Apparatuses for removing and replacing bobbins in a spindle type spinning machine, and a method of using such apparatuses

Claim 1

A bobbin changer for spindle type spinning machines comprising: an endless belt drivable by a driving motor between two pulleys disposed one at either end of the machine spindle bank, the endless belt being disposed on a support which extends generally parallel to the spindle bank, said endless belt having an inner run and an outer run, the inner run being closer to the spindle bank than the outer run, gripping devices which are borne by the endless belt and which are arranged at the same intervals from each other along the endless belt as the between-spindles intervals, each such gripping device including means for engaging and then disengaging the end of either a full or an empty bobbin when the gripping device moves in a horizontal plane relatively to the particular bobbin concerned, a first mechanism including means for moving the support vertically by an amount at least equal to effective spindle height, the number of gripping devices being at least twice the number of spindles to be served; the two runs of the endless belt extending horizontally and being located in a common plane, the direction of which plane is sufficiently close to a true horizontal plane such that the gripping devices extend downwardly from the two horizontal runs in separate vertical planes, a loading station for the empty bobbins is disposed at a location so that when the endless belt moves in a first direction such that each gripping device comes near the loading station and then passes to the outer run of the endless belt, the gripping device engages an empty bobbin, so that when a number of empty bobbins equal to the number of spindles of the spindle bank have been engaged, the outer run of the endless belt has been loaded with empty bobbins, and an unloading station for the full bobbins is disposed at a location so that when the endless belt moves in the opposite direction from said first direction, each gripping device passing near the unloading station and then going on to the outer run disengages a full bobbin, wherein when the empty bobbins of the outer run have passed to the inner run, all the full bobbins have been disengaged as they pass near the unloading station, and the outer run of the endless belt is empty once the empty bobbins have passed on to the inner run.

Claim 19

A method of operating a bobbin changer of a spindle type spinning machine characterized by the following steps: engaging empty bobbins by moving an endless belt having horizontally extending inner and outer runs lying in a common plane continuously in an engagement direction, the direction in which the gripping devices on the belt engage empty bobbins as they pass near a loading station, this operation lasting until the outer run has been charged with empty bobbins; and, while the empty bobbins are on the outer run, engaging full bobbins on the spindles of the spindle bank by the gripping devices on the inner run of the belt, such engagement being produced by a small movement of the belt in the engagement direction; raising the endless belt support by a height at least equal to the effective height of the spindles so as to remove the full bobbins therefrom; moving the belt continuously in the disengagement direction, the opposite direction to the engagement direction, so that the gripping devices release a full bobbin as they pass near an unloading station, this operation lasting until the empty bobbins initially on the outer run have passed over to the inner run, all the full bobbins having by then been released and the outer belt run being empty at the end of working; placing all the empty bobbins above the spindle so that each empty bobbin is in vertical alignment with a spindle; lowering the endless belt support so as to position each empty bobbin on a spindle, and simultaneously releasing the empty bobbins from their gripping devices, such release being initiated by a small movement of the endless belt in the disengagement direction.

Claim 20

A method of operating a bobbin changer of a spindle type spinning machine characterized by the following steps: engaging empty bobbins by moving an endless belt having horizontally extending inner and outer runs lying in a common plane continuously in an engagement direction, the direction in which the gripping devices on the belt engage empty bobbins as they pass near a loading station, this operation lasting until the outer run has been charged with empty bobbins; and, while the empty bobbins are on the outer run, engaging full bobbins on the spindles of the spindle bank by the gripping devices on the inner run of the belt, such engagement being produced by a small movement of the belt in the engagement direction; raising the endless belt support by a height at least equal to the effective height of the spindles so as to remove the full bobbins therefrom; moving the belt continuously in the disengagement direction, the opposite direction to the engagement direction, so that the gripping devices release a full bobbin as they pass near an unloading station, this operation lasting until the empty bobbins initially on the outer run have passed over to the inner run, all the full bobbins having by then been released and the outer belt run being empty at the end of working; placing all the empty bobbins above the spindle so that each empty bobbin is in vertical alignment with a spindle; lowering the endless belt support so as to position each empty bobbin on a spindle, and simultaneously releasing the empty bobbins from their gripping devices, such release being initiated by a small movement of the endless belt in the disengagement direction.

