Method and apparatus for automatically changing textile bobbins on a cantilevered bobbin chuck of a textile winding machine

#The present invention relates to a new and improved method of automatically changing textile bobbins on a cantilevered bobbin chuck of a textile winding machine, and further concerns a new and improved bobbin changing apparatus for implementing the aforesaid method. The bobbin change apparatus is of the type comprising a bobbin tube gripper axially movable in the take-off of doffing direction arranged within two end positions on a rigidly arranged bobbin chuck for taking-off a bobbin tube supporting a wound bobbin package and for transferring it onto a supporting bolt of bobbin package transporting device held in readiness.

#Changing devices for removing or taking-off full bobbin packages from a cantilevered bobbin chuck and for transferring them onto a bolt of a bobbin creel held in readiness are known already to the art. One prior art device of this type consists of a trolley which is movable on rails along a row of winding machines and which is pivotable about its vertical axis, and provided with a number of bobbin package take-off devices corresponding to the number of bobbin packages to be simultaneously taken-off. The bobbin take-off devices consist of a bobbin tube gripper movable along a straight horizontal path. The bobbin tube gripper is moved from a starting position linearly towards the bobbin chuck for gripping the bobbin tube. In this arrangement the bobbin tube gripper is arranged on and coaxially with respect to the gripper movement path. Upon gripping the full bobbin package tube the gripper is moved in the opposite direction along the same path until the full bobbin package tube sufficiently clears the bobbin chuck. Subsequently the trolley is pivoted about its vertical axis in such a manner that the full bobbin packages can be shifted onto a bobbin creel provided with supporting bolts by a reverse movement of the bobbin tube gripper. Thereafter, the gripper and the trolley are again moved back to their starting position, so that the changing device is ready for the next take-off of full bobbin packages.

#A disadvantage of a changing device of this type resides in the fact that the gripper is arranged coaxially on its path of movement. It thus is necessary to pivot the gripper through 180.degree. in order that the bobbin package can be transferred to the bobbin creel.

#The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above, will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a semi-schematic top plan view of a bobbin change device with a suction nozzle and with a bobbin tube gripper and a transporting chain;

#FIG. 2 is a semi-schematic cross-sectional view of the bobbin change device taken along the line II--II of FIG. 1 showing the bobbin tube gripper;

#Describing now the drawings, a bobbin change apparatus 1 (FIG. 1) will be seen to comprise a base body 2 consisting of a bottom plate 4 connected with a movable (indicated in FIG. 14) support 3 (FIG. 2) and the front plates 5 and 6 respectively. The front plates 5 and 6 carry bearing or support members 7 and 7' and 8 and 8' (FIG. 1) respectively, connected with these front plates 5 and 6 respectively. The bearing or support members 7, 7' and 8, 8' in turn take-up supporting traverses or cross members 9 and 10 respectively, which are rigidly arranged and parallel. At the end of the support traverse 9 facing the front plate 5 there is supported a bobbin tube support arm 11 which is pivotable about the traverse 9 in a plane imagined at right angles to the traverses 9 and 10. The support arm 11 is pivotable in two pivoting sleeves 12 (FIG. 1) connected with the bobbin tube support arm 11 and movably mounted on the support traverse 9.

#The sleeve 12 is secured against lateral displacement on the support traverse 9 between a fixing sleeve 13 provided on the support traverse 9 and fixable thereon by a set screw (not shown) and the support sleeve 7. Pivoting of the bobbin support arm 11 is effected by a piston 14 (FIGS. 1 and 3) of a pivotably supported pneumatic cylinder 15. Piston 14 is linked to the bobbin support arm 11 by a hinge element 16 (FIG. 3). The pneumatic cylinder 15 is pivotably attached to a hinge element 18 connected with a support 17. The support 17 is connected with the face plate 5 at the side of such plate 5 which is opposite the bobbin support arm 11.

#On the end of the support traverse 10 facing the face plate 5 there is pivotably supported a nozzle support arm 19 (FIGS. 1 and 3) in a plane imagined at right angles to the support traverses 9 and 10 and axially movable. For this purpose the nozzle support arm 19 is connected with a sleeve 20 (FIG. 1) movably arranged on the support traverse 10. Adjacent to sleeve 20 and on both sides thereof there is arranged a further sleeve 21 and 22 on the support traverse 10 in the axial direction of such support traverse 10. The sleeves 21 and 22 are interconnected by a rigid bracket or arcuate member 24 (FIGS. 1 and 3) which is rigidly associated with a support member 23 (FIG. 3) in such a manner that, on the one hand, the sleeve 20 connected with the nozzle support arm 19 is independently pivotable with respect to the adjacent sleeves 21 and 22, and, on the other hand, is axially movable only together with the sleeves 21 and 22. The sleeve 22 furthermore is connected with a sleeve 26 arranged axially movable on the support traverse 9 by means of a rigid connecting member 25.