WINDING DEVICE FOR ROLLERS FOR KNITWEAR MACHINES

Abstract

 A winding device (10) for rollers of knitwear machines is described, comprising: motor means (11); coupling means (12) rotatably connected to the motor means (11) and designed to be coupled with a shaft (21) of a roller (20) rotatable around its own axis (X'), to transmit to the roller (20) the rotation motion of the motor means; blocking means (15) designed to axially block the device (10) on the shaft (21) of the roller (20); aligning means (16) designed to align a rotation axis (X) of the coupling means (12) with the axis (X') of the shaft (21) of the roller (20), making the two axes (X and X') coincide to compensate for misalignments between the coupling means (12) and the shaft (21) of the roller (20).

Description

[0001] The present invention refers to a winding device for rollers of a knitwear machine, in particular usable to wind a fabric on a rotating roller.

[0002] Winding devices for rollers are known in the art, and are used to rotate a rotatable roller, for example a roller for collecting a fabric in a knitwear machine, in order to wind the fabric on the roller.

[0003] Known winding devices are designed to rotate a roller rotatably supported, around its own axis horizontally arranged, by a frame, for example assembled on a carriage.

[0004] Known winding devices comprise an electric motor connectable to the shaft of the rotating roller through a cardan shaft of a known type, designed to rotate the rotating roller and equipped with two cardan joints connected by a telescopic shaft.

[0005] The end of the cardan shaft is connected to the shaft of the roller by being coupled with a grooved profile thereof and is axially blocked by a sliding ring manually, to transmit the rotation motion from the electric motor to the shaft of the roller.

[0006] These known winding devices, however, are not satisfactory and have the problem of being heavy and dangerous to operate and to remove, since they must be manually moved by an operator.

[0007] Documents US-A-5 794 885, WO-A1-2014/001966, DE-A1-39 11 159 and US-A1-2016/008776 disclose winding devices according to the preamble of Claim 1.

[0008] Object of the present invention is solving the above prior art problems, by providing a winding device for rollers which allows an easy installation, without the need of using a heavy shaft which can be installed with difficulty to connect the motor to the roller and rotate it.

[0009] Another object of the invention is allowing to disconnect the winding device from the shaft of the roller, keeping the operator at a distance from the roller and without needing his direct manual intervention on the blocking element of the shaft to the roller.

[0010] The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will appear from the following description, are obtained with a winding device for rollers as claimed in claim 1. Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

[0011] It is intended that all enclosed claims are an integral part of the present description.

[0012] It will be immediately obvious that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes, arrangements and parts with equivalent functionality) can be made to what is described, without departing from the scope of the invention as included in the enclosed claims.

[0013] The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, provided as a non-limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

• Figure 1 shows a side view of a winding device for rollers according to the present invention;
• Figure 2 shows a side view of a winding device for rollers according to the present invention; and
• Figure 3 shows a top view of a winding device for rollers according to the present invention.

[0014] With reference to the Figures, the winding device 10 for rollers for knitwear machines of the invention comprises motor means 11, preferably an electric motor 11, and coupling means 12 rotatably connected to the motor means 11 and designed to be coupled with a shaft 21 of a roller 20, rotatable around its own axis X', to transmit to said roller 20 the rotation motion of the motor means; the winding device 10 for rollers further comprises blocking means 15 designed to axially block the device 10 on the shaft 21 of the roller 20.

[0015] For example, the coupling means 12 comprise a rigid coupling having a grooved profile designed to be coupled with a grooved profile of the shaft 21 of the roller 20, or a key inserted in a recess and a right and left rotation selector of the motor means 11 to slowly rotate the motor and align the grooves; preferably, the blocking means 15 comprise a sliding ring, equipped with balls which are engaged in a groove 24 of the shaft 21.

[0016] In a preferred way, the winding device 10 of the invention comprises a control element 19 connected to the blocking means 15 designed to drive the blocking means 15 to lock/unlock the device 10 on the shaft 21 and connect/disconnect it from the roller 20, without needing to manually operate on the blocking means.

[0017] For example, the control element 19 comprises at least one handle 19 connected to the ring 15, for example through a rod; an operator, by acting on the handle 19, moves the ring 15 locking/unlocking the shaft 21 from the balls, thereby connecting or disconnecting the winding device 10 from the roller 20, without having to manually operate on the ring 15.

[0018] Preferably, the control element 19 further comprises an elastic return element 25, for example a spring, connected to the handle 19 to make it return to the starting position when it is released by the operator.

[0019] Preferably, the control element 19 comprises two handles 19 connected to two diametrically opposite sectors of the ring 15.

[0020] Preferably, the control element 19 comprises a limit sensor of the handles designed to detect that the balls of the ring 15 are atctally gripping on the shaft 21 to allow starting the motor 11.

[0021] The winding device 10 for rollers for knitwear machine of the invention further comprises aligning means 16 designed to align a rotation axis X of the coupling means 12 with the axis X' of the shaft 21 of the roller 20, making the two axes X and X' coincide to compensate for misalignments between the coupling means 12 and the shaft 21 of the roller 20; preferably, axis X and axis X' are arranged horizontally.

[0022] In a preferred way, the aligning means 16 comprise lifting means 14, designed to lift or lower the device 10.

[0023] In an embodiment of the winding device 10 for rollers of the invention, the lifting means 14 comprise vertical guiding means 140, for example a telescopic shaft or a bar 140, connected to a self-propelled base support 26, for example on wheels, and moved by a motor, for example by the motor means 11, to lift or lower the device 10 in order to displace it to take the rotation axis X of the coupling means 12 next to the axis X' of the roller 20; the aligning means 16 further comprise elastic means, for example springs, designed to compensate for possible misalignments of the platform on which the base support 26 rests, and designed to adapt the device 10 to possible rotation axis offsets of the roller 20.

