Method of and apparatus for transporting full bobbins and empty bobbin cores

A method of transporting full bobbins and empty bobbin cores in a yarn-producing mill, comprising the steps of:

• (a) displacing erect full bobbins along a first horizontal transport path in a first horizontal plane by suspending said full bobbins from hangers of said first horizontal transport path to a first bobbin/core replacement station;
• (b) engaging an erect full bobbin on said first horizontal transport path from below at said bobbin/core replacement station with a vertically displaceable transporter;
• (c) shifting said transporter vertically to position the erect full bobbin at a second horizontal plane vertically spaced from said first horizontal plane;
• (d) transferring the erect full bobbin positioned at said second horizontal plane to a second horizontal transport path in said second horizontal plane by suspending said erect full bobbin from a hanger of said second horizontal transport path at a second bobbin/core replacement station;
• (e) engaging an erect empty bobbin core suspended from a hanger on said second horizontal transport path from below at said second bobbin/core replacement station with said vertically displaceable transporter;
• (f) shifting said transporter vertically to position the erect empty bobbin core at said first bobbin/core replacement station in said first horizontal plane;
• (g) suspending the erect empty bobbin core positioned at said first horizontal plane from a hanger of said first horizontal transport path;
• (h) repeating steps (b) through (g) to transfer full bobbins from said first plane and said first horizontal transport path to said second plane and said second horizontal transport path and empty bobbin cores from said second plane and said second horizontal transport path to said first plane and said first horizontal transport path, thereby replacing full bobbins on said first transport path with empty bobbin cores and replacing empty bobbin cores on said second transport path with full bobbins;
• and
• (i) displacing erect full bobbins along said second horizontal transport path in said second horizontal plane away from said bobbin/core replacement station by suspending said full bobbins from hangers of said second horizontal transport path, and displacing empty bobbin cores along said first horizontal transport path away from said first bobbin/core replacement station by suspending said empty bobbin cores from hangers of said first horizontal transport path, and wherein, in step (b) a pair of erect full bobbins are simultaneously engaged by said transporter and in step (e) a pair of empty bobbin cores are simultaneously engaged by said transporter, and upon shifting of said transporter between said planes the spacing of the bobbins and cores of the respective pair is altered.

An apparatus for transporting full bobbins and empty bobbin cores in a yarn-producing mill, comprising:

• means forming a first horizontal path in a first horizontal plane and including hangers for suspending erect full bobbins during displacement of erect full bobbins by said first horizontal transport path to a bobbin/core replacement station;
• a vertically displaceable transporter at said bobbin/core replacement station provided with means for simultaneously engaging two erect full bobbin on said first horizontal transport path from below;
• means for shifting said transporter vertically to position the two erect full bobbins at a second horizontal plane vertically spaced from said first horizontal plane;
• means forming a second horizontal transport path in said second horizontal plane and including hangers for simultaneously suspending the two erect full bobbin from said transporter on said second horizontal transport path;
• means on said transporter for simultaneously engaging two erect empty bobbin core suspending from a hanger on said second horizontal transport path from below, said two erect empty bobbin cores being positioned in said first horizontal plane upon shifting of said transporter to said first horizontal plane, said first horizontal transport path receiving simultaneously the two erect empty bobbin cores for displacement by said first horizontal transport path;
• and
• means for displacing said full bobbins and said empty bobbin cores while suspending same from said hangers along both said first transport path and said second transport path whereby said transporter serves simultaneously for transferring full bobbins from said first plane and said first horizontal transport path to said second plane said second horizontal transport path and empty bobbin cores from said second plane and said second horizontal transport path to said first plane and said first horizontal transport path, thereby replacing full bobbins on said first transport path with empty bobbin cores and replacing empty bobbin cores on said second transport path with full bobbins.

An apparatus for transporting full bobbins and empty bobbin cores in a yarn-producing mill, comprising:

• means forming a first horizontal path in a first horizontal plane and including hangers for suspending erect full bobbins during displacement of erect full bobbins by said first horizontal transport path to a bobbin/core replacement station;
• a vertically displaceable transporter at said bobbin/core replacement station provided with means for engaging an erect full bobbin on said first horizontal transport path from below;
• means for shifting said transporter vertically to position the erect full bobbin at a second horizontal plane vertically spaced from said first horizontal plane;
• means forming a second horizontal transport path in said second horizontal plane and including hangers for suspending the erect full bobbin from said transporter on said second horizontal transport path;
• means on said transporter for engaging an erect empty bobbin core suspending from a hanger on said second horizontal transport path from below where said erect empty bobbin core is positioned on said first horizontal plane upon shifting of said transporter to said first horizontal plane, said first horizontal transport path suspending the erect empty bobbin core for displacement by said first horizontal transport path;
• and
• means for displacing said full bobbins and said empty bobbin cores while suspending same from said hangers along both said first transport path and said second transport path whereby said transporter serves simultaneously for transferring full bobbins from said first plane and said first horizontal transport path to said second plane said second horizontal transport path and empty bobbin cores from said second plane and said second horizontal transport path to said first plane and said first horizontal transport path, thereby replacing full bobbins on said first transport path with empty bobbin cores and replacing empty bobbin cores on said second transport path with full bobbins, and wherein the first and second transport paths are single track paths and said transporter is provided with at least one device for engagement with a respective empty bobbin core and full bobbin, said device including a double arm member rotatable about an axis and provided at its ends with means for engaging said full bobbins and said empty bobbin cores from below.