US3921922A — Method of automatically changing winding tubes an…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 200 words

A method of automatically changing tubes seated upon tube clamping mandrels and wherein each tube, through rotation of a member carrying the tube clamping mandrels, is alternately brought out of a position in contact with a friction drive drum for the purpose of taking-up an endless thread delivered at a high speed and after reaching the desired package size thereon the tube with its package is brought into a package doffing position, the improvement comprising the steps of rocking a gripper in a first direction of movement out of a rest position essentially perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube clamping mandrel carrying the tube with the package wound thereon, engaging the package and its tube by means of the gripper, withdrawing the engaged package and its tube from the tube clamping mandrel by moving the gripper in a direction away from the tube clamping mandrel and essentially in a direction which is parallel with respect to the axial direction of the tube clamping mandrel into a predetermined position, and thereafter releasing the package and its tube by carrying out a rocking movement of the gripper in a second direction of movement opposite to said first direction of movement.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 200 words

A method of automatically changing tubes seated upon tube clamping mandrels and wherein each tube, through rotation of a member carrying the tube clamping mandrels, is alternately brought out of a position in contact with a friction drive drum for the purpose of taking-up an endless thread delivered at a high speed and after reaching the desired package size thereon the tube with its package is brought into a package doffing position, the improvement comprising the steps of rocking a gripper in a first direction of movement out of a rest position essentially perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube clamping mandrel carrying the tube with the package wound thereon, engaging the package and its tube by means of the gripper, withdrawing the engaged package and its tube from the tube clamping mandrel by moving the gripper in a direction away from the tube clamping mandrel and essentially in a direction which is parallel with respect to the axial direction of the tube clamping mandrel into a predetermined position, and thereafter releasing the package and its tube by carrying out a rocking movement of the gripper in a second direction of movement opposite to said first direction of movement.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 93 words

The method as defined in claim 1, further including the step of charging the gripper with an empty tube following depositing of the package with its tube during said rocking movement of said gripper in said second direction of movement, moving the gripper with the empty tube into a substantially coaxial position with respect to the tube clamping mandrel, displacing the gripper together with the empty tube substantially axially towards the tube clamping mandrel, pushing the tube onto the tube clamping mandrel, and thereafter again rocking the gripper back into its rest position.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 259 words

A winding apparatus comprising a friction drive drum for driving tubes onto which are wound thread packages and which tubes can be alternately placed into contact with the friction drive drum, a respective brakable and releasable tube supporting mandrel upon which there can be mounted each of said tubes, a rotatable and arrestable member for alternately bringing the tubes into a thread wind-up position and into a thread package doffing position and an empty tube loading position, respectively, an unloading and loading mechanism for unloading the thread packages and loading an empty tube cooperating with said tube supporting mandrels, said unloading and loading mechanism comprising a gripper, means including a rotatably mounted shaft for supporting said gripper, said shaft extending substantially parallel to the axis of the thread package wound on a tube supported by one of said mandrels, means for receiving the wound thread packages, means for delivering empty tubes, said gripper being carried by said supporting means for movement in the axial direction of said shaft and pivotable together with said shaft, drive means for rotating said shaft and drive means for displacing said gripper in the axial direction of the shaft for engaging and withdrawing a wound thread package and its tube from its associated tube supporting mandrel and depositing such wound package and tube at said means for receiving the wound thread packages and for also engaging an empty tube from said means for delivering empty tubes and for displacing such empty tube onto the tube supporting mandrel from which the package was previously removed.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 259 words

A winding apparatus comprising a friction drive drum for driving tubes onto which are wound thread packages and which tubes can be alternately placed into contact with the friction drive drum, a respective brakable and releasable tube supporting mandrel upon which there can be mounted each of said tubes, a rotatable and arrestable member for alternately bringing the tubes into a thread wind-up position and into a thread package doffing position and an empty tube loading position, respectively, an unloading and loading mechanism for unloading the thread packages and loading an empty tube cooperating with said tube supporting mandrels, said unloading and loading mechanism comprising a gripper, means including a rotatably mounted shaft for supporting said gripper, said shaft extending substantially parallel to the axis of the thread package wound on a tube supported by one of said mandrels, means for receiving the wound thread packages, means for delivering empty tubes, said gripper being carried by said supporting means for movement in the axial direction of said shaft and pivotable together with said shaft, drive means for rotating said shaft and drive means for displacing said gripper in the axial direction of the shaft for engaging and withdrawing a wound thread package and its tube from its associated tube supporting mandrel and depositing such wound package and tube at said means for receiving the wound thread packages and for also engaging an empty tube from said means for delivering empty tubes and for displacing such empty tube onto the tube supporting mandrel from which the package was previously removed.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 21 words

The winding apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said gripper includes a pair of shoe means for engaging the tubes.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 130 words

