Ring rail lowering mechanism for textile spinning frames

Claim 1

IN A SPINNING FRAME, A RING RAIL TO MOVE TOWARD AND FROM A BOBBIN DOFFING POSITION, MECHANISM CONNECTED WITH AND CARRYING THE RING RAIL AND URGING THE SAME NORMALLY TOWARD AN ELEVATED POSITION ABOVE SAID DOFFING POSITION, DRAFT ROLL MEANS, A DRIVE SHAFT CONNECTED WITH AND DRIVEN BY SAID DRAFT ROLL MEANS CONTINUOUSLY DURING THE OPERATION OF THE SPINNING FRAME, A RING RAIL LOWERING UNIT SECURED TO THE SPINNING FRAME NEAR ONE END OF THE RING RAIL, SAID UNIT COMPRISING A CLUTCH SHAFT, GEARING OPERATIVELY INTERCONNECTING SAID DRIVE SHAFT AND CLUTCH SHAFT FOR IMPARTING CONTINUOUS ROTATION TO THE LATTER, AN ELECTRIC CLUTCH CONNECTED WITH AND DRIVE BY THE CLUTCH SHAFT, A PULLEY SHAFT CONNECTED WITH THE CLUTCH TO BE TURNED THEREBY IN UNISON WITH THE CLUTCH SHAFT WHEN THE CLUTCH IS ENERGIZED, A PULLEY SECURED TO THE PULLEY SHAFT TO TURN THEREWITH, A FLEXIBLE ELEMENT CONNECTED WITH SAID PULLEY AND WINDABLE THEREON AND EXTENDING FROM SAID UNIT AND SECURED TO SAID MECHANISM TO ACTUATE THE MECHANISM IN A MANNER CAUSING CONTROLLED LOWERING OF THE RING RAIL TO SAID DOFFING POSITION UPON ROTATION OF THE PULLEY TO WIND UP THE FLEXIBLE ELEMENT WHEN THE CLUTCH IS ENERGIZED, A DISC SECURED TO THE PULLEY SHAFT TO TURN THEREWITH AND HAVING A PERIPHERY PROVIDED WITH A LOCKING NOTCH, A SPRING LOADED PLUNGER ENGAGING THE PERIPHERY OF THE DISC AND ADAPTED TO ENTER SAID NOTCH TO LOCK THE PULLEY WHEN THE RING RAIL IS IN SAID DOFFING POSITION, SAID PLUNGER BEING RETRACTABLE FROM SAID NOTCH, A NORMALLY OPEN SWITCH HAVING AN ACTUATOR ARRANGED IN THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF THE RING RAIL AND ENGAGED BY THE RING RAIL WHEN THE LATTER IS FULLY ELEVATED AND CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH THE CLUTCH AND ENERGIZING THE CLUTCH WHEN CLOSED BY CONTACT WITH THE RING RAIL, AND A NORMALLY CLOSED SWITCH CARRIED BY SAID UNIT NEAR SAID PLUNGER AND ENGAGEABLE THEREWITH AND OPENED BY THE PLUNGER WHEN THE PLUNGER ENTERS SAID LOCKING NOTCH AND CONNECTED IN SERIES WITH THE NORMALLY OPEN SWITCH AND SAID CLUTCH AND CLOSED BY RETRACTION OF THE PLUNGER FROM THE LOCKING NOTCH, WHEREBY CLOSING OF THE NORMALLY OPEN SWITCH BY SAID RING RAIL AND THE RESULTING ENERGIZING OF THE CLUTCH CAUSES LOWERING OF THE RING RAIL TO THE DOFFING POSITION AND LOCKING OF THE RING RAIL IN SUCH POSITION UNTIL RETRACTION OF SAID PLUNGER.