Control means for the builder mechanism of textile yarn twister or like machine

Claim 2

In a textile yarn twister or like machine having a vertically recirprocatable ring rail, and a builder mechanism including reversible builder drive means for vertically reciprocating said ring rail, improved control means for at desired times reversing said drive means and thereby reversing the direction of reciprocatory movement of said ring rail, comprising: proximity-type switch-actuating means; proximity-type switch means operatively connected to said builder drive means for reversing said builder drive means and the direction of reciprocatory movement of said ring-rail upon actuation of said switch means by said switch-actuating means when the same are in positions of nonengaging proximity to one another; mounting means for mounting said switch-actuating means and said switch means distal from said ring rail and adjacent one another for nonengaging arcuate movement relative to one another, along mutually spaced and substantially concentric arcuate paths of travel, toward and away from adjustably variable proximity positions of nonengaging actuation of said switch-means by said switch-actuating means; and switching drive means operatively associated with said mounting means for effecting said relative movement between said switch-actuating means and said switch means.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said switch means comprises a plurality of proximity switch elements actuable by magnetic forces, and said actuator means comprises at least one magnet element.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 2, wherein said plurality of said proximity switch elements includes two of said elements mounted by said mounting means for movement thereof in spaced and substantially parallel planes, and wherein said magnet element is mounted by said mounting means for movement thereof in a plane intermediate and substantially parallel to said spaced parallel planes and is movable in correlated unison with said reciprocatory movement of said ring rail.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said builder mechanism includes a windlass having a center shaft, and said arcuate paths of travel of said switch-actuating means and said switch means are generally concentric with the axis of said windlass shaft.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 4, wherin said machine includes an end cabinet enclosing said windlass, said windlass shaft, said switch-actuating means, said switch means, said mounting means and said switching drive means.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said mounting means mounting said switch means and said switch-actuating means are carried by said windlass shaft.

Claim 8

In a textile yarn twister or like machine having a vertically reciprocatable ring rail, an end cabinet, a builder mechanism including a windlass shaft housed within said end cabinet and operatively connected to said ring rail, and reversible builder drive means for rotating said windlass shaft in opposite directions to thereby cause said reciprocatory movement of said ring rail, the improvement comprising: control means operatively connected to said builder drive means for at adjustably variable desired times during operation of said machine reversing said drive means and thereby reversing the directions of movement of said windlass shaft and said ring rail, said control means including a plurality of switch and switch-actuating elements mounted within said end cabinet for movement along arcuate paths of travel each generally concentric with the axis of said windlass shaft, at least one of said elements being connected to said shaft for movement thereby and in unison therewith, and at least a second of said elements being movable along said path of travel thereof relative to said shaft and to said one element.

Claim 9

In a textile yarn twister or like machine having a vertically reciprocatable ring rail, an end cabinet, a builder mechanism including a windlass shaft housed within said end cabinet and operatively connected to said ring rail, and reversible builder drive means for rotating said windlass shaft in opposite directions to thereby cause said reciprocatory movement of said ring rail, the improvement comprising: control means operatively connected to said builder drive means for at adjustably variable desired times during operation of said machine reversing said drive means and thereby reversing the directions of movement of said windlass shaft and said ring rail, said control means including a plurality of switch and switch-actuating elements mounted within said end cabinet for movement along arcuate paths of travel each generally concentric with the axis of said windlass shaft, at least one of said elements being connected to said shaft for movement thereby and in unison therewith, and at least a second of said elements being movable along said path of travel thereof relative to said shaft and to said one element.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said elements are of a nonengaging proximity type, and include at least one magnetically actuable switch element and at least one magnetic actuator element for actuating said switch element when said elements are in nonengaging proximity to each other.

Claim 11

Apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said control means further includes manually operable means for adjustably varying the position of said second element along said path of travel thereof.

Claim 12

Apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said control means further includes switching drive means for when desired moving said second element along said arcuate path of travel thereof.

Claim 13

In a textile yarn twister or like machine having a vertically reciprocatable ring rail, a builder mechanism including a windlass shaft operatively connected to said ring rail, and reversible builder drive means for rotating said windlass shaft in opposte directions to thereby cause said reciprocatory movement of said ring rail, the improvement comprising: a switch actuator element mounted upon said windlass shaft for rotation in unison with said shaft about the axis thereof; a pair of switch elements operatively connected to said reversible drive means and each adapted when actuated by said actuator element to Cause reversal of said builder drive means and thereby of the direction of rotation of said windlass shaft; means mounting said switch elements upon said windlass shaft in adjacent relationship to said actuator element for rotative movement about the axis of said shaft independently of and relative to each other and said actuator, each of said swtich elements being actuable by said actuator element when the same occupy adjacent positions about the axis of said shaft; reversible switching drive means operatively associated with said switch-element mounting means for when desired imparting arcuate movement to at least one of said switch elements about the axis of said shaft; and adjustable means associated with said switching drive means for reversing the direction of said movement of said one of said switch elements when the same reaches a preselected position during its arcuate movement about the axis of said shaft.

