US3116586A

US3116586A - Bobbin handling arrangement

Info

Publication number: US3116586A
Application number: US50920A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Robert M Ingham
Original assignee: Milliken Research Corp
Current assignee: Deering Milliken Research Corp; Milliken Research Corp
Priority date: 1960-08-22
Filing date: 1960-08-22
Publication date: 1964-01-07
Anticipated expiration: 1981-01-07
Also published as: BE607235A; NL120479C; GB1001565A; NL268414A; CH390757A

Description

Jan. 7, 1964 R. M. INGHAM, JR 3,116,586

BOBBIN HANDLING ARRANGEMENT Filed Aug. 22, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. ROBERT M.|NGHAM,JR.

Jan. 7, 1964 R. M. INGHAM, JR 3,

BOBBIN HANDLING ARRANGEMENT Filed Aug. 22, 1960 2 Sheets-Shes: 2

INVENTOR. ROBERT M. INGHAM,JR

United States Patent 3,116,586 BOBBIN HANDLING ARRANGEMENT Robert M. Ingham, Jr., Spartanburg, S.C., assignor to Deerlng Mllllken Research Corporation, Spartanburg, S.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 50,920 11 Claims. (CI. 57-52) This invention relates to the handling of bobbins and yarn packages, and more particularly to an improved apparatus for dofling yarn packages from and donning empty bobbins onto textile processing apparatus such as spinning frames and the like.

It has previously been proposed to doff and don textile processing frames including spinning frames by doffing and donning a plurality of spindle positions at one time. Dotfing and donning apparatus for accomplishing this purpose rnay be conveniently referred to as multiple position dolfers. In the art of multiple position doffers, it is desirable to be able to move the dolfer over gross distances to a location in which the package doffing portion of the assembly is aligned with the spindles to be doffed, and to thereafter move the assembly for short distances, such as to selectively align empty bobbin holders and bobbins or yarn package holders with the spindles of the frame being doffed. In at least one multiple position doifer arrangement, such as disclosed in my copending application Serial Number 42,579, it is desirable to be able to move two dotf and don assemblies for two sides of a spinning frame or the like in opposite directions in order to provide for sequential dofiing and donning of the frame. It is also desirable to perform both of these sequential operations simultaneously for the two sides of a given frame. The present invention is directed to an apparatus for effecting this end in a simple and expeditious manner, while requiring a minimum of skill on the part of the operator in positioning the apparatus.

The invention is particularly applicable as applied to a multiple position dofiing apparatus which does not require the movement of the separator panels in order to effect dofling and donning of the yarn packages and empty bobbins respectively from and onto the takeup spindles.

Still other features and attendant advantages will become apparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of one physical embodiment constructed according to the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein FIGURE 1 is an over-all schematic illustration of a portion of a spinning room having the present invention incorporated therein.

FIGURE 2 is a more detailed schematic illustration of the transversely movable carriage and bobbin holder carriers of FIGURE 1, a portion of this apparatus being cut away and exploded in order to more clearly illustrate the construction and operation of the apparatus.

Referring now to the figures of the drawing, the invention is illustrated as installed in a textile spinning room having a plurality of spinning frames 11 which are longitudinally arranged in parallel side-by-side rows. The takeup spindles which are to be dotfed by the apparatus of the present invention are schematically indicated at 13. It will, of course, be appreciated that only a portion of the spinning frames of a conventional spinning room is illustrated in this figure, a sufficient number being shown to indicate merely the applicability and operation of the present invention with respect to a grouping of spinning frames arranged in one conventional manner of orientation and alignment thereof, particularly in the United States. Each of the spinning frames may have a pair of guide posts 15 disposed at opposite ends of the spinning frames for the purpose of guiding two dofling and donning assemblies 17 into proper position for doffing yarn packages and donning empty bobbins from and onto the spindles 13 of the spinning frames 11, as Will be more particularly apparent hereinafter. Since the construction of these guideposts 15 does not :per se form a part of this invention such are only schematically illustrated herein.

