Method and apparatus for doffing full bobbins and donning tubes on ring spinning and ring twisting machines

Claim 2

In a method of automatically doffing full bobbins and donning empty tubes at textile maChines, especially ring spinning and ring twisting machines, comprising the steps of: a. moving a support rail from an idle position into a gripping position for full bobbins placed upon spindles; b. gripping the full bobbins by means of the support rail while in said gripping position; c. upwardly moving the support rail to doff the full bobbins from the spindles; d. moving the support rail with the doffed full bobbins substantially parallel to and away from the machine, each point of the support rail moving along a predetermined curved path; e. lowering the support rail with the doffed full bobbins towards a transporting mechanism extending along the textile machine; f. substantially vertically depositing the full bobbins onto the transporting mechanism; g. placing the transporting mechanism into motion along the machine, lifting the support rail, and depositing the full bobbins lengthwise onto the transporting mechanism in the direction of transport thereof during such time as the support rail is lifted; h. gripping by means of the support rail empty tubes which have been pre-arranged along the machine; i. moving the support rail with the gripped empty tubes upwards and in a direction substantially parallel and towards the machine, each point of the support rail moving along a predetermined curved path; j. donning the empty tubes onto spindles; and k. following completion of the donning operation moving the support rail back into its idle position.

Claim 3

In a method of automatically doffing full bobbins and donning empty tubes at textile machines, especially ring spinning and ring twisting machines, wherein a support rail equipped with gripping elements and operatively associated with a group of spindles serves to selectively transport the full bobbins and the empty tubes, the support rail moving from an idle position to a gripping position for the full bobbins placed on the spindles and at which gripping position the full bobbins are gripped and doffed from the spindles by an upward movement of the support rail and are pivoted about a vertical axis associated with each full bobbin and are deposited onto a full bobbin dump, and wherein the empty tubes transported by the support rail are pivoted towards the machine about a vertical axis associated with each empty tube and are donned onto the spindles by a downward movement of the support rail, the improvement comprising the steps of: a. moving the support rail with the doffed full bobbins substantially parallel to and away from the machine, each point of the support rail moving along a path, which, as seen in a projection into a substantially horizontal plane, is a substantially circular curve, the center of which is a point of a vertical axis associated with said point of the support rail; b. lowering the support rail with the doffed full bobbins towards a transporting mechanism extending along the textile machine; c. substantially vertically depositing the full bobbins onto the transporting mechanism; d. placing the transporting mechanism into motion along the machine, lifting the support rail, and depositing the full bobbins lengthwise onto the transporting mechanism in the direction of transport thereof during such time as the support rail is lifted; e. gripping by means of the support rail empty tubes which have been pre-arranged along the machine; f. moving the support rail with the gripped empty tubes upwards and in a direction substantially parallel and towards the machine, each point of the support rail moving in the manner set forth in step (a); g. donning the empty tubes onto spindles; and h. following completion of the donning operation moving the support rail back into its idle position.

Claim 4

In a method of automatically doffing full bobbins and donning empty tubes at textile machines, especially ring spinning and ring twisting machines, wherein a support rail equipped with gripping elements and operatively associated with a group of spindles serves to selectively transport the full bobbins and the empty tubes, the support rail moving from an idle position to a gripping position for the full bobbins placed on the spindles and at which gripping position the full bobbins are gripped and doffed from the spindles by an upward movement of the support rail and are pivoted about a vertical axis associated with each full bobbin and are deposited onto a full bobbin dump, and wherein the empty tubes transported by the support rail are pivoted towards the machine about a vertical axis associated with each empty tube and are donned onto the spindles by a downward movement of the support rail, the improvement comprising the steps of: a. moving the support rail with the doffed full bobbins substantially parallel to and away from the machine, each point of the support rail moving along a path, which, as seen in a projection into a substantially horizontal plane, is a substantially circular curve, the center of which is a point of a vertical axis associated with said point of the support rail; b. lowering the support rail with the doffed full bobbins towards a transporting mechanism extending along the textile machine; c. substantially vertically depositing the full bobbins onto the transporting mechanism; d. placing the transporting mechanism into motion along the machine, lifting the support rail, and depositing the full bobbins lengthwise onto the transporting mechanism in the direction of transport thereof during such time as the support rail is lifted; e. gripping by means of the support rail empty tubes which have been pre-arranged along the machine; f. moving the support rail with the gripped empty tubes upwards and in a direction substantially parallel and towards the machine, each point of the support rail moving in the manner set forth in step (a); g. donning the empty tubes onto spindles; and h. following completion of the donning operation moving the support rail back into its idle position.

Claim 5

The method as defined in claim 2, including the step of moving the support rail from an idle position located beneath the spindles in an upward direction and then parallel towards the machine, with each point of the support raiL moving along the path as set forth in step (a), and then lowering the support rail towards the full bobbins into its full bobbin-gripping position.

Claim 6

The method as defined in claim 2, further including the step of moving the support rail from an idle position located above and in front of the spindles in a direction substantially parallel and towards the machine, each point of the support rail moving along the path as specified in step (a), and then lowering the support rail towards the full bobbins into its full bobbin-gripping position.

Claim 7

The method as defined in claim 2, including the step of lowering the support rail from an idle position located above the spindles towards the full bobbins and into a full bobbin-gripping position.

Claim 8

The method as defined in claim 2, further including the step of gripping and holding the full bobbins and the empty tubes, respectively, by means of one and the same gripping elements which respectively grip such full bobbins and empty tubes over a certain length of their respective upper portion.

Claim 9

The method as defined in claim 2, further including the step of lowering the full bobbins towards the transporting mechanism in a controlled manner such that a clearance is maintained above the transporting mechanism which is smaller than the length of the gripping elements gripping the full bobbins, then releasing the full bobbins from the gripping elements so that such full bobbins are deposited substantially vertically onto the surface of the transporting mechanism as they drop thereon, and then placing into motion the transporting mechanism.

Claim 10

The method as defined in claim 7, further including the steps of initially placing into motion the transporting mechanism in a direction opposite to the transporting direction, and then subsequently placing into motion the transporting mechanism in a direction corresponding to the transporting direction for the full bobbins.

Claim 11

The method as defined in claim 2, further including the steps of lowering the full bobbins downwardly towards the transporting mechanism, releasing the full bobbins from the gripping elements of the support rail, lifting the support rail through a distance which is smaller than the gripping length of the gripping elements thereof, and then placing into motion the transporting mechanism.

Claim 12

The method as defined in claim 9, further including the step of initially placing into motion the transporting mechanism in a direction opposite to the transporting direction, and then placing into motion the transporting mechanism in a direction corresponding to the transporting direction for the full bobbins.

Claim 13

The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the parallel movement of the support rail set forth in steps (a) and (f) is carried out during a point of time which differs from the elevational movement of the support rail set forth in steps (b) and (f).

Claim 14

The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the parallel movement of the support rail set forth in steps (a) and (f) is carried out conjointly with the elevational movement of the support rail as set forth in steps (b) and (f).

Claim 15

The method as defined in claim 2, further including the step of manually pre-arranging the empty tubes.

Claim 16

The method as defined in claim 2, further including the step of upwardly moving the support rail following deposit of the full bobbins onto the transporting mechanism, moving the upper tips of the empty tubes pre-arranged along the machine at substantially right angles with respect to the lengthwise axis of the machine and into a position beneath the gripping elements of the support rail, and then lowering the support rail towards the empty tubes.

Claim 17

The method as defined in claim 14, including the steps of moving the upper tips of the full bobbins at substantially right angles to the longitudinal axis of the support rail and into a position beneath the gripping elements thereof.

Claim 18

The method as defined in claim 2, further including the steps of upwardly mOving the support rail following deposition of the full bobbins onto the transporting mechanism and into a position where such support rail is arranged above the pre-arranged empty tubes, then moving the support rail in a direction substantially parallel and towards the machine, each point of the support rail moving along the curve set forth in step (a) and into a position directly above and in substantial alignment with the empty tubes, then lowering the support rail towards the empty tubes.

Claim 19

The method as defined in claim 2, wherein following step (g) where the empty tubes are donned onto the spindles a pressure is exerted upon the support rail to press the empty tubes onto the spindles.

Claim 20

The method as defined in claim 2, wherein each point of the support rail moves along the path during steps (a) and (f), the corresponding curve of which in the horizontal plane is an arc of a circle extending through an angle of at least 75* but not greater than 120*.

Claim 21

The method as defined in claim 18, wherein said circular arc extends through an angle of approximately 90*.

Claim 22

The method as defined in claim 2, wherein each point of the support rail moves along a substantially circular curve during steps (a) and (f), which curve is part of a respective circle, the radius of which is identical with the radii of the partial circles of all other points of said support rail.

Claim 25

The apparatus as defined in claim 21, further including a substantially vertically extending guide element provided for each vertical rod means, each said vertical rod means being arranged to be vertically movable within its associated guide element.

Claim 26

The apparatus as defined in claim 21, further including a respective guide element within which each vertical rod means is arranged to be vertically movable and rotatable.

Claim 27

The apparatus as defined in claim 21, further including a respective guide element for each said vertical rod means, and a rigid frame with which each said guide element is connected.

Claim 28

The apparatus as defined in claim 21, further including means for elevationally displacing said vertical rod means, said elevational displacing means including a cord with which each vertical rod means is connected for raising and lowering such associated vertical rod means.

Claim 29

The apparatus as defined in claim 25, further including a rail member extending along the length of the machine above the machine, each of said cords for all of the vertical rod means being suspended from said rail member.

Claim 30

The apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein said rail member is supported by the machine.

Claim 31

The apparatus as defined in claim 25, further including a guide cylinder within which is housed each of said vertical rod means, each of said vertical rod means being provided with a piston displaceably arranged within the associated guide cylinder, means closing the upper end of each guide cylinder and equipped with an opening for the throughpassage of the associated cord from which the vertical rod means within such guide cylinder is suspended, and means providing a source of pressurized air communicating with each guide cylinder.

Claim 32

The apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said means for rotating said vertical rod means comprises at least one cylinder and piston arrangement, means for rotatably securing said cylinder of said cylinder and piston arrangement to said support rail, said piston of said cylinder and piston arrangement including a piston rod rigidly connected with one of said pivoting arm means.

Claim 33

The apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said means for rotating said vertical rod means comprise actuation lever means arranged at the end faces of said support rail, said actuation lever means being capable of being driven in opposite directions.

Claim 34

The apparatus as defined in claim 21, further including a respective rotatable guide element within which is arranged an associated vertical rod means.

Claim 35

The apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein each vertical rod means is mounted to be rotatable about its central axis.

Claim 36

The apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein each vertical rod means is mounted to be rotatable about an axis which is offset from its central axis.

Claim 37

The apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein each vertical rod means is mounted to be rotatable about its own axis through an angle of at least 75* and no greater than 120*.

Claim 38

The apparatus as defined in claim 34, wherein each vertical rod means is mounted to be rotatable through an angle of 90*.

Claim 39

The apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said transporting mechanism comprises an endless transporting belt, lateral guide members for the full bobbins extending along and to both sides of said transporting belt.

Claim 40

The apparatus as defined in claim 36, wherein an upper run of said transporting belt is arranged within a substantially U-shaped channel means.

Claim 41

The apparatus as defined in claim 37, wherein said upper run of said transporting belt is disposed in close proximity to the bottom of said channel means.

Claim 42

The apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said gripping elements extend downwardly from said support rail over a length sufficient to grip the upper portion of the full bobbins or empty tubes respectively.

Claim 43

The apparatus as defined in claim 39, wherein said gripping elements protrude from said support rail over a length sufficient to grip both the inside and outside of the upper portion of the full bobbins or empty tubes respectively.

Claim 44

The apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said pre-arranging device for the empty tubes enables said empty tubes to be arranged such that their upper tips can be moved substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the support rail.

Claim 45

The apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein said device for pre-arranging the empty tubes comprises a rail member extending along the machine beneath the spindles, said rail member being provided with upwardly protruding pins for receiving the empty tubes, said pins being arranged at a mutual spacing from one another substantially corresponding to the spindle gauge.

Claim 46

The apparatus as defined in claim 21, further including a guide element provided for each vertical rod means, each said guide element being connected with a frame of the machine.