Bobbin supporting apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING A BOBBIN IN TEXTILE MACHINERY COMPRISING A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE; A BOTTOM SUPPORT INCLUDING SUPPORTING MEANS TO SUPPORT A BOBBIN ROTATABLY THEREON, SAID BOBBIN SUPPORT BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO AND DISPLACED FROM THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID SUPPORTING MEANS; A DRIVING CYLINDER FOR DRIVING SAID BOBBIN BY ENGAGEMENT OF SAID BOBBIN THEREWITH; MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BOBBIN SUPPORT ABOUT SAID AXIS BETWEEN AN ENGAGED POSITION IN WHICH SAID BOBBIN IS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE DRIVING CYLINDER AND A RETRACTED POSITION IN WHICH SAID BOBBIN IS OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DRIVING CYLINDER, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A SPRING BIASSED RETAINING MEMBER MOUNTED ON THE BOBBIN SUPPORT; A GROOVE IN THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE ENGAGEABLE BY THE SPRING BIASSED RETAINING MEMBER IN THE RETRACTED POSITION TO RETAIN SAID BOBBIN SUPPORT IN SAID POSITION; AND MEANS FOR DISENGAGING SAID BOBBIN SUPPORT FROM THE RETRACTED POSITION BY FURTHER MOVEMENT OF SAID BOBBIN SUPPORT IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS MOVEMENT TOWARDS THE RETRACTED POSITION COMPRISING A CIRCUMFERENTIAL RECESS EXTENDING AROUND THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, A MASKING MEMBER IN THE FORM OF A RING WITH A CIRCUMFERENTIAL GAP THEREIN MOUNTED IN AND SLIDABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL RECESS, SAID GAP BEING POSITIONED IN REGISTER WITH SAID GROOVE WHEN SAID BOBBIN IS IN THE RETRACTED POSITION, MEANS OPERATIVE BY SAID FURTHER MOVEMENT OF SAID BOBBIN SUPPORT TO MOVE THE GAP IN THE MASKING MEMBER OUT OF REGISTER WITH THE GROOVE AND TO RETAIN SAID GAP IN THE MASKING MEMBER OUT OF REGISTER WITH THE GROOVE AFTER SAID FURTHER MOVEMENT, SAID MASKING MEMBER PREVENTING SAID SPRING BIASSED RETAINING MEMBER RE-ENTERING THE GROOVE ON RETURN TO THE ENGAGED POSITION, AND MEANS OPERATIVE DURING RETURN MOVEMENT OF THE BOBBIN SUPPORT RELATIVE TO THE SUPPORT STRUCTURE AFTER SAID SPRING BIASSED RETAINING MEMBER HAS PASSED SAID GROOVE TO RESTORE THE MASKING MEMBER TO A POSITION WITH SAID GAP IN REGISTER WITH THE GROOVE IN THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE.