BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a yarn winder.
[0002] Patent Literature 1 (
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2017-114573) recites a yarn winder configured to wind yarns onto bobbins aligned in a predetermined
arrangement direction, respectively. To be more specific, the yarn winder includes
fulcrum guides (yarn guides) provided to correspond to the respective bobbins. The
yarn winder further includes a yarn threading member (yarn threading mechanism) by
which the yarns are threaded to the respective yarn guides. To be more specific, the
yarn threading mechanism includes holding units configured to hold the yarns in a
separated manner. An operator causes the holding units to hold the running yarns,
and then moves the holding units at least in the arrangement direction. As a result,
the yarns are threaded to the yarn guides one by one.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The inventors of the subject application are trying to improve yarn threading mechanisms
in order to simplify the above-described yarn threading and to shorten the time required
for the yarn threading. To be more specific, firstly, a driving mechanism by which
a holding unit holding yarns is moved without human power has been developed. Secondly,
an adjustment mechanism that allows an operator to manually adjust the position of
a holding unit when yarns are held by the holding unit has been developed.
[0004] In addition to the above, an arrangement that allows an operator to manually move
the holding unit when the driving mechanism is not driven has been planned. In such
an arrangement, at least part of the driving mechanism functions as the adjustment
mechanism. In this connection, improvement in operability of the holding unit has
been at issue.
[0005] An object of the present invention is to achieve positional adjustment of a holding
unit of a yarn threading mechanism with a small power.
[0006] According to a first aspect of the invention, a yarn winder which is configured to
wind running yarns onto bobbins aligned in a predetermined arrangement direction comprises:
yarn guides which are provided to correspond to the respective bobbins and are aligned
in the arrangement direction; and a yarn threading mechanism which is configured to
perform yarn threading to the yarn guides, the yarn threading mechanism including:
a holding unit which is capable of holding, in a separated manner, the yarns before
being wound onto the yarn guides; and a driving mechanism which includes a driving
source and is configured to be able to move the holding unit in a first direction
having a component in the arrangement direction, the driving source including a fixed
portion and a movable portion movable relative to the fixed portion and being switchable
between an actuated state in which a thrust force is applied in the first direction
to the holding unit through the movable portion and a non-actuated state in which
application of the thrust force to the holding unit is canceled, the driving mechanism
including: an extending member which is fixed in installation location and extends
in the first direction; a rotation member which is rotatably supported by the movable
portion and is arranged to be movable in the first direction relative to the extending
member in such a way that the rotation member rolls by making contact with the extending
member; and a transmission mechanism which includes a movable body arranged to be
movable together with the holding unit and movable in the first direction, and which
is provided between the rotation member and the holding unit in a direction of transmission
of the thrust force, and when the movable body is moved in the first direction from
a predetermined position by a predetermined first distance, the transmission mechanism
moving the rotation member in the first direction by a second distance that is shorter
than the first distance toward a side identical with a side toward which the movable
body moves, by rotating the rotation member in accordance with the movement of the
movable body.
[0007] According to this aspect of the present invention, by putting the driving source
of the driving mechanism in the non-actuated state, it becomes possible to manually
move the movable portion connected to the holding unit. More specifically, when the
driving source is in the non-actuated state, if the operator applies a force to the
holding unit (and the movable body), the rotation member supported by the movable
portion can rotate through the transmission mechanism and move in the first direction
along the extending member. In other words, manual movement in the first direction
of the holding unit is allowed. Here, in order to move the movable portion, it is
necessary to apply a force to the movable portion which is greater than the resistance
force (e.g., friction force) acting between the movable portion and the fixed portion.
For example, in a configuration where the holding unit and the movable portion are
integrally movable, it is necessary to apply a force to the holding unit which is
greater than the resistance force described above.
[0008] In this regard, the driving mechanism of the present invention is a mechanism that
applies the known principle of movable pulley, as described below. The rotation member
is equivalent to the movable pulley. The resistance force is equivalent to the gravity
acting on a weight hanging down from the movable pulley. The extending member is equivalent
to a string supported by the ceiling and wound onto the movable pulley. The force
with which the rotating rotation member is supported by the extending member is equivalent
to a force with which the ceiling supports the movable pulley. The force applied to
the holding unit and the movable body in the first direction is equivalent to a force
with which a hand of the operator pulls the string. The first distance is equivalent
to the distance at which a hand of the operator pulls the string. The second distance
is equivalent to the moving distance of the movable pulley. Based on the principle,
while the first distance is increased, the force required to be applied to the holding
unit is decreased. (Details will be given in the embodiment below.) As a result, the
holding unit provided in the yarn threading mechanism can be positionally adjusted
with a small force.
[0009] According to a second aspect of the invention, the yarn winder of the first aspect
is arranged such that, when the driving source is in the non-actuated state, the yarn
threading mechanism is arranged so that the position of the holding unit in the first
direction is manually adjustable between a predetermined capture preparation position
and a capturing position which is on one side in the first direction of the capture
preparation position and where capture of the yarns is possible, and when the driving
source is in the actuated state, the yarn threading mechanism being capable of threading
the yarns held by the holding unit to the respective yarn guides by moving the holding
unit from the capturing position to a yarn threading start position that is on the
one side of the capturing position in the first direction and further moving the holding
unit to a yarn threading completion position that is on the other side of the yarn
threading start position in the first direction.
[0010] According to this aspect of the present invention, when moving the holding unit from
the capture preparation position to the capturing position, it is possible to manually
adjust the position of the holding unit in a delicate manner, as the driving source
is switched to the non-actuated state. Furthermore, by putting the driving source
in the actuated state, it is possible to perform yarn threading without manual intervention,
by using the yarn threading mechanism. Therefore, the time and labor required for
yarn threading can be reduced.
[0011] According to a third aspect of the invention, the yarn winder of the second aspect
is arranged such that the driving source includes an air cylinder configured to move
the movable portion relative to the fixed portion by using pressure of compressed
air, the air cylinder includes a cylinder main body that is the fixed portion and
a piston that is the movable portion, the cylinder main body includes a first piston
chamber and a second piston chamber that is provided to be opposite to the first piston
chamber over the piston, and as the compressed air is discharged from both of the
first piston chamber and the second piston chamber, the air cylinder is switched to
the non-actuated state.
[0012] According to this aspect of the present invention, it is possible to form the driving
mechanism and the adjustment mechanism by utilizing an air cylinder which is typically
inexpensive as compared to, for example, a motor-driven cylinder and a hydraulic cylinder.
Therefore, it is possible to reduce the component cost of the yarn winder.
[0013] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the yarn winder of any one of the
first to third aspects is arranged such that the transmission mechanism includes:
a base member which is movable together with the movable portion; a first rotated
member which is provided on the downstream side of the rotation member in the transmission
direction and which is rotatably supported by the base member; a second rotated member
which is provided to be side by side with the first rotated member in the first direction
and which is rotatably supported by the base member; and a wound member which has
an extending portion extending in the first direction, the movable body being fixed
to the extending portion, and the wound member being allowed to be wound onto the
first rotated member and the second rotated member.
[0014] The adjustment mechanism may have, for example, a pinion provided as a rotation member,
a first rack provided as an extending member, and a second rack that is provided as
a part of the transmission mechanism, extends in the first direction, and is movable
integrally with the holding unit. However, with this configuration, the moving distance
of the second rack in the first direction is long, and hence there is a risk that
the leading end of the second rack may unintentionally protrude as compared to the
leading end of the first rack in the first direction. Therefore, it may be necessary
to secure a wide area in which the second rack can move in the first direction, which
may result in upsizing of the yarn winder.
[0015] In the present invention, the first rotated member and the second rotated member
are rotatably supported by the base member. Furthermore, the wound member is wound
around the first rotated member and the second rotated member. In this configuration,
the first rotated member, the second rotated member, the wound member, and the movable
body can be arranged so that they fit within an area that is approximately the same
size as a range in which the base member extends in the first direction. Furthermore,
the moving distance in the first direction of the base member is equal to the moving
distance in the first direction of the movable portion. This suppresses the traveling
range of the transmission mechanism to be short in the first direction. Therefore,
increase in size of the yarn winder can be suppressed in the first direction.
[0016] According to a fifth aspect of the invention, the yarn winder of the fourth aspect
is arranged such that the transmission mechanism includes a third rotated member which
is provided to be rotatable together with the rotation member and is provided on the
upstream side of the first rotated member and the second rotated member in the transmission
direction, and in a predetermined second direction orthogonal to both the first direction
and a rotational axis direction of the third rotated member, the rotation axis center
of the third rotated member is positionally different from the rotation axis center
of the first rotated member and the rotation axis center of the second rotated member.
[0017] According to this aspect of the present invention, the position of the third rotated
member in the second direction can be set freely to some degree. On this account,
the positions of the rotation member and the extending member in the second direction
can be set freely to some degree. Therefore, it is possible to easily avoid interference
between the transmission mechanism and the extending member.
[0018] According to a sixth aspect of the invention, the yarn winder of the fifth aspect
is arranged such that a pitch circle diameter of the third rotated member is substantially
identical with a pitch circle diameter of the rotated member.
[0019] If the pitch circle diameter of the third rotated member is too short as compared
to the pitch circle diameter of the rotated member, there is a risk that the force
required to manually move the holding unit will become too large. On the contrary,
if the pitch circle diameter of the third rotated member is too long as compared to
the pitch circle diameter of the rotation member, there is a risk that the force required
to move the holding unit by the driving source will become too large. This makes it
easy to achieve both the reduction of the force required to manually move the holding
unit and the suppression of increase in force required to move the holding unit by
the driving source.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a spun yarn take-up machine of an embodiment.
FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 2(b) are side views of the spun yarn take-up machine.
FIG. 3(a) is a plan view of a yarn threading mechanism, and FIG. 3(b) is a side view
of the yarn threading mechanism.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the yarn threading mechanism viewed from obliquely
behind.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a holding unit and its surroundings.
FIG. 6(a) illustrates a rear end portion of a swing arm and its surroundings, whereas
FIG. 6(b) is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between an air cylinder
and a path of compressed air.
