Method and apparatus for forming a reserve winding on a rotating empty tube

A method of forming a reserve of parallel windings of a thread, which is delivered at a constant rate of speed from a work station, on the longitudinal end region of a rotating empty tube which is driven by a drive cylinder at a constant peripheral speed during normal thread winding operations, comprising the following steps:

• a) holding said empty tube from said drive cylinder;
• b) bringing a drive roller into contact with the peripheral surface of said tube while it is held from said drive cylinder;
• c) driving said drive roller at a peripheral speed adapted to the constant thread delivery speed of the thread from the work station;
• d) winding a reserve of parallel windings of said thread on one end of said tube;
• e) displacing said thread to the middle of said tube after said reserve is completed;
• f) adapting the peripheral speed of said drive roller to drive said tube at a speed which is corrected for the effective diameter of said tube and to the shortening of the path of said thread occasioned by said displacement of said thread to maintain a constant winding tension on said thread;
• g) lowering said tube onto the peripheral surface of said drive cylinder after said reserve is completed;
• and
• h) passing said thread to a crosswinding device and lifting said drive roller from the surface of said tube.

An apparatus for forming a reserve thread winding on a rotating empty tube, comprising:

• a) a winding cylinder for driving a tube for winding thread thereon at a constant peripheral speed;
• b) drive means for driving said winding cylinder at a constant peripheral speed;
• c) lifting means for lifting a full bobbin from said winding cylinder and for receiving and holding an empty tube, when said full bobbin is removed from said lifting means, at a predetermined distance from said winding cylinder;
• d) a bobbin changing device for removing said full bobbin and replacing it with an empty bobbin;
• e) thread guide means associated with said lifting means for guiding said thread onto a longitudinal end region of said tube for forming a reserve of said thread on said tube;
• f) a pair of takeoff rollers for said thread, driven at a constant peripheral speed;
• g) a drive roller disposed adjacent to said bobbin but spaced therefrom for driving contact with said bobbin or said tube when it is held by said lifting means;
• h) means to bring said drive roller into contact with said bobbin or said tube held by said lifting means;
• i) drive means for driving said drive roller at a peripheral speed which is adapted to the peripheral speed of said takeoff rollers;
• and
• j) control means connected to said drive roller drive means and to said pair of takeoff rollers to drive said empty tube with a peripheral speed to maintain a constant winding tension on said thread while said reserve is being wound.