Device to move a spool on which a bobbin of yarn is wound

Abstract

 Device to move a spool (11) on which a bobbin (12) of yarn is wound, wherein the spool (11) is provided with a through longitudinal cavity (26). The device comprises a vertical support element (13), able to be inserted into the longitudinal cavity (26) of the spool (11), and a manual gripping means (35) able to couple temporarily with one end of the longitudinal cavity (26) to automatically take a stop element (18), located at the end of the vertical support element (13), to a supporting position.

Description

[0001] The invention refers to a device to move a cop, that is, the spool with a bobbin of yarn wound thereon, from one textile machine to another. The device is particularly suited to move cops which have a metal spool and weigh about 1-1.3 Kg, and with bobbins of yarn which can weigh even more than 4 Kg.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] It is well-known that in textile industries the cops are moved from one machine to another, for example from a winding machine, where the bobbin of yarn is formed on a spool, to another machine such as a weaving machine or a circular machine for hosiery or knitwear.

[0003] These movements, or at least when the cops are unloaded from the winding machines and loaded onto the other textile machines, are usually carried out manually by the workers.

[0004] Conventional spools, especially large ones having a length of about 270-300 mm and weighing up to 1-1.3 Kg and more, are usually made of metal and comprise a substantially cylindrical central core passed through longitudinally by a central through hole. Generally a containing flange is attached to one end of the core to laterally contain the bobbin.

[0005] Considering that, when the cop is complete, the bobbin of yarn almost completely surrounds the central core of the spool, and that the cop itself has to be attached to the confectioning machine with the central core of the spool in a vertical position and with the containing flange arranged upwards, it is difficult and complicated for the worker to grip and position the cop, and there is therefore a waste of time which negatively affects the production cycle.

[0006] The present Applicant has devised and embodied this invention to overcome this shortcoming and to obtain further advantages, as will be explained hereafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The device to move cops according to the invention is set forth and characterized in the main claim, while the dependent claims describe other innovative features of the invention.

[0008] One purpose of the invention is to achieve a device which will allow to move supports for yarn easily, quickly and safely, said supports having a length of about 270-300 mm and with bobbins of yarn with an overall weight of about 4 Kg and more.

[0009] Each spool comprises a substantially cylindrical central core, around which the yarn is able to be wound, and at least a containing flange arranged at one end of the central core. The latter is provided with a central through cavity able to house a supporting rod of a textile machine on which the cop is able to be mounted for subsequent use or subsequent working of the yarn.

[0010] In accordance with this purpose, the device according to the invention comprises a vertical support element, able to be inserted into a longitudinal hole or cavity of the spool, and a manual gripping means, consisting for example of a knob, which is able to couple temporarily with one end of the afore-said longitudinal cavity to automatically take a stop element, located at the end of the vertical support element, into a supporting position.

[0011] The vertical support element advantageously comprises a rod with a lower end shaped so that a stop tongue can rotate freely with respect to a pin thereof, to assume a vertical inactive position, wherein the cop can be inserted, and a horizontal working position wherein the cop is supported.

[0012] A mandrel for centering the spool is mounted coaxial with the upper part of the vertical rod and is movable vertically, contrasted by elastic means.

[0013] According to a variant, instead of being contrasted by elastic means, the centering mandrel can have a cylindrical part long enough to remain in any case inserted in the longitudinal cavity of the spool also during the anchoring action of the stop tongue.

[0014] A first guide element, for example consisting of a bushing, is able to be inserted in removable fashion in the lower part of the longitudinal cavity of the spool to cooperate with the stop tongue.

[0015] The manual gripping means comprises a first knob having a lower handgrip and a tubular element, with a substantially cylindrical cross section and an outer diameter such that it can be inserted, with little play, into the longitudinal cavity of the spool. The tubular element is shaped so as to define two longitudinal grooves, diametrically opposite each other, in which two corresponding fins of the afore-said first guide element are able to be housed.

[0016] Moreover, inside the tubular element a contrasting element is arranged, with an inclined surface able to cooperate with the stop tongue to make it rotate, at least partly, with respect to its vertical inactive position.

[0017] A second guide element, consisting for example of a bushing with a central hole and an upper flare, is attached inside the longitudinal cavity to guide the vertical support element in said cavity.

