Winding apparatus and process

Claim 2

In a process for the loss-free winding of a continuously supplied thread into bobbin windings at a high winding speed, in which the thread is wound with traverse motion on a winding carrier into a bobbin winding, wherein after reaching a predetermined bobbin winding size or after a predetermined winding time, the wound bobbin is replaced, without interruption of the winding process, by an empty tube for receiving the supplied thread, in which, before the transfer of the thread from an almost wound bobbin to an empty tube or to a rotatable chuck carrying the empty tube, said bobbin and said tube are turned by a bobbin revolver into a position in which the almost wound bobbin remains driven on the periphery by a friction drive roller and the empty tube is brought to about the peripheral speed of the almost wound bobbin by contact with said roller, the improvement comprising guiding the thread in traverse motion by running it through an endless thread guide groove in the cylindrical surface of the friction roller during the acceleration of the empty tube to the peripheral velocity of the friction drive roller while winding the thread on said almost wound bobbin, guiding the thread during this bobbin exchange into a defined position, and drawing out the thread running onto the almost wound bobbin by controlled thread guide means into a thread loop in such a way that the thread comes into a zone of action of a thread catching means on the rotating empty tube or on the rotating chuck carrying the empty tube and is caught.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1, wherein the thread is lIfted by a thread guide means swinging away from the friction roller into and past the traverse plane of the thread path between the traverse thread guide and the friction roller to lift the thread out of a reciprocating traverse thread guide, sliding the lifted thread under the action of the thread tension of the winding process along a guide surface inclined relative to the roller axis to said defined position which is located at the end of the traverse stroke, and in this position transferring the thread to an auxiliary thread guide, running the transferred thread over a member positioned in the path of the thread as it is moved in a controlled course of movement by the auxiliary thread guide to form a loop in the thread, and bringing the segment of the running thread in said loop which runs toward the auxiliary thread guide into contact with a thread catching means on the empty tube.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 2, wherein the transfer of the thread to the auxiliary thread guide takes place upon movement of the thread guide means back through the traverse plane into non-thread-engaging position.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 1, and severing the thread after catching thereof on the empty tube or the chuck in the thread segment running between the thread catching means and the auxiliary thread guide.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 2, wherein the thread applied to the empty tube is prevented from running back to the center of the traverse stroke until a thread reserve winding is wound on the empty tube.

Claim 7

In an apparatus for the loss-free winding of a continuously supplied thread into bobbin windings at a high winding speed, said apparatus including a friction drive roller rotatably journalled on a vertically movable head, a reverse-thread spindle driving a reciprocating traverse thread guide, said spindle being rotatably journalled on said head with its axis of rotation parallel with the axis of rotation of said drive roller, a rotatable bobbin revolver stoppable in predetermined positions, at least two tube-supporting chucks rotatably journalled on said bobbin revolver in positions wherein, through rotation of the bobbin revolver in a bobbin exchange step, an empty tube on one chuck and the wound bobbin on another chuck simultaneously may be brought into driving contact against the friction roller, and transfer means for transferring the continuously running thread onto the empty tube after it has been accelerated to a high peripheral velocity by the drive roller, the improvement which comprises the friction drive roller having in the bobbin-driving surface a continuous, spiral thread guide groove extending over the length of the traverse stroke, running in opposite directions, and continuous through the stroke reversal ends of the traverse stroke, and said transfer means including at least one third guide means movable during the thread transfer by said transfer means in a predetermined course of movement wherein the running thread is deflected into the range of action of a thread catching means on the chuck bearing the empty tube or on the empty tube itself.

