Textile yarn creel

A textile yarn creel for compactly and adjustably supporting diverse pluralities of yarn packages for feeding yarn therefrom to a textile knitting machine or like textile apparatus, comprising a pair of circular frame members each having a outer circular element and a concentric inner circular element, said frame members being disposed in spaced apart coaxially parallel relationship, a plurality of longitudinal yarn package supporting means adapted to be mounted on said outer circular elements to extend axially therebetween for selective removal therefrom and for selective circumferential disposition and movement thereabout, each said yarn package supporting means having two identical sets of plural package support pins spaced transversely of the length of said yarn package supporting means with said pins of said two sets being correspondingly spaced along said yarn package supporting means and extending outwardly therefrom to extend generally radially inwardly of said outer frame elements when mounted thereon, a selected number of said yarn package supporting means being mounted on said outer frame members at selected circumferential spacings and locations for supporting a selected number of primary yarn packages on one set of said package support pins of each said yarn package supporting means for initially feeding yarns from said primary yarn packages and for supporting a corresponding number of replacement yarn packages on the other set of said package support pins of each said yarn package supporting means for subsequently feeding yarns from said replacement yarn packages upon exhaustion of said primary yarn packages, and a plurality of longitudinal yarn eyelet members corresponding in number to said plurality of yarn package supporting means adapted to be mounted on said inner circular elements to extend axially therebetween for selective removal therefrom and for selective circumferential movement thereabout, each said yarn eyelet member having a set of yarn eyelets spaced therealong corresponding in number and spacing to one said set of package support pins for facing generally radially outwardly of said inner circular elements when mounted thereon, a selected number of said yarn eyelet members corresponding to said selected number of said yarn package supporting means being mounted on said inner circular elements at selected circumferential locations and spacings to be respectively positioned circumferentially intermediate said two sets of said package support pins of said yarn package supporting means for receiving said yarns of said primary and replacement packages supported thereon along radially inward yarn traveling paths in substantially identical fashion from both said primary and replacement yarn packages for feeding of said yarns to said textile apparatus, whereby said creel is adjustably adapted for selectively supporting diverse pluralities of yarn packages for yarn feeding operation in a compact circular area defined by said circular frame members.

A textile yarn creel for compactly supporting a plurality of yarn packages for feeding yarn therefrom to a textile knitting machine or like textile apparatus, comprising a plurality of longitudinal yarn package supporting means each having plural yarn package mounting elements spaced therealong for supporting a plurality of yarn packages for off-winding of yarns therefrom, said yarn package supporting means being circularly arranged in axially parallel relation with said package mounting elements extending generally radially inwardly, yarn guiding means disposed axially centrally of said yarn package supporting means for receiving said yarns from said yarn packages and directing said yarns to said textile apparatus, and lint removal means including a compressed air source, an air emission tube disposed substantially axially centrally of said frame means, said emission tube being connected with said source to receive compressed air therefrom and having plural emission ports at selected locations spaced therealong for emitting said compressed air at plural locations radially outwardly toward said frame means, said yarn package supporting means and said yarn guiding means, means for rotating said emission tube, and timing means for periodically actuating said tube rotating means to rotate said emission tube at least one complete revolution and for periodically actuating said compressed air source simultaneously to direct said compressed air into said emission tube throughout said revolution of said emission tube, thereby for emitting said compressed air outwardly about the full circumference of said creel for removing and preventing lint accumulation thereon.