Textile strand ends down detecting apparatus with automatic resetting means

Claim 2

In an apparatus which travels along textile strand processing apparatus such as spinning frames for locating ends down thereon, means for establishing a lengthwise portion of a traversed textile apparatus in which the absence of ends is determined comprising: end detector means mounted for movement along a portion of at least one textile apparatus where ends of yarn normally are present and responsive to ends of yarn during movement across locations at which such ends are disposed for generating pulse electrical signals indicative of the presence of an end of yarn, first circuit means comprising a resettable element and electrically connected to said end detector means for responding to pulse signals generated thereby during normal traversal of locations at which ends are disposed, for distinguishing between the absence and presence of ends of yarn while said resettable element remains unreset, and for registerinG an ends down condition thus sensed and determined, resetting detector means mounted relative to said end detector means for coordinated movement thereof along a traversed textile apparatus and for responding to radiant energy directed thereto for generating pulse electrical signals, second circuit means electrically connected to said resetting detector means and to said resettable element of said first circuit means for responding to pulse signals generated by said resetting detector means and for resetting said resettable element, and means stationarily positioned relative to a traversed textile apparatus and to the path traveled by said resetting detector means for directing radiant energy to said resetting detector means in predetermined coordination to said end detector means traversal of a lengthwise portion of a textile apparatus and thereby for establishing a lengthwise portion of a traversed textile apparatus in which an ends down condition is determined by said first circuit means.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first circuit means comprising a pulse shaping means electrically connected to said end detector means for receiving pulse signals therefrom and for shaping the characteristics of received pulse signals and logic means electrically connected to said pulse shaping means for receiving shaped pulse signals therefrom and responsive to normal traversal of said end detector means for distinguishing between absence and presence of ends of yarn on a traversed textile apparatus and for generating an output pulse electrical signal upon an end of yarn being absent from a location at which the same normally is present.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said pulse shaping means comprises an amplifier for shaping to a substantially uniform shaped pulse characteristic pulse signals originating from said end detector means with varying pulse characteristics and aid logic means comprises a resettable, free-running oscillator functioning as said resettable element and normally generating output pulse electrical signals at a predetermined time interval coordinated to normal traversal of said end detector means and responsive to receipt of a shaped pulse signal from said pulse shaping circuit means for initiating timing of said predetermined interval, said predetermined time interval being slightly greater than the interval at which said end detector means normally traverses locations at which ends of yarn are normally present, so that cadenced resetting of said oscillator by a shaped pulse signal indicative of an end of yarn being present at a traversed location inhibits generation of an output pulse signal by said oscillator.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said second circuit means comprises a pulse shaping means for shaping the characteristics of pulse signals generated by said resetting detector means.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said second circuit means comprises an amplifier for shaping to a substantially uniform shaped pulse characteristic pulse signals originating from said resetting detector means with varying pulse characteristics.

Claim 7

In an apparatus which moves along textile strand processing machines such as spinning frames for locating ends down thereon, means for establishing a lengthwise portion of a traversed textile machine in which the absence of ends is determined comprising; detector means comprising first photosensitive means having a predetermined field of view and being mounted for movement of said field of view along a portion of at least one textile machine where ends of yarn normally are present, said first photosensitive means being responsive to light reflected thereto from ends of yarn during movement of said field of view across positions at which such ends are disposed for generating pulse electrical signals indicative of the presence of an end of yarn, first circuit means comprising a resettable element and electrically connected to said firsT photosensitive means for responding to pulse signals generated thereby during normal traversal of said first photosensitive means field of view, for distinguishing between the absence and presence of ends of yarn at locations along a traversed textile machine while said resettable element remains unreset and at which ends of yarn normally are present and for registering an ends down condition thus sensed and determined, second photosensitive means having a predetermined field of view and being mounted relative to said first photosensitive means for coordinated movement of said fields of view thereof along a traversed textile machine, said second photosensitive means being responsive to light directed thereto for generating pulse electrical signals, second circuit means electrically connected to said second photosensitive means and to said resettable element of said first circuit means for responding t pulse signals generated by said second photosensitive means and for resetting said resettable element, and means stationarily positioned relative to a traversed textile machine and to the path traveled b said second photosensitive means field of view for directing light to said second photosensitive means in predetermined coordination to traversal by said first photosensitive means of a lengthwise portion of a textile machine and thereby for establishing a lengthwise portion of a traversed textile machine in which an ends down condition is determine by said first circuit means.

Claim 8

In an apparatus which moves along textile strand processing machines such as spinning frames for locating ends down thereon, means for establishing a lengthwise portion of a traversed textile machine in which the absence of ends is determined comprising; detector means comprising first photosensitive means having a predetermined field of view and being mounted for movement of said field of view along a portion of at least one textile machine where ends of yarn normally are present, said first photosensitive means being responsive to light reflected thereto from ends of yarn during movement of said field of view across positions at which such ends are disposed for generating pulse electrical signals indicative of the presence of an end of yarn, first circuit means comprising a resettable element and electrically connected to said firsT photosensitive means for responding to pulse signals generated thereby during normal traversal of said first photosensitive means field of view, for distinguishing between the absence and presence of ends of yarn at locations along a traversed textile machine while said resettable element remains unreset and at which ends of yarn normally are present and for registering an ends down condition thus sensed and determined, second photosensitive means having a predetermined field of view and being mounted relative to said first photosensitive means for coordinated movement of said fields of view thereof along a traversed textile machine, said second photosensitive means being responsive to light directed thereto for generating pulse electrical signals, second circuit means electrically connected to said second photosensitive means and to said resettable element of said first circuit means for responding t pulse signals generated by said second photosensitive means and for resetting said resettable element, and means stationarily positioned relative to a traversed textile machine and to the path traveled b said second photosensitive means field of view for directing light to said second photosensitive means in predetermined coordination to traversal by said first photosensitive means of a lengthwise portion of a textile machine and thereby for establishing a lengthwise portion of a traversed textile machine in which an ends down condition is determine by said first circuit means.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising a light source mounted for illuminating said second photosensitive means field of view and for movement therewith along a traversed textile machine, said second photosensitive means being responsive to reflection of light emanating from said light source.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said means for directing of light to said second photosensitive means comprises at least one highly reflective element mounted on said traversed textile machine in predetermined relation to locations at which ends of yarn normally are present.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said highly reflective member comprises a retroreflective surface and said light source and second photosensitive means are arranged for coaxial and codirectional illumination and viewing of said field of view.

Claim 12

In an apparatus which travels a pneumatic cleaner along textile strand processing apparatus such as spinning frames for removing lint and the like and including ends down detecting means for locating ends down thereon, means for establishing a lengthwise portion of a traversed textile machine in which the absence of ends is determined comprising; end detector means mounted for movement with a traveling pneumatic cleaner along a portion of at least one textile apparatus where ends of yarn normally are present and responsive to ends of yarn during movement across locations at which such ends are disposed for generating pulse electrical signals indicative of the presence of an end of yarn, first circuit means comprising a resettable element and electrically connected to said end detector means for responding to pulse signals generated thereby during normal traversal of said end detector means, for distinguishing between the absence and presence of ends of yarn at locations along a traversed textile apparatus while said resettable element remains unreset and at which ends of yarn normally are present and for registering an ends down condition thus sensed and determined, resetting detector means comprising photosensitive means having a predetermined field of view and being mounted relative to said end detector means for coordinated movement thereof along a traversed textile apparatus, said photosensitive means being responsive to light directed thereto for generating pulse electrical signals, second circuit means electrically connected to said photosensitive means and to said resettable element of said first circuit means for responding to pulse signals generated by said photosensitive means and for resetting said resettable element, a means stationarily positioned relative to a traversed textile machine and to the path traveled by said photosensitive means field of view for directing light to said photosensitive means in predetermined coordination to said end detector means traversal of a lengthwise portion of a textile machine and thereby for establishing a lengthwise portion of a traversed textile machine in which an ends down condition is determined by said first circuit means.

Claim 13

In an apparatus which travels a pneumatic cleaner along textile strand processing apparatus such as spinning frames for removing lint and the like and including ends down detecting means for locating ends down thereon, means for establishing a lengthwise portion of a traversed textile machine in which the absence of ends is determined comprising; end detector means mounted for movement with a traveling pneumatic cleaner along a portion of at least one textile apparatus where ends of yarn normally are present and responsive to ends of yarn during movement across locations at which such ends are disposed for generating pulse electrical signals indicative of the presence of an end of yarn, first circuit means comprising a resettable element and electrically connected to said end detector means for responding to pulse signals generated thereby during normal traversal of said end detector means, for distinguishing between the absence and presence of ends of yarn at locations along a traversed textile apparatus while said resettable element remains unreset and at which ends of yarn normally are present and for registering an ends down condition thus sensed and determined, resetting detector means comprising photosensitive means having a predetermined field of view and being mounted relative to said end detector means for coordinated movement thereof along a traversed textile apparatus, said photosensitive means being responsive to light directed thereto for generating pulse electrical signals, second circuit means electrically connected to said photosensitive means and to said resettable element of said first circuit means for responding to pulse signals generated by said photosensitive means and for resetting said resettable element, a means stationarily positioned relative to a traversed textile machine and to the path traveled by said photosensitive means field of view for directing light to said photosensitive means in predetermined coordination to said end detector means traversal of a lengthwise portion of a textile machine and thereby for establishing a lengthwise portion of a traversed textile machine in which an ends down condition is determined by said first circuit means.

Claim 14

In an ends-down detector, which travels along a textile strand processing apparatus such as a spinning frame having a series of ends of yarn being formed thereon for detecting the absence of any ends of yarn, the ends down detector including an electrical circuit having a resettable element for controlling proper cyclic operation thereof and adapted to be reset in advance of the ends down detector traveling along a series of ends of yarn; the improvement therewith of the ends down detector including energy level sensing means for generating electrical pulse signals, the intact running ends of yarn cooperating with said energy level sensing means to effect generation of electrical pulse signals denoting the presence of ends of yarn, and means positioned in advance of the series of yarns and cooperating with said energy level sensing means to effect generation of electrical pulse signals, said energy level sensing means cooperating with said resettable element for effecting resetting thereof in response to an electrical pulse signal generated by cooperation with said last named means.

Claim 15

In an ends-down detector, which travels along a textile strand processing apparatus such as a spinning frame having a series of ends of yarn being formed thereon for detecting the absence of any ends of yarn, the ends down detector including an electrical circuit having a resettable element for controlling proper cyclic operation thereof and adapted to be reset in advance of the ends down detector traveling along a series of ends of yarn; the improvement therewith of the ends down detector including energy level sensing means for generating electrical pulse signals, the intact running ends of yarn cooperating with said energy level sensing means to effect generation of electrical pulse signals denoting the presence of ends of yarn, and means positioned in advance of the series of yarns and cooperating with said energy level sensing means to effect generation of electrical pulse signals, said energy level sensing means cooperating with said resettable element for effecting resetting thereof in response to an electrical pulse signal generated by cooperation with said last named means.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said energy level sensing means comprises at least one photosensitive means for generating electrical pulse signals in response to variations in levels of light incident thereon and further wherein said means positioned in advance of the series of yarns comprises a light reflective surface for reflecting light to said photosensitive means.