Each of FIG. 7(a) and FIG. 7(b) illustrates a yarn interval increaser.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a front-rear driving mechanism viewed from obliquely
behind.
FIG. 9(a) is a side view of the front-rear driving mechanism. FIG. 9(b) is an enlarged
view of a part of the front-rear driving mechanism. FIG. 9(c) is a cross section cut
along a line IX(c)-IX(c) shown in FIG. 9(b).
FIGs. 10(a) to 10(c) illustrate a state in which the holding unit is at a holding
unit retracted position.
FIGs. 11(a) to 11(f) illustrate operations until yarns are pressed onto a separation
roller in yarn threading to the spun yarn take-up machine.
FIGs. 12(a) to 12(c) illustrate movement of the holding unit to a capture preparation
position.
FIGs. 13(a) to 13(c) illustrate fine adjustment of the position of the holding unit.
FIGs. 14(a) and 14(b) illustrate forces acting on sections of the front-rear driving
mechanism.
FIGs. 15(a) to 15(c) illustrate retraction of the holding unit.
FIGs. 16(a) to 16(c) illustrate movement of the holding unit to a yarn threading start
position.
FIGs. 17(a) to 17(c) illustrate movement of the holding unit to a yarn threading completion
position.
FIG. 18 illustrates how yarns are threaded to fulcrum guides, respectively.
FIGs. 19(a) to 19(d) illustrate a front-rear driving mechanism of a modification.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] The following will describe an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter,
directions shown in FIGs. 1 and 2(a) will be consistently used as an up-down direction,
a left-right direction, and a front-rear direction, for convenience of explanation.
The up-down direction (second direction in the present invention) is a vertical direction
in which the gravity acts. The left-right direction (third direction in the present
invention) is a direction orthogonal to the up-down direction and is a direction in
which paired winding units 5 oppose each other. The front-rear direction (arrangement
direction and first direction of the present invention) is a direction which is orthogonal
to both the up-down direction and the left-right direction, and is a direction in
which bobbins B (described later) are aligned. In this case, the rear side corresponds
to one side in the first direction of the present invention. The front side corresponds
to the other side in the first direction of the present invention. A direction in
which each yarn Y (described later) runs will be referred to as a yarn running direction.
(Spun Yarn Take-Up Machine)
[0022] The following will outline a spun yarn take-up machine 1 (i.e., a yarn winder of
the present invention) of the present embodiment, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG.
2(a). FIG. 1 is a front view of the spun yarn take-up machine 1. FIG. 2(a) is a side
view of the spun yarn take-up machine 1. FIG. 2(a) shows one (winding unit 5A) of
a later-described pair of winding units 5.
[0023] The spun yarn take-up machine 1 is configured to simultaneously form packages P by
taking up plural (e.g., 32 in the present embodiment) yarns Y spun out from a spinning
apparatus 2 and winding the yarns Y onto bobbins B. Each yarn Y is, for example, a
multi-filament yarn having filaments (not illustrated). Alternatively, each yarn Y
may be formed of a single filament. Each filament is a synthetic fiber made of, e.g.,
polyester.
[0024] The spun yarn take-up machine 1 includes, for example, a first godet roller 3, a
second godet roller 4, a pair of winding units 5 (winding units 5A and 5B), and a
controller 6. The first godet roller 3 and the second godet roller 4 are arranged
to take up yarns Y and feed them to the downstream side in a yarn running direction.
The first godet roller 3 and the second godet roller 4 are supported by, for example,
a supporting body 7. The supporting body 7 extends, for example, obliquely rearward
and upward from a position above front end portions of the paired winding units 5.
[0025] The first godet roller 3 is a roller having a rotational axis substantially in parallel
to the left-right direction. The first godet roller 3 is, for example, attached to
a front end portion of the supporting body 7. The first godet roller 3 is rotationally
driven by an unillustrated motor. The yarns Y spun out from the spinning apparatus
2 are sent to the second godet roller 4 while being aligned in the left-right direction
and wound onto the first godet roller 3.
[0026] The second godet roller 4 is a roller having a rotational axis substantially in parallel
to the left-right direction. The second godet roller 4 is, for example, provided above
and rearward of the first godet roller 3. The second godet roller 4 is rotationally
driven by an unillustrated motor. The second godet roller 4 is, for example, attached
to the supporting body 7. The second godet roller 4 is, for example, arranged to be
movable in the extending direction of the supporting body 7. The second godet roller
4 is movable between a roller front position indicated by two-dot chain lines shown
in FIG. 2(a) and a roller rear position indicated by solid lines shown in FIG. 2(a),
by a roller movement mechanism 9, for example. The roller front position is a position
forward of and below the roller rear position and is close to the first godet roller
3 as compared to the roller rear position. The roller front position is a position
of the second godet roller 4 where yarn placement to the second godet roller 4 is
performed. The roller rear position is a position of the second godet roller 4 where
a later-described winding operation is performed.
[0027] Each of the yarns Y is sent from the first godet roller 3 to the second godet roller
4, and then sent to one of the paired winding units 5. A half of the yarns Y is sent
to the winding unit 5A and the remaining half of the yarns Y is sent to the winding
unit 5B. A yarn path of each yarn Y running from the first godet roller 3 to the second
godet roller 4 extends obliquely upward and rearward.
[0028] In the yarn running direction, a regulatory guide 8 is provided between the first
godet roller 3 and the second godet roller 4, for example. The regulatory guide 8
is provided to hold the yarns Y to be aligned in the left-right direction and to arrange
the intervals in the left-right direction of the yarns Y to be equal to predetermined
intervals.
[0029] Each of the paired winding units 5 (winding units 5A and 5B) is configured to form
packages P by winding the yarns Y onto the bobbins B. The winding unit 5A and the
winding unit 5B are provided below the first godet roller 3 and the second godet roller
4. The winding unit 5A and the winding unit 5B are provided to be substantially symmetric
in the left-right direction (i.e., plane symmetric) (see FIG. 1). Each of the winding
units 5 winds a half of the yarns Y (e.g., 16 yarns in the present embodiment) sent
from the second godet roller 4. To be more specific, the winding unit 5A winds the
left 16 yarns YA whereas the winding unit 5B winds the right 16 yarns YB.
[0030] The controller 6 is, for example, a typical computer and is configured to control
the entire spun yarn take-up machine 1. The controller 6 is electrically connected
to sections of the spun yarn take-up machine 1. The controller 6 is electrically connected
to an operation unit (not illustrated) operated by an operator. The operation unit
has, for example, unillustrated operation buttons. The controller 6 is arranged to
control the sections based on a predetermined program. The controller 6 is arranged
to be able to control the sections in accordance with, for example, an operator's
operation of the operation unit.
(Structure of Winding Unit)
[0031] The structure of the paired winding units 5 will be described with reference to FIG.
1 to FIG. 2(b). FIG. 2(b) illustrates movement of later-described fulcrum guides 20.
As shown in FIG. 1, each of the paired winding units 5 includes a supporting frame
11, a turret 12, and two bobbin holders 13. As described above, the winding unit 5A
and the winding unit 5B are substantially symmetric in the left-right direction. Unless
otherwise stated, the description of each constituent feature is applicable to both
the winding unit 5A and the winding unit 5B.
[0032] The supporting frame 11 is a member extending in the front-rear direction. The supporting
frame 11 is cantilevered by a base 14 that stands vertically. The supporting frame
11 protrudes forward from the base 14 (see FIG. 2). The turret 12 is a disc-shaped
member having a rotational axis substantially parallel to the front-rear direction.
The turret 12 is rotatably supported by the base 14. The turret 12 is rotationally
driven by a turret motor which is not illustrated. Each of the two bobbin holders
13 is rotatably supported by the turret 12 and protrudes forward from the front surface
of the turret 12. The rotational axes of the two bobbin holders 13 are substantially
in parallel to the front-rear direction. When viewed in the front-rear direction,
two bobbin holders 13 are provided to be point symmetric about the center of the turret
12 (see FIG. 1). To each bobbin holder 13, the bobbins B provided for the respective
yarns Y are attached to be lined up in the front-rear direction. The bobbins B are
rotatably supported by each of the two bobbin holder 13. Each of the two bobbin holders
13 is independently rotated and driven by an unillustrated winding motor.
[0033] In the present embodiment, each winding unit 5 includes the base 14 (see FIG. 1).
However, the disclosure is not limited to this. For example, two supporting frames
11 and two turrets 12 of the respective winding units 5A and 5B may be attached to
the same base (not illustrated).
[0034] Each winding unit 5 includes guide units 15, traverse guides 16, and a contact roller
17. To be more specific, for example, above the supporting frame 11, a guide supporter
18 is provided to extend in the front-rear direction (see FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 2(b)).
The guide units 15 are attached to the guide supporter 18 to be movable along the
front-rear direction. The guide units 15 are provided to correspond to the respective
bobbins B and are aligned along the front-rear direction. Each of the guide units
15 includes a main body 19 and a fulcrum guide 20 (yarn guide of the present invention).
The main body 19 is attached to the guide supporter 18 to be movable. The fulcrum
guide 20 is fixed to the main body 19. Each of the fulcrum guides 20 is a fulcrum
about which a corresponding yarn Y is traversed by each traverse guide 16.
[0035] The guide units 15 are movable between winding positions (distanced positions; see
FIG. 2(a)) where the yarns Y are wound onto the bobbins B and gathered positions (see
FIG. 2(b)) where the guide units 15 are close to one another in the front-rear direction
as compared to the distanced positions. To be more specific, for example, the guide
units 15 that are adjacent to one another in the front-rear direction are connected
with one another by an unillustrated belt. The rearmost guide unit 15 is movable in
the front-rear direction by, for example, an unillustrated linear slider. As the linear
slider is driven, the guide units 15 are movable between the distanced positions and
gathered positions where the units are gathered on the front side as compared to the
distanced positions. Yarn threading (described later) to the fulcrum guides 20 is
performed when the fulcrum guides 20 are at the gathered positions.
[0036] The traverse guides 16 are aligned in the front-rear direction. Each of the traverse
guides 16 is driven by, for example, an unillustrated traverse motor, and traverses
the corresponding yarn Y in the front-rear direction. The contact roller 17 has a
rotational axis that extends substantially in parallel to the front-rear direction.
The contact roller 17 is provided immediately above the upper bobbin holder 13. The
contact roller 17 is configured to make contact with the surfaces of the packages
P supported by the upper bobbin holder 13. With this, the contact roller 17 applies
a contact pressure to the surface of each package P to adjust the shape of each package
P.
[0037] In each of the paired winding units 5 structured as described above, when the upper
bobbin holder 13 is rotationally driven, the yarns Y traversed by the traverse guides
16 are wound onto the bobbins B, with the result that the packages P are formed. When
the formation of the packages P is completed, the turret 12 is rotated to switch the
upper and lower positions of the two bobbin holders 13. As a result, the bobbin holder
13 having been at the lower position is moved to the upper position, which allows
the yarns Y to be wound onto the bobbins B attached to the bobbin holder 13 having
been moved to the upper position, to form packages P. The bobbin holder 13 to which
the fully-formed packages P are attached is moved to the lower position. The fully-formed
packages P are then collected by, e.g., an unillustrated package collector.
(Yarn Threading Mechanism)
[0038] The following will describe a yarn threading mechanism 21 used for threading yarns
Y to fulcrum guides 20, respectively, with reference to FIG. 3(a) to FIG. 7(b). FIG.
3(a) is a plan view of the yarn threading mechanism 21. FIG. 3(b) is a side view of
the yarn threading mechanism 21. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the yarn threading
mechanism 21 viewed from obliquely behind. FIG. 5 is a plan view of a later-described
holding unit 22 and its surroundings. FIG. 6(a) illustrates a rear end portion of
a later-described swing arm 43 and its surroundings. FIG. 6(b) is a schematic diagram
showing the relationship between later-described air cylinders 56 and 57 and a path
of compressed air. In FIG. 6(b), both of the air cylinders 56 and 57 are shown in
a single drawing. Each of FIG. 7(a) and FIG. 7(b) shows a later-described yarn interval
increaser 24. FIG. 7(a) is a side view of the yarn interval increaser 24. FIG. 7(b)
shows the yarn interval increaser 24 viewed along an arrow VII(b) in FIG. 7(a).
[0039] As shown in FIG. 3(a) to FIG. 7(b), each of the paired winding units 5 is provided
with the yarn threading mechanism 21. The yarn threading mechanism 21 includes the
holding unit 22 (see FIG. 3(a) to FIG. 5), a drive unit 23 (see FIG. 3(a) to FIG.
4), and the yarn interval increaser 24 (see FIG. 7(a) and FIG. 7(b)). The yarn threading
mechanism 21 is able to separate the yarns Y in the left-right direction by the yarn
interval increaser 24 and to hold the separated yarns Y by the holding unit 22. Furthermore,
as the drive unit 23 moves the holding unit 22 in predetermined steps based on an
instruction from the controller 6, the yarns Y are threaded to the respective fulcrum
guides 20. The holding unit 22 and the drive unit 23 are provided in each winding
unit 5. Between the winding unit 5A and the winding unit 5B, the holding units 22
and the drive units 23 are substantially symmetric in the left-right direction. The
yarn interval increaser 24 is provided in the winding unit 5A and commonly used by
the paired winding units 5. The following will describe only the yarn threading mechanism
21 provided in the winding unit 5A.
(Holding Unit)
[0040] The holding unit 22 is arranged to hold running yarns Y in a separated manner. To
be more specific, the holding unit 22 of the winding unit 5A is arranged to be able
to hold yarns YA (see FIG. 1).
[0041] The holding unit 22 is attached to the winding unit 5A through the drive unit 23.
As a more specific example, in the up-down direction, a positionally-fixed supporting
member 26 (see FIGs. 2 to 4) is provided between the supporting frame 11 and the guide
supporter 18. The supporting member 26 includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 3(a)
and FIG. 3(b), a rod member 27 extending in the front-rear direction and a plate member
28 fixed to a front portion of the rod member 27. The holding unit 22 is attached
to the supporting member 26 through the drive unit 23.
[0042] The holding unit 22 includes, for example, a comb guide 31 and an interposed member
32 (see FIG. 5). The comb guide 31 is a plate member that is comb-shaped on the whole.
The comb guide 31 includes a main body 33 and a connection part 34. The main body
33 has retaining grooves 35 in which the respective yarns Y are retained. The retaining
grooves 35 are aligned at least in the left-right direction. The entrance of each
retaining groove 35 is formed at a rear end portion of the main body 33, for example.
The intervals of the entrances of the retaining grooves 35 in the direction in which
the retaining grooves 35 are aligned are substantially identical with the intervals
(predetermined intervals) in the left-right direction of the yarns Y, which are defined
by the regulatory guide 8. Furthermore, for example, a through hole 36 is formed at
an intermediate portion of the main body 33 in the front-rear direction. The through
hole 36, for example, penetrates the main body 33 in the up-down direction and extends
in the left-right direction. With this arrangement, a grip 37 holdable by the operator
is formed at a front end portion of the main body 33, for example. The connection
part 34 is a part connected to a left end portion of a rear end portion of the main
body 33. The connection part 34 is connected to the interposed member 32 through a
shaft 38 that extends in the up-down direction. The position of the connecting portion
34 is fixed relative to the interposed member 32 by, for example, a fastener such
as an unillustrated bolt. When the fastener is loosened, it may be possible for the
comb guide 31 to swing about the axis 38 as the swing axis. The interposed member
32 is, for example, a roughly L-shaped member when viewed in the up-down direction.
The interposed member 32 is fixed to a support arm 41 (described later) of the drive
unit 23.
[0043] The holding unit 22 can be adjusted in the front-rear direction by an operator under
a predetermined condition. The details will be given later.
(Drive Unit)
[0044] The drive unit 23 is configured to move the holding unit 22. The drive unit 23 is
attached to the supporting member 26. As shown in FIGs. 3(a) and 3(b), the drive unit
23 has a supporting arm 41, a guide rail 42, a swing arm 43, a swing driving source
44, and a front-rear driving mechanism 45 (a driving mechanism and an adjustment mechanism
of the present invention) . In FIGs. 3(a) and 3(b), the front-rear driving mechanism
45 is simply shown in a rectangular shape. In summary, the support arm 41 to which
the holding unit 22 is attached is moved at least in the front-rear direction along
the guide rail 42 on account of the operation of the front-rear driving mechanism
45. The guide rail 42 is able to change the direction of movement of the support arm
41 and the holding unit 22 by being swung together with the swing arm 43 by the swing
driving source 44.
[0045] The support arm 41 is a long member extending at least in the front-rear direction.
For example, the holding unit 22 is fixed to a front end portion of the support arm
41. Furthermore, a sliding portion 46 that is capable of sliding along, for example,
the guide rail 42 is provided at the front end portion of the support arm 41. The
sliding portion 46 may be a pin extending in the up-down direction, for example. The
sliding portion 46 is movable in accordance with the swing of the guide rail 42 when
the guide rail 42 is swung. For example, a through hole 47 is formed at a rear end
portion of the support arm 41 (see FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 6(b)). The through hole 47 penetrates
the rear end portion of the support arm 41 in the up-down direction. The through hole
47, for example, extends to be relatively long in the front-rear direction. The rear
end portion of the support arm 41 is attached to a movable body 99 (detailed later)
of the front-rear driving mechanism 45 to be swingable, through a pin 48 that extends
in the up-down direction and is inserted into the through hole 47. With this arrangement,
the support arm 41 is swingable relative to the movable body 99 and movable to some
degree in the front-rear direction. In other words, the support arm 41 is movable
relative to the movable body 99 between a predetermined arm front position and an
arm rear position that is rearward of the arm front position. To put it differently,
the support arm 41 supports the holding unit 22 to be slidable at least in the front-rear
direction.
[0046] The guide rail 42 is a substantially linear rail extending at least in the front-rear
direction. The guide rail 42 is disposed to guide the support arm 41 at least in the
front-rear direction. The guide rail 42 is engaged with the sliding portion 46. The
guide rail 42 is fixed to a right end portion of the swing arm 43 by an unillustrated
fastener (e.g., a bolt and a nut). Alternatively, the guide rail 42 may be integrally
formed with the swing arm 43 by, for example, welding.
[0047] The swing arm 43 is, for example, a plate-shaped arm extending at least in the front-rear
direction. The swing arm 43 is, for example, provided at a front portion of the drive
unit 23 as shown in FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 4. A rear end portion of the swing arm 43 is
connected to the supporting member 26 through a swing shaft 49 whose axial direction
is in parallel to the up-down direction. As a result, swing arm 43 is swingable together
with the guide rail 42. The swing arm 43 has a guide hole 51. The guide hole 51 is
a hole that penetrates the swing arm 43 in the up-down direction and extends at least
in the front-rear direction. A pin 52 attached to a later-described air cylinder 56
is inserted into the guide hole 51. The guide hole 51 extends obliquely forward and
leftward.
[0048] For convenience of explanation, a direction orthogonal to both the up-down direction
and the direction in which the guide hole 51 extends will be referred to as an orthogonal
direction. The size (hereinafter referred to as width) in the orthogonal direction
of the guide hole 51, excluding the front end portion, is very slightly larger than
the outer diameter of the pin 52. With this arrangement, the pin 52 is movable along
the extending direction of the guide hole 51. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6 (a),
the width of the guide hole 51 at the front end portion of the guide hole 51 is slightly
larger than the outer diameter of the pin 52. To put it differently, the front end
portion of the guide hole 51 has a play 53 to allow the swing arm 43 to be swingable
relative to the pin 52 freely to some degree.