[0018] A second knob is provided to automatically return the stop tongue to its inactive position and to allow the spool or cop to be disengaged from the vertical support element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] These and other characteristics of the invention will become clear from the following description of a preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

Fig. 1

is a front view, partly in section, of a part of a device according to the invention, on which a cop is able to be mounted;

Fig. 2

is a side view of a first detail of the device in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3

is a front view of the device in Fig. 1, on which a cop is mounted;

Fig. 4

is a side view, partly in section, of a knob to insert a cop into the device in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5

is a view from above of a second detail of the device according to the invention;

Fig. 6

is a side view, partly in section, of a knob to remove a spool from the device in Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0020] With reference to Figs. 1 and 3, a device 10 according to the invention to move a spool 11 on which a bobbin of yarn 12 (together called "cop") is wound, comprises a vertical rod 13 supported by a horizontal bracket 15 of a textile machine of a conventional type, denoted generally by the reference number 16.

[0021] The lower end 13a of the rod 13 is shaped so as to define two fork-type arms 17 (Figs. 1 and 2); between them, a stop tongue 18 is pinned at the center, so as to be able to rotate freely around its pin.

[0022] A centering mandrel 19 (Figs. 1 and 3), with a lower profile shaped like a truncated cone, is mounted coaxial with the upper part 13b of the rod 13 and is movable vertically, contrasted by a helical spring 20.

[0023] To be more exact, the device 10 is able to move spools 11 which comprise a substantially cylindrical central core 21, at a first end of which a flange 23 is friction welded and arranged substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 25 of the central core 21.

[0024] The central core 21 is provided internally with a through circular cavity 26, coaxial with the longitudinal axis 25, and is shaped so as to have, at a second end, an annular ribbing 28 and an annular seating 29 to house a count marker of a conventional type, not shown in the drawings, for example of the type described in the Italian patent n°. 1.299.748 granted to the present Applicant on 4 April 2000.

[0025] Both the central core 21 and the flange 23 are advantageously made of aluminium alloy 7075 or similar high resistance alloy.

[0026] A bushing 30 made of plastic material, with a central hole 31 and an upper flare 32, is attached in the cavity 26 in proximity with the annular ribbing 28.

[0027] A bushing 40 is able to be inserted in removable fashion into the lower part of the cavity 26 to cooperate with the stop tongue 18. The bushing 40 has a central hole 41 and an upper flare 42.

[0028] To facilitate the insertion of a cop on the rod 13 of the textile machine 16, the device according to the invention comprises a knob 35 with a lower handgrip 36 and a metal tubular element 37, with a substantially cylindrical cross section and an outer diameter "d" a little less than the inner diameter of the annular ribbing 28.

[0029] The tubular element 37 is shaped so as to define two longitudinal grooves 38, diametrically opposite each other, in which two corresponding fins 39 (Fig. 5) of the removable bushing 40 are able to be housed.

[0030] Inside the tubular element 37 there is a block 43 with an inclined surface 44 able to cooperate with the stop tongue 18.

[0031] According to a variant, not shown in the drawings, instead of being contrasted by the spring 20, the centering mandrel 19 can have a cylindrical part 19a long enough to remain inserted in any case in the longitudinal cavity of the spool, also during the anchoring action of the stop tongue 18.

[0032] The device 10 as described heretofore functions as follows.

[0033] In its inactive position the stop tongue 18 of the rod 13 is arranged vertically, as shown with a continuous line in Figs. 1 and 2.

[0034] A bushing 40 is arranged in the tubular element 37 of the knob 35, in such a manner that the fins 39 are housed in the grooves 38.

[0035] By gripping the lower handgrip 36, the tubular element 37 is then inserted into the lower part of the cavity 26 of the spool 11 (Fig. 4), until the fins 39 of the bushing 40 are taken into contact with the annular ribbing 28.

[0036] Keeping the tubular element 37 of the knob 35 inserted into the cavity 26, the spool 11 is then mounted on the textile machine 16 (Fig. 3), inserting the lower end 13a of the rod 13 into the upper part of the cavity 26, that is, on the side of the flange 23, and lifting the spool until the centering mandrel 19 is also inserted into the cavity 26.