Claim 14

In a textile yarn twister or like machine having a vertically reciprocatable ring rail, a builder mechanism including a windlass shaft operatively connected to said ring rail, and reversible builder drive means for rotating said windlass shaft in opposte directions to thereby cause said reciprocatory movement of said ring rail, the improvement comprising: a switch actuator element mounted upon said windlass shaft for rotation in unison with said shaft about the axis thereof; a pair of switch elements operatively connected to said reversible drive means and each adapted when actuated by said actuator element to Cause reversal of said builder drive means and thereby of the direction of rotation of said windlass shaft; means mounting said switch elements upon said windlass shaft in adjacent relationship to said actuator element for rotative movement about the axis of said shaft independently of and relative to each other and said actuator, each of said swtich elements being actuable by said actuator element when the same occupy adjacent positions about the axis of said shaft; reversible switching drive means operatively associated with said switch-element mounting means for when desired imparting arcuate movement to at least one of said switch elements about the axis of said shaft; and adjustable means associated with said switching drive means for reversing the direction of said movement of said one of said switch elements when the same reaches a preselected position during its arcuate movement about the axis of said shaft.

Claim 15

In a textile yarn twister or like machine having a vertically reciprocatable ring rail, a builder mechanism including a windlass having a center shaft, and reversible builder drive means operatively connected to said windlass for rotation said windlass in opposite directions to thereby cause reciprocatory movement of said ring rail, the improvement comprising: a switch actuator mounted upon said windlass shaft of said builder mechanism and movable therewith along an arcuate path of travel in corrolation with said ring rail movement; first and second switch elements operatively connected to said builder drive means for reversing said builder drive means and thereby the direction of movement of said ring rail upon actuation of either of said switch elements by said switch actuator; first and second mounting members respectively mounting said first and second limit switches adjacent said path of travel of said actuator for actuation by said actuator and for independent movement of each of said switch elements generally parallel to said actuator path of travel; and adjustable switching drive means operatively associated with said mounting means for, alternatively and when energized, moving both of said switch elements in the same direction generally parallel to said actuator path of travel, moving both of said switch elements in opposite directions generally parallel to said arcuate path of travel, and moving one of said switch elements generally parallel to said actuator path of travel while allowing the other of said switch elements to remain stationary.

Claim 16

In a textile yarn twister or like machine having a vertically reciprocatable ring rail, a builder mechanism including a windlass having a center shaft, and reversible builder drive means operatively connected to said windlass for rotation said windlass in opposite directions to thereby cause reciprocatory movement of said ring rail, the improvement comprising: a switch actuator mounted upon said windlass shaft of said builder mechanism and movable therewith along an arcuate path of travel in corrolation with said ring rail movement; first and second switch elements operatively connected to said builder drive means for reversing said builder drive means and thereby the direction of movement of said ring rail upon actuation of either of said switch elements by said switch actuator; first and second mounting members respectively mounting said first and second limit switches adjacent said path of travel of said actuator for actuation by said actuator and for independent movement of each of said switch elements generally parallel to said actuator path of travel; and adjustable switching drive means operatively associated with said mounting means for, alternatively and when energized, moving both of said switch elements in the same direction generally parallel to said actuator path of travel, moving both of said switch elements in opposite directions generally parallel to said arcuate path of travel, and moving one of said switch elements generally parallel to said actuator path of travel while allowing the other of said switch elements to remain stationary.

Claim 17

Apparatus as in claim 12, wherein said switch elements are each proximity switches actuable by magnetic forces, and said actuator comprises at least one magnet element.

Claim 18

Apparatus as in claim 12, wherein said textile machine includes an end cabinet enclosing said windlass shaft, said actuator, said switch elements, said mounting means and said switching drive means.

Claim 19

Apparatus as in claim 12, wherein said first and said second mounting means respectively comprise first and second gear-like members carried by and freely rotatable about the axis of said windlass shaft on opposite sides of said actuator, and said adjustable switching drive means includes a servo-motor, and means including a selectively variable gear train for drivably interconnecting said drive motor with one or both of said gear-like members.

Claim 20

Apparatus as in claim 15, wherein said interconnecting means includes, in association with each of said gear-like members, a gearing shaft, a first gear on said gearing shaft meshing with the corresponding one of said gear-like members, and a second gear on said shaft forming part of said gear train.

Claim 21

Apparatus as in claim 16, wherein said gear train further includes an idler gear movable as desired into and out of meshing relationship with said second gears.

Claim 22

Apparatus as in claim 16, wherein said interconnecting means further includes belt and pulley means interconnecting one of said gearing shafts and said servo-motor.