GB2237037A

GB2237037A - Spreader for tubular textile material

Info

Publication number: GB2237037A
Application number: GB9022565A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Werner Strudel
Original assignee: Lindauer Dornier GmbH
Current assignee: Lindauer Dornier GmbH
Priority date: 1989-10-20
Filing date: 1990-10-17
Publication date: 1991-04-24
Anticipated expiration: 2010-10-17
Also published as: CH681816A5; IT9067795A1; GB2237037B; IT9067795A0; DE3934918C2; IT1241645B; DE3934918A1; JP2545495B2; JPH03137267A; GB9022565D0

Abstract

A spreader for tubular textile material 42 comprises supports 4 pivoted to carrier having two tubes 2, 3 telescopically displaceable for adjusting diameter of the spreader, a head 31 arranged to pass material 42, emerging from spreader 1, between support rollers and fixing rollers and then between fixing rollers and counter rollers and a clamping device 6 operable to prevent telescopic extension of tubes 2, 3 in response to inward pressure on material 42 between sets of support and fixing rollers. A traction cable 16 has one end secured to plates 15 of tube 3 to which clamping members 7 are connected and the other fixed to an adjustable threaded bolt extending through bores of abutment bar and adjacent plate of head 31. Adjustment of the bolt in direction 38 to space the plate from the bar shifts the fixed rollers towards the counter rollers to relieve inward pressure on material 42 and subjects cable 16 to tension whereby bars 7 pivot inwards to open clamp 6 and allow extension of tubes 2, 3. Adjustment in direction 40 causes the fixing roller to shift back and members 7 to pivot outwardly to clampingly engage, under a spring 9 bias, tube 2 to prevent telescopic extension. <IMAGE>

Description

1 SPREADER FOR TUBULAR TEXTILE MATERIAL This invention relates to an

externally supported spreader for tubular textile material. Such a spreader is preferably circular.

A circular spreader is described in British Specification No.. 2210391A and that spreader has on the whole proved satisfactory. The spreader of the present invention is of generally similar construction and includes an elongate central carrier for a plurality of supports distributed around the spreader and arranged to be adjustably spread out relative to the carrier against pressure means, on which supports guiding elements are provided which extend in the direction of travel of the material for guiding it over the spreader, in which spreader:- a) The central carrier has two tubes telescopically displaceable one within the other in the longitudinal direction under the action of the pressure means, the spreadable supports being connected to the tubes and to the guiding elements.

b) Support rollers at each end of the spreader bear against fixing rollers outside the material under the force of the pressure means and locate the parts of the spreader between the rollers at the respective ends of the spreader.

The support and fixing rollers at one end constitute part of the head or end portion of the spreader.

On the head the spreader may have an additional bearing part to support the pressure means, in particular when the telescopic tubes are pulled apart. This bearing part carries the bearing rollers which are supported against 2 the fixing rollers. A force sufficient for supporting the tubular textile material travelling over the spreader on the external surface thereof is thereby obtained when the telescopic tubes are moved apart. This support of the material is provided by the spreadable supports which bear against the guiding elements which may be radially externally situated roller segments.

The powerful counterforce exerted on these guiding 10 elements by the expanded tubular material produces powerful forces acting on the telescopic tubes by way of the spreadable supports, so that in the head the support rollers are strongly pressed against their associated fixing rollers.

is When this known spreader is adjusted from large to small external diameter, the telescopic tubes are pulled apart by means of the bearing part, the fixing rollers being mounted in an external frame.

As a result, there is a risk of the supporting device which supports the head being accidentally moved upwards if the known spreader is adjusted from large to small diameter by, as mentioned. displacement of the telescopic tubes one in the other.

It has been found in practice that when the diameter is small, the spring force is weak and as a result the fixing rollers also bear against the rollers of the upper bearing part and pull the telescopic tubes apart. Strong pressure is thus produced between the fixing and support rollers, which is liable to damage the tubular material. especially if it is delicate.

It is thus an object of this invention to provide further development of the known spreader so that damage to the material in the region of the head, i.e. between the 3 fixing and support rollers, will safely be prevented even when the material is under high tension.

According to this invention there is provided a'spreader for tubular textile material. comprising an elongate central carrier for a plurality of supports distributed around the spreader and arranged to be adjustably spread out relative to the carrier against pressure means, on which supports guiding elements are provided which extend in the direction of travel of the material for guiding it over the spreader, in which spreader:- a) the central carrier has two tubes telescopically displaceable one within the other in the longitudinal direction under the action of the pressure means, and the spreadable supports being connected to the tubes and to the guiding elements; b) support rollers at each end of the spreader bear against fixing rollers outside the material under the force of the pressure means and locate the parts of the spreader between the rollers at the respective ends of the spreader; c) the support and fixing rollers at one end constitute part of the head or end portion of the spreader.

