US2608725A - Sliver piecing device - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 2, 1952 K`. G. sTREw SLIVER PIECING DEVICE Filed OOb. 6, 1950 1 \Nz D# Sept- 2, 1952 K. G. STREW 2,608,125

A sL1vER'-15IECING DEVICE Filed Oct. 6, 1950 2 SIlEETS-Sl-IEET Ede/22321 E l jnkef/L Jaw I ,Vter/veg Patented Sept.- 2, 1.952

' SLIVER PIECING DEVICE Kenneth Gerald Strew, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Can-v ada, assignor to Dominion Textile Company Limited, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, a corporaYv v tion of Canada Application October 6, 1950, Serial No. 188,665

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to textile apparatus and more particularly to textile machines of thel type wherein a plurality of sliver ends are fed simultaneously into the machine for additional treatment, as Yfor example, lap winders or drawing frames.

The usual practice in supplying sliver to these machines is to have at least one full reserve container of sliver positioned adjacent to each of the containers Yfrom which the sliver is being fed to the machine. With this arrangement, as soon as one container is emptiedand the machine is stopped, a sliver end from the reserve supply can be pieced on and the machine restarted with as little delay as possible. y

Attempts have been vmade to accomplish this ,piecing up operation mechanically without the necessity of stopping the machine, but to date, most of the apparatus designed for this purpose is of a complicated structure and consequently requires considerable Vmodification of the machines to which they are installed. e

The present invention recognizes these disadvantages and aims to provide a sliver piecing apparatus of simple design, having no moving parts, and which can be attached to the existing textile machines with a minimum of modiiication.

Accordingly, the present invention is a sliver piecing apparatus which, when embodied in combination' with the existing sliver guidingmeans of a 'textile machine, is adapted to support the sliver ends being fed into the machine andad? er end. With this arrangement, the breakage or" exhaustion Aof anyvfof' thejsliver feeding jends,4 causes the free end to fall from the extended sup'- plementary sliver guiderand to be guided into"V means so that the reservesliver vendy is disengaged from the retainingmeans and drawn into the machine without hstoppingthe lforward travelofthe feeding sliverend;

In one 'preferredv construction, lthe 'suppleav j so mentary sliver guide is mounted on an elongatedV adjustable bracket extending from the n riachiney adjacent to the existing sliver guiding means so, that the distance between the supplementary sliver guide and the existing sliver guiding means can be varied so as to regulate the lengthv of the feeding sliver end coming into overlapping... contact with the reserve` sliver end. T he iteserve sliver retaining means is positioned rela-. tive to the existing sliver guiding means sothat the falling free end of the broken or exhausted sliver will be guided directly into contact vwith the reserve end at approximately the lowest point of its downward movement. This ensures' that the overlapping contact between the ex-l hausted feeding sliver end andthe reserve sliver end is made when the two ends are positioned at an acute angleV relative to the normal travel of the sliver. This positioning together with4 Vthe forward motion of the feeding end-gives the wiping contact 'necessary to piece together the feeding and reserve ends of sliver. It has been, found on experiment that once the pieced ends have travelled through the entry rolls and have y undergone the slight drawing.. action usually. performed by the feeding mechanism of a lap.. Winder, or a drawing frame, that the overlapped splice is blended, and the overall diameter'f' the sliver at that point is not considerably'greater than the unspliced portion of the sliver.

Detailed description Having thus generally described the natureof the invention particular reference willv be made, to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment, and in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustrationv of a portion of the .sliver end feeding mechanism of a lap. Winder embodying a sliver piecing appa-. ratus constructed in accordance with the in ven-"QY tion. l

Figure 2 is an enlarged diagrammaticview of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figure Y1 toV illustrate the construction in more detail.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, partiallyin sec-v4 tion, of the apparatus shown in Figure 2 Vifo-illus#` f trate more 'clearly the arrangement ofthe feed'L ing Ysliver ends, the" reserve sliver ends, aifidf'tlfie` relative position of the sliverv 'piecing apparatus'l as' it may` be attached tc thev existing sliver fend guides and feeding entry. rolls of a lap. winden-f Figure 4 isia side elevation, partiallyin sec- 7.

tion, corresponding to Figure 3 showing the ap paratus' in operation after" the v1breakage ,fo'i'VV l 'Figure '5 is an enlar ed detail view inpesle;

tive elevation of a reserve sliver support member constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view in perspective elevation of a preferred construction of a supplementary sliver guide.

The lap winders in general use are constructed so as to Jsimultaneouslyv handle a plurality of ends of sliver which are fed from supply cans disposed at each side of the machine. The sliver ends are fed from the supply cans on to a tapered table in staggered sequence so that' the sliver ends from the furthest away or outside cans are ied down the centre of the table, the sliver ends from' the next cans are fed into the machine at each side of the centre slivers and so on.

A portion of a machine of this nature is shown in Figure 1, wherein the table is desigual-.cdas IDI, the supply sliver cans I2 and the reservesliver supply cans I4. The apparatus that controls the feeding of the sliver ends onto the table lll at each :position consists of a pair 'of pivotal-ly mounted'freelyrotating shell rolls f'which cooperate with a Yfeeding roll I8` extending `the length/of the machine. rFhe ysliver ends are guidedi-ntothe nip-'of the rolls f6, Hibymearxs` of a sliver guide plate 20 which includes tapering slots'Y 22 Ythrouglfl vrwhich the sliver passes. As shown in detail in Figure 2, there is one'such arrangement for each set or -sliver cans, usually?. four (two feedingV l2 and two reserve Hi), at each side of] lthe machine. The shell rolls; I6 are pivotally mounted` as indicatedA at 2l to the guide plate 20. The guide-plate 2 0 is supported by engagementwith a supportingrod 24 which extends thev length of the machine. y

lThis apparatus* is common to most lap winders and/in general practice the sliver ends are fed directly from the two Voutsidesliver supply cans l2A directly through the guide `plate v2t] and as these are' in alignmentV with the respective rolls Mig"` I .B'the sliver isthus maintained in alignment with the 'sliver studs 23l of the lap winder. When the sliveriend `feeding from the outside supply cans 12" is exhausted or broken the machine is automaticallystopped. The sliver end from one. of the innerreserve cans I4 isV then spliced by hand'ltothe. feeding end and the machine is, restarted tocontinue with the operation.

