Roving frame bolster

Claim 2

In a roving frame, a spindle assembly for twisting a strand of fibers and winding the strand on a bobbin, said spindle assembly including a rotatable spindle shaft and a flyer affixed to the shaft, a bolster tube, a bobbin rotatably supported on the exterior of the bolster tube, drive means including means for driving the spindle at a desired speed and means for rotating the bobbin, said spindle shaft being rotatably supported in the interior of the bolster tube, means resiliently supporting the bolster tube on an element of the roving frame for lateral pivotal movement relative to the frame element, said resilient supporting means including a rigid annular surface fixed relative to the frame element, a rigid peripheral surface on the bolster tube adjacent a lower end thereof, said peripheral surface being in abutting contact with said annular surface and being axially supported thereby, and spring means to axially resiliently bias said peripheral surface into engagement with said annular surface whereby lateral pivotal movement of said bolster tube resulting in relative movement between said peripheral surface And said annular surface is resisted by said spring means.

Claim 3

A roving frame as set forth in claim 1, wherein said spring means comprises a compression spring, and including means to maintain said compression spring in a compressed state.

Claim 4

A roving frame as set forth in claim 2, wherein said compression spring is concentrically arranged over the bolster tube adjacent its lower end.

Claim 5

A roving frame as set forth in claim 3, wherein a body on said frame element includes a bore, and said lower bolster tube end and said compression spring are received in said bore.

Claim 6

A roving frame set forth in claim 4, wherein apertures at each end of said bore are provided, portions of said bolster tube extending into each of said apertures, the dimensions of said apertures being selected with a predetermined clearance with said bolster tube portions to limit pivotal movement of said tube therein.

Claim 7

A roving frame as set forth in claim 5, including a radial surface fixed to said body adjacent one end of said bore, and a friction washer having an internal diameter substantially equal to the outside diameter of the bolster tube adjacent said radial surface, said washer being positioned over said bolster tube and being held against said radial surface by said spring whereby pivotal movement of said tube is resisted by sliding frictional engagement between said washer and said radial surface.

Claim 8

A roving frame as set forth in claim 6, wherein one of said apertures is provided by a retaining nut threaded into an end of said body bore, said nut providing said radial surface.

Claim 9

A roving frame as set forth in claim 7, wherein said nut includes self-retaining means engageable with a cooperating portion of said bore to maintain said nut in said bore.

Claim 10

A roving frame as set forth in claim 8, wherein said self-retaining means includes a tubular extension having a conical exterior surface, and said cooperating bore portion having a conical surface substantially complementary to said conical exterior surface.

Claim 11

A roving frame as set forth in claim 9, wherein said annular surface is a segment of a spherical surface forming a socket and said peripheral surface is a segment of a spherical surface forming a ball portion in said socket.

Claim 12

A roving frame spindle assembly comprising a body secured to a roving frame, a bolster tube resiliently mounted on the body, a spindle shaft rotatably journaled in the bolster tube, a bobbin rotatably supported on the exterior of the bolster tube, a flyer on the spindle shaft for winding a strand of fibers on the bobbin, said body including a bore aligned with the axis of the spindle shaft, a lower end of said bolster tube being supported in said bore, a helical compression spring in the body bore concentrically arranged about the exterior of the lower bolster tube end, an annular seating surface in the body bore, a peripheral surface on the exterior of the tube in abutting engagement with said annular seating surface, said annular surface axially supporting said tube through said peripheral surface for pivotal movement thereon, one end of said spring having means to bias said tube to an aligned position relative to the spindle axis, a washer in said bore embracing the exterior of said tube with a sliding fit, a radial surface on said body in abutting engagement with said washer, the other end of said spring biasing said washer into frictional engagement with said radial surface whereby pivotal movement of said tube on said annular surface produces sliding frictional engagement between said washer and radial surface, and means on said body limiting the maximum lateral displacement of said tube on said body.

Claim 13

A roving frame spindle assembly comprising a body secured to a roving frame, a bolster tube resiliently mounted on the body, a spindle shaft rotatably journaled in the bolster tube, a bobbin rotatably supported on the exterior of the bolster tube, a flyer on the spindle shaft for winding a strand of fibers on the bobbin, said body including a bore aligned with the axis of the spindle shaft, a lower end of said bolster tube being supported in said bore, a helical compression spring in the body bore concentrically arranged about the exterior of the lower bolster tube end, an annular seating surface in the body bore, a peripheral surface on the exterior of the tube in abutting engagement with said annular seating surface, said annular surface axially supporting said tube through said peripheral surface for pivotal movement thereon, one end of said spring having means to bias said tube to an aligned position relative to the spindle axis, a washer in said bore embracing the exterior of said tube with a sliding fit, a radial surface on said body in abutting engagement with said washer, the other end of said spring biasing said washer into frictional engagement with said radial surface whereby pivotal movement of said tube on said annular surface produces sliding frictional engagement between said washer and radial surface, and means on said body limiting the maximum lateral displacement of said tube on said body.

Claim 14

A roving frame spindle assembly as set forth in claim 11, wherein said annular surface provides a spherical socket surface and said annular surface provides a spherical ball surface.