Patent Application
20120025004
This application relates generally to textile machines. More specifically, this application relates to a method and apparatus for donning and doffing yarn tubes mounted on a creel using magnetic force.
In aspects of present disclosure, a device for mounting spools on a creel is disclosed including a base frame having two distinct positions, one each for donning and doffing thread from a yarn spool. The device further includes at least one pivot arm configured to receive the yarn spool. The pivot arm is configured to swing between the two positions. At least one magnetic component may be used to hold the pivot arm at one of the positions.
In further aspects of the present disclosure, a creel for use with a textile machine is disclosed including a rack structure with multiple base frames attached to the rack structure, each base frame configured to support at least one pivot arm for holding a yarn tube. The pivot arm is further configured to swing between two distinct positions on the base frame and be held in one of the two distinct positions using a magnetic component.
In still further aspects of the disclosure, a method of donning and doffing yarn tubes on a creel including moving a pivot arm having a yarn spool mounted on it, held at a doffing position by a magnetic force on a base frame to a donning position on the base frame, replacing the yarn spool, and returning the pivot arm to the doffing position to be securely held at the doffing position by the magnetic force.
The drawings, when considered in connection with the following description, are presented for the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject matter sought to be protected.
While the present disclosure is described with reference to several illustrative embodiments described herein, it should be clear that the present disclosure should not be limited to such embodiments. Therefore, the description of the embodiments provided herein is illustrative of the present disclosure and should not limit the scope of the disclosure as claimed. In addition, while following description references yarn, it will be appreciated that the disclosure may be used with other types of threads, strings, ropes, and the like, which may be used in creating fabrics, meshes, nets, and similar material.
Briefly described, a method and a device are disclosed for donning (putting on) and doffing (taking off) of yarn (or other types of threads) tubes or spools mounted on a creel (yarn spool holding rack used in textile industry). A base frame may be used to support pivoted arms on which yarn tubes are mounted for use with various textile machines, such as a fabric weaving machine or carpet tufting machine. The thread spool may be in at least one of two positions: donning position and doffing position. In the doffing position the thread may be fed to the textile machine for weaving, while in the donning position the thread spool may be manually or automatically replaced by another thread spool, for example to change thread type or color or to refill/replace an empty spool. The pivoted arms may be held in either the donning or doffing positions with magnetic force for precise, secure, and easy positioning of the pivoted arms.
A textile machine is supplied with threads for weaving a fabric. The fabric may be any kind of mesh weaved from various kinds of threads or yarns. The yarn or threads also may be used for other operations such as carpet tufting. Generally, the threads for weaving or other operations are supplied to the textile machines via spools, bobbins, or tubes wrapped with yarn or thread. These yarn tubes are mounted on a support arm attached to a frame on a creel, a rack for holding such yarn tubes and feeding textile machines. A regular part of the textile manufacturing process is the replacement of yarn tubes. The yarn tubes may have to be replaced for various reasons, such as running out of yarn, changing type or color of yarn, and the like. To replace the yarn tube, the arm on which the yarn tube is mounted is generally moved to a donning position away from a working or doffing position. Traditionally, the arm supporting the spool is fixed in a position by spring tension, latch, spring-loaded rod and hole/slot, or other similar mechanical devices, which are deactivated by force and/or by two-handed operation to unlock the arm before it can be moved to a different position for donning or doffing. Such devices are cumbersome to operate and often cause injuries, such as carpel tunnel injury, to operators because of the repetitive nature of the operation of these devices.
Textile machine 102 consumes threads 104 while yarn tubes 106 are in the doffing position. At some point during the textile manufacturing process, one or more of the yarn tubes 106 may need to be replaced. At such point in the process, the arm supporting yarn tube 106 is moved to the donning position for removal and replacement. In one embodiment, a natural magnet is used to hold the arm in the donning and/or doffing positions. The arm is simply pulled off the magnet for moving it to the other position, as further described in detail below.
In some embodiments, base frame 210 supports a single pivot arm 202a, while in other embodiments base frame 210 supports multiple pivot arms. For example, an extended base frame may support two, four, six, or any odd or even numbers of pivot arms in various geometric configurations suitable for mounting on a creel.
In some embodiments, arm magnets may be natural magnets, while in other embodiments, the arm magnets may be electromagnets. In various embodiments, electromagnets may be turned off to release the pivot arms for swinging to the other position with little force needed from the operator. In such embodiments, the electromagnets are turned back on to hold the pivot arms securely in the appropriate positions. In some embodiments, the electromagnets may be turned on and off by a control button located in the proximity of each particular pivot arm for controlling the arm magnet for the particular pivot arm. In other embodiments, the control button may be used to control a group of pivot arms, for example, a row or column of pivot arms in certain geometric configurations of the base frame.
In operation, with continued reference to
At block 320, the pivot arm may be moved to the donning position by overcoming or removing the magnetic force holding the pivot arm, for example, pivot arms 202a and 202b, in the doffing position. As discussed previously, the magnetic force holding the pivot arm in the doffing position may be generated by a permanent magnet or an electromagnet. The process proceeds to block 330.
At block 330, in some embodiments, the pivot arm may be held in place at the donning position, using magnetic force generated by magnets installed at the donning position, for the replacement of a yarn tube. In other embodiments, the pivot arm may simply be held in the donning position manually, without the use of magnetic force, for replacing the yarn tube. Once the pivot arm is separated by a small distance, typically on the order of a few tenths of an inch, from the magnet holding it in place at the donning or the doffing positions, the pivot arm swings freely without any exertion from the creel operator. Next, the process proceeds to block 340.
At block 340, the creel operator may replace the yarn tube mounted on the pivot arm. The process proceeds to block 350 next.
At block 350, in some embodiments, the pivot arm may be held in place at the donning position, using magnetic force generated by magnets installed at the donning position, for the replacement of a yarn tube. In other embodiments, the pivot arm may simply be held in the donning position manually, without the use of magnetic force, for replacing the yarn tube. In embodiments where magnetic force is used at the donning position, once the pivot arm is separated by a small distance, typically on the order of a few tenths of an inch, from the magnet holding it in place at the donning positions, the pivot arm swings freely without any exertion from the creel operator. The creel operator may move the pivot arm to the doffing position where it is attracted and held in place by magnetic force to supply yarn to the textile machine from the newly replaced yarn tube. Next, the process proceeds to block 360.
At block 460, the process terminates.
While the present disclosure has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