The spreader of the invention can give various advantages. Firstlyr it is desirable that unduly high tension in the material should not excessively pull the telescopic tubes apart and so produce an unacceptably high clamping pressure between the fixing and support rollers. The clamping device used in the spreader of the invention is provided for this purpose.

The clamping device on its own is only capable of adjusting the spreader from a smaller to a larger diameter 4 since the clamping device is out of operation in this displacement.

But adjustment from a larger to a smaller diameter, for example, is not possible as this would cause the clamping device to respond and prevent this reduction in diameter.

It is for this purpose that an unlocking device is provided. It comprises the connecting element fixed at one end to an upper bearing part of the head and connected at its other end to a plate which receives one end of pivotally mounted lever links in the clamping device.

Thus, when traction is applied to the connecting element, preferably a cable, the plate is moved upwards, whereby the lever links are swung inwards so that the clamping device is unlocked and no longer clamps the tubes together.

This unlocking device is necessary, for example, to" enable a user to adjust the spreader from a large to a small diameter. This adjustment may be carried out, for example, by moving the whole head upwards by means of a spindle drive by an electric motor.

The traction cable is preferably not attached directly to the head but to the upper bearing part which in turn may be directly connected to the head by a longitudinally displaceable connecting element. The connection to the head is in that case provided by a frame of the head.

This displacement tolerance in the connecting element is necessary for obtainng some play, which in turn is necessary for obtaining both a clearly defined clamping position and a clearly defined unlocking position.

The reason for this is that in the clamping position. the_ connecting element must be free from tension and this longitudinal play ensures freedom from tension. I' When the entire head is moved upwards by the electric motor driven spindle drive when the telescopic tubes are pulled apart, i.e. when the spreader is adjusted from large to small diameter, there will still be traction on the connecting elements. In other words it will persistduring the entire displacement process.

To ensure freedom from tension in the connecting element when a particular end position has been reached. the spindle drive may be briefly switched over after the end position has been reached so that it moves downwards by a short distance, thereby moving the head downwards so that the tension is again released and positive clamping is produced by the clamping device.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which:- Figure 1 shows a circular spreader in its maximum, spread out position; Figure 2 shows the spreader in its minimum, retracted position; Figure 3 shows the detail X of Figure 2 in enlarged section, through the telescopically interengaging tubes; Figure 4 is an enlarged section through the clamping 35 device on the plane W-W of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; 6 Figure 5 is the same as Figure 3 but with the clamping device unlocked; Figure 6 is the same as Figure 4 but taken on the section plane VI-VI of Figure 5 looking in the direction of the arrows; - Figure 7 is an enlarged view of the detail Y of Figure 1; Figure 8 is a side view of the head in Figure 7 seen in the direction of the arrow VIII in that Figure; Figure 9 is the same as Figure 7 but showing the position of displacement; and Figure 10 is the same as Figure 8, but also in the position of displacement, and seen in the direction of the arrow X in Figure 9.

For a description of the general construction and function of the circular spreader with which the invention, is concerned see the disclosure in British Specificaton No. 2210391A.

Referring to the drawings, the spreader has outer and inner carrier elements 2, 3 telescopically displaceable one inside the other, each being a circular tube. The inner, upper element 3 is a circular tube of smaller diameter displaceable inside the outer, lower element 2 of 30 larger diameter.

The tubular carrier element 2 is connected at its lower end. Figure 1 to a floating body 41. and a clamping device 6 inside the element 2 (Figure 3) is connected to the 35 lower end of the inner tubular carrier element 3.

1 7 Hinge points for support arms 4 are formed on the external surfaces of the tubular elements 2 and 3. Each support arm 4 is connected at one end to such a hinge point and is pivotally connected at its other end to radially externally situated roller segments 5, which form the guiding elements for the material 42. The latter runs over the outside of the roller segments.,either from below upwards as in Figure 1 or, as in other possible embodiments, from above downwards.

The upper end face of the outer tubular element 2 is connected to a plate 32 which in turn is rigidly connected to a head 31.

The head 31 comprises, as shown in Figures 7 to 10. a head frame 20 on which convex support rollers 21 are rotatably mounted and on which an upper bearing part 34 carrying convex rotatable counter-rollers 24 is arranged by way of a longitudinally displaceable connecting element 33.

Fixing rollers 23 are concave and are held in the head 31 by the convex rollers 21, 24 (Figure 8) which between them leave a space in which the fixing rollers 23 are held.