[0049] The swing driving source 44 is a driving source for swinging the swing arm 43 and
the guide rail 42. The swing driving source 44 has, for example, an air cylinder 56
(see FIG. 3(b) and FIG. 4) that is driven by compressed air. As shown in FIG. 6(b),
the air cylinder 56 includes, for example, a cylinder main body 61, a piston 62, and
a piston rod 63. The cylinder main body 61 extends, for example, in the front-rear
direction. The cylinder main body 61 is fixed to a front portion of the support member
26, for example. For example, the cylinder main body 61 includes a piston chamber
61F that is a front chamber of the piston 62 and a piston chamber 61R that is a rear
chamber of the piston 62. The piston chamber 61F is connected to a supply port Ps
and a discharge port Pe2 for supplying and discharging compressed air, through, for
example, an electromagnetic valve EV1 that is a known five-way electromagnetic valve.
The piston chamber 61R is connected to the supply port Ps and a discharge port Pe1
through the electromagnetic valve EV1. The piston 62 is provided inside the cylinder
main body 61 to be movable. The piston rod 63 is fixed to the piston 62. The piston
rod 63 extends rearward from the piston 62, for example. A rod end 64 is provided
at a leading end portion of the piston rod 63. At the upper end of the rod end 64,
a pin 52 is provided (see FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 6(a)). The pin 52 is inserted into the
guide hole 51 of the swing arm 43 to extend in the up-down direction, for example.
To an upper end portion of the pin 52, for example, a circular plate member 54 larger
in diameter than the pin 52 is attached in order to prevent the pin 52 from being
detached from the guide hole 51.
[0050] The piston rod 63 is extendable and contractible by the supply of compressed air
to the cylinder main body 61 and the discharge of compressed air from the cylinder
main body 61. When compressed air is supplied from a supply port Ps to the piston
chamber 61F and compressed air is discharged from the piston chamber 61R to a discharge
port Pe1, the piston 62 is pushed rearward by the compressed air in the piston chamber
61F. As a result, the piston 62 and the piston rod 63 move rearward together. When
compressed air is supplied from the supply port Ps to the piston chamber 61R and compressed
air is discharged from the piston chamber 61F to the discharge port Pe2, the piston
62 is pushed forward by the compressed air in the piston chamber 61R. As a result,
the piston 62 and the piston rod 63 move forward together.
[0051] In place of the air cylinder 56, another hydrostatic pressure cylinder driven by
fluid or a motor-driven drive mechanism (e.g., a ball screw mechanism or a rack-and-pinion
mechanism) may be provided.
[0052] The front-rear driving mechanism 45 is a mechanism for moving the support arm 41
and the movable body 99 in the front-rear direction. The front-rear driving mechanism
45 includes, for example, an air cylinder 57 (driving source of the present invention)
with a similar arrangement as the air cylinder 56. As shown in FIG. 6(b), the air
cylinder 57 includes, for example, a cylinder main body 66, a piston 67, and a piston
rod 68. The cylinder main body 66 is equivalent to a fixed portion of the present
invention. The piston 67 and the piston rod 68 correspond to a movable portion of
the present invention. The cylinder main body 66 extends, for example, in the front-rear
direction. The cylinder main body 66 is fixed to a rear portion of the support member
26, for example. The cylinder main body 66 includes a piston chamber 66F that is a
front chamber of the piston 67 and a piston chamber 66R that is a rear chamber of
the piston 67. The piston chamber 66F is connected to the above-described supply port
Ps and discharge port Pe2 through, for example, an electromagnetic valve EV2 that
is a known five-way solenoid valve. The piston chamber 66R is connected to the supply
port Ps and a discharge port Pe1 through the electromagnetic valve EV2. One of the
piston chambers 66F and 66R corresponds to a first piston chamber of the present invention,
while the other corresponds to a second piston chamber of the present invention. The
solenoid valve EV2 is a different solenoid valve from the electromagnetic valve EV1.
The operation of the air cylinder 57 can be controlled independently from the operation
of the air cylinder 56. The piston 67 is provided inside the cylinder main body 66.
The piston rod 68 is fixed to the piston 67. The piston rod 68 extends rearward from
the piston 67, for example. A rod end 69 is provided at a leading end portion of the
piston rod 68.
[0053] The piston rod 68 is extendable and contractible by the supply of compressed air
(fluid of the present invention) to the cylinder main body 66 and the discharge of
compressed air from the cylinder main body 66. When compressed air is supplied from
the supply port Ps to the piston chamber 66F and compressed air is discharged from
the piston chamber 66R to the discharge port Pe1, the piston 67 and the piston rod
68 move rearward together. When compressed air is supplied from the supply port Ps
to the piston chamber 66R and compressed air is discharged from the piston chamber
66F to the discharge port Pe2, the piston 67 and piston rod 68 move forward together.
A state of the air cylinder 57, in which compressed air is supplied to either the
piston chamber 66F or the piston chamber 66R, is referred to as an actuated state
for the convenience of explanation. When the air cylinder 57 is in the actuated state,
a thrust force is applied to the holding unit 22 at least in the front-rear direction
(i.e., at least forward or rearward).
[0054] Furthermore, when compressed air is discharged from both of the piston chamber 66F
and the piston chamber 66R, the pressure in the piston chambers 66F and 66R becomes
equal to the atmospheric pressure. A state of the air cylinder 57 at this time is
referred to as a non-actuated state for the sake of explanation. By discharging compressed
air from both of the piston chambers 66F and 66R, it is possible to put the air cylinder
57 in a non-actuated state. At this time, no force is being applied to the piston
67 and the piston rod 68 in the front-rear direction (in other words, the thrust force
applied to the holding unit 22 by the air cylinder 57 has been released). This allows
the piston rod 68 connected to the holding unit 22 to be manually extended and retracted.
Therefore, the operator is able to manually move the holding unit 22 by hand at least
in the front-rear direction. In other words, the front-rear driving mechanism 45 includes
an adjustment mechanism for manually adjusting the position of the holding unit 22
in the front-rear direction. The front-rear driving mechanism 45 functions as an adjustment
mechanism when the state of the air cylinder 57 is in the non-actuated state.
[0055] The detailed structure of the front-rear driving mechanism 45 will be described later.
(Yarn Interval Increaser)
[0056] The yarn interval increaser 24 is provided to widen the intervals of the yarns Y
in the left-right direction on the downstream side in the yarn running direction of
the second godet roller 4 (i.e., on the downstream side in the yarn running direction
of the regulatory guide 8), when yarn threading is performed. The yarn interval increaser
24 is provided at the winding unit 5A, for example. More specifically, as shown in
FIG. 7(a), for example, a frame 71 is provided above the guide supporter 18. The installation
location of the frame 71 is fixed. The yarn interval increaser 24 is provided at the
frame 71. The yarn interval increaser 24 includes, for example, a rotation arm 72,
a grip 73, and a separation roller 74.
[0057] The rotation arm 72 is rotatably attached to the frame 71 through a rotation shaft
75 extending in the left-right direction. When viewed in the left-right direction,
the rotation arm 72 is positioned rearward of the first godet roller 3 (see FIG. 7
(a)), for example. Furthermore, for example, the rotation arm 72 is positioned below
the second godet roller 4 that is located at the roller front position (see FIG. 7
(a)). The grip 73 is a portion held by the operator when rotating the rotation arm
72. The separation roller 74 is attached to the leading end portion of the rotation
arm 72 to be rotatable. The separation roller 74 is cantilevered by the rotation arm
72, for example. The rotational shaft of the separation roller 74 extends along the
left-right direction. When the yarns Y are in contact with the outer circumferential
surface of the separation roller 74 while running, the separation roller 74 is passively
rotated due to the friction force acting between the outer circumferential surface
and the yarns Y.
[0058] As the operator rotates the rotation arm 72, the separation roller 74 is movable
between a predetermined roller retracted position (see two-dot chain lines in FIG.
7(a)) and a roller contact position (see full lines in FIG. 7(a)). The separation
roller 74 is positioned, for example, at approximately the same position as the regulatory
guide 8 and the second godet roller 4 in the left-right direction.
[0059] Here, as described above, in the yarn threading mechanism 21, the front-rear driving
mechanism 45 includes an adjustment mechanism. In this connection, improvement in
operability of the holding unit 22 has been at issue. Therefore, to be more specific,
the yarn threading mechanism 21 is structured as follows.
(Details of the Yarn Threading Mechanism)
[0060] The structure of the yarn threading mechanism 21 will be further detailed with reference
to FIG. 8 to FIG. 9(c). FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the front-rear driving mechanism
45 viewed from obliquely behind. FIG. 9(a) is a side view of the front-rear driving
mechanism 45. FIG. 9(b) is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 9(a). FIG. 9(c) is a
cross section taken along a line IX(c)-IX(c) in FIG. 9(b). In each of FIG. 9(a) and
FIG. 9(b), it should be noted that the left side of the sheet corresponds to the rear
side of the present embodiment, and the right side of the sheet corresponds to the
front side of the present embodiment. Furthermore, although not shown in FIG. 9(c),
the left side of the sheet corresponds to the right side of the present embodiment,
and the right side of the sheet corresponds to the left side of the present embodiment.
[0061] The front-rear driving mechanism 45 includes the air cylinder 57 described above,
a rack 81 (extending member of the present invention), a pinion 82 (rotation member
of the present invention), and a transmission mechanism 83. The rack 81, the pinion
82, and the transmission mechanism 83 are designed to reduce the force required for
the operator to manually move the holding unit 22. As an overview, the rack 81, the
pinion 82, and the transmission mechanism 83 constitute a mechanism to which a known
movable pulley system is applied. This reduces the force required for the operator
to move the piston rod 68 of the air cylinder 57. As a result, the operator is able
to move the holding unit 22 with a small force. The following will further explain
the details.
[0062] The rack 81 is a long member that rotates the pinion 82 which is moving parallel
in the front-rear direction. The rack 81 has multiple teeth 81a aligned in the front-rear
direction. Each of the multiple teeth 81a extends, for example, along the left-right
direction. The multiple teeth 81a are provided on the upper surface of the rack 81,
for example. The teeth 81a are configured to mesh with teeth 82a (described later)
of the pinion 82. The rack 81 is, for example, arranged to extend on a predetermined
virtual plane VPA that is orthogonal to the left-right direction.
