Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF T~E INVENTION
The invention concerns thread-delivery devices of the
type including a storage body comprising two axially-spaced
sections. The first section is formed by bars forming a polygon
around which thread is looped tangentially. The looped thread is
advanced from the first section to a second section by a member
having grooves. Thread is subsequently removed from the second
section and is delivered to a machine, such as a weaving machine.
In prior devices of this type Isee, for example,
Swiss Patent Document No. 641 119), thread is advanced by means
of threading grooves having face areas formed by spindles which
are disposed in the space between two polygonal bars in such a way
that the bottom of the threading grooves forms part of the polygon.
CDnsequently, the entering thread is supported both by the polygonal
bars and by the bottom of the respective threading groove and is
configured in polygonal form. Such thread-delivery devices are
unsuited as a practical matter for installations in which the
primary concern is making a thread available for uniformly ten-
sioned withdrawal at high speed, for instance, for insertion in
the weft compartment of a weaving machine. The reason for this is
that the circumferential length of the second section onto which
the thread windings are transferred pending their withdrawal is
smaller than that of the first section where the thread loops
formed by the threading grooves are of necessity of a circum-
ferential length sufficient to pass around the individual bars of
the polygon. Any considerable difference in the circumferential
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length of thc first section from the circumferential length of the
second section precludes extensive transfer of thread windings
from the first section to the second section and their transport
forward from the rear, while retaining the existing order of
thread windings.
One different form of delivery device for weft
threads, or the like, which provides an orderly arrangement of
thread windings is disclosed in German Patent Document No.
2,035,754. However, an orderly arrangement of the thread windings
side-by-side on the second section in a thread-delivery device of
the type shown in Swiss Pat. No. 641,119 can be accomplished
only to the extent that the thread windings slide due to suffi-
cient inclination of the polygon bars toward the front end, i.e.,
due to the truncated cone-shaped extension of the polygon bars on
the second section increasing considerably further the excess
length of each thread winding relative to the circumferential
length of the polygon bars. But this limits the use of such
thread-feeding devices to applications where the thread is con-
tinually delivered in a loose form, for instance, for subjecting
the yarn later to specific yarn treatments, such as vaporization.
Moreover, the storage, arrangement and drive of the spindles
arranged between polygonal bars is very expensive and leads to a
design which is susceptible to malfunction. Furthermore, it is
difficult to incorporate the thread windings which are still
contained on the first section into the available thread supply.
In other thread-delivery devices which are geared to
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withdrawil~g the thread overhead, for instance, for feeding to
circular knitting machines and looms lsee German Patent Disclosure
No. 2,003,760), a central cylindrical threaded body is combined
with a rotatably mounted fork body; the bottom of the threading
grooves of the central body and the outside surface of the fork
prongs of the rotatable fork body form a polygon around which the
thread is looped. There is no transfer of thread from a first
section to a second section. In such devices, the achievable
looped thread supplies are relatively small, limiting the applica-
tion to withdrawing machines which always require only relatively
short thread lengths.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a thread-delivery
machine of a simplified and dependable construction which will make
relatively large thread supply amounts available for abrupt with-
drawal at constant tension.
The present invention provides a thread-delivery device
comprising: a storage body, said storage body including first and
second sections, said sections being in axial alignment with one
another; said first section comprising a plurality of bars ex-
tending axially and defining a polygon for receiving loops of
thread wound about said polygon; a member configurated to form
peripheral threading grooves intermediate said bars, said grooves
including a bottom portion, said bottom portion being located
radially inwardly of said bars, whereby said grooves are adapted
to receive thread wound about said bars, said grooves having a
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front face for advancing -the thread toward said second section;
extensions formed on said bars, said extensions constituting said
second section of said storage body, said extensions forming a
polygon~ said thread being wound about said extensions and being
removable from said second section, the circumferential length of
the first section polygon being substantially equal to the circum-
ferential length of the second section polygon.
A sensing device is preferably mounted for sensing
the end-wise thread winding on the second section for controlling
thread feed onto the first section. In a preferred embodiment,
the grooves are of sawtooth shape in longitudinal section and
include a face extending at an incline toward the second section.
In the preferred embodiment, the grooves are formed as a helix on
the surface of a cylindrical member which rotates between the bars.
