# US 4,391,021 A · Apron drafting system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,391,021 A - Document ID: US4391021A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/313,318 - Filed: 1981-10-19 - Granted: 1983-07-05 - Earliest claimed: 1981-10-19 - Assignees: Whitin Roberts Company - Inventors: Fouad A. Kamel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4391021A ## CPC - D01H 5/86: Aprons; Apron supports; Apron tensioning arrangements - D01H: SPINNING OR TWISTING (twisting oakum D01G35/00; crimping or curling of fibres, filaments, or yarns D02G1/00) ## Abstract An apron drafting system for textile fibers includes a pair of front rolls, a pair of middle rolls, and a pair of back rolls defining front and back drafting zones therebetween. A cradle, including a pair of side plates, is mounted on both of said middle rolls and extends towards both said front rolls and said back rolls to support a pair of front apron pins adjacent the front rolls and a pair of back aprons pins adjacent the back rolls. Top and bottom aprons extend over the middle rolls and over the apron pins adjacent both the front and back rolls to make adjacent contact to guide the textile fibers from a point immediately adjacent the back rolls, through the nip between the middle rolls, to a point adjacent the front rolls. The cradle also includes a pair of platform members, one in the front drafting zone and another in the back drafting zone, which serve to deflect the top and bottom aprons where they are in abutting contact out of the normal path between the rolls to provide improved control over the textile fibers while in the drafting zones. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A drafting apparatus for textile fibers comprising a pair of back rolls, a pair of middle rolls, and a pair of front rolls, each of said pairs of rolls including a top roll and a bottom roll, a cradle supported on said middle rolls and including a pair of side plates, a top apron extending around said top middle roll between said side plates, a bottom apron extending around said bottom middle roll between said side plates, said cradle including a pair of front apron pins in the front drafting zone between said front and middle rolls, said cradle including a pair of back apron pins in the back drafting zone between said back and middle rolls, said top apron extending around the top ones of said front and back apron pins, said bottom apron extending around the bottom ones of said front and back apron pins, whereby said top and bottom aprons extend in confronting relationship from said back apron pins through the nip between said middle rolls and to said front apron pins to control the textile fibers in abutting contact in both the back and front drafting zones. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A drafting apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cradle includes a front platform member in said front drafting zone to deflect said top and bottom aprons out of the plane defined by said front apron pins and the nip between said middle rolls. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A drafting apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said front platform is carried by said side plates. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A drafting apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said front platform member is a separate piece removably mounted on said side plates. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) A drafting apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said front platform member is formed integrally with one of said side plates as a unitary member and said platform member extends from said one side plate toward said other side plate but is spaced therefrom to define a gap. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A drafting apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cradle includes a front platform in said front drafting zone to deflect said top and bottom aprons out of the plate defined by said front apron pins and the nip between said middle rolls and a back platform in said back drafting zone to deflect said top and bottom aprons out of the plane defined by said back apron pins and the nip between said middle rolls. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A drafting apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said front platform and said back platform both deflect the aprons in the same direction with respect to the plane defined by said front apron pins and said back apron pins. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) A drafting apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said front platform and said back platform deflect the aprons in opposite directions with respect to the plane defined by said front apron pins and said back apron pins whereby the path of said aprons between said back platform and said front platform through the nip between said middle rolls is substantially a straight line. ### Claim 9 A drafting apparatus for textile fibers comprising a pair of back rolls, a pair of middle rolls, and a pair of front rolls, each of said pairs of rolls including a top roll and a bottom roll, a top apron extending around said top middle roll, a bottom apron extending around said bottom middle roll, a pair of front apron deflecting pins in the front drafting zone between said front and middle rolls, one of said front pins engaging said top apron and the other of said front pins engaging said bottom apron, a pair of back apron deflecting pins in the back drafting zone between said back and middle rolls, one of said back pins engaging said top apron and the other of said back pins engaging said bottom apron, said front and back pair of apron pins holding said aprons in confronting relationship from said back apron pins through the nip between said middle rolls to said front apron pins to control the textile fibers in abutting contact in both the front and back drafting zones, a front platform in said front drafting zone to deflect said top and bottom aprons in abutting contact out of the plane defined by said front and back apron deflecting pins, and a back platform in said back drafting zone to deflect said top and bottom aprons in abutting contact out of the plane defined by said front and back apron deflecting pins. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A drafting apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said front and back platforms deflect said aprons in the same direction with respect to said plane. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A drafting apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein said front and back platforms deflect said aprons in opposite directions with respect to said plane. ### Claim 12 A cradle assembly for supporting and guiding a pair of aprons in a drafting system which includes a top roll and a bottom roll, said cradle comprising a pair of side plates, means securing said side plates as a unit in spaced, parallel positions, each of said side plates having a recess on the lower side to receive said bottom roll and position said cradle with respect thereto, each of said side plates having a recess on the upper side to receive said top roll and position said cradle with respect thereto, said side plates extending laterally from said recesses on both sides thereof, a first pair of upper and lower apron deflecting pins mounted on said side plates at one side of said recesses, a second pair of upper and lower apron deflecting pins mounted on said side plates on the other side of said recesses, a top apron extending around said upper apron pins, and a bottom apron extending around said lower apron pins, whereby said top and bottom aprons extend in close abutting contact between said first and second pairs of apron pins. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A cradle assembly as set forth in claim 12, wherein said side plates extend a greater distance on one side of said recesses than on said other side of said recesses, whereby said first pair of apron pins is spaced farther from said recesses than said second pair of apron pins. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) A cradle assembly as set forth in claim 12, including a platform member carried by said cradle and extending between said side plates on one side of said recesses and arranged to deflect said top and bottom aprons in abutting contact out of the plane defined by the undeflected path of said aprons between said first and second pairs of apron pins. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A cradle assembly as set forth in claim 14, wherein said platform member is a separate piece removably mounted and secured to both of said side plates. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) A cradle assembly as set forth in claim 14, wherein said platform member is formed integrally with one of said side plates as a unitary member and said platform member extends from said one side plate toward said other side plate but is spaced therefrom to define a gap. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) A cradle assembly as set forth in claim 14, wherein said cradle assembly includes a second platform on the other side of said recesses arranged to deflect said top and bottom aprons in abutting contact out of said plane. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A cradle assembly as set forth in claim 17, wherein said first and second platforms are arranged to deflect said top and bottom aprons in the same direction with respect to said plane. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) A cradle assembly as set forth in claim 17, wherein said first and second platform members are arranged to deflect said top and bottom aprons in opposite directions with respect to said plane. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) A cradle assembly as set forth in claim 17, wherein said first and second platform members are separate pieces removably mounted on said side plate in interlocking relationship. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) A cradle assembly as set forth in claim 17, wherein said first and second platform members are formed integrally with one or the other of said side plates as a unitary, member, and wherein each of said platform members extends from the side plate toward the other side plate but is spaced therefrom to define a gap. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) A cradle assembly as set forth in claim 21, wherein one of said platform members is formed integrally with one of said side plates and the other platform member is formed integrally with the other of said side plates. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) A cradle assembly as set forth in claim 21, wherein both of said platform members are formed integrally with the same side plate.