[0063] The pinion 82 is, for example, a known flat gear-shaped member. The pinion 82 is
supported to be movable in a parallel manner by the piston rod 68 and is rotatably
supported by the piston rod 68. The pinion 82 may be movable in a parallel manner
in the front-rear direction, for example. The rotational axis direction of the pinion
82 is, for example, substantially in parallel to the left-right direction. The pinion
82 is, for example, provided above the rack 81. The pinion 82 is positioned on the
virtual plane VPA in the same manner as the rack 81. The pinion 82 has a plurality
of teeth 82a aligned in the circumferential direction of the pinion 82. The teeth
82a are configured to mesh with the teeth 81a of the rack 81. The pinion 82 is provided
on the downstream side of the piston rod 68 and on the upstream side of the transmission
mechanism 83 in the direction of transmission of the thrust force of the air cylinder
57. The direction of transmission of the thrust force of the air cylinder 57 is simply
referred to as a transmission direction. In the transmission direction, the side close
to the piston 67 is defined as the upstream side, and the side far from the piston
67 is defined as the downstream side.
[0064] The transmission mechanism 83 is configured to transmit the thrust force of the air
cylinder 57 to the holding unit 22. Furthermore, the transmission mechanism 83 is
configured to transmit the force applied by the operator to the holding unit 22 to
the piston rod 68 when the holding unit 22 is moved by the operator. The transmission
mechanism 83 is provided downstream of the pinion 82 and upstream of the holding unit
22 in the transmission direction. The transmission mechanism 83 has a base member
91, a guide rail 92, a sliding member 93, a first pulley 94, a second pulley 95, a
third pulley 96, a fourth pulley 97, an endless belt 98, and the aforementioned movable
body 99. The first pulley 94 to the fourth pulley 97 are rotatably supported by the
base member 91 that is movable together with the piston rod 68. The endless belt 98
is wound onto the first pulley 94 to the third pulley 96. The endless belt 98 is bent
by the fourth pulley 97. The movable body 99 is fixed to the endless belt 98 and is
connected to the holding unit 22.
[0065] The base member 91 is, for example, a substantially flat plate-shaped member. For
example, the left-right direction corresponds to the thickness direction of the base
member 91. The base member 91 is, for example, roughly L-shaped when viewed in the
left-right direction. The base member 91 is, for example, provided between the rack
81 and the first pulley 94 to the fourth pulley 97 in the left-right direction (see
FIG. 9(c)). The base member 91 has, for example, a long section 91a and a short section
91b. The long section 91a is a part that is long in the front-rear direction, for
example. In other words, the long section 91a is a portion that extends from the front
end to the rear end of the base member 91, for example. The long section 91a is positioned
above the air cylinder 57, for example. The short section 91b is a part that extends
downward from a rear end portion of the long section 91a, for example. The short section
91b is fixed to, for example, the rod end 69. This allows the base member 91 to move
in the front-rear direction together with the piston rod 68. The base member 91 is
capable of moving in the front-rear direction along the guide rail 92, together with
the sliding member 93. The base member 91 supports the first pulley 94 to the fourth
pulley 97 to be rotatable.
[0066] The guide rail 92 is a rail-shaped member. The guide rail 92, for example, extends
along the front-rear direction. The guide rail 92 is fixed to, for example, the supporting
member 26. As shown in FIG. 9(c), the guide rail 92 is positioned at a substantially
same position as the rack 81 and the pinion 82 in the left-right direction, for example.
In other words, the guide rail 92 is arranged, for example, to at least partially
overlap with the rack 81 in the left-right direction. The guide rail 92 is arranged
so as to extend along the virtual plane VPA in the same manner as the rack 81. The
guide rail 92 supports the sliding member 93 to be slidable in the front-rear direction.
The sliding member 93 (see FIG. 9(b) and FIG. 9(c)) extends, for example, in the front-rear
direction. The sliding member 93 is supported to be slidable on the guide rail 92.
The sliding member 93 is fixed to the base member 91.
[0067] The following will describe a structure shared between the first pulley 94 to the
fourth pulley 97. Each of the first pulley 94 to the fourth pulley 97 is rotatably
supported by the base member 91. The position of each of the first pulley 94 to the
fourth pulley 97 is fixed relative to the base member 91. The rotational axis direction
of each of the first pulley 94 to the fourth pulley 97 is, for example, substantially
in parallel to the left-right direction. The first pulley 94 to the fourth pulley
97, for example, are arranged on the opposite side of the rack 81 and the pinion 82
over the base member 91 in the left-right direction.
[0068] The first pulley 94 (a first rotated member of the present invention) is a pulley
around which an endless belt 98 is wound. The first pulley 94 is, for example, rotatably
supported at the front end portion of the long section 91a of the base member 91.
The first pulley 94 is positioned above the air cylinder 57, for example.
[0069] The second pulley 95 (a second rotated member of the present invention) is similar
to the first pulley 94, and is a roller on which the endless belt 98 is wound. The
second pulley 95 is rotatably supported at the rear end portion of the long section
91a of the base member 91, for example. The second pulley 95 is arranged at a substantially
same position as the first pulley 94 in the up-down direction, for example.
[0070] The third pulley 96 (the third rotated member of the present invention) is similar
to the first pulley 94 and the second pulley 95, and is a roller on which the endless
belt 98 is wound. The third pulley 96 is rotatable together with the pinion 82. More
specifically, the third pulley 96 is configured to be coaxial with the pinion 82.
The third pulley 96 is positioned upstream of the first pulley 94 and the second pulley
95 in the transmission direction. The pitch circle diameter of the third pulley 96
is substantially equal to the pitch circle diameter of the pinion 82. The third pulley
96 is rotatably supported by the short section 91b of the base member 91, for example.
The third pulley 96 is, for example, provided directly below the second pulley 95.
In other words, the third pulley 96 is arranged at substantially the same position
as the second pulley 95 in the front-rear direction, for example. The rotation axis
center of the third pulley 96 is positioned at a different location from the rotation
axis centers of the first pulley 94 and the second pulley 95 in the up-down direction,
for example. The third pulley 96 is positioned directly behind the rod end 69 of the
air cylinder 57, for example.
[0071] The fourth pulley 97 (a fourth rotated member of the present invention) is a component
for bending the endless belt 98 so that it does not interfere with the air cylinder
57. The fourth pulley 97 is rotatably supported by the short section 91b of the base
member 91, for example. The fourth pulley 97 is, for example, provided between the
first pulley 94 and the second pulley 95 in the front-rear direction. The fourth pulley
97 is positioned, for example, in front of the second pulley 95 and the third pulley
96. The fourth pulley 97 is, for example, provided between (i) the first pulley 94
and the second pulley 95 and (ii) the third pulley 96 in the up-down direction. The
fourth pulley 97 is positioned immediately above the rod end 69 of the air cylinder
57, for example.
[0072] The endless belt 98 (a wound member of the present invention) is, for example, a
known toothed belt. The endless belt 98 is wound around, for example, the first pulley
94 to the third pulley 96 (more specifically, for example, the belt is parallelly
wound). In other words, the inner circumferential surface of the endless belt 98 is
in contact with the first pulley 94 to the third pulley 96. A portion of the endless
belt 98, which is provided between the first pulley 94 and the second pulley 95 in
the front-rear direction and extends substantially linearly, is referred to as an
extending portion 98e (see FIG. 9(a), FIG. 9(b)) for the convenience of explanation.
To the extending portion 98e, the movable body 99 is fixed. As shown in FIG. 9(c),
the endless belt 98 is arranged to overlap at least partially with the air cylinder
57 in the left-right direction. More specifically, for example, the entire region
in the longitudinal direction of the endless belt 98 is arranged to extend, for example,
on a virtual plane VPB that is orthogonal to the left-right direction and is different
from the virtual plane VPA. The outer circumferential surface of the endless belt
98 is in contact with the fourth pulley 97. The endless belt 98 is bent by the fourth
pulley 97 so as not to interfere with the air cylinder 57.
[0073] The movable body 99 is a member fixed to the extending portion 98e of the endless
belt 98. The movable body 99 is configured, for example, to sandwich the endless belt
98 in the thickness direction of the endless belt 98. The movable body 99 is fixed
to the endless belt 98 by, for example, a fastener such as an unillustrated bolt.
Alternatively, the movable body 99 may be fixed to the endless belt 98 by, for example,
adhesion. The movable body 99 is capable of moving in the front-rear direction together
with the extending portion 98e of the endless belt 98 when the endless belt 98 moves
relative to the first pulley 94 to the fourth pulley 97. In other words, the movable
body 99 moves relative to the rack 81 as the base member 91 moves in a parallel manner
in the front-rear direction, and also moves relative to the first pulley 94 to the
fourth pulley 97. The movable body 99 is connected to the holding unit 22, for example,
via the above-described supporting arm 41 (see FIG. 3(a)). This allows the holding
unit 22 to be movable at least in the front-rear direction in accordance with the
movement of movable body 99 in the front-rear direction.
(Operation of Transmission Mechanism)
[0074] The following will describe the operation of the transmission mechanism 83 structured
as described above, with reference to FIG. 9(b). In particular, for example, a force
exerted to the transmission mechanism 83 when the operator manually moves the holding
unit 22 will be explained.
[0075] Assume that the state of the air cylinder 57 is in the above-described non-actuated
state. For example, when the operator applies a rearward force to the holding unit
22, a predetermined force F1 (see FIG. 9(b)) that is substantially identical with
the rearward force in magnitude is applied to the movable body 99 and the endless
belt 98. The first pulley 94 to the fourth pulley 97 rotate as the endless belt moves.
