Strand tensioning device and method

A yarn tension device utilizing arcuate rotatable elements comprising:

• a housing having a pair of opposed vertical sides;
• an elongated yarn passageway within said housing;
• a plurality of spaced longitudinally aligned upright receptacles in said housing formed in part by said sides opening into said yarn passageway for carrying a plurality of said arcuate rotatable elements in stacked relation therein;
• means for positioning the lowermost arcuate rotatable element in rotating engagement with said yarn at spaced positions along said yarn passageway;
• said housing having passageway means in a side of said housing opposite each pair of rollers for the expulsion of lint accumulations and the like therethrough.

The method of tensioning a moving strand comprising:

• successively rotating a plurality of stacked superposed aligned cylindrical rollers responsive to driving engagement by the strand beneath the lowermost roller applying a retarding force to movement of the yarn;
• simultaneously so rotating at least one other aligned roller at a closely spaced point along the yarn;
• and
• changing the direction of the yarn adjacent a roller in engagement with said yarn so as to cause said engaged roller to compensate for changes in tension by moving up and down responsive thereto.

A yarn tension device comprising:

• a member having walls defining an elongated yarn channel;
• a concave arcuate surface defining an indentation in said member extending across and below said channel forming an arcuate interruption in said yarn channel;
• a first cylindrical roller having a surface corresponding generally but being slightly smaller than said concave arcuate surface;
• said arcuate interruption being of such extent as to cause the yarn moving through said yarn channel to wrap around a portion of said first cylindrical roller within said arcuate interruption sufficiently to rotate said first cylindrical roller;
• a vertical housing supporting at least one additional cylindrical roller stacked above and engaging said first cylindrical roller for rotation thereby;
• and
• elongated magnetic means carried below said member varying the downward force exerted by said rollers.

A yarn tension device utilizing rollers comprising:

• a housing;
• an elongated yarn passageway within said housing;
• a plurality of spaced longitudinally aligned upright receptacles in said housing opening into said yarn passageway for carrying said rollers in stacked relation therein;
• means for positioning said rollers in rotating engagement with said yarn at spaced positions along said yarn passageway;
• and
• electric means carried by said tension device detecting variation in speed and stoppage of said rollers for stopping a machine utilizing said tension.

A tension device for multiple adjacent strands comprising:

• an elongated member having transverse walls defining a plurality of longitudinally spaced transverse open channels;
• a plurality of longitudinal concave arcuate surfaces in end-to-end spaced relation defining indentations in said member extending across and below said channels forming an arcuate interruption in each yarn channel;
• at least one cylindrical roller carried in each arcuate indentation longitudinally of said elongated member;
• said cylindrical rollers having surfaces corresponding generally but being slightly smaller than said concave arcuate surface;
• and
• said arcuate interruption being of such extent as to cause the yarn moving through said yarn channel to wrap around a portion of the cylindrical rollers within the arcuate interruptions sufficiently to rotate said cylindrical rollers.