Claims
- 1. The combination of a supply bin (14) for textile cops and a feeder system to feed the cops, singly, to a removal station (24), and to separate the cops during the feeding operation to prevent pressure by cops in the supply bin on a cop (7a) being removed for feeding, having
- a bin structure having a removal opening (19) formed therein;
- a biassed flap (26) releasably closing the removal opening,
- and ejection means (40) engageable with the lowermost cop to feed the cop to the removal means,
- wherein, in accordance with the invention,
- at least a portion of the bottom of the supply bin structure (14) is inclined forwardly towards the removal opening (19) and includes
- a movable base plate (31), the base plate being mounted for movement between a feed position in which the base plate is inclined in the direction of inclination of the bottom of the supply bin and towards the opening, and a re-supply position in which the base plate is inclined upwardly and away from the removal opening (19);
- and the ejection means comprises
- a movable ejector (40) occupying a space at least approximately of the size of the geometric outline of a cop, said ejector element (40) being mounted for movement between a rest position in which the ejector element is located immediately in advance of the cop removal opening (19) and closes off said opening, a re-supply position in which the ejector element (40) is located in a position beneath the bottom of the supply bin (14), and a feed position in which the ejector (40) is engaging a cop (7a) to feed said cop in advance thereof, along the downwardly inclined bottom of the supply bin and pushing said cop against said biassed flap (26) and through said removal opening.
- 2. Combination according to claim 1, wherein said ejector element (40) is pivotally mounted, and said movement between said three positions is a pivoting movement.
- 3. Combination according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the bottom of the supply bin located in advance of the removal opening is defined by a downwardly set off or stepped bottom portion (23).
- 4. Combination according to claim 1, wherein the ejector element (40) is formed with rakes or tines, said ejector element occupying the space (30) immediately in advance of the ejection opening (19) when the ejector element is in rest position, and the bottom of the supply bin (14) is formed with a grid or grate-like structure with the solid portions of the grate-like structure offset with respect to the solid portions of the rake structure of the ejector element to permit penetration of the ejector element through said grate structure.
- 5. Combination according to claim 1, wherein the ejector element is mounted for sequential movement through its positions in this sequence: re-supply position; rest position; feed position; the ejector, upon movement between between rest position and feed position closing off the space immediately in advance of the ejector opening to prevent pressure on the cop (7a) being ejected by the ejector caused by other cops located in the bin.
- 6. Combination according to claim 1, further comprising a blocking lever (50) located above the ejection opening (19) and extending into the bin structure (14), said blocking lever being movable between a position close to the ejection opening and a raised position to push cops in the vicinity of the ejection opening away from the ejection opening.
- 7. Combination according to claim 6, wherein the blocking lever is a plate-like element extending transversely of the bin and having a length approximately similar to that of a cop in the bin, said blocking lever plate (50) being mounted for pivotal movement.
- 8. Combination according to claim 1, further comprising a lifting shoe located adjacent the free end of the movable base plate (31) and positioned to extend upwardly from the movable base plate to hold cops on the movable base plate away from the ejection opening (19).
- 9. Combination according to claim 8, wherein said shoe is movable conjointly with movement of the movable base plate.
- 10. Combination according to claim 1, further comprising a conveyor (15, 24), and a synchronized drive (36') synchronizing drive of the conveyor and movement of said base plate (31) and said ejector element (40).
- 11. Combination according to claim 6, further comprising a conveyor (15, 24), and a synchronized drive (36') synchronizing drive of the conveyor and movement of said base plate (31), said ejector element (40) and said blocking lever (50).
- 12. Combination according to claim 4, further comprising a blocking lever (50) located above the ejection opening (19) and extending into the bin structure (14), said blocking lever being movable between a position close to the ejection opening and a raised position to push cops in the vicinity of the ejection opening away from the ejection opening;
- a lifting shoe located adjacent the free end of the movable base plate (31) and positioned to extend upwardly from the movable base plate to hold cops on the movable base plate away from the ejection opening (19);
- and a conveyor (15, (24), and a synchronized drive (36') synchronizing drive of the conveyor and movement of said base plate (31), said ejector element (40), said blocking lever (50) and said shoe (38).
Priority Claims (1)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
| 16418/75 |
Dec 1975 |
CH |
|
SUBJECT MATTER OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Cross-reference to related applications and patents, assigned to the assignee of the present application:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,380,677, Stapfer; 3,608,843, Seidlich;
U.S. Ser. No. 308,875, filed Nov. 8, 1972, Heckel -- abandoned in favor of U.S. Ser. No. 707,348, filed July 21, 1976;
U.S. Ser. No. 697,943, filed June 21, 1976, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,444 Suter;
U.S. Ser. No. 697,944, filed June 21, 1976, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,353 Suter.
The present invention relates to an automatic feed or conveyor system for textile cops in combination with a supply bin from which individual textile cops or pirns are separately removed, and more particularly to such a system and combination in which a large number of textile cops or pirns are stored in a storage bin, piled on top of each other.
Various types of storage bins have been proposed; the difficulty arises that misalignment of cops or pirns within the storage bin may cause the formation of bridges and thus failure of cops or pirns to be removed. Additionally, if the number of cops or pirns which are stacked in the bin is large, damage to the thread wound on the cops or pirns may result.
One type of textile cop supply holder is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,126,923. According to the structure described in this patent, the lowermost one of the cops or pirns is removed, so that the lowermost one cop is subjected to the weight of the entire stack of cops or pirns. The stack of cops or pirns presses the lowermost cop through a removal opening. Thereafter, and when the cop has been removed, the remaining stack collapses uncontrolled. Jams may result or the formation of bridges by cops which are not perfectly aligned. To prevent malfunction, pivoting elements are provided to clear any jams, the pivoting elements acting on the stack of cops.
It has also been proposed to remove cops or pirns from the topmost level; for example, as shown in German Patent Publication DT-AS No. 1,126,810, or Austrian Patent Oe-Ps No. 289,603. A pusher element pushes the topmost cop from a supply bin. This system requires a pusher element which has a feed travel extending at least across the entire length of a cop, the pusher element necessarily having to penetrate through the entire stack of cops.
All the known removal elements have in common that, upon removal of a single cop, substantial movement results within the remaining cops or the stack of cops left in the storage bin. This movement can lead to damage of the sensitive and carefully wound windings on the cops, particularly if the filament wound thereon is of fine gauge. The difficulty is particularly acute if the cops are to be transported to an automatic spooling machine having an automatic system to join the filament of a new cop to that of an old one which is being spooled by means of a knotting apparatus. Such automatic spooling machines, in one embodiment, have vacuum apparatus to remove the free end or foot lap from the cop to introduce this foot lap to the knotting apparatus of the spooling machine. If the foot laps are pressed into the windings of the filament on the cop by pressure, or friction from other cops, difficulty or impossibility of automatic removal of the foot lap may result, thus leading to malfunction of the spooling machine and interference with its automatic operation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a removal apparatus and system for combination with a storage bin in which textile spool holders such as textile cops or pirns, shuttle thread spools, and the like, can be removed from a supply bin, and in which the removal of the filament holder is effected gently and while protecting the winding of the filament, yarn or thread on the filament holder.
Briefly, at least a portion of the bottom of the supply bin is inclined forwardly towards a removal opening. The bottom includes a movable base plate which is mounted for movement between a feed position, in which the base is inclined in the direction of the opening to direct the cop towards the opening, and a re-supply position in which the base inclined upwardly and away from the removal opening. An ejector is movable to engage a cop and push it through the removal opening; the ejector, preferably, occupies a space at least approximately that of the geometric outline of the cop. The ejector moves between a rest position in which the ejector element is located immediately in advance of the cop removal opening, and closing off the opening; a re-supply position in which the ejector is located in a withdrawn position, for example beneath the bottom of the supply bin; and a feed position in which the ejector engages the cop and pushes it so that it will be moved, by gravity, along the bottom of the supply bin and be pushed through the removal opening against a bias force applied to a closing flap closing off the removal opening.
Motor drives are provided to move the respective elements. Preferably, the ejector is pivoted and is moved between its various respective positions by pivoting movement.
The system permits placing the lowermost cop of a stack of cops in a "ready" position, that is, in a holding space where the cop is essentially removed from pressure of the remaining cops in the stack or otherwise located in the bin. Cops which are not in the holding position or holding chamber are spaced therefrom by the movable bottom portion of the base of the bin so that the particular cop being fed through the removal opening is separated from the remainder of the stack and the zone free from pressure due to the stacked cops in the bin will result. The remaining cops in the bin are gently kept away from the holding zone or space in which the cop being next fed through the opening is located. The isolation of this cop being fed can be additionally enhanced by forming the movable base plate of the bottom of the bin in such a way that it acts on the cops adjacent the one being fed partly throughout its circumference, that is, by shaping it in a form of a shoe or partial basket.
The pressure-free holding chamber is additionally enhanced by locating a pivotal, plate-shaped blocking lever arrangement above the removal opening, extending transversely of the holding zone approximately by the width of a cop in the stack, to additionally keep away any cops which might otherwise possibly penetrate towards the holding space or holding chamber.
The lowermost cop can then be removed free from pressure of the remainder of the cops in the bin. The system additionally permits gentle feeding of the next subsequent cop to the holding chamber or zone, by permitting the subsequent cop to slide slowly and gently into the holding chamber. The speed of feed of the next cop to the holding position can be controlled by suitably controlling the reset speed of the movable base plate of the bottom of the bin and further controlling the speed of resetting of the pivotal plate-like locking lever above the removal opening.
The ejector element preferably is formed like a rake or grid with tines, and movable through the bottom base plate which, likewise, is formed with tines and adjacent intermediate slots through which the tines of the ejector may extend. Movement of the ejector to eject a cop is preferably so arranged that it, simultaneously, closes off the ejection opening after the cop has been ejected to prevent possible erroneous feeding of a subsequent cop.
The various movements of the various elements are all commanded mechanically like links, levers and cams engaging a shaft which is driven, preferably in synchronism with the conveyor which removes the ejected cops from the ejection opening.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
| 18,059 |
Aug 1965 |
JA |
Patent Grant
4063635