Supported above a plurality of parallel rows of the spinning frames 11 as by rnain support rods 23 suspended from the ceiling (not shown), are two longitudinally disposed parallel rails in the form of I-beams 25 which are aligned in parallel relation with the rows of spinning frames 11. These parallel rails 25 may preferably extend along the length of the spinning room from one end of the rows of spinning frames to the opposite end of these rows. These parallel rails serve as guides and supports for a longitudinally movable main carriage 27, which carries a transversely movable carriage 29 supported thereon for transverse movement from row to row of the spinning frames 11.

In the illustrated embodiment the longitudinally movable main carriage 27 includes a pair of spaced apart cross rails 31 in the form of U-channel beams, with a pair of separating and bracing beams 33 secured at opposite ends of the cross rails. The bracing and separating beams 33 are in turn suitably secured to yokes 35 which carry upport wheels 3'7 riding in opposite channels of the 1- beam rails 25. One of the cross rails 31 carries a longitudinal traverse drive motor 39 mechanically connected as through a drive shaft connection 41 to a pair of main longitudinal drive wheels 43 which engage the bottom of the main parallel rails 25 for effecting longitudinal movement of the main carriage 27 along the length of the spinning room and the rows of spinning frames 11. These longitudinal drive Wheels 43 may be formed in any suitable manner, as with a rubber surface, in order to provide effective traction with the support rails 25.

The transversely movable carriage 29 is parallel to' the rows of spinning frames 11 and extends between the pair of cross rails 31 of the longitudinally movable main carriage 27. This transversely movable carriage 29 has two pairs of support wheels 45, 45a engageable in the channel of the cross rails 31 for guiding and tractive engagement therewith. A transverse traverse drive motor '47 is carried by the transversely movable carriage and is suitably connected by a drive connection generally indicated at 49 to one of the wheels 45a at each end of the carriage. These drive wheels 454: may take any suitable form in order to effect the desired traction for transverse movement of the carriage along the cross rails. For instance, these drive wheels 45a may be rubber covered, or may be drive pinions engaging with a rack carried by the cross rails. It will thus be seen that the movement of the longitudinally movable main carriage 27 and the transversely movable carriage 29 may be employed to position the transversely movable carriage over any desired spinning frame for doffing and donning yarn packages B and empty bobbins l3 therefrom and thereonto.

The transversely movable carriage carries two bobbin dofiing and donning assemblies 17 which are adapted for lateral movement toward and away from the longitudinal center line of the carriage 29 and for vertical raising and lowering movement. In the illustrated example, the bobbin doffing and donning assemblies 17 each take the form of two individually separable and movable

bobbin holder carriers

51, 53, one of the carriers 51 having empty bobbin holders 51a carried thereby and the other carrier 53 having yarn package holders 53a carried thereby. The empty bobbin holders 51a of each carrier 51 correspond in number to the number of spindles 13 to be doffed on one side of the textile processing frame, e.g. spinning frame 11. The yarn package holders 53:; are of a corresponding numher and are in laterally side-by-side transverse alignment with the empty holders 51a. The empty bobbin holder carrier 51 may take the form of a U-channel beam 51b having a plurality of empty bobbin holders of the end grasping type depending therefrom and operable to release the empty bobbins B from a frictional grasp thereby as through the medium of air pressure, as disclosed in my copending applications, Serial Number 703,353, now US. Patent No. 3,059,406 and Ser. No. 42,579. The yarn package holder carrier 53 may take the form of a channel beam 53!) selectively nesting in removable relation within the inverted channel beam 51b of the empty bobbin holder carrier 51, this yarn package holder carrier 53 having a plurality of suitable yarn package holders 53a, such as the package periphery grasping type disclosed in my copending applications, Serial Numbers 703,353 and 42,579, for doffing and transporting yarn packages. Each of the two empty bobbin holder carriers 51 may suitably be provided with end guide channels 510 for engagement with the pair of corresponding guide posts disposed at the opposite ends of the spinning frames 11 for guiding of the empty bobbin holders 51a. onto their respective takeup spindles 13. Correspondingly, each of the two yarn package holder carriers 53 may also have secured at its opposite ends guide channels 53c for similarly engaging the guide posts 15 on the spinning frames 11 in order to guide the yarn package holders 53a down onto and about the takeup spindles 13 and the yarn packages B disposed thereon at the completion of winding of such packages by the spinning frames 11. It will thus be apparent that the transversely movable carriage 29 with its two bobbin dofiing and donning assemblies 17 may be employed for doffing and donning an entire textile spinning frame at one time and may subsequently be moved to another textile spinning frame for dofiing and donning thereof.