The winding apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said means for receiving the wound thread packages deposited by said gripper comprises rail means, said rail means incorporating tiltable rail section means, said rail means being arranged above said means for delivering the empty tubes in such a manner that the shoe means of said gripper durinG pivoting of said gripper can move past said tiltable rail section means, to permit the gripper to be brought into a position at the empty tubedelivering means for receiving an empty tube, whereupon said gripper can again be rotated past said tiltable rail section means and into a position where such empty tube is located substantially coaxially with respect to the tube supporting mandrel at which such empty tube is to be mounted.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 47 words

The winding apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said drive means for rotating said guide means comprises a pivotably mounted cylinder means, said guide means having an arm, said cylinder means incorporating a piston hingedly connected by hinge means with said arm of said guide means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 76 words

The winding apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said drive means for displacing the gripper serves to axially displace said gripper and comprises a fixedly arranged cylinder, said fixedly arranged cylinder being provided with a piston, an arm member carried by said piston and extending in a direction essentially perpendicular to the direction of movement of said piston, said gripper means being provided with an annular groove, said arm member engaging with said annular groove.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 161 words

a thread package doffing and empty tube loading apparatus for use with a tube supporting mandrel, comprising a gripper, means including a rotatably mounted shaft for carrying said gripper, said shaft extending substantially parallel to the axis of the thread package wound on a tube supported by said mandrel, means for receiving the wound thread packages, means for delivering empty tubes, said gripper being supported by said carrying means for movement in the axial direction of said shaft and pivotable together with said shaft, drive means for rotating said shaft and drive means for displacing said gripper in the axial direction of said shaft for engaging and withdrawing a wound thread package and its tube from the tube supporting mandrel and depositing such wound package and tube at said means for receiving the wound thread package and for also engaging an empty tube from said means for delivering empty tubes and for displacing such empty tube onto the tube supporting mandrel.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 161 words

a thread package doffing and empty tube loading apparatus for use with a tube supporting mandrel, comprising a gripper, means including a rotatably mounted shaft for carrying said gripper, said shaft extending substantially parallel to the axis of the thread package wound on a tube supported by said mandrel, means for receiving the wound thread packages, means for delivering empty tubes, said gripper being supported by said carrying means for movement in the axial direction of said shaft and pivotable together with said shaft, drive means for rotating said shaft and drive means for displacing said gripper in the axial direction of said shaft for engaging and withdrawing a wound thread package and its tube from the tube supporting mandrel and depositing such wound package and tube at said means for receiving the wound thread package and for also engaging an empty tube from said means for delivering empty tubes and for displacing such empty tube onto the tube supporting mandrel.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 218 words

A method of automatically doffing a tube with a package wound thereon seated upon a tube supporting mandrel and loading said mandrel with an empty tube, comprising the steps of: displacing a gripper in a first direction of movement out of a rest position in a direction towards the tube supporting mandrel carrying the tube with the package, engaging the tube by means of the gripper, moving the gripper in a direction away from the tube supporting mandrel and essentially parallel with respect to the axial direction of the tube supporting mandrel to thereby remove the engaged tube from the tube supporting mandrel, thereafter releasing and depositing the tube with the package by carrying out a further movement of the gripper in a second direction of movement opposite to said first direction of movement, then charging the gripper with an empty tube following the releasing and depositing of the package with its tube during said movement of said gripper in said second direction of movement, moving the gripper with the empty tube into a substantially coaxial position with respect to the tube supporting mandrel, displacing the gripper together with the empty tube substantially axially towards the tube supporting mandrel, pushing the tube onto the tube supporting mandrel, and thereafter again moving the gripper back into its rest position.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 218 words

A method of automatically doffing a tube with a package wound thereon seated upon a tube supporting mandrel and loading said mandrel with an empty tube, comprising the steps of: displacing a gripper in a first direction of movement out of a rest position in a direction towards the tube supporting mandrel carrying the tube with the package, engaging the tube by means of the gripper, moving the gripper in a direction away from the tube supporting mandrel and essentially parallel with respect to the axial direction of the tube supporting mandrel to thereby remove the engaged tube from the tube supporting mandrel, thereafter releasing and depositing the tube with the package by carrying out a further movement of the gripper in a second direction of movement opposite to said first direction of movement, then charging the gripper with an empty tube following the releasing and depositing of the package with its tube during said movement of said gripper in said second direction of movement, moving the gripper with the empty tube into a substantially coaxial position with respect to the tube supporting mandrel, displacing the gripper together with the empty tube substantially axially towards the tube supporting mandrel, pushing the tube onto the tube supporting mandrel, and thereafter again moving the gripper back into its rest position.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method as defined in claim 9, including the step of engaging the tube at opposite ends thereof by means of the gripper.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-11-24	1979-05-26	1979-11-25	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-11-24	1983-05-26	1983-11-25	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-11-24	1987-05-26	1987-11-25	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method of automatically changing winding tubes and winding apparatus for implementing the aforesaid method and improved spool doffing mechanism

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag