Yarn winding apparatus and method

An apparatus for continuously winding an advancing yarn onto bobbin tubes serially delivered to a winding position, and comprising

• a revolver rotatably mounting at least two spindles, with each spindle being adapted to mount at least one bobbin tube coaxially thereon, and such that each spindle and associated bobbin tube may be selectively moved between a winding position and a doffing position upon rotation of said revolver,
• means for winding an advancing yarn onto a bobbin tube at the winding position and including means for rotating the spindle and associated bobbin tube at the winding position, and traversing means including means mounting the traversing means at a location upstream of the winding position for traversing an advancing yarn to form a cross wound package,
• a contact roll, and means mounting said contact roll at a location between said traversing means and the winding position, and
• said means mounting said traversing means permitting limited movement of said traversing means with respect to said contact roll and radially away from the package being wound at the winding position, and including programmed control means by which the spacing between said traversing mechanism and said contact roll may be controlled through the entire course of the winding operation in accordance with a predetermined program.

An apparatus for continuously winding an advancing yarn onto bobbin tubes serially delivered to a winding position, and comprising

• a revolver rotatably mounting at least two spindles, with each spindle being adapted to mount at least one bobbin tube coaxially thereon, and such that each spindle and associated bobbin tube may be selectively moved between a winding position and a doffing position upon rotation of said revolver,
• means for winding an advancing yarn onto a bobbin tube at the winding position and including means for rotating the spindle and associated bobbin tube at the winding position, and traversing means mounted at a location upstream of the winding position for traversing an advancing yarn to form a cross wound package,
• a contact roll, and means mounting said contact roll at a location between said traversing means and the winding position and so as to be in circumferential contact with the package being wound,
• rotary drive means for selectively rotating said revolver to move each spindle between said winding position and said doffing position,
• means for automatically transferring the advancing yarn from the rotating full package which has been moved to the doffing position, to a rotating empty bobbin tube on a spindle which has been moved to the winding position, and comprising a deflecting yarn guide plate which is movable into the yarn path between the empty bobbin tube and the full package, said plate having a groove therein for engaging and holding the yarn against lateral movement outside the normal traverse stroke and so that the yarn is wound onto the full package in the form of a yarn bead and is looped about the rotating empty bobbin tube, yarn guide means for removing the advancing yarn from the traversing means and conveying the advancing yarn laterally beyond the normal traverse stroke and so that the yarn is adapted to engage a yarn catching slot in the rotating empty bobbin tube, and
• a protective plate which is pivotally mounted to a frame of said apparatus and so as to be positioned on the side of rotating empty bobbin tube at the winding position which is opposite to the side which engages the advancing yarn, and such that the protective plate and said deflecting yarn guide plate are adapted to shield the empty bobbin tube from the rotating full package during the doffing procedure and prior the yarn being caught by said yarn catching slot in the empty bobbin tube.

A method for continuously winding a high speed advancing yarn onto bobbin tubes which are serially delivered to a winding position, and without yarn stoppage between bobbin tube changes, and wherein the first and second bobbin tubes are coaxially mounted on parallel spindles which are in turn mounted on a rotatable revolver, and comprising the steps of

• winding the advancing yarn onto a first bobbin tube positioned at the winding position, and including
• (a) traversing the yarn at a location upstream of the winding position to form a cross wound package on the bobbin tube, while
• (b) engaging the surface of the package being formed with a contact roll, with the contact roll being mounted for limited movement in a radial direction away from the package as the package builds, and
• (c) sensing the movement of the contact roll and rotating the revolver so as to laterally move the package being formed and thereby increase the radial distance between the package and the contact roll, and so as to maintain the positioning of the contact roll within a predetermined narrow range of movement during the course of the winding operation,
• continuing rotation of said revolver so as to laterally separate the rotating first bobbin tube from the winding position upon the first bobbin tube becoming full,
• moving an empty rotating second bobbin tube to the winding position,
• transferring the advancing yarn from the rotating full package to the rotating second bobbin tube and so that the yarn is wound thereupon, and
• repeating steps (a), (b), and (c) so as to form a cross wound package on the second bobbin tube.