Both of the empty bobbin holder carriers 51 of the two dofiing and donning assemblies 17 are adapted to be selectively simultaneously raised or lowered through the medium of a drive motor 61, speed reduction gear train 63, including a worm and worm gear, and capstan 65 which is interconnected to the empty bobbin holder carriers 51 through the medium of a plurality of support cables 67. The yarn package holder carriers 53 are similarly adapted to be simultaneously raised and lowered, as through the medium of a drive motor 71, gear train 73, and cable capstan 75 connected in supporting relation to the carriers 53 through the medium of support cables 77 extending through apertures 51d formed in the beam 511; of the empty bobbin holder carrier 51. The empty bobbin holder carriers 51 of both dotf and don assemblies 17 are operated simultaneously in the raising and lowering operations by the same motor and capstan arrangement, and the interconnecting support cables are shown in FIGURE 2 for both of these carriers. The same is true for the yarn package holder carriers 53 of both dotf and don assemblies 17. However, in order to simplify the drawing FIGURE 2 is only illustrated with one of the doffing and donning assemblies '17 shown. It will be readily apparent, however, that the opposite dofling and donning assembly with its yarn package holder carriers and empty bobbin holder carriers will be similarly and correspondingly operated by the

corresponding support cables

67, 77 therefor illustrated in FIGURE 2 and with simultaneous corresponding movements imparted thereto in the same manner as above and subsequently described.

Each doffing and donning assembly is adapted to doff and don the yarn packages B and empty bobbins B from and onto the spindles 13 of one entire side of a spinning frame 11. Upon the positioning of the transversely movable carriage over the center line of the spinning frame to be doifed the yarn package holder carrier 53 of each of the assemblies 17 is positioned to have the yarn package holders 53a in substantially vertical alignment with the corresponding spindles of the corresponding side of the spinning frame. For subsequent donning of the empty bobbins B onto the spindles of the spinning frame the empty bobbin holders 51a and their supporting empty bobbin holder carriers 51 are moved laterally away from the center line of the transversely movable carriage 29 in order to align these empty bobbin holders 51w with their corresponding spindles 13 onto which the empty bobbins B are to be donned.

To this end, the

support cables

67, 77 for both the yarn package holder carrier 53 and the empty bobbin holder carrier 51 of each of the two dotfing and donning assemblies are passed over and about a plurality of

guide pulleys

69, 79 carried by the transversely movable carriage, and including particularly guide pulleys 69a, 79a mounted on transversely movable sub-carriages 81. Each of these sub-carriages 81 is transversely movable in a direction parallel to the cross-rails 31 as by the mounting thereof on rollers 33 engageable in subcarriage guides in the form of support rails 85 suitably secured to and carried by the sidewalls of the beam 29m forming the main body of the transversely movable carriage 29. It will be apparent that the subcarriages 81 are biased laterally inwardly toward the longitudinal center line of the transversely movable carriage 29 as a result of the horizontal component of force exerted thereon by the

