Hydro-extracting apparatus for cheeses of yarn

A hydro-extracting apparatus for drying tubular cheeses of yarn, wherein the cheeses are supported on cheese-supporting spindles, comprising:

• feed means for feeding cheeses to be hydro-extracted, a centrifugal hydro-extractor for receiving cheeses one at a time from said feed means and extracting liquid therefrom to dry them, discharge means for receiving the dried cheeses from said hydro-extractor and a movable transfer arm mechanism for moving cheeses from said feed means to said hydro-extractor and from said hydro-extractor to said discharge means;
• said feed means comprising a horizontal rotary table having means for supporting a plurality of the cheese-supporting spindles thereon in upright, spaced-apart relationship, means for effecting intermittent stepwise rotation of said table thereby to move the cheese-supporting spindles successively through a series of stations including an unloading station, and a vertically movable lifting device at said unloading station for raising cheeses along a cheese-supporting spindle located at said unloading station to an elevated position;
• said centrifugal hydro-extractor comprising a stationary cover having an upright rotatable hydro-extractor spindle therein for supporting and rotating a cheese to centrifugally extract liquid from the cheese, a driving mechanism for rotating said hydro-extractor spindle, said driving mechanism including a first stationary support, a second vertically movable support supporting said hydro-extractor spindle for vertical movement, resilient means positioned between said first and second supports whereby said second support is resiliently urged upwardly, and a shaft including a flexible shaft portion extending between said hydro-extractor spindle and said driving mechanism whereby said driving mechanism is capable of absorbing vibrations caused by an unbalanced cheese on said hydro-extractor spindle;
• said movable arm mechanism including a first arm having a first chuck thereon for holding a cheese and a second arm having a second chuck thereon for holding a cheese, means supporting said arms for vertical movement and for pivoting movement about a vertical axis, means for moving said arm mechanism between a first position in which said first chuck is disposed above said lifting device and engages and holds a cheese that has been elevated on the cheese-supporting spindle at said unloading station and said second chuck engages and holds a dried cheese that has been hydro-extracted in said centrifugal hydro-extractor, and a second position in which said first chuck is disposed above said centrifugal hydro-extractor and places the cheese held thereby into said hydro-extractor and said second chuck is disposed above said discharge means and deposits the dried cheese carried thereby onto said discharge means.