[0037] The fixed bushing 30, inserted into the cavity 26, facilitates the centering of the end 13a of the rod 13 in the removable bushing 40.

[0038] With a further travel upwards of the spool 11, against the action of the spring 20, the stop tongue 18 of the rod 13 goes to cooperate with the inclined surface 44 of the block 43 and partly rotates, also settling into an inclined position.

[0039] The knob 35 is then extracted from the spool 11.

[0040] The stop tongue 18 is automatically arranged horizontal (Fig. 3) and, cooperating with the bushing 40, keeps the cop stopped in the textile machine 16.

[0041] It is equally easy to remove the spool 11 from the machine 16, particularly when the bobbin 12 of yarn has been completely unwound from the spool 11. It is sufficient to lift the spool 11 by a few millimetres with respect to the central rod 13, return the stop tongue 18 manually, and remove the spool 11 downwards.

[0042] The stop tongue 18 can be returned automatically, instead of manually, to the inactive position by means of a knob 50 (Fig. 6), identical to the knob 35. A block 51, with a tapered lead-in 52 and a central hole 53 with a diameter substantially equal to the width of the stop tongue 18, is inserted into the knob 50.

[0043] In this case, the upper part of the knob 50 is inserted into the cavity 26 of the spool 11, the spool 11 is lifted until the stop tongue 18 is taken into the hole 53 of the block 51 and the knob 50 is lowered together with the spool 11 associated therewith.

[0044] It is obvious that modifications or additions may be made to the device 10 described heretofore, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0045] It is also obvious that, although the invention has been described with reference to a specific example, a skilled person in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other forms of equivalent devices, all of which shall come within the field and scope of this invention.

Claims

1. Device to move a spool (11) on which a bobbin (12) of yarn is wound, wherein said spool (11) is provided with a through longitudinal cavity (26), the device being characterized in that it comprises a vertical support element (13), able to be inserted into said longitudinal cavity (26) of said spool (11), and a manual gripping means (35) able to couple temporarily with one end of said longitudinal cavity (26) to automatically take a stop element (18), located at the end of said vertical support element (13), to a supporting position.

2. Device as in Claim 1, characterized in that said vertical support element comprises a rod (13) having a lower end (13a) on which said stop element (18) is pinned.

3. Device as in Claim 2, characterized in that said stop element comprises a tongue (18) pinned to the center to be able to rotate freely with respect to said lower end (13a) of said rod (13).

4. Device as in Claim 2, characterized in that a centering mandrel (19), with a lower profile shaped like a truncated cone, is mounted coaxial with the upper part (13b) of said rod (13) and is movable vertically, contrasted by elastic means (20).

5. Device as in Claim 2, characterized in that a centering mandrel (19) is mounted coaxial with the upper part (13b) of said rod (13) and has a cylindrical part (19a) long enough to remain inserted, in any case, inside said longitudinal cavity (26) of said spool (11) also during the anchoring action of said tongue (18).

6. Device as in Claim 2, characterized in that a first guide element (40) is able to be inserted in removable fashion in the lower part of said cavity (26) to cooperate with said stop tongue (18), said first guide element (40) having a central hole (41) and an upper flare (42).

7. Device as in Claim 1, characterized in that said manual gripping means comprises a first knob (35) having a lower handgrip (36) and a tubular element (37), with a substantially cylindrical cross section and an outer diameter (d) such as to be able to be inserted in said cavity (26).

8. Device as in Claims 6 and 7, characterized in that said tubular element (37) is shaped so as to define two longitudinal grooves (38), diametrically opposite each other, in which two corresponding fins (39) of said first guide element (40) are able to be housed.

9. Device as in Claims 3 and 7, characterized in that inside said tubular element (37) a contrasting element (43) is arranged, having an inclined surface (44) able to cooperate with said tongue (18) to make it at least partly rotate with respect to a vertical inactive position.

10. Device as in Claim 1, wherein each spool (11) comprises a central core (21), characterized in that a second guide element (30), with a central hole (31) and an upper flare (32), is attached inside said cavity (26) to guide said vertical support element (13) in said cavity (26).

11. Device as in Claim 1, characterized in that a second knob (50) is provided to automatically return said stop element (18) to an inactive position and allow to disengage said spool (11) from said vertical support element (13).

Drawing