support cables

67, 77 and the weight of the empty bobbin holder carriers 51 and yarn package holder carriers 53. In order to provide for lateral outward movement of these sub-carriages 81 there is mounted on the carriage 29 a hydraulic or pneumatic ram 91, the piston 91a of which is connected to control cables 93 for each of the sub-carriages 81. The control cables pass from the ram piston 9111 about guide pulleys 95 suitably mounted on the carriage beam 29:: and thence pass about other outboard mounted guide pulleys 97 carried as by brackets 99 on one or more of the support rails 85. Upon retractive movement of the hydraulic or pneumatic ram piston 91a it will be seen that the control cables 93 will effect laterally outward movement of each of the transversely movable subcarriages 81. Suitable stops may be provided, as on the sub-carriage guide and support rails 85 for establishing the inner and outer stop positions of the sub-carriages 81 and thus the corresponding inner and outer lateral positions of the yarn package holder carrier 53 and empty bobbin holder carrier 51. However, it has been found that the ram 91 itself may in conjunction with the piston 9 1a thereof serve to establish these two limits by making the full extent of movement of the piston correspond to the distance between two positions of the sub-carriages 81 in order to effect the desired movement of the sub-carriages 81 to position selectively the yarn package holders 53a or the empty bobbin holders 51a directly over the spindles 13 of each of the two opposite sides of the spinning frames 11 without requiring further movement of the overall transversely movable carriage 29. The hydraulic or pneumatic ram 91 may be suitably actuated as through the medium of a control valve V disposed between the ram and a suitable source of pneumatic or hydraulic pressure P as the case may be. While a ram type motive arrangement has been illustrated for the purpose of effecting movement of the sub-carriages 81 it will be apparent that other motive means might be utilized, such as for instance electrical motors.

Briefly, the operation of the apparatus is as follows: The longitudinally movable main carriage 27 and the transversely movable carriage 29 carried thereby are moved through the medium of their

corresponding drive motors

39, 47 and drive wheels 43, 45a to a position Where the longitudinal center line of the transversely movable carriage 29 is disposed in vertical alignment with the longitudinal center line of the spinning frame 11 to be doffed. The transversely movable sub-carriages 81 for each of the dofiing and donning assemblies 17 are positioned at their innermost extent of travel, which is the position wherein both yarn package holder carriers 53 are disposed with their yarn package holders 53a above the spindles 13 of the spinning frame. Both of the drive motors 61, 71 are actuated to lower the doffing and donning assemblies 17, including both the yarn package hold er carriers 53 and empty bobbin holder carriers 51 a part of the way down toward the spindles 13. However, due to interference between the drafting rolls and other parts of the spinning frame the inboard carriers (i.e. empty bobbin holder carriers 51) cannot normally be lowered all the way down side by side with the outboard or yarn package holder carriers 53 for the dofling operation. Accordingly, after lowering the two doffing and donning assemblies 17 part way down over the spinning frame 11 the drive motor 61 for the empty bobbin holder carriers 51 will be stopped and the drive motor 71 for the yarn package holder carriers 53 will remain energized to thereby continue to lower the yarn package holder carriers 53 and its yarn package holders 53a down onto and about the yarn packages B which are disposed on the spindles 13 of the spinning frame 11. The drive motor 71 for the yarn package holder carriers 53 will then be reversed after grasping of the yarn packages B by the yarn package holders 5341 and will raise the yarn package holder carriers 53 up to a position where the lower end of the bobbins of the yarn packages E will clear the top of the spindles 13 from which they have been doifed. The ram 91 is then actuated to retract the piston 91a and thereby eifect outward transverse movement of the sub-carriages 81 and the corresponding two doffing and donning assemblies 17, including both of the empty bobbin holder carriers 51 and yarn package holder carriers 53, to thereby position the empty bobbin holders 51a of the two empty bobbin holder carriers 51 over the corresponding empty spindles 13 of the spinning frame 11. Thereupon, both drive motors 61, 71 are energized to lower both the empty bobbin holder carriers 51 and yarn package holder carriers 53 to a position wherein the empty bobbins B are donned onto the respective empty spindles 13. The empty bobbins B are seated on the spindles 13 and the two doffing and donning assemblies 17 are simultaneously raised by the reversal of the drive motors 61, 71 and their cable takeup capstans 65, 75. The dotting and donning assemblies 17 are preferably raised to their topmost position adjacent the carriage beam 29a in order to conserve overhead sapce in the spinning room during movement of the carriage arrangement 27, 29 along the room. The entire longitudinally movable carriage and transversely movable carriage arrangement 27, 29 is thereupon moved to a suitable loading and unloading station (not shown) at which the yarn packages B are released from the yarn package holders 53a and a new supply of empty bobbins B is loaded into the empty bobbin holders 51a for subsequent dofling and donning of another spinning frame 11. This completes the cycle, and the entire operation described above may then be carried out again on another spinning frame disposed anywhere along the length of the room and within the area or" movement of the longitudinally movable carriage 27 and transversely movable carriage 29 carried thereby.

