Claims
- 1. A traveling service unit for selective servicing of the work stations of a spinning or other textile machine, the textile machine being of the type having a guide rail associated therewith positioned at a uniform spacing from the machine components at the work stations of the textile machine, said traveling service unit comprising:
- roller means supporting said traveling service unit on a floor adjacent the textile machine, said roller means including at least one guide roller; and
- control means for maintaining said guide roller at a predetermined distance from said guide rail to maintain said traveling service unit at a uniform predetermined spacing from the textile machine, said control means including a rail engaging member operatively connected to said guide roller to maintain said uniform predetermined spacing, said rail engaging member is movable laterally toward and away from said rail and said control means includes means biasing said rail engaging member into engagement with said rail; and characterized further by means for moving said rail engaging member laterally independent of said rail for selective pivoting said guide roller and thereby guiding said service unit independent of said rail.
- 2. A traveling service unit according to claim 1 and characterized further in that said rail engaging member is in positive engagement with said rail to maintain said engaging member against movement in either lateral direction with respect to said rail.
- 3. A traveling service unit according to claim 2 and characterized further in that said rail engaging member includes a pair of follower rollers straddling said rail and maintaining said rail engaging member at a fixed laterally extending orientation with respect to said rail.
- 4. A traveling service unit according to claim 1 and characterized further by a pair of guide rollers spaced rearwardly of said first-mentioned guide roller for support of said service unit thereon, and by another rail engaging member carried on said service unit rearwardly of said first-mentioned rail engaging member and related to said pair of guide rollers to maintain said spacing.
- 5. A traveling service unit according to claim 4 and characterized further in that said guide rollers are pivotally mounted on said unit for pivoting about generally vertical axes, and said rail engaging members are engagable with said guide rollers to pivot said guide rollers toward and away from said rail to maintain said unit in following relation to said rail.
- 6. A traveling service unit according to claim 1 and characterized further in that said guide roller is pivotally mounted on said unit for pivoting about a generally vertical axis, and said rail engaging member is engagable with said guide roller to pivot said guide roller toward and away from said rail to maintain said unit in following relation to said rail.
- 7. A traveling service unit according to claim 6 and characterized further in that said rail engaging member is movable laterally with respect to said unit in rail following relation to pivot said guide roller.
- 8. A traveling service unit according to claim 7 and characterized further in that said rail engaging member engages said guide roller at a forward spacing from the axis of said guide roller.
- 9. A traveling service unit according to claim 1 and characterized further by another guide roller spaced laterally of said first-mentioned guide roller for support of said service unit thereon.
- 10. A traveling service unit according to claim 9 and characterized further in that said another guide roller is fixed to said unit without being pivotable with respect thereto.
- 11. A traveling service unit according to claim 9 and characterized further in that said another guide roller is related to said rail engaging member to maintain said spacing.
- 12. A traveling service unit according to claim 11 and characterized further in that said guide rollers are pivotally mounted on said unit for pivoting about generally vertical axes, and said rail engaging member is engagable with said guide rollers to pivot said guide rollers toward and away from said rail to maintain said unit in following relation to said rail.
- 13. A traveling service unit according to claim 12 and characterized further in that rail engaging member is movable laterally with respect to said unit in rail following relation to pivot said guide rollers.
- 14. A traveling service unit according to claim 1 and characterized further by another guide roller spaced rearwardly of said first-mentioned guide roller for support of said service unit thereon, and by another rail engaging member carried on said service unit rearwardly of said first-mentioned rail engaging member and related to said another guide roller to maintain said spacing.
- 15. A traveling service unit according to claim 14 and characterized further in that said guide rollers are pivotally mounted on said unit for pivoting about generally vertical axes, and said rail engaging members are engagable with said guide rollers to pivot said guide rollers toward and away from said rail to maintain said unit in following relation to said rail.
- 16. A traveling service unit according to claim 15 and characterized further in that said rail engaging members are movable laterally with respect to said unit in rail following relation to pivot said guide rollers.
- 17. A traveling service unit according to claims 10, 14 or 4 and characterized further in that said guide rollers are skewed toward said rail to bias movement of said service unit toward said rail.
- 18. A traveling service unit according to claim, 6 or 7 and characterized further by a proximity switch mounted on said service unit adjacent said rail and activated by contact with said rail.
- 19. A traveling service unit according to claim 1 and characterized further in that said guide roller is skewed toward said rail to bias movement of said service unit toward said rail.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
3634474 |
Oct 1986 |
DEX |
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Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No. 104,349 filed Oct. 2, 1987, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (14)
Foreign Referenced Citations (8)
Number |
Date |
Country |
24515 |
Sep 1959 |
DEX |
434052 |
Oct 1967 |
DEX |
1803802 |
Dec 1969 |
DEX |
3141188 |
Jul 1986 |
DEX |
1229885 |
Jun 1987 |
DEX |
102715 |
Aug 1979 |
JPX |
384022 |
Jan 1965 |
CHX |
11717 |
May 1910 |
GBX |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
104349 |
Oct 1987 |
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