It has further been found advantageous to provide a
step formed on the outer portion of the bars adjacent to the mid-
point of the length of the cylindrical member. In the preferred
embodiment, the bars are connected to a ring adjacent to the
thread feed opening which ring has a conic surface in the plane
of the thread feed opening and a front face adjacent to the front
face of a groove in the cylindrical member.
One advantage of the present thread-delivery device
is that it is dependable in operation and is relatively inexpen-
sive. Moreover, the thread-delivery device provides a large
amount of thread supply for withdrawal at constant tension by a
consuming machine, for instance, a weaving machine. This is
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accomplished by transferring thread loops, while retaining the
orderly arrangement of the windings from the first section to the
second section where they are then pushed forward closely side-by-
side from the rear. The last front face of the winding groove
exerts a pushing effect on the first winding on the second sec-
tion. The similarity of the circumferential length between the
first section and the second section ensures that the thread
layers will not ride above one another on the second section due
to circumferential loosening. Thus, an initial sequence of the
thread loops is established on the first section which is retained
until withdrawal, the only difference being that on the second
section the thread windings are situated closer together than on
the first section. Additionally, the amount of supply available
is larger because those thread windings which are still contained
on the first section in the threading grooves are also available
for withdrawal.
The present device can also make available consider-
ably larger thread lengths for withdrawal because the thread-
delivery to the first section can take place at a speed consider-
ably higher than with other devices where the thread is advanced
from the entrance, without any special ordering, and is laid
winding-on-winding. The rotary body preferably rotates
simultaneously with the winding of the thread. Providing only a
single rotary body which is coordinated with the polygon bars
results in a considerable simplification of the delivery device
and its drive. Depending on the number of polygon bars, a
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corresponding number of front face sections becomes effective,
ensuring a reliable advance of the thread windings.
The sawtooth-type cross-section of the threading
grooves facilitates removal of the thread windings from the first
section. The vertical face of the groove is perpendicular to
the longitudinal axis of the rotary body, whereas the rear flank
has an appropriate angle of inclination. To facilitate the
advance of the looped supply contained in the area of the rotary
body, a sliding step for the thread is provided at the midpoint of
the length of the cylindrical section on the outside of the polygon
bars. This step permits a certain equalization of tension,
specifically with elastic threads.
The winding of the thread in the area of the thread
entrance point is assisted by joining the ends of the polygon bars
on the near side of the thread entrance point to a ring. This
ring forms a sliding surface which, in the thread entrance plane,
has the shape of a truncated cone. The thread proceeds to this
sliding surface from the thread eyelet. Next, the thread runs
past the front face of the ring, which front face is approximately
in alignment with the front face section of the groove which is
located in the area of the thread entrance point. Thus, the
thread is dependably placed in the beginning area of the threading
groove.
An embodiment of the invention will be explained here-
after with the aid of Figures 1-4.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a delivery
device embodying the present invention;
Pigure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, approxi-
mately actual size, through the delivery device in the area of the
storage body;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line
III-III of Figure 2; and
Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along
line IV-IV of Figure 3.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The delivery device comprises a support plate 2 on
which an electrical motor 3 is mounted, the motor shaft 4 supports
on one of its ends a keyed disc 5 which includes a thread eyelet
6 on its outer edge. The thread eyelet 6 extends into a radial
channel 7 of the disc 5, which radial channel connects with a
center bore 8 in the motor shaft 4.
A rotary body 9 is mounted on an offset section 4' of
the motor shaft 4. This rotary body comprises a hub 10 through
which the intermediary of an inner face 11 of an antifriction
bearing 12 and a spacer ring 13 bears on the hub 5' of the disc 5.
The tightening on the hub 5' is effected by a nut 14 which is
screwed on the outside threading 15 of the end section 4' of the
motor shaft 4, with a washer 16 in between. This causes the rotary
body 9 to rotate together with the winding device comprised of
the thread eyelet 6 and the disc 5.
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Th~ cylindrical surface of rotary body 9 is provided
with threading grooves 17 in the form of a continuous helix.
