US 5,350,052 AGranted

Device for transporting and exchanging containers of textile strand material

AssigneeInnovatex Materials Handling GmbH

InventorsGregor Gebald, Manfred Langen

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Abstract

An apparatus for transporting and exchanging containers of textile strand material at a textile strand processing machine having a plurality of processing stations is disclosed. The device includes a guide device for guiding containers around the machine. An endless drive connection reciprocally movable in the transport path and having flexible portions reciprocally movable through the corner sections of the transport path is included as well as a drive means for reciprocally driving the drive connection. Container engaging elements are also provided for drivingly engaging containers during movement of the drive connection. The drive connection may include rods disposed in the straight portions of the transport path which are connected to the flexible portions. The container engaging elements may comprise pawls mounted on transverse shafts which may be spring biased into the container engaging dispositions. The drive may act directly on at least one of the rods, a sprocket located at the corner sections and the flexible portions.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A device for transporting and exchanging containers of textile strand material at a textile strand processing machine having a plurality of processing stations, said device comprising:

(a) guide means for guiding containers in a transport path extending around the machine past the processing stations, said transport path having straight sections and corner sections connecting the straight sections;
(b) an inserting station at which containers may be inserted into the transport path;
(c) a discharging station at which containers may be discharged from the transport path;
(d) an endless drive connection reciprocally movable in the transport path and having flexible portions reciprocally movable through the corner sections of the transport path;
(e) drive means for reciprocally driving said drive connection for reciprocation in the transport path;
and
(f) container engaging elements projecting from and at spacings along said drive connection in the straight sections of the transport path for drivingly engaging containers during movement of the drive connection in one direction and out of driving engagement with containers during movement of the drive connection in the opposite direction, thereby step-wise advancing the containers along the transport path.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.