High speed gill box

A gill box comprising:

• a plurality of lower faller bars each having a plurality of drafting pins extending therefrom and a crank arm formed integral therewith;
• means for defining a lower path along which said plurality of lower faller bars can travel;
• lower drive means for driving said plurality of lower faller bars along the lower defined path by engaging some of said plurality of lower faller bars and pushing them along the defined path;
• lower cam track means engaging the integral crank arms of said plurality of lower faller bars for controlling orientation of said lower faller bars;
• an upper plurality of faller bars each having a plurality of drafting pins extending therefrom and a crank arm formed integral therewith;
• means for defining an upper path along which said plurality of upper faller bars can travel;
• upper drive means for driving said plurality of upper faller bars along the upper defined path by engaging some of the second plurality of faller bars and pushing them along the defined path;
• upper cam track means engaging the integral crank arms of said upper faller bars for controlling orientation of said upper faller bars;
• connecting means for connecting said upper drive means and said lower drive means for synchronous movement;
• said upper drive means comprises a pair of upper drive sprockets disposed on a common shaft for engaging and driving some of said upper faller bars;
• said lower drive means comprises a pair of lower drive sprockets for engaging and driving some of said lower faller bars;
• said upper drive sprockets and said lower drive sprockets are angularly offset causing the drafting pins of each upper faller bar to extend intermediate the drafting pins of a pair of adjacent lower faller bars while passing through the drafting zone;
• an upper crowder roll, which is driven, for engaging said upper plurality of faller bars and urging them into said upper drive sprocket as they move along the defined upper path;
• and,
• a lower crowder roll, which is driven, for engaging said lower plurality of faller bars and urging them into said lower drive sprocket as they move along the lower defined path.

A gill box draw frame comprising an upper head and a lower head each of which contains a plurality of faller bars constrained to move in a closed loop path wherein each faller bar comprises:

• an elongated portion having pins extending from a central portion thereof;
• a crank arm formed therewith and extending from said elongated portion for controlling orientation of the faller bars;
• and,
• wherein each head comprises:
• a pair of guide tracks for constraining the associated faller bars to move in a closed path, one of said pair of guide tracks disposed on each end of the elongated portion of said faller bars;
• drive means for driving said faller bars through the closed loop path;
• a cam track disposed to engage the guide arm of said faller bar to maintain the desired orientation of said faller bars as they move through the closed loop path;
• a drive sprocket for engaging some of said faller bars and forcing them into engagement with other faller bars to push the faller bars along the closed loop path;
• an idler sprocket disposed in the cloed loop path to aid in guiding the faller bars;
• and,
• a driven crowder roll disposed for engaging the faller bars and urging them into the intake for the drive sprocket.

A gill box comprising an upper head, a lower head, fastening means for fastening said upper and lower head together to define a drafting zone therebetween, and wherein said upper head and said lower head each comprises:

• a plurality of faller bars having an elongated portion with a plurality of parallel drafting pins extending therefrom and a crank arm extending from the elongated portion;
• guides defining a closed path disposed to engage the elongated portion of said faller bars outside of the drafting pins to confine movement of the elongated portion around the closed path;
• drive means for moving said plurality of faller bars around the closed path;
• a cam track for engaging the crank arm extending from the elongated portion of each of said plurality of faller bars for maintaining a desired orientation of the faller bars as they move around the closed path;
• said drive means comprises a pair of drive sprockets disposed near the entrance of the drafting zone for engaging and forcing faller bars through the drafting zone;
• a pair of idler sprockets disposed near the exit from the drafting zone for engaging and aiding in guiding the faller bars from the drafting zone;
• and,
• a crowder roll for engaging the faller bars as they move around the closed path and for forcing them into the pair of drive sprockets.