Claim 21

A method of operating a bobbin changer of a spindle-type spinning machine having a bank of spindles which bobbin changer has an endless belt with inner and outer horizontal runs lying in a common plane, the inner run being closer to the spindle than the outer run, comprising the steps of: moving the endless belt support from a retracted inoperative position near the spindles to an outside position remote from the spindles; raising the support as far as the top part of a waiting spout; bringing the waiting spout into a position in which cylindrical studs of the empty bobbins near the opening of the spout are on the path of gripping devices on the endless belt; moving the endless belt continuously in an engagement direction, in which U-hooks of the gripping device have their open parts facing forward to engage an empty bobbin as they pass near the waiting spout, this operation lasting until the outer run of the endless belt has been loaded with empty bobbins; raising the endless belt support so that the bottom part of the gripping devices are near cylindrical studs of the full bobbins in engagement with the spindles of the spindle bank; bringing the inner run of the endless belt into a vertical plane including the spindle bank; engaging the full bobbin on the spindle bank simultaneously by the gripping devices disposed on the inner run of the endless belt, such arrangement being initiated by a small movement of the endless belt in the said engagement direction; raising the endless belt support through a height slightly greater than the effective height of the spindle to release the full bobbins therefrom; moving the support away from the spindle banks; moving the belt continuously in the release direction, in which direction the U-hooks forming the gripping devices have their closed part facing forward to release a full bobbin as they pass by an unloading station, this operation lasting until the empty bobbins which were initially on the outer run have passed to the inNer run, all the full bobbins having by then been released and the outer belt run being empty at the end of working; bringing pivoted members into an operative position in which fork-like members attached thereto are horizontal; bringing the belt inner run into the plane of the spindle bank, and immobilizing the empty spindles secured to the gripping devices of the inner run by the fork-like members immediately above the corresponding spindle; lowering the endless belt support through a height sufficient to position each empty bobbin on a spindle; raising the support slightly so as to slightly raise the bottom part of the gripping devices relative to the top surface of the empty bobbins; releasing the empty bobbins simultaneously from the gripping devices; the release being initiated by a small movement of the belt in the release direction; moving the support away from the spindle bank; lowering the support at its outside positions, and moving the support from its outside position into its retracted normal position.

Claim 22

A method of operating a bobbin changer of a spindle-type spinning machine having a bank of spindles which bobbin changer has an endless belt with inner and outer horizontal runs lying in a common plane, the inner run being closer to the spindle than the outer run, comprising the steps of: moving the endless belt support from a retracted inoperative position near the spindles to an outside position remote from the spindles; raising the support as far as the top part of a waiting spout; bringing the waiting spout into a position in which cylindrical studs of the empty bobbins near the opening of the spout are on the path of gripping devices on the endless belt; moving the endless belt continuously in an engagement direction, in which U-hooks of the gripping device have their open parts facing forward to engage an empty bobbin as they pass near the waiting spout, this operation lasting until the outer run of the endless belt has been loaded with empty bobbins; raising the endless belt support so that the bottom part of the gripping devices are near cylindrical studs of the full bobbins in engagement with the spindles of the spindle bank; bringing the inner run of the endless belt into a vertical plane including the spindle bank; engaging the full bobbin on the spindle bank simultaneously by the gripping devices disposed on the inner run of the endless belt, such arrangement being initiated by a small movement of the endless belt in the said engagement direction; raising the endless belt support through a height slightly greater than the effective height of the spindle to release the full bobbins therefrom; moving the support away from the spindle banks; moving the belt continuously in the release direction, in which direction the U-hooks forming the gripping devices have their closed part facing forward to release a full bobbin as they pass by an unloading station, this operation lasting until the empty bobbins which were initially on the outer run have passed to the inNer run, all the full bobbins having by then been released and the outer belt run being empty at the end of working; bringing pivoted members into an operative position in which fork-like members attached thereto are horizontal; bringing the belt inner run into the plane of the spindle bank, and immobilizing the empty spindles secured to the gripping devices of the inner run by the fork-like members immediately above the corresponding spindle; lowering the endless belt support through a height sufficient to position each empty bobbin on a spindle; raising the support slightly so as to slightly raise the bottom part of the gripping devices relative to the top surface of the empty bobbins; releasing the empty bobbins simultaneously from the gripping devices; the release being initiated by a small movement of the belt in the release direction; moving the support away from the spindle bank; lowering the support at its outside positions, and moving the support from its outside position into its retracted normal position.