Textile sliver unevenness detecting

Claim 2

A textile fiber unevenness detecting means for measuring variations in the cross-sectional dimensions of a textile fiber comprising: unevenness sensing means for sensing said variations comprising a plurality of opposing members joined at one end so as to provide therebetween an enclosed passageway, wherein at least one of said members is inwardly and resiliently biased and bears adjacent said one end strain gage means responsive to the outward displacement of said member for providing an electrical signal proportional thereto, whereby a textile fiber strand passing through said passageway displaces the unjoined end of said member outwardly thereof against said inward resilient bias thereof in proportion to the thickness of said strand and therewith said strain gage means provides an electrical signal also proportional thereto; fiber moving means for moving said fiber through said enclosed passageway; and electrical balancing circuit means for measuring differences from a balance value of said electrical signal and thereby measuring variations in the cross-sectional dimensions of said fiber from a predetermined value therefor.

Claim 3

A textile fiber unevenness detecting means as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one other of said members is rigid and inflexible.

Claim 4

A textile fiber unevenness detecting means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said member is formed of resilient metal.

Claim 5

A textile fiber unevenness detecting means as claimed in claim 3 wherein said member is of sheet material.

Claim 6

A textile fiber unevenness detecting means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said strain gage means comprises a strain gage bonded to the inner surface of said member and another strain gage bonded to the opposing surface of said member.

Claim 7

A textile fiber unevenness detecting means as claimed in claim 2 wherein said opposing members form said passageway in the general form of a truncated pyramid, are joined at the base end of said pyramid and whereby said base end forms an entry for said textile strand passing through said unevenness detecting means.

Claim 8

A textile fiber unevenness detecting means as claimed in claim 6 wherein said opposing members comprise a pair of opposing inwardly and resiliently biased members and a pair of opposing rigid and inflexible members.

Claim 9

A textile fiber unevenness detecting means as claimed in claim 5 wherein said electrical balancing circuit means is connected to electrical and mechanical actuation means for providing a physical response proportional to said electrical signal.

Claim 10

A textile fiber unevenness detecting means as claimed in claim 8 wherein said electrical and mechanical actuation means provides a physical response in the form of changing the thickness of said textile strand in proportion to said electrical signal.

Claim 11

A textile fiber unevenness detecting means as claimed in claim 8 wherein said electrical and mechanical actuation means provides a record of the thickness Of said textile strand.

Claim 12

A textile strand unevenness detecting means as claimed in claim 9 wherein said electrical and mechanical actuation means is located with respect to said unevenness detecting means in such manner that said changing of said thickness of said textile strand is effectable prior to its entry into said unevenness detecting means.

Claim 13

A textile strand unevenness detecting means as claimed in claim 9 wherein said electrical and mechanical actuation means is located with respect to said condensing and unevenness detecting means in such manner that said changing of said thickness of said textile strand is effectable following passage of said strand through said unevenness detecting means.

Claim 14

A textile strand unevenness detecting means as claimed in claim 9 wherein said electrical and mechanical actuation means is located with respect to said condensing and unevenness detecting means in such manner that said changing of said thickness of said textile strand is effectable within said condensing and unevenness detecting means.

Claim 15

In combination with a high speed textile drawing frame incapable of responding short term speed variations, the combination comprising a sliver unevenness detecting device cooperating with said input rolls for compressing a textile sliver while measuring variations in its widthwise dimension at constant thickness, said device having a pair of opposing sliver width confining surfaces mounted on a base, one of said sliver width confining surfaces being movably mounted on said base and resiliently urged in an inward direction toward said other confining surface to a position to confine a sliver therebetween in conformance with widthwise variations therein, and sensing and signalling means responsive to the position of said movably mounted sliver width confining surface and for providing a signal proportional to said position, and evening apparatus for continuously evening the volume of a moving multifiber strand and presenting it to said drawing frame at uniform velocity, said evening apparatus comprising an evening drafting element including a pair of delivery rolls and a pair of input rolls for evening said strand therebetween, driving means for said drafting element rolls including differential drive means having two driving inputs for driving said input rolls at variable speed, power means for driving one driving input of said differential drive means, and control means responsive to said signal from said sensing and signalling means for driving the other input of said differential drive means to vary the speed of said rolls responsive to sliver variations in accordance with said signal.

Claim 16

In combination with a high speed textile drawing frame incapable of responding short term speed variations, the combination comprising a sliver unevenness detecting device cooperating with said input rolls for compressing a textile sliver while measuring variations in its widthwise dimension at constant thickness, said device having a pair of opposing sliver width confining surfaces mounted on a base, one of said sliver width confining surfaces being movably mounted on said base and resiliently urged in an inward direction toward said other confining surface to a position to confine a sliver therebetween in conformance with widthwise variations therein, and sensing and signalling means responsive to the position of said movably mounted sliver width confining surface and for providing a signal proportional to said position, and evening apparatus for continuously evening the volume of a moving multifiber strand and presenting it to said drawing frame at uniform velocity, said evening apparatus comprising an evening drafting element including a pair of delivery rolls and a pair of input rolls for evening said strand therebetween, driving means for said drafting element rolls including differential drive means having two driving inputs for driving said input rolls at variable speed, power means for driving one driving input of said differential drive means, and control means responsive to said signal from said sensing and signalling means for driving the other input of said differential drive means to vary the speed of said rolls responsive to sliver variations in accordance with said signal.