While the invention has been described with respect to one specific physical embodiment it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited by this particular illustrative embodiment, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

That which is claimed is 1. In combination a textile processing room having a plurality of longitudinal textile frames each having at least one row of bobbin-holding spindles thereon and arranged in longitudinal end-to-end alignment and sideby-side relation to form a plurality of parallel rows of frames, a pair of support beams disposed above said frames and with at least one of said rows therebetween and thereunder, a carriage carried by said support beams and movable horizontally in a direction parallel thereto, motive means carried by said carriage for moving said carriage along said support beams, a bobbin dofling and donning device having a plurality of bobbin holders carried thereby, said bobbin holders being disposed in side-byside relationship to one another and in substantially parallel relationship to said rows of textile frames and said rows of bobbin-holding spindles thereon, motive means for moving said dofiing and donning device on and relative to said carriage, said doffing and donning device having a set of empty bobbin holders and a corresponding set of yarn package holders carried thereby, said sets being disposed in laterally side-by-side relationship, and means for selectively moving either of said sets of holders of each said unit horizontally into registry with the corresponding spindles on a selected said textile frame. 2. Doffer apparatus for textile processing apparatus having vertically extending bobbin-holding spindles thereon, comprising a bobbin holder carrier having bobbin holders carried thereby, a support carriage for said carrier and movable in a horizontal direction, sub-carriage means carried by said support carriage and movable relative to said support carriage in a direction having a horizontal component, connecting means between said subcarriage means and said bobbin holder carrier and suspending said bobbin holder carrier in depending relation beneath said sub-carriage means, means for moving said sub-carriage means relative to said support carriage in a direction having a horizontal component, and motive means for raising and lowering said bobbin holder carrier, a main carriage, at least one horizontal support rail forming a part of and being movable with said main carriage, said support carriage being carried by and movable along said support rail, and a second set of stationary main support rails for said main carriage, said movable support rail for said support carriage being disposed transverse to said stationary main support rails for said main carriage.

3. Dofier apparatus for textile processing apparatus having vertically extending bobbin-holding spindles thereon, comprising two bobbin holder carriers each having bobbin holders carried thereby, a support carriage for said carriers and movable in a horizontal direction, sub-carriage means carried by said support carriage and movable relative to said support carriage in a direction having a horizontal component, connecting means between said sub-carriage means and said bobbin holder carriers and suspending said bobbin holder carriers in depending relation beneath said sub-carriage means, means for moving said sub-carriage means relative to said support carriage in a direction having a horizontal component, and motive means for raising and lowering said bobbin holder carriers, said last-named means carried by said support carriage selectively operable for raising and lowering each of said bobbin holder carriers independently of one another or jointly.

4. Doffer apparatus for textile processing apparatus having vertically extending bobbin-holding spindles thereon, comprising a support carriage movable in a horizontal direction, first and second bobbin holder carriers having bobbin holders carried thereby, said bobbin holder carriers being disposed on and carried from opposite sides of said support carriage, first and second sub-carriage means disposed on and movable relative to said support carriage in opposite horizontal directions, connecting means between said first bobbin holder carrier and first sub-carriage means, and connecting means between said second bobbin holder carrier and second sub-carriage means, said connecting means suspending each of said bobbin holder carriers in depending relation beneath a respective one of said sub-carriage means.

