Apparatus for handling a yarn end during a donning operation on a textile machine

In an apparatus for doffing and donning in a textile machine having a spinning unit, a take up unit having a rotatably driven friction roller, a pivotably mounted cradle for releasably holding a bobbin in contact with said friction roller for rotating said bobbin with said friction roller, and delivery means mounted spaced from one side of said friction roller for continuously directing yarn from said spinning unit, whereby yarn from said spinning unit may be wound on a bobbin held in said cradle;

• the improvement wherein said cradle is manually pivotably movable toward and away from said friction roller, comprising a bobbin holder mounted in a fixed position with respect to said friction roller and including means for releasably holding fresh bobbins in the path of pivotal movement of said cradle away from said friction roller, said cradle having holding means for grasping a fresh bobbin held by said bobbin holder when said cradle is pivotally moved away from said friction roller, and means comprising a suction nozzle forming a temporary yarn passage, said suction nozzle being positioned on the same side of said friction roller as said delivery means to receive yarn from said delivery means and hold it out of contact with said friction roller, said friction roller and said bobbin holder being located on opposite sides of the yarn when the yarn is received by said suction means whereby, upon pivotal movement of said cradle from said bobbin holder toward said friction roller with a fresh bobbin held therein, yarn extending between said delivery means and said suction nozzle may be urged into contact with said friction roller for being wound on said fresh bobbin.