Claim 17

The combination as claimed in claim 14 wherein a flexible member is mounted on said base and resiliently urged into pressure contact with said sliver to bend said member responsive to widthwise variations in said sliver, said member having a free end and bearing said movably mounted sliver width confining surface and wherein said sensing means responsive to the position of said movably mounted sliver width confining surface comprises a strain gage mounted on said flexible member providing an electrical output signal responsive to bending of said member.

Claim 18

The combination as in claim 15 wherein said sliver width confining surfaces are each borne by one of a pair of said flexible members and said sensing means comprises two pairs of said strain gages, each pair of said strain gages being mounted on said member adjacent said base and each of said strain gages thereof being mounted on an opposing surface of each of said members.

Claim 19

In combination with a high speed textile drawing frame incapable of responding in short term speed variations, comprising the combination of a sliver unevenness detecting device cooperating with said input rolls for compressing a textile sliver while measuring variations in its widthwise dimension at constant thickness, said dEvice having a base having attached thereto two members having outer faces with concave surfaces conforming to the curvature of said input rolls and terminating in parallel spaced, axially extending edges providing fixed axially extending sliver thickness confining surfaces therebetween, a pair of opposed flexible members mounted on said bases providing on their free ends sliver width confining surfaces between said axially extending sliver thickness confining surfaces and generally perpendicular thereto, said sliver width confining surfaces being resiliently urged toward one another to bend said members into positions in conformance with widthwise sliver variations to compress said sliver, and strain gages mounted on said flexible members providing an output signal responsive to bending of said members and to the positions of said sliver width confining surfaces, and evening apparatus for continuously evening the volume of a moving multifiber strand and presenting it to said drawing frame at uniform velocity, said evening apparatus comprising an evening drafting element including a pair of delivery rolls and a pair of input rolls for evening said strand therebetween, driving means for said drafting element rolls including differential drive means having two driving inputs for driving said input rolls at variable speed, power means for driving said delivery rolls at uniform speed and for driving one driving input of said differential drive means, and control means responsive to said strain gages for driving the other input of said differential drive means to vary the speed of said input rolls responsive to sliver variations.

Claim 20

In combination with a high speed textile drawing frame incapable of responding in short term speed variations, comprising the combination of a sliver unevenness detecting device cooperating with said input rolls for compressing a textile sliver while measuring variations in its widthwise dimension at constant thickness, said dEvice having a base having attached thereto two members having outer faces with concave surfaces conforming to the curvature of said input rolls and terminating in parallel spaced, axially extending edges providing fixed axially extending sliver thickness confining surfaces therebetween, a pair of opposed flexible members mounted on said bases providing on their free ends sliver width confining surfaces between said axially extending sliver thickness confining surfaces and generally perpendicular thereto, said sliver width confining surfaces being resiliently urged toward one another to bend said members into positions in conformance with widthwise sliver variations to compress said sliver, and strain gages mounted on said flexible members providing an output signal responsive to bending of said members and to the positions of said sliver width confining surfaces, and evening apparatus for continuously evening the volume of a moving multifiber strand and presenting it to said drawing frame at uniform velocity, said evening apparatus comprising an evening drafting element including a pair of delivery rolls and a pair of input rolls for evening said strand therebetween, driving means for said drafting element rolls including differential drive means having two driving inputs for driving said input rolls at variable speed, power means for driving said delivery rolls at uniform speed and for driving one driving input of said differential drive means, and control means responsive to said strain gages for driving the other input of said differential drive means to vary the speed of said input rolls responsive to sliver variations.

Claim 21

A textile fiber unevenness detecting means for measuring variations of a textile sliver in its widthwise dimension at constant thickness, said device comprising a base having a pair of parallel, spaced, transversely extended edges providing fixed extended sliver thickness confining edges therebetween a pair of opposing sliver width confining surfaces mounted on said base, providing with said edges an enclosed passageway, one of said sliver width confining surfaces being movably mounted on said base and resiliently urged in an inward direction parallel to said surface toward said other confining surface to a position to confine a sliver therebetween in conformance with widthwise variations therein sensing means responsive to the position of said movably mounted sliver width confining surface comprising a strain gage mounted on a flexible member providing an electrical output signal responsive to bending of said member and electrical balancing circuit means for measuring differences from a balance value of said electrical signal and thereby measuring variations in the widthwise dimension of said sliver from a predetermined value therefor.

Claim 22

A textile fiber unevenness detecting means for measuring variations of a textile sliver in its widthwise dimension at constant thickness, said device comprising a base having a pair of parallel, spaced, transversely extended edges providing fixed extended sliver thickness confining edges therebetween a pair of opposing sliver width confining surfaces mounted on said base, providing with said edges an enclosed passageway, one of said sliver width confining surfaces being movably mounted on said base and resiliently urged in an inward direction parallel to said surface toward said other confining surface to a position to confine a sliver therebetween in conformance with widthwise variations therein sensing means responsive to the position of said movably mounted sliver width confining surface comprising a strain gage mounted on a flexible member providing an electrical output signal responsive to bending of said member and electrical balancing circuit means for measuring differences from a balance value of said electrical signal and thereby measuring variations in the widthwise dimension of said sliver from a predetermined value therefor.