5. Dolfer apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising motive means disposed on said support carriage for simultaneously moving said first and second subcarriage means in opposite horizontal directions selectively toward or away from one another, and motive means for raising and lowering said bobbin holder carriers.

6. Doffer apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising third and fourth bobbin-holder carriers, connecting means between said third bobbin-holding carrier and said first sub-carriage means, connecting means between said fourth bobbin-holding carrier and said second sub-carriage means, and additional means for selectively raising and lowering said third and fourth bobbin holder carriers separately from said first and second bobbin holder carriers.

7. Dotfer apparatus according to claim 5 further comprising a further main carriage movable in a horizontal direction, said support carriage being carried by and movable on said main carriage in a horizontal direction transverse to the direction of horizontal movement of said main carriage, and said sub-carriage means being movable in directions substantially parallel to the direction of horizontal movement of said support carriage therefor on said main carriage.

8. Dofier apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising two spaced apart parallel fixed support rails, said main carriage being carried by and horizontally movable along said rails, said main carriage including a pair of spaced apart secondary support rails extending in a substantially horizontal direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said fixed support rails, said support carriage for said bobbin holder carriers being carried by and movable along said secondary support rails, the horizontal direction of movement of said sub-carriage means being parallel to said secondary support rails.

9. DoiTer apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising rails carried by said support carriage, said subcarriage means being mounted for horizontal translatory movement on said last named rails.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 in combination with a plurality of parallel rows of textile processing machines each having two sets of vertically extending bobbinholding spindles thereon and on opposite sides thereof, said rows of textile processing machines being parallel to said fixed support rails and normal to the direction of horizontal movement of said sub-carriage means.

1]. The structure of claim 3 wherein said connecting means comprises separate means between each of said bobbin holder carriers and said subcarriage means for jointly effecting horizontal movement of both of said bobbin holder carriers upon horizontal movement of said subcarriage means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 866,247 Ward Sept. 17, 1907 1,171,686 Zaitz Feb. 15, 1916 1,430,009 Harry et a1 Sept. 22, 1922 1,810,754 Buddecke June 16, 1931 2,061,044 Ringe Nov. 17, 1936 2,564,280 Rigg Aug. 14, 1951

Claims

1. IN COMBINATION A TEXTILE PROCESSING ROOM HAVING A PLUARALITY OF LONGITUDINAL TEXTILE FRAMES EACH HAVING AT LEAST ONE ROW OF BOBBIN-HOLDING SPINDLES THEREON AND ARRANGED IN LONGITUDINAL END-TO-END ALIGNMENT AND SIDEBY-SIDE RELATION TO FORM A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL ROWS OF FRAMES, A PAIR OF SUPPORT BEAMS DISPOSED ABOVE SAID FRAMES AND WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ROWS THEREBETWEEN AND THEREUNDER, A CARRIAGE CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT BEAMS AND MOVABLE HORIZONTALLY IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL THERETO, MOTIVE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CARRIAGE FOR MOVING SAID CARRIAGE ALONG SAID SUPPORT BEAMS, A BOBBIN DOFFING AND DONNING DEVICE HAVING A PLUARALITY OF BOBBIN HOLDERS CARRIED THEREBY, SAID BOBBIN HOLDERS BEING DISPOSED IN SIDE-BYSIDE RELATIONSHIP TO ONE ANOTHER AND IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP TO SAID ROWS TO TEXTILE FRAMES AND SAID ROWS OF BOBBIN-HOLDING SPINDLES THEREON, MOTIVE MEANS FOR MOVING SAID DOFFING AND DONNING DEVICE ON AND RELATIVE TO SAID CARRIAGE, SAID DOFFING AND DONNING DEVICE HAVING A SET OF EMPTY BOBBIN HOLDERS AND A CORRESPONDING SET OF YARN PACKAGE HOLDERS CARRIED THEREBY, SAID SETS BEING DISPOSED IN LATERALLY SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATIONSHIP, AND MEANS