"The present invention is designed toeliminate this stoppage and provides an automatic piecing up apparatus for 'thispurpose that includes an adjustable support bar 39 which is secured to the guide' plate 2B: so as-to supporta supplementary sliver` guide plate`32, in front ofV and in'spaced apart relationshipwith the guide plate 20. The supplementary sliver guide 32 includesapair-of spaced apart slots 34 which terminate in circular guide openings/ 36 through which the supply sliver ends` pass and -arethus maintained' in' alignment with the guide slots 22 inthe guide plate 20.

A reserve sliver end supporting bracket 4031s adjustably-mounted on the rear faceof the Kguide plate ZtTby'means of suitable screws. The sup-- porting jbracket 40 includesa pair of spaced; apart sliver retainingipointsd'r which are positioned` so as? tozeach'align with-one *of the slots122 yin thegguide `plate 2B. whenthe bracket dfs inv Dbtn- With. particular :reference to) Figure 5..'

ontoon'e oftheY sliver retaining points Vl2.s"o.that.

T*Af are suspendedibeneatliand. Y trans- 4 versely to the travel of the feeding sliver ends. The sliver ends B fed into the machine from the supply cans l2 are engaged in the guiding openings 36 of the supplementary guide plate 32. When any of the sliver ends "B from the supply cans l2 is depleted, or breaks before the can is empty,Y thefree sliver end B falls; between the guide slots 2'2 ofthe guide plate 2U against the sliver end A suspended from the sliver engaging points 42. Due to the forward travel of the sliver. the angle of engagement, and the particular characteristics oi cotton liber, the wiping or drawing of the-tree sliver end B" against the Vsliver end Al'supported by the point 42 is sufvficienttojeausethetwo ends to unite and so the sliver endA* from the full reserve can I4 is drawn#from the, retaining point 42, between the shellrolls I6 and feeding roll I8, and into the lap "winden The amount of the overlap between the sliver ends fAf and ffBWiseon-trolledf bythedistance thesupplm-entary slver'guide 32 is positioned away from-f' the guide platez 2U; As the Supporting Y bar' 39 ier the-sliver fg-uide 32 i'sfadjustableg'this distance can be varied to secure the giver-fleur'delthe new reserve sliver ends to the-sliver- 42 so that the machine may be kept in continuous operation. y

'While the presentapparatusV been described and illustrated as being embodied ina lapwinder* it will be understoodthat this is'illustrat-ive only, and, that apparatus of this nature `could be stalled in other textile machines `ol" asimilar type.

I'claim:"`- r' n l. In a textile machineA of thetypa havingljmultiple sliver feeding means ,and guiding means 'for directingtneuavei of each-feeding silver endiiuto thefm'achinelthe combination with each .Cif lSaid Sliver guiding; meansof a sliver. piccina apparatus Comprising. asupplementaryslver. guide for each.

of-saidv feeding .sliver j ends disposed in alignment? with andA in .spaced apart, relationshipfirci;said i yfirst named sliver guiding means, and reserv] sliver end retainingmeans. adapted to loosely retain v a f reereserve sliver` end.nxedvpitioh'.hneah,. the normal travel' ofjsaid feeding? sliver and at' a i predetermined distance; Jrorrrsail.supp1eme''nt'arvA sliver guide. whereby uponbreak'ageor exhaustion," osaidieedingsliver end;` saidreleased s'liverjed. is; adaptedtogravitatefrcm saidsuppiementry sliver` guide,)and come l into'. loverlapiiius'- :splicing ,contactvrith said reserve sliver end 'seas trims-- "engagesaid eserve sliver end iifomsaid re" 'L 5 mgm-'a- Ildidraw if? im@ ma?;

sliver reta 2.. lnia'textile vmachine,Las'claimedv in;cla-lim1 1,v

,werein the' 'sliver '.piec'ing apparatus includes elongated supporting member .connected to leach of .sfaid'rst namedsliver guiding.meanshgaidsup;A

P1emeltefilsisrffguide"beisa- 'mevnied @nl the.; outer end of saidfelongatgd suQpQrtinglmQmbeL;

7-said elor 1gated supprtngmemuelr,'being adjust.

able whereby the distance between said supplementary sliver guide and said first named sliver guiding means may be varied.

3. In a textile machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reserve sliver retaining means comprises a supporting bracket connected to each of said rst named sliver guiding means, each of said supporting brackets having at least one sliver piercing point extending obliquely therefrom adapted to receive and retain a reserve sliver end.

4. In combination with a textile machine of the type including means for simultaneously moving a plurality of sliver ends through a set of slivervfeeding rolls and guide plates for directing the travel ofV each of said moving sliver ends, a sliver piecing apparatus comprising, a supplementary sliver guide member disposed in front of and in spaced apart relationship with each of said first named sliver guide plates, a reserve sliver retaining member disposed adjacent to each of said first named sliver guide plates and beneath the normal travel of said feeding sliver ends, each of said reserve sliver retaining members being adapted to loosely retain a reserve sliver end in alignment with and in spaced apart relationship from said supplementary sliver guide members, whereby upon breakage or exhaustion of