Automatic doffing apparatus

Claim 1

A bobbin doffing assembly for use with synthetic yarn extrusion positions including a plurality of winding stations spaced along the extrusion positions; each winding station including rotary feed roll means, rotary cam means, and package carrier means rotatably carrying a yarn-receiving package; said cam means guiding yarn from said feed-roll means onto said bobbin while rotating said package by surface engagement between said cam means and surface layer of yarns in said package; said doffing assembly comprising: track means extending the length of said extrusion position; frame means including a primary frame means mounted on said track means and secondary frame means mounted on and movable relative to said primary frame means; yarn handling means mounted on said frame means and including: a primary yarn handling means for effecting a doffing operation of a first winding station mounted on said primary frame means; a secondary yarn handling means for effecting a doffing operation of a second winding station mounted on said secondary frame means, said primary and said secondary yarn handling means each including means for severing yarn between said feed roll means and said rotary cam means while capturing the yarn from a respective feed roll means after severing and means for guiding said yarn along a predetermined path to accomplish a throw-on; and timer means operatively connected to said yarn handling means for controlling the sequence of operations of said yarn handling means according to a predetermined schedule, said doffing assembly including aligning means on said track means and said primary frame means for locating said primary frame means at selected doffing positions along said track means; said secondary frame means including means for engaging said aligning means and for locating said secondary frame means at selected dOffing positions along said track means.