Claim 8

In an apparatus for the loss-free winding of a continuously supplied thread into bobbin windings at a high winding speed, said apparatus including a friction drive roller rotatably journalled on a vertically movable head, a reverse-thread spindle driving a reciprocating traverse thread guide, said spindle being rotatably journalled on said head with its axis of rotation parallel with the axis of rotation of said drive roller, a rotatable bobbin revolver stoppable in predetermined positions, at least two tube-supporting chucks rotatably journalled on said bobbin revolver in positions wherein, through rotation of the bobbin revolver in a bobbin exchange step, an empty tube on one chuck and the wound bobbin on another chuck simultaneously may be brought into driving contact against the friction roller, and transfer means for transferring the continuously running thread onto the empty tube after it has been accelerated to a high peripheral velocity by the drive roller, the improvement which comprises the friction drive roller having in the bobbin-driving surface a continuous, spiral thread guide groove extending over the length of the traverse stroke, running in opposite directions, and continuous through the stroke reversal ends of the traverse stroke, and said transfer means including at least one third guide means movable during the thread transfer by said transfer means in a predetermined course of movement wherein the running thread is deflected into the range of action of a thread catching means on the chuck bearing the empty tube or on the empty tube itself.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 6, a thread guide bow supported on said head and movable into and through the traverse plane of the running thread segment between the reciprocating traverse thread guide and the friction roller, said bow having a first thread guide segment inclined relative to the bobbin axis and a second, notched segment restraining traverse movement of the thread, auxiliary thread guide means movable in guide means, a mandrel adjacent said auxiliary thread guide means, and said guide means guiding the movement of said auxiliary thread guide means first into thread-engaging position when the thread is running in said notched segment, and thereafter guiding said auxiliary thread guide means with the thread engaged therein into a position wherein the running thread forms a loop, one segment of which runs from said auxiliary thread guide means ans thereafter across said mandrel, and the other segment of which is deflected into engagement with said thread catching means.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the notched segment of the thread guide bow is positioned adjacent a stroke reversal zone of the traverse stroke.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the thread guide bow is mounted by means for moving said bow from a starting position below said head and behind said traverse plane outwardly through said traverse plane of said running thread.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the thread guide bow is pivotally supported by means for swinging the thread guide bow through the traverse plane of the thread running between the traverse thread guide and the friction roller, and a piston operatable in a cylinder by fluid pressure means, the piston rod of which is articulated on the thread guide bow to swing it through said traverse plane.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said transfer means includes an auxiliary thread guide, a cylinder having a longitudinal guide track in a wall thereof, a piston movable in said cylinder, said auxiliary thread guide being mounted on said piston, a pair of cables extending longitudinally in said cylinder and connected to opposite sides of said piston, and fluid pressure operated means for moving said piston and cables longitudinally in said cylinder.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 6, said transfer means including an auxiliary thread guide mounted on a piston rod which is reciprocable in a cylinder, guide track means extending longitudinally on said rod and configured to rotate the rod as it moves longitudinally, fluid pressure means for reciprocating said rod in said cylinder and fixed means in said cylinder interacting with said guide track means to cause said rod to revolve in accord with the configuration of the guide track means as it reciprocates in said cylinder.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 12, said piston rod being a double-walled cylindrical tube, the inner tube of which bears the piston and is slit longitudinally to provide said guide track means, and said inner tube being encased in a coaxial outer tube sealing said double-walled tube against losses of the fluid pressure medium.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said piston rod is reciprocally supported substantially without play on a cylindrical mandrel inside said inner tube, and said fixed means being mounted on an end of said mandrel inside said inner tube.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to claim 6, cutting means for severing the running thread after winding engagement thereof on the empty tube, said cutting means being cutting edges on a thread catching disk which is arranged coaxially with the chuck shaft of the tube chuck and having hooks distributed on the circumference.

Claim 18

An apparatus according to claim 6, cutting means for severing the thread after its winding engagement on the empty tube, said cutting means being thread-severing cutters distributed on the circumference of the tube chuck shaft and having thread severing edges parallel to the axis of the tube chuck.

Claim 19

An apparatus according to claim 6, and a thread reserve forming means embodying a thread guide member adjacent one end of the chuck-mounted tube, thread path guide means to run the thread onto said thread guide member, a deflectable pin mounted on said guide member, and adjustable spring loading means for temporarily holding said pin against deflection by the thread running against said pin to form said thread reserve on said one end of said tube.

Claim 20

An apparatus according to claim 17, thread guide means for the establishing and opening of a thread loop by said transfer means, said thread guide means being mounted on the thread guide member and comprising a bent wire bow.

Claim 21

An apparatus according to claim 6, said thread catching means comprising a thread catching disk coaxial with the chuck shaft and mounted on the tube chuck, and a plurality of thread-catching hooks distRibuted on the circumference of said disk, and the empty bobbin tube being axially slidable on said chuck into abutting engagement with said disk.

Claim 22

An apparatus according to claim 19, the outer diameter of the thread catching disk being greater than the outside diameter of the empty bobbin tube, and the drive roller having a lesser diameter at its end which is directly opposite said disk.