A force that is substantially identical with the force F1 in magnitude is applied
to the first pulley 94 to the fourth pulley 97. The pinion 82 rotates together with
the third pulley 96. As described above, the pitch circle diameter of the pinion 82
is substantially equal to the pitch circle diameter of the third pulley 96. As a result,
a force that is substantially identical with the force F1 in magnitude (but opposite
in direction to the force F1 in the front-rear direction) is applied to the teeth
82a of the pinion 82. Because the teeth 82a of the pinion 82 mesh with the teeth 81a
of the rack 81, the pinion 82 receives a reaction force (force F2) from the rack 81
that is a force rotating and moving the pinion 82 rearward. The force F1 is substantially
identical with the force F2 in magnitude. As a result, a resultant force of the forces
F1 and F2 (i.e., a force twice as much as the force F1 in magnitude and acting rearward)
acts on the piston rod 68 of the air cylinder 57. When this force is greater than
a resistance force (force F3) acting on the piston rod 68, the piston 67 and the piston
rod 68 move rearward. This resistance force mainly includes a friction force acting
between the cylinder main body 66 and the piston 67 (see FIG. 6(b)). In other words,
the operator can move the holding unit 22 only by applying a force that is smaller
than the force F3 (specifically, a force that is half as much as the force F3) to
the holding unit 22. Here, for the sake of explanation, the moving distance in the
front-rear direction of the movable body 99 is referred to as a first distance D1
(see FIG. 9(b)). The moving distance of the piston rod 68 (and the pinion 82) in the
same direction as the movable body 99 in the front-rear direction when the movable
body 99 moves in the front-rear direction by the first distance D1 is referred to
as a second distance D2 (see FIG. 9(b)) for the sake of explanation. The second distance
D2 is shorter than the first distance D1. Specifically, in the present embodiment,
the second distance D2 is half as long as the first distance D1.
[0076] The following explains the correspondence between constituent features of the transmission
mechanism 83 and constituent features of a known movable pulley. The pinion 82 is
equivalent to the movable pulley. The resistance force is equivalent to the gravity
acting on a weight hanging down from the movable pulley. The rack 81 is equivalent
to a string supported by the ceiling. The force with which the rotating pinion 82
is supported (pushed back) by the rack 81 is equivalent to a force with which the
ceiling supports the movable pulley. The force applied to the holding unit 22 (and
the movable body 99) in the front-rear direction is equivalent to a force with which
a hand of the operator pulls the string. The first distance D1 is equivalent to the
distance at which a hand of the operator pulls the string. The second distance D2
is equivalent to the moving distance of the movable pulley. Based on the principle,
while the first distance D1 is increased, the force required to be applied to the
holding unit 22 is decreased. In this way, the operability of the holding unit 22
can be improved.
(Method of Yarn Threading)
[0077] The following will describe a method of threading the yarns Y to the fulcrum guides
20 by using the above-described yarn threading mechanism 21, with reference to FIG.
10(a) to FIG. 18. FIGs. 10(a) to 10(c) illustrate a state in which the holding unit
22 is at a holding unit retracted position. FIGs. 11(a) to 11(f) illustrate operations
until the yarns Y are pressed onto the separation roller 74 in yarn threading to the
spun yarn take-up machine 1. FIGs. 12 (a) to 12(c) illustrate movement of the holding
unit 22 to a capture preparation position (described later). FIGs. 13(a) to 13(c)
illustrate fine adjustment of the position of the holding unit 22. FIG. 13(b) is an
enlarged view of a region R shown in FIG. 13(a). FIGs. 14(a) and 14(b) are explanatory
diagrams illustrating forces acting on sections of the front-rear driving mechanism
45. More specifically, FIG. 14 (a) shows the forces applied to sections of the front-rear
driving mechanism 45 during manual operation of the holding unit 22 by the operator.
FIG. 14 (b) is a diagram illustrating forces acting on sections of the front-rear
driving mechanism 45 operated by compressed air. In each of FIG. 14(a) and FIG. 14(b),
the left side of the sheet corresponds to the front side of the present embodiment,
and the right side of the sheet corresponds to the rear side of the present embodiment.
FIGs. 15(a) to 15(c) illustrate the retraction of the holding unit 22. FIGs. 16(a)
to 16(c) illustrate the movement of the holding unit 22 to the yarn threading start
position. FIGs. 17(a) to 17(c) are explanatory diagrams illustrating the movement
of the holding unit 22 to the yarn threading completion position. FIG. 18 illustrates
how the yarns Y are threaded to the fulcrum guides 20, respectively.
[0078] For the sake of convenience in the following explanation, the position of the rod
end 64 and the pin 52 in the front-rear direction when the piston rod 63 of the air
cylinder 56 is fully extended is referred to as an "extended position". The position
of the rod end 64 and the pin 52 in the front-rear direction when the piston rod 63
is fully contracted is called a "contracted position". Furthermore, in the front-rear
driving mechanism 45, the position of the movable body 99 in the front-rear direction
when the piston rod 68 of the air cylinder 57 is fully extended is referred to as
a "rear end position". The position of the movable body 99 in the front-rear direction
when the piston rod 68 is fully contracted is referred to as a "front end position".
[0079] The following will describe the outline of the yarn threading in the present embodiment.
To begin with, the operator threads the yarns Y to the first godet roller 3, the regulatory
guide 8, and the second godet roller 4. Then the operator temporarily presses the
yarns Y onto the separation roller 74. Furthermore, the operator causes the holding
unit 22 to hold the yarns Y. Finally, the yarn threading mechanism 21 is driven under
the control of the controller 6 to move the holding unit 22 from the aforementioned
capturing position to the yarn threading start position, and further move the unit
to the yarn threading completion position. As a result, the multiple yarns Y held
by the holding unit 22 are threaded to the respective fulcrum guides 20.
[0080] The following will detail the yarn threading. Before the start of the yarn threading,
the piston rod 63 of the air cylinder 56 is at the extended position (see FIG. 10
(b)). The movable body 99 is located at the above-described front end position (see
FIG. 10(c)). Each of the paired holding units 22 is therefore at the predetermined
holding unit retracted position (see FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 10 (a)). The separation roller
74 is at the roller retracted position (indicated by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 7(a)).
[0081] At the start of the yarn threading, the operator performs a predetermined input operation
to the input unit (not illustrated) of the controller 6. In accordance with the input
signal, the controller 6 controls the sections of the spun yarn take-up machine 1
so that the state of the spun yarn take-up machine 1 is in a yarn threading preparation
state described below. That is to say, the controller 6 moves the second godet roller
4 to the front position (see FIG. 11(a)). Furthermore, the controller 6 moves the
fulcrum guides 20 to the gathered positions (see e.g., FIG. 10(a)).
[0082] Next, the operator operates the grip 73 of the yarn interval increaser 24 to rotate
the rotation arm 72, so as to move the separation roller 74 from the roller retracted
position to the roller contact position (see full lines in FIG. 7(a) and FIG. 11(a)).
[0083] The operator then sucks and holds the yarns Y (to be more specific, all of 32 yarns
YA and YB) by using a suction gun SG (see FIG. 11(a)) arranged to be able to suck
and hold the yarns Y. By operating the suction gun SG, the operator threads the yarns
Y to the first godet roller 3, the regulatory guide 8, and the second godet roller
4 in this order (see FIG. 11(a)).
[0084] Next, the operator operates the suction gun SG to move the leading end portion of
the suction gun SG to a position below and to the right of the separation roller 74
(see FIGs. 11(b) and 11(c)). As a result, the operator moves the yarns Y to a position
immediately behind the separation roller 74 (see FIG. 11(d)). At this stage, the intervals
of the yarns Y running from the regulatory guide 8 toward the suction gun SG narrow
toward the suction gun SG.
[0085] Thereafter, the operator moves the leading end portion of the suction gun SG forward
to cause the yarns Y to make contact with the circumferential surface of the separation
roller 74 (see FIG. 11(e) and FIG. 11(f)). As a result, the separation roller 74 is
passively rotated by the friction force between the roller and the running yarns Y.
At this stage, the intervals in the left-right direction of the yarns Y in contact
with the separation roller 74 are widened to be substantially as wide as the intervals
in the left-right direction of the yarns Y regulated by the regulatory guide 8 (see
FIG. 11(f)). As a result, yarn paths that are aligned in the left-right direction
and are substantially in parallel to one another are formed. This is because, typically,
the intervals of the yarns Y in contact with a rotating roller are substantially identical
with the intervals determined at a location immediately upstream of the roller in
the yarn running direction. For details of this principle, see
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2012-021240, for example.
[0086] After the intervals of the yarns Y are widened by the separation roller 74, the operator
makes an input for starting the operation of the yarn threading mechanism 21 to the
input unit of the controller 6. In accordance with the input signal, the controller
6 controls the sections of the yarn threading mechanism 21. The following will describe
only the operation of the yarn threading mechanism 21 in the winding unit 5A.
[0087] To begin with, the controller 6 controls the operation of the air cylinder 56 to
move the piston rod 63 of the air cylinder 56 from the extended position (see FIG.
10(b)) to the contracted position (see FIG. 12(b)). When the pin 52 moves forward
as a result, the swing arm 43 and the guide rail 42 are passively swung as the guide
hole 51 of the swing arm 43 follows the pin 52 (see FIG. 12 (a)). Due to this, the
front end portion of the support arm 41 and the holding unit 22 follow the guide rail
42 and are swung rightward (see FIG. 12(a)). As a result, the holding unit 22 moves
from the holding unit retracted position to the vicinity of a capturing position (described
later) where the yarns YA can be captured. More specifically, the holding unit 22
moves from the holding unit retracted position to the capture preparation position
(see FIG. 12(a)) where the operator causes the holding unit 22 to capture the yarns
YA. The capture preparation position is a position that is at least forward of the
capturing position. Although not illustrated, the capture preparation position of
the holding unit 22 is immediately above a left portion of the separation roller 74
and immediately in front of the yarns YA.
[0088] In this state, the controller 6 temporarily stops the operation of the yarn threading
mechanism 21. In addition, the controller 6 controls the electromagnetic valve EV2
(see FIG. 6(b)) to discharge compressed air from both the piston chamber 66F and the
piston chamber 66R of the air cylinder 57.
[0089] Next, the operator adjusts the position of the holding unit 22 located at the capture
preparation position. To begin with, as described above, the swing arm 43 is provided
with a guide hole 51. The width of the guide hole 51 is very slightly larger than
the outer diameter of the pin 52, except at the front end portion. On this account,
when the pin 52 is inserted into a portion of the guide hole 51 which is not the front
end portion, it is hardly possible to manually swing the swing arm 43. On the other
hand, the front end portion of the guide hole 51 has a play 53. On this account, when
the pin 52 is inserted into the front end portion of the guide hole 51 (i.e., when
the piston rod 63 is at the contracted position), the pin 52 is loosely fitted with
the play 53. Therefore, the operator can manually swing the swing arm 43 in the left-right
direction by a hand (see FIGs. 13(a) and 13(b)).