The fixing rollers 23 are each rotatably mounted on a shaft as described in British Specification No. 2210391A but not shown here. These shafts are connected at each end to a frame part which is fixed to horseshoe spindles so that the whole frame part together with the fixing rollers 23 can be displaced up and down in the longitudinal direction of the spreader.

Thus when the whole frame part is displaced in the direction of the arrows 38, 40, (Figures 3 and 7 respectively), the whole head 31 is also moved in the same longitudinal direction of the spreader, and the diameter of the spreader is adjusted.

8 is The special function of the clamp 6 will now be explained with reference to Figures 3 to 6.

The clamp 6 comprises a pair of support plates 15 for mounting the clamp,, which plates are rigidly welded to a plate 13 fixed to the end face of the inner carrier element 3.

Lever links 8 are arranged on the support plates 15 by hinge bolts 12 and thereby pivotally connected to the plates 15. The other end of each lever link 8 is pivotally connected to clamping members 7 by hinge bolts 11 (Figure 3) to form an eccentric type of connection.

The clamping members 7 are pivotally connected to the support plates 15 by a shaft 43.

As the hinge bolts 11 and lever links 8 act eccentrically on the clamping members 7 on the far side of the shaft 43, the members 7 can be swung radially outwards as shown with reference to Figures 5 and 3 as well as radially inwards in the opposite direction.

The clamping position is reached as soon as tension in a traction cable 16 (Figures 3. 5r 7 and 9) is relaxed in the direction of the arrow 40 (Figure 9). The cable 16 is fixed to the upper end of the support plates 15 and a pull can thus be exerted on the lever links 8; the clamping members 7 are thereby swung outwards due to the eccentric position of the hinge bolts 11.

The clamping members 7 are rigidly connected to spring bearing plates 19. It is important that these plates 19 should also be attached to the members 7 in an eccentric position with respect to the pivotal axis of the shaft 43 so that a clamping force is exerted on the members 7 by 9 the springs 9 and the members 7 will bear positively against the internal surface of the outer carrier tube 2 under the action of the springs 9.

Unlocking of the clamp 6 will now be described with reference to Figure 5.

When a pull is exerted on the traction cable 16 in the direction of the arrow 38, (Figure 3) the lever links 8 are put under tension and due to their eccentric mounting they swing inwards in the direction of the arrows 39 (Figure 3) and the clamping discs 7 also swing inwards into the unlocked or unclamped position of Figure 5.

The springs 9 are thus stretched and unlocking is brought about against them.

The unlocking position is maintained so long as the cable 16 is under traction. The attachment of the other end of the cable 16 to the head 31 will now be described.

The cable 16 passes through a head frame 20 (Figures 7 to 10) and has one end attached to a longitudinally displaceable connecting element 33. Details of the latter are seen in Figures 8 and 10. It comprises two spaced guide pins 29.

A plate 44 (Figure 8) forms part of the upper bearing part 34 and the latter comprises a U-shaped structure of which the plate 44 forms the base of the U.

The counter-rollers 24 are rotatably mounted in the lifting profile of this bearing part 34.

The head frame 20 also comprises a substantially U-shaped lower part (Figure 8) which mounts the support rollers 21 rotatably. The base of the head frame 20 is formed by an abutment bar 26 (Figures 8 and 10).

The plate 44 and the abutment bar 26 are connected by way of the connecting element 33.. which has the two spaced parallel guide pins 29 (Figure 10), each extending at one end through a bore 45 in the plate 44 while the other end, forming the bolt. is welded into the abutment bar 26. The distance between the plate 44 and the abutment bar 26 can be adjusted by adjusting nuts 30 on the guide bolts 29. The traction cable 16 is fixed at its upper end to the bolt end of a threaded bolt 25 which extends through a bore 35 in the bar 26 (Figure 10). The bolt 25 extends through a bore 36 in the plate 44 and is fixed by nuts 28.

The tension in the cable 16 may thus be adjusted by adjusting the nuts 28 on the bolt 25.

The guiding gap for guiding the textile material in the head 31 will now be described with reference to Figure 7 and 9. This provides a major advantage of the invention, in that it prevents the fixing rollers 23 from bearing unduly against the tread surface 48 of the support rollers 21 and squeezing the material.

The clamp 6 ensures that an accurately defined gap 46 will always be maintained between the said rollers.

For purposes of illustration, this gap 46 is shown as being narrow in Figure 7, but this does not reflect the true situation. In fact, the gap 46 is always about 1 to 2 em in width, depending on the thickness of the material. A definite distance is thus maintained between the rollers, and damage to the material by squeezing is prevented even in a delicate material.

In the position of displacement, a relatively large gap is formed between the tread surface 47 (Figure 9) of the c 11 fixing roller 23 and the associated convex tread surface 48 of the support roller 21.

In this position. the cable 16 is under tension and the tread surfaces 49 (Figure 9) of the convex counter-rollers 24 are in contact with the associated tread surfaces 47 of the fixing rollers 23.

In this position, the entire head 31 is moved upwards, traction is exerted on the cable 16, and the clamp is opened. The telescopic tubes 2. 3 can thereby be easily extended.

As soon as the end of the displacement path is reached, the drive for displacing the fixing rollers 23 in the direction of the arrow 38 (Figure 3) is briefly switched over so that the whole drive is briefly driven in the downward direction of the arrow 40 (Figure g), whereby the connecting element 33 is moved by the distance 50. (Figure.

9) which thus tends towards zero (Figure 7) so that the cable 16 is again relieved of tension and the clamp takes up its clamping position shown in Figure 3. Owing to the adjustment of the gap by the bolt 29 and nuts 30. an accurately defined distance is adjusted between the plate 44 and the abutment bar 26, thus ensuring that the gap 46 between the tread surfaces 47 and 48 is also accurately adjusted.

This ensures that the material will not be clamped even under the most powerful counterforces on the support arms 4. The accurately defined gap 46 is maintained because in this position the clamp is already in operation.

When the material 42 exerts radially inward pressure on the support arms 4, the gap 46 cannot be further reduced because in this position the clamp has come into the clamping position (Figure 3).

12 Figures 7 to 10 show further guide rollers 37 which are rotatably attached to the abutment bar 26 and hence to the head frame 20. These guide rollers 37 prevent undesired 5 twisting of the material as it moves over the spreader. They thus form lateral abutments for the material.

p The disclosure of British Patent Specification No. 2210391A is incorporated in the present specification and 10 drawings by reference.

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Claims

1. A spreader for tubular textile material. comprising an elongate central carrier for a plurality of supports distributed around the spreader and arranged to be adjustably spread out relative to the carrier against pressure means, on which supports guiding elements are provided which extend in the direction of travel of the material for guiding it over the spreader, in which spreader:- is a) the central carrier has two tubes telescopically displaceable one within the other in the longitudinal direction under the action of the pressure means, the spreadable supports being connected to the tubes and to the guiding elements; b) support rollers at each end of the spreader bear against fixing rollers outside the material under the force of the pressure means and locate the parts of the spreader between the rollers at the respective ends of the spreader; c) the support and fixing rollers at one end constitute part of the head or end portion of the spreader; wherein a clamping device is arranged within the tubes-and can be caused to be fixed with respect to the inner tube and to be connected positively in locking manner to the outer tube, a clamping mechanism of the clamping device being connected to the said head or end portion by a connecting element, the clamping device being operable to prevent telescopic extension of the tubes caused by inward pressure of the tubular material.

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2. A spreader according to claim 1 which is circular, wherein the said longitudinal direction is vertical, the head or end portion is at the upper end of the spreader. and the pressure means is spring means.

3. A spreader according to claim I or claim 2, wherein the spreadable supports are elongate members, each pivoted at one of the ends to a respective one of the tubes and at its other end to guiding elements.

4. A spreader according to claim 3, wherein, in the expanded or spread out state, the spreadable supports connected to one tube are inclined to the spreadable supports connected to the other tube.

5. A spreader according to any preceding claim having a pair of support rollers and a pair of fixing rollers at each end of the spreader.

6. A spreader according to any preceding claim, wherein the head or end portion has a frame and an upper bearing part movable with respect to the frame, the clamping mechanism being connected to the upper bearing part by a connecting element, which element is put under tension when the upper bearing part is moved relatively to the frame in a direction away from the central carrier, such tensioning causing freeing of the clamping action between the tubes.

7. A spreader according to claim 6. wherein the connecting element is a traction cable having one end in the head or end portion and its other end connected to a lever linkage of the clamping mechanism.

8. A spreader according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the upper bearing part is movable relatively to the frame by way of longitudinally displaceable connecting means.

h A is

9. A spreader according to claim 8, wherein the connecting means comprise pins adjustably fixed in the upper bearing part and extending in bores in th. 6 frame.

10. A spreader according to claim 7. wherein clamping members are pivotally connected to respective members of the lever linkage and are engageable with the respective tube under the action of springs mounted on the clamping 10 mechanism.

11. A circular spreader for tubular textile material, the spreader being constructed and arranged substantially as herein described and shown in the drawings.

is Published 1991 atThe Patent Office. State House. C-6/71 High Holborn. L4DndonWC I R41P. Further copies may be obtained from Sales Branch. Unit 6, Nine Mile Point Cwmfclinfach. Cross Keys. Newport. NPI 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques ltd. St Mary Cray. Kent.