[0024] In a second embodiment, the lifting means 14 comprise a pulley 141, for example a dynamometric hanging pulley of a known type, connected to a self-propelled upper support 26, for example on a guide, and moved by a motor, to lift or lower the device 10 in order to displace it to take the rotation axis X of the coupling means 12 next to the axis X' of the roller 20; advantageously, the pulley 141 can lift the device 10 when it is not used, to reduce its overall sizes on the ground.

[0025] Preferably, the winding device 10 of the invention comprises fastening means 18 to a support frame 22 of the roller 20, for example a frame 22 of a carriage 23 for transporting the roller assembled on wheels, said fastening means 18 being designed to fasten the device 10, allowing the motor means 11 to exert the rotation force on the shaft 21 of the roller 20, making it rotate.

[0026] For example, the fastening means 18 are composed of a fork-type device 18 having two arms 28 designed to block the device 10 to the two sides of a portion of the frame 22.

[0027] In a preferred way, the winding device 10 for rollers of the invention comprises an inclinometer which detects the inclination of the device 10, to stop the rotation of the motor 11 in case of excessive inclination, for example due to the blocking of the roller 20, preventing the device 10 from overturning.

[0028] In the operation of the winding device 10 for rollers according to the present invention, an operator acts on the blocking means 15 through the control element 19, in particular exerting a pressure on the handles 19 connected to the ring 15, to lock/unlock the balls and the device 10 from the shaft 21, connecting or disconnecting it from the roller 20; the operator is further capable of driving the right and left rotation of the motor means 11 to slowly rotate the motor and align the grooves of the coupling 12 and of the shaft 21, and can lift or lower the device by driving the lifting means 14, for example the pulley 141.

[0029] Advantageously, the winding device 10 for rollers of the invention allows an operator to lock and unlock the device 10 from the shaft 21 and to connect or disconnect it from the roller 20, without needing to manually operate on the blocking means and keeping himself at a safe distance.

[0030] The presence of the lifting means 14, for example of the pulley 141 or of the vertical guiding means 140, actuated by a motor, further allows placing the device 10 without efforts.

Claims

1. Winding device (10) for rollers of knitwear machines, said device (1) comprising:

- motor means (11);

- coupling means (12) rotatably connected to the motor means (11) and designed to be coupled with a shaft (21) of a roller (20) rotatable around its own axis (X'), to transmit to said roller (20) the rotation motion of the motor means;

- blocking means (15) designed to axially block the device (10) on the shaft (21) of the roller (20) ;

- aligning means (16) designed to align a rotation axis (X) of the coupling means (12) with the axis (X') of the shaft (21) of the roller (20), making the two axes (X and X') coincide to compensate for misalignments between the coupling means (12) and the shaft (21) of the roller (20);

characterized in that it comprises a control element (19) connected to the blocking means (15) and designed to drive the blocking means (15) to lock/unlock the device (10) on the shaft (21) and connect/disconnect it from the roller (20), without needing to manually operate on the blocking means; and
in that the blocking means (15) comprise a sliding ring equipped with balls designed to be engaged in a groove (24) of the shaft (21), and in that the control element (19) comprises at least one handle (19) connected to the ring (15) to allow an operator to move the ring (15) by means of the handle (19) locking/unlocking the shaft (21) from the balls, thereby connecting or disconnecting the device (10) from the roller (20) without having to manually operate on the ring (15); and
in that the coupling means (12) comprise a rigid coupling having a grooved profile designed to be coupled with a grooved profile of the shaft (21) of the roller (20) or a key inserted in a recess, and further comprise a right and left rotation selector of the motor means (11) to slowly rotate the motor and align the grooves.

2. Winding device (10) for rollers according to claim 1, characterized in that the control element (19) comprises two handles (19) connected to two diametrically opposite sectors of the ring (15) and a limit sensor of the handles designed to detect that the balls of the ring (15) are atctally gripping on the shaft (21) to allow starting the motor (11).

3. Winding device (10) for rollers according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that it comprises lifting means (14) included in said aligning means (16), said lifting means (14) comprising vertical guiding means (140) connected to a self-propelled base support (26) and moved by a motor to lift or lower the device (10) in order to displace it to take the rotation axis (X) of the coupling means (12) next to the axis (X') of the roller (20), and in that the aligning means (16) further comprise elastic means designed to compensate for possible misalignments of the platform on which the base support (26) rests, and designed to adapt the device (10) to possible rotation axis offsets of the roller (20).

4. Winding device (10) for rollers according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that it comprises lifting means (14) included in said aligning means (16), said lifting means (14) comprising a pulley (141) connected to a self-propelled upper support (26) and moved by a motor, to lift or lower the device (10) in order to displace it to take the rotation axis (X) of the coupling means (12) next to the axis (X') of the roller (20).

5. Winding device (10) for rollers according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that it comprises fastening means (18) to a support frame (22) of the roller (20), said fastening means (18) being designed to fasten the device (10) allowing the motor means (11) to exert the rotation force on the shaft (21) of the roller (20).

6. Winding device (10) for rollers according to claim 5, characterized in that the fastening means (18) are composed of a fork-type device (18) having two arms (28) designed to block the device (10) to the two sides of a portion of the frame (22).

7. Winding device (10) for rollers according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that it comprises an inclinometer designed to detect an inclination of the device (10) and stop the rotation of the motor (11) in case of excessive inclination, preventing the device (10) from overturning.

Drawing