Viewed in longitudinal section, these grooves have a sawtooth
shape. The rear face 18 of each groove, facing toward the thread
entrance point A, extends toward the free end and outward at an
inclination from a short thread bottom 19 which extends parallel
to the motor shaft 4. In addition, each threading groove 17
comprises a front face 20 which is perpendicular to the motor
shaft 4 and faces away from the thread entrance point A. This
front face extends into the front face 21 o~ the rotary body 9
facing away from the thread entrance point A.
The antifriction bearing 12 is accommodated in a hub
22 of a support disc 23. Said disc is cup-shaped and houses
permanent magnets 24 in its inside space facing toward the disc
5; these magnets interact with permanent magnets 26 which are
contained in the electric motor housing 25. This prevents the
support disc 23 from revolving along with the motor shaft 4. The
support disc 23 nests in the disc 5 and its cylindrical wall 23'
is surrounded by a ring 27 which is permanently connected with the
cylindrical wall 23'. The ring 27 includes a sliding surface 28
which has the shape of a truncated cone. Surface 28 is disposed
forwardly of thread eyelet 6 and terminates in a front face 29.
Situated on the same radial plane as the thread entrance point A,
the adjacent front face section 20" of the front groove face 20
is approximately in alignment with the front face 29 of the ring
27. Six bars 30 are connected to the front face 29 of the ring
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27. sars 30 ar~ disposed in an even angular distribution to form
a polygon and in their opposite ends are joined to a withdrawal
cup 31. A damping ring 32, the construction of which is well
known in the art, cooperates with cup 31. The damping ring is
carried by support 33 which is, in turn, connected with the
electric motor housing 25. The free angled end 33' of the support
33 includes thread withdrawal eyelet34. The polygon bars extend
in a straight line and preferably also parallel to one another
from the ring 27 to the withdrawal end.
A photoelectric relay 35, which functions as a sensing
device, is mounted upon support 33. This relay can be adjusted
parallel to the longitudinal axis of the storage body formed by the
individual bars 30. Damping ring 32 can likewise be adjustably
positioned to control the location of the thread entrance.
The front face 20 of each groove 17 of the rotary
body 9 protrudes in radial direction beyond the conneeting
straight line of the polygonal corners formed by the polygon bars
30. The front faee 20 of the thread reeeiving groove 17, which
is located between two adjaeent individual bars 30, thus forms
thrust surface 20'. The bottom 19 of the threading groove 17 is
located radially inward from the connecting straight line. A
small sliding step 36 is loeated at the midpoint of the length
of the eylindrical section on the outside of the individual bars
30. Another small sliding step 37, on the polygon bars 30, is
disposed in the area between the front face 21 of the rotary body
9 and the withdrawal eup 31. These steps have praetieally no
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effect on the overall circumferential length of the polygon stor-
age body. This length equals on the first section I that of the
second section II.
Thread F is withdrawn from a supply reel (not shown)
and enters the bore 8 in the motor shaft 4 and proceeds from there
through the radial channel 7 to the thread eyelet 6 in the disc
5. From there, the thread F runs across the truncated cone-
sliding surface 29 into the start of the thread-receiving groove
17, in a way such that the front face section 20" located at the
thread entrance point A will not interfere with the entrance of
the thread F. The thread eyelet 6 plus rotary body 9 rotate in
the rotary direction illustrated in Figure 3. Due to the left-
hand threading of the groove 17, the individual thread windings
are laid on the section I. Extending between the polygon bars 30,
the thrust faces 20' of the front faces 20 of the threading
groove 17 cause a trouble-free advance of the thread loops. Once
the section I is filled, the thread windings are advanced on the
succeeding section II by the last front face 21 of the rotary
body 9 which serves as a thrust surface. The thread on section
10 is advanced with the windings looped closely together into the
area of the photoelectric relay 35 which senses the endmost loop
and shuts the drive of the motor shaft 4 off. The thread with-
drawal takes place by way of the withdrawal cup 31 and the with-
drawal eyelet 34. As the thread supply diminishes, the photo-
electric relay 35 reactivates the drive for replenishment of the
looped supply.
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From the foregoing disclosure of the general princi-
ples of the present invention and the above description of the
preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will readily
comprehend various modifications to which the invention is
susceptible. Therefore, I desire to be limited only by the scope
of the following claims.
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