[0090] Furthermore, as described above, the operator can move the holding unit 22 (and the
movable body 99) in the front-rear direction when the air cylinder 57 is in a non-actuated
state. For example, the operator moves the comb guide 31 by holding the grip 37 by
a hand. When the force applied to the movable body 99 is greater than the above-described
force F1 (see FIG. 9(b) and FIG. 14(a)), the holding unit 22 can be moved rearward.
The operator manually moves the holding unit 22 from the capture preparation position
to the capturing position, and causes the holding unit 22 to capture the yarns YA
(see FIG. 13(c)). The holding unit 22 holds the yarns YA to be separated from one
another in the left-right direction, for example.
[0091] When the holding unit 22 holds the yarns YA, the holding unit 22 is pushed back forward
due to the tension applied to the yarns YA. As a result, a forward force is applied
to the movable body 99, too (see a force F4 in FIG. 14(b) for details). In addition,
along with this, a forward force is applied to the pinion 82 due to the same principle
as described above (see a force F5 in FIG. 14(b) for details) . Consequently, a resultant
force of the forces F4 and F5 (i.e., a force twice as much as the force F4) is applied
to the piston rod 68. This resultant force is a resistance force that acts in a direction
of preventing the piston rod 68 from moving rearward.
[0092] After causing the holding unit 22 to capture the yarns YA, the operator makes an
input to the input unit of the controller 6 to continue the yarn threading. The controller
6 continues the yarn threading in accordance with the input signal.
[0093] Subsequently, the controller 6 controls the air cylinder 57 to move the movable body
99 from the front end position to the rear end position. In other words, the controller
6 puts the air cylinder 57 in the actuated state. More specifically, the controller
6 controls the solenoid valve EV2 to supply compressed air to the piston chamber 66F.
The piston 67 is pushed rearward by the compressed air in the piston chamber 66F,
and a predetermined force is applied to the piston 67 and the piston rod 68 (see a
force F6 described in FIG. 14 (b) for details). According to the same principle as
described above, the magnitude of the force F6 is required to be at least twice greater
than the magnitude of the force F4. As the piston rod 68 extends rearward, the rear
end portion of the support arm 41 moves rearward, and the front end portion of the
support arm 41 moves obliquely rearward and leftward along the guide rail 42, for
example (see FIG. 15(a)). Consequently, the holding unit 22 holding the yarns YA move
obliquely rearward and leftward along the guide rail 42. The controller 6 may return
the second godet roller 4 to the roller rear position before controlling the solenoid
valve EV2 as described above. Alternatively, the controller 6 may move the second
godet roller 4 to the roller rear position after the yarn threading to the fulcrum
guides 20 is completed.
[0094] Thereafter, the controller 6 controls the air cylinder 56 to move the piston rod
63 from the contracted position to the extended position (see FIG. 16(b)). Consequently,
the pin 52 is moved rearward, and this causes the swing arm 43 to swing leftward.
Due to this, the inclination angle of the guide rail 42 is changed relative to the
front-rear direction, and the inclination angle of the holding unit 22 is also changed
(see FIG. 16(a)). To be more specific, the guide rail 42 extends obliquely forward
and leftward from a position in the vicinity of the fulcrum guide 20 that is the rearmost
fulcrum guide of the winding unit 5A, toward a position in the vicinity of the frontmost
fulcrum guide 20. In this case, the holding unit 22 is at the yarn threading start
position of the present invention. The yarn threading start position is rearward of
the capturing position.
[0095] Subsequently, the controller 6 controls the air cylinder 57 to move the movable body
99 from the rear end position to the front end position (see FIG. 17(c)). As a result,
the front end portion of the support arm 41 is moved forward along the cylinder main
body 66, and the front end portion of the support arm 41 is moved obliquely forward
and leftward along the guide rail 42 (see FIG. 17 (a) and FIG. 18) . As a result,
the yarns YA retained in the respective retaining grooves 35 of the holding unit 22
are threaded to the corresponding fulcrum guides 20, respectively (see FIG. 18). The
holding unit 22 moves to the yarn threading completion position that is at least forward
of the yarn threading start position (see the full lines in FIG. 17(a)). As the holding
unit 22 moves from the yarn threading start position to the yarn threading completion
position, all of the yarns YA are threaded to the corresponding fulcrum guides 20,
respectively. In this way, the yarn threading to the fulcrum guides 20 is completed.
It is noted that the above-described holding unit retracted position and the above-described
yarn threading completion position are the same position. Thereafter, the controller
6 returns the fulcrum guides 20 to the winding positions (distanced positions).
[0096] The yarn threading to the fulcrum guides 20 of the winding unit 5B is similarly done.
[0097] Furthermore, the controller 6 controls the sections of the paired winding units 5
to perform, for example, the yarn threading to the bobbins B. (Details are omitted.)
As a result, it becomes possible to start winding of the yarns Y onto the respective
bobbins B.
[0098] As described above, by putting the air cylinder 57 in the non-actuated state, it
becomes possible to manually move the piston rod 68 connected to the holding unit
22. The front-rear driving mechanism 45 (adjustment mechanism) of the present embodiment
utilizes the principle of movable pulley. Based on the principle, while the first
distance D1 is increased, the force required to be applied to the holding unit 22
is decreased. As a result, the holding unit 22 provided in the yarn threading mechanism
21 can be positionally adjusted with a small force.
[0099] Furthermore, the yarn threading mechanism 21 is configured to allow manual adjustment
of the position in the front-rear direction of the holding unit 22 between the capture
preparation position and the capturing position when the state of the air cylinder
57 is in the non-actuated state. In addition, when the air cylinder 57 is in the actuated
state, the yarn threading mechanism 21 is configured to move the holding unit 22 from
the capturing position to the yarn threading start position, and further move the
same to the yarn threading completion position, thereby enabling the yarns Y held
by the holding unit 22 to be threaded to the fulcrum guides 20. On this account, when
moving the holding unit 22 from the capture preparation position to the capturing
position, it is possible to manually adjust the position of the holding unit 22 in
a delicate manner, as the air cylinder 57 is switched to the non-actuated state. Furthermore,
by putting the air cylinder 57 in the actuated state, it is possible to perform yarn
threading without manual intervention, by using the yarn threading mechanism 21. Therefore,
the time and labor required for yarn threading can be reduced.
[0100] Furthermore, the air cylinder 57 becomes in the non-actuated state as a result of
the discharge of compressed air from both the piston chamber 66F and the piston chamber
66R. That is to say, for example, it is possible to form a front-rear driving mechanism
45 (drive mechanism) by utilizing an air cylinder which is typically inexpensive as
compared to a fluid pressure cylinder such as a motor-driven cylinder and a hydraulic
cylinder. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the component cost of the spun yarn
take-up machine 1.
[0101] In addition, the first pulley 94 and the second pulley 95 are rotatably supported
by the base member 91. Furthermore, the endless belt 98 is wound onto the first pulley
94 and the second pulley 95. In this configuration, the first pulley 94, the second
pulley 95, the endless belt 98, and the movable body 99 can be arranged so that they
fit within an area that is approximately the same size as a range in which the base
member 91 extends in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the moving distance in
the front-rear direction of the base member 91 is equal to the moving distance (extension-and-contraction
distance) in the front-rear direction of the piston rod 68. This suppresses the traveling
range of the transmission mechanism 83 to be short in the front-rear direction. Therefore,
increase in size of the spun yarn take-up machine 1 in the front-rear direction can
be avoided.
[0102] The rotation axis center of the third pulley 96 is positioned at a different location
from the rotation axis centers of the first pulley 94 and the second pulley 95 in
the up-down direction. Therefore, the position in the up-down direction of the third
pulley 96 can be set freely to some degree. Therefore, the positions in the up-down
direction of the pinion 82 and the rack 81 can be set freely to some degree. On this
account, it is possible to easily avoid an interference between the transmission mechanism
83 and the rack 81.
[0103] If the pitch circle diameter of the third pulley 96 is too short as compared to the
pitch circle diameter of the pinion 82, there is a risk that the force required to
manually move the holding unit 22 will become too large. On the contrary, if the pitch
circle diameter of the third pulley 96 is too long compared to the pitch circle diameter
of the pinion 82, there is a risk that the force required to move the holding unit
22 by the air cylinder 57 will become too large. In this regard, in the present embodiment,
the pitch circle diameter of the third pulley 96 is substantially equal to the pitch
circle diameter of the pinion 82. This makes it easy to achieve both the reduction
of the force required to manually move the holding unit 22 and the suppression of
increase in force required to move the holding unit 22 by the air cylinder 57.
[0104] The following will describe other effects obtained in the present embodiment. The
third pulley 96 is arranged at substantially the same position as the second pulley
95 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the transmission
mechanism 83 from being upsized in the front-rear direction due to the third pulley
96.
[0105] Furthermore, the transmission mechanism 83 includes the fourth pulley 97. By arranging
the endless belt 98 to overlap at least partially with the air cylinder 57 in the
left-right direction, it is possible to suppress the enlargement of the spun yarn
take-up machine 1 in the left-right direction. However, depending on the positional
relationship between the air cylinder 57 and the endless belt 98, the endless belt
98 may interfere with the air cylinder 57. In this regard, in the present embodiment,
the shape of the endless belt 98 can be freely set to some extent by the fourth pulley
97. This suppresses the enlargement of the spun yarn take-up machine 1 in the left-right
direction and enables easy avoidance of interference between the air cylinder 57 and
the endless belt 98.
[0106] Furthermore, the fourth pulley 97 is positioned between the first pulley 94 and the
second pulley 95 in the front-rear direction. The fourth pulley 97 is provided between
(i) the first pulley 94 and the second pulley 95 and (ii) the third pulley 96 in the
up-down direction. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the transmission mechanism 83
from being upsized in the front-rear direction and/or the up-down direction due to
the fourth pulley 97.
[0107] Furthermore, the guide rail 92 is disposed to overlap at least partially with the
rack 81 in the left-right direction. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the yarn
threading mechanism 21 from being upsized in the left-right direction by the guide
rail 92.
[0108] Furthermore, the yarn threading mechanism 21 includes the rack 81 and the pinion
82. In other words, a typical rack-and-pinion mechanism with a simple structure is
used in the yarn threading mechanism 21. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the
structural complication of the yarn threading mechanism 21.
[0109] The following will describe modifications of the above-described embodiment. The
members identical with those in the embodiment above will be denoted by the same reference
signs and the explanations thereof may not be repeated.
- (1) In the above embodiment, the yarn threading mechanism 21 is configured to include
the rack 81 and the pinion 82. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. Instead
of the rack 81, a chain or a toothed belt (both not shown) may be provided as the
extending member of the present invention. If a chain is provided as the extending
member of the present invention, a sprocket (not illustrated) may be provided as a
rotation member of the present invention instead of the pinion 82. If a toothed belt
is provided as the extending member of the present invention, a pulley (not illustrated)
may be provided as the rotation member of the present invention instead of the pinion
82.
- (2) In the embodiment above, the piston rod 68 of the air cylinder 57 is arranged
to protrude rearward as compared to the piston 67. However, the disclosure is not
limited to this. The piston rod 68 may protrude forward as compared to the piston
67. That is to say, for example, a transmission mechanism (not illustrated) that is
symmetrical with respect to the transmission mechanism 83 in the front-rear direction
may be provided instead of the transmission mechanism 83.
- (3) In the embodiment above, the transmission mechanism 83 includes the fourth pulley
97. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG.
19(a), transmission mechanism 101 may be provided in place of transmission mechanism
83. In the transmission mechanism 101, the fourth pulley 97 may not be provided. For
example, an endless belt 98A may be wound onto the first pulley 94 and the second
pulley 95. An unillustrated pulley may be provided on the same axis as the second
pulley 95. An endless belt 98B may be wound onto the unillustrated pulley and the
third pulley 96. In this case, the third pulley 96 is positioned differently from
the first pulley 94 and the second pulley 95 in the left-right direction.
- (4) In the embodiment above, the transmission mechanism 83 (and the transmission mechanism
101) includes the third pulley 96. However, the disclosure is not limited to this.
For example, as shown in FIG. 19(b), a transmission mechanism 102 may be provided.
In the transmission mechanism 102, an endless belt 98A may be wound onto the first
pulley 94 and the second pulley 95. Furthermore, a gear 111 that is a known gear may
be provided on the same axis as the second pulley 95. The gear 111 may be connected
to the pinion 82 through a gear 112 that is a known gear, for example.
[0110] Alternatively, for example, as shown in FIG. 19(c), a transmission mechanism 103
may be provided. In the transmission mechanism 103, an endless belt 98A may be wound
onto the first pulley 94 and the second pulley 95. Alternatively, the pinion 82 may
be provided on the same axis as the second pulley 95, and the rack 81 may be provided
in accordance with the position of the pinion 82. In this case, in order to avoid
an interference between the rack 81 and the guide rail 92, the rack 81 may be required
to be positionally different from the guide rail 92 in the left-right direction.
[0111] (5) In the embodiment above, the transmission mechanism 83, etc. includes the first
pulley 94 and the second pulley 95. However, the disclosure is not limited to this.
For example, as shown in FIG. 19(d), a transmission mechanism 104 may be provided.
The transmission mechanism 104 may not include the first pulley 94 and the second
pulley 95. The transmission mechanism 104 may include, for example, a rack 81, a pinion
82M, and a rack 113. The pitch circle diameter of the pinion 82M may be different
from the pitch circle diameter of the pinion 82. The pinion 82M may be rotatably attached
to a rod end 69A. The rack 113 may be provided to be opposite to the rack 81 over
the pinion 82M in the up-down direction and extend in the front-rear direction, for
example. In place of the movable body 99, a movable body 99A may be provided. The
movable body 99A may be fixed to a front end portion of the rack 113. In this arrangement,
however, the relative positions of the rear end of the rack 113 and the movable body
99A remain the same in the front-rear direction. On this account, after the movable
body 99A is moved to the rear end position, the rear end portion of the rack 113 may
protrude rearward as compared to the rack 81. Therefore, in this modification, the
installation area of the spun yarn take-up machine 1 needs to be long in the front-rear
direction.
[0112] (6) In the embodiment above, the front-rear driving mechanism 45 includes the air
cylinder 57. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. In place of the air cylinder
57, a known magnet-type rodless cylinder may be provided, for example.
[0113] Alternatively, in place of the air cylinder 57, a fluid pressure cylinder (e.g.,
a hydraulic cylinder) driven by fluid different from compressed air may be provided.
Also in this case, the state of the fluid pressure cylinder becomes the non-actuated
state as the fluid is discharged from piston chambers (not illustrated) provided on
the both sides in the front-rear direction of the cylinder main body (not illustrated)
of the fluid pressure cylinder.
[0114] Alternatively, in place of the air cylinder 57, an electric driving source such as
a known stepping motor may be provided. Also in this case, as the state of the driving
source is arranged to be the non-actuated state, the holding unit 22 can be manually
moved. In a front-rear driving mechanism (not illustrated) with a motor, a stator
(not illustrated) of the motor is equivalent to the fixed portion of the present invention.
A rotor and a rotation shaft (not illustrated) of the motor are equivalent to the
movable portion of the present invention. It is noted that the installation location
of the motor may not be fixed. For example, the rotational shaft of the motor may
be connected to the pinion 82. In this case, the motor may be movable with the pinion
82 in a parallel manner relative to the rack 81.
[0115] (7) In the embodiment above, the transmission mechanism 83, etc. includes the pulleys
and the endless belt 98. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. Instead of
the pulleys, known sprockets (not illustrated) may be provided as the first to fourth
rotated members of the present invention. In this case, a known chain (not illustrated)
may be provided in place of the endless belt 98.
[0116] (8) In the embodiment above, the yarn threading mechanism 21 moves the holding unit
22 from the capturing position to the yarn threading start position by the drive unit
23 and further moves the holding unit 22 to the yarn threading completion position.
However, the disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the yarn threading mechanism
21 may be arranged so that the series of movement steps is partially performed by
the operator.
[0117] (9) In the embodiment above, the play 53 formed at the front end portion of the guide
hole 51 contributes to the position adjustment of the holding unit 22. However, the
disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the comb guide 31 may be swingable
relative to the above-described interposed member 32. Alternatively, for example,
in place of the interposed member 32, the comb guide 31 may be connected to the support
arm 41 through an unillustrated spring (e.g., a compression coil spring, a tension
coil spring, and/or a torsion coil spring).
[0118] (10) In the embodiment above, the air cylinder 56 is arranged to swing the guide
rail 42. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a mechanism
configured to horizontally move the guide rail 42 may be provided.
[0119] (11) In the embodiment above, the guide rail 42 is linear in shape and the position
of the guide rail 42 is changed according to an object. However, the disclosure is
not limited to this. For example, a guide rail (not illustrated) that does not need
to be moved may be provided to extend along the track of movement of the paired holding
unit 22.
[0120] (12) In the embodiment above, the fulcrum guides 20 are movable between the distanced
positions and the gathered positions. However, the disclosure is not limited to this.
The fulcrum guides 20 may be immovable. In this case, however, the drive unit 23 may
be upsized in the front-rear direction.
[0121] (13) In the embodiment above, the holding unit 22 is moved from the holding unit
retracted position to the capturing position. However, the disclosure is not limited
to this. As long as the holding unit 22 is not obstructive, the holding unit 22 may
be provided at the capture preparation position from the beginning.
[0122] (14) In the embodiment above, the yarn threading mechanism 21 includes the yarn interval
increaser 24. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. The yarn threading mechanism
21 may not include the yarn interval increaser 24.
[0123] (15) An arrangement by which the compressed air is discharged from both of the piston
chambers 66F and 66R is not limited to the arrangement shown in FIG. 6(b) . For example,
two three-way electromagnetic valves (not illustrated) may be provided in place of
the electromagnetic valve EV2, and a path for supplying and discharging compressed
air may be suitably provided to discharge the compressed air from both of the piston
chambers 66F and 66R.
[0124] (16) The paths connecting the air cylinder 56 with the supply port Ps and the discharge
ports Pe1 and Pe2 are not limited to those shown in FIG. 6(b). The same applies to
the air cylinder 57.
[0125] (17) In the embodiment above, the cylinder main body 66 of the air cylinder 57 is
fixed to the supporting member 26. However, the disclosure is not limited to this.
For example, a swing shaft (not illustrated) may be provided at a rear end portion
of the cylinder main body 66 to extend in the up-down direction, and the cylinder
main body 66 may be swingable about the swing shaft. In this case, the guide rail
42 and the cylinder main body 66 swing together. In this arrangement, the support
arm 41 may be fixed to the movable body 99.
[0126] (18) In the embodiment above, the yarn threading mechanism 21 is arranged to thread
the yarns Y to the fulcrum guides 20. However, the disclosure is not limited to this.
For example, when the spun yarn take-up machine 1 has other yarn guides (not illustrated)
that are aligned in the front-rear direction, a yarn threading mechanism (not illustrated)
may be provided to thread yarns Y to these yarn guides.
[0127] (19) While the spun yarn take-up machine 1 includes the paired winding units 5 (winding
units 5A and 5B), the disclosure is not limited to this arrangement. The spun yarn
take-up machine 1 may include, for example, only the winding unit 5A among the winding
units 5A and 5B.
[0128] (20) In the embodiment above, the front-rear direction is equivalent to the first
direction of the present invention, the up-down direction is equivalent to the second
direction of the present invention, and the left-right direction is equivalent to
the third direction of the present invention. However, the disclosure is not limited
to this. The first direction may be tilted relative to the front-rear direction. The
second direction may be tilted relative to the up-down direction. The third direction
may be tilted relative to the left-right direction.
[0129] (21) In addition to the spun yarn take-up machine 1, the present invention can be
applied to various yarn winders each of which is configured to wind yarns Y.