Doffing apparatus for spinning frame

An apparatus for doffing bobbins for a spinning frame having a plurality of bobbin spindles arranged, at a predetermined equal pitch, along the longitudinal length of said spinning frame, comprising:

• a movable frame movable on rails laid on a floor surface along the longitudinal length of a spinning frame,
• pillars extending from said movable frame,
• bobbin-chucking means vertically slidably carried on said pillars and having a horizontally movable arm and having at least one bobbin chuck at the forward end of this movable arm,
• bobbin-deflecting means movably arranged on said movable frame for moving between a first position located just below said at least one bobbin-chuck and a second position located away from said first position when viewed from thereabove, and
• bobbin-conveying means movable on a fixed rail provided above said bobbin-chucking means along the longitudinal length of the spinning frame, and having a plurality of bobbin holders suspended in row from supporting means provided thereon,
• said bobbin-chucking means being displaceable horizontally between a first horizontal position corresponding to the position of one of said bobbin holders and a second horizontal position located at a bobbin carried on the spinning frame, and at the same time being displaceable vertically between a third vertical position corresponding to the upper end portion of the bobbin carried on the spinning frame and a fourth vertical position corresponding to the upper end portion of the bobbin suspended from said one of the bobbin holders, to assume such a position at a time as is defined by any one horizontal position plus any one vertical position selected from the above four positions;
• said apparatus being arranged to perform the following eight sequential interlocked actions as one cycle of the doffing operation:
• a first action of removing empty bobbins from said bobbin holders of said bobbin-conveying means when said at least one bobbin chuck assumes its first horizontal position and its fourth vertical position,
• a second action of transferring these empty bobbins onto said bobbin-deflecting means when said at least one bobbin chuck assumes its first horizontal position and its third vertical position and when said deflecting means assumes its first position,
• a third action of deflecting the position of said bobbin-deflecting means into its second position,
• a fourth action of catching the full bobbins from the spinning frame when said at least one bobbin chuck assumes its second horizontal position and its third vertical position,
• a fifth action of transferring these full bobbins onto the bobbin holders of the bobbin-conveying means when said at least one bobbin chuck assumes its first horizontal position and its fourth vertical position,
• a sixth action of bringing said bobbin-deflecting means back to its first position,
• a seventh action of removing empty bobbins from said bobbin-deflecting means carrying these empty bobbins thereon when said at least one bobbin chuck assumes its first horizontal position and its third vertical position, and
• an eighth action of transferring these empty bobbins onto the spinning frame when said at least one bobbin chuck assumes its second horizontal position and its third vertical position.