677,719. Doffing-arrangements for textile spinning machines. T. M. M. (RESEARCH), Ltd. Sept. 5, 1949 [Aug. 21, 1948], No. 22089/48. Classes 120(ii) and 120(iii) A ring spinning machine provided with doffing mechanism has means for controlling the operations of the machine in timed sequence, the operations including means for stopping delivery of material from the delivery rollers and stopping the spindles at a predetermined time, means for allowing an extra falling movement of the ring plates during the doffing cycle to permit winding of a number of turns of thread on to the spindle blade and then to return the ring plates to normal spinning position and means for lowering the spindle rail slowly during cop building, raising it quickly to doffing position on completion of the cops, followed by lowering to release full cops and further raising to collect empty tubes. The lappets are displaced sideways to facilitate doffing. During spinning, cop-building is effected by combined movements of the ring plates and spindle rails. Each ring plate 17, Fig. 3, is mounted on pokers 71 resting on swing levers 74, connected to a horizontal draw bar 79 by steel tapes. Draw bars 79 on each side of the machine are connected by a tiebracket 80, Fig. 4, having a chain 81 attached to its mid-point, the chain 81 passing over a pulley 82 to the end of a lever 83 reciprocated by a cam 86. When the ring rail 17 is to receive an extra falling movement during doffing, the chain 81 is slackened by inward movement of the pulley 82 effected by levers 89. 90, 91 and a cam surface on a main control cam 58. The two spindle rails 11, Figs. 3 and 7, are mounted on screw-threaded rods 34, 34a, driven by rods 37, 37a, which receive motion during spinning, through gear wheels 38, 39, 61, 60, 59, Fig. 7, clutch 57 and a reduction gear train, from the main driving shaft 15. During doffing the clutch 57 is disconnected and the drive is taken through a counter-shaft 42, clutch elements 122, 125, 126 and chains 127, 186 to shafts 37, 37a. The spindles 13, Fig. 3, are driven in groups of four by tapes 16, each of which passes over the tin roller 14, a tension pulley 27, a jockey pulley 30, the whorls of two spindles 13 on each side of the machine and a jockey pulley 33. A clutch 132, Fig. 7, on the main driving shaft 15 transmits drive to the tin roller shaft 26 through chain 24 and sprockets 23, 25 during spinning, but is disengaged at the commencement of doffing and, after the spindles 13 have turned under their own momentum for a short time, a brake controlled by the main cam 58 is applied. The brake comprises a drum 133, Fig. 4, and shoes 134, 135 operated by a three-point weighted fulcrum bracket 137. When the spindles are being lowered and raised during doffing, they are turned slowly, first in anti-spinning direction and then in the spinning direction by one of two quadrants 190, 198 provided with spring-influenced friction shoes 191. 199 for engagement with a friction disc 188 on the tin roller shaft 26. The quadrants 190, 198 are placed in and out of operative position according to whether warp or weft is being spun and receive their turning-motion through levers 192, 193, 194, 195, 196 from a cam surface on the main cam 58. The drive to the front delivery rollers 21 is taken from the countershaft 42, Fig. 7, through a gear wheel 62 freely mounted on the shaft 42 and clutched thereto during spinning. In the early stages of doffing, the clutch 63 is disengaged under the control of the main cam 58. The lappets 20 are mounted on bars 149, Fig. 3, on each side of the machine and fastened together by a tie rod having a lever connection with the main cam 58, which causes sideways movement of the lappets 20 early in the doffing operation. Spinning is stopped and the doffing operation is initiated when the spindles 13 reach the lowest point of their spinning movement, whereupon the spindle rail 11 depresses an arm of a bell-crank lever, which engages a clutch 100, Fig. 7, to transmit motion from a shaft 50, associated with the main driving shaft 15, to a worm 101, worm wheel 102, wheel 104 and wheel 105 fixed to the main cam 58 which controls all the doffing movements. After the ring plate 17 has dropped into its lowest position to wind a bunch of thread on the base of the spindle blade and the lappets have been moved, grippers advance from tubes 160, Fig. 3, under the control of the main cam 58, and grip the full cops. The spindles 13 then rotate slowly in reverse and are lowered clear of the cops. Fresh cop tubes T on bars 200 are then raised and enter the grippers behind the full cops, causing the cops to be released and to fall on conveyers in front of each row of spindles. The grippers then move the cop tubes T over the spindles, which rise and enter into them, the grippers retract, the lappets are brought over the spindles and the ring plates are lifted for spinning to restart. According to the Provisional Specification, two driving motors may be employed, one driving the spindle rails at low speed during spinning and the other being a high speed motor for use during doffing. It is also stated that the doffed cops may fall from grippers down a shoot to a container and that fresh cop tubes are held in spring clips capable of swinging to a position over the spindles for placing the tubes on the latter when the grippers have retracted.