (12), one of the end caps (13a) having a yarn catcher device (20) thereon, characterised by entraining a running yarn (16) into a nozzle end (22) of a suction device (21) positioned adjacent the cradle (12) in a first position spaced from but substantially aligned radially with that one end cap (13a), moving the suction device (21) whereby the nozzle end (22) moves from the first position to a second position adjacent that end cap (13a) and guiding yam (16) passing into the suction device (21) to an end (33) of the tube (14) supported by that end cap (13a).

7. A method according to claim 6, characterised in that moving the suction device (21) causes a tailing arm (26) attached thereto to deflect the yam (16) across the one end cap (13a) by whereby the yarn (16) is caught by the yam catcher device (20) to cause breakage of the yam (16) and form a tail winding on the tube (14).

8. A method according to claim 7, characterised by moving the suction device (21) so that the nozzle end (22) moves back to the first position and then laterally of the winding mechanism (10) from the first position to a third position in which the nozzle end (22) is positioned substantially centrally of the winding mechanism (10).

9. A method according to claim 8, characterised by cutting the running yam (16) and entraining the cut yam (16) into the nozzle end (22) of the suction device (21), then moving the suction device (21) so that the nozzle end (22) moves laterally of the winding mechanism (10) back to the first position prior to moving it to the second position.

10. A method according to claim 9, comprising firstly forwarding a running yarn (16) from a point of origin yam guide (17) disposed centrally of the winding mechanism (10) to a first tube (14) supported in the cradle (12) whilst the suction device (21) is in the first position and forming a fully wound package (15) on the first tube (14), characterised by disengaging the yam (16) from the traversing yam guide (18), moving the suction device (21) so that the nozzle end (22) moves from the first position to the third position, cutting the running yarn (16) and entraining the yam (16) into the nozzle end (22), moving the suction device (21) so that the nozzle end (22) moves from the third position to the first position, and exchanging the fully wound package (15) in the cradle (12) for a second tube (14) prior to moving the suction device (21) so that the nozzle end (22) moves to the second position.

Drawing