Apparatus for transporting bobbin tubes of a textile machine

In a textile machine of the type in which yarn is handled on tubes, a transport apparatus for transporting tubes, comprising:

• a plurality of tube support trays, each tube support tray having an axis and being operable to support a tube in an upright disposition parallel to the tray axis and each tube support tray having a base portion and a raised portion extending upwardly from the base portion, the raised portion having a lesser cross-sectional extent as measured transversely to the tray axis than the base portion;
• a flexible endless member having an elongate extent transverse to its endless extent;
• drive means for driving the flexible endless member;
• a plurality of carrier portions, mounted to the flexible endless member, for supporting tubes for the transport of the tubes by the flexible endless member, each carrier portion having a support component and an overhand component extending laterally beyond the support component in a lateral direction transverse to the elongate and endless extends of the flexible endless member;
• fixed guide means for guiding the flexible endless member in an endless travel path on the textile machine with the elongate extent of the flexible endless member in a generally vertical orientation;
• and
• a plurality of movable guide means connected to the flexible endless member at spaced intervals and movable therewith, the movable guide means being engageable with the fixed guide means for spacing the flexible member out of interference with the fixed guide means during movement of the flexible endless member and each adjacent pair of the carrier portions being operable to retain a respective one of the tube support trays therebetween for movement of the respective tube support tray by the flexible endless member with the base portion of the respective tube support tray extending between, and being supported on, the support components of the respective adjacent pair of the carrier portions, and each of the overhand components of the adjacent pair of carrier portions extending over the base portion of the tube support tray on a respective opposite side of the raised portion thereof and being in engagement with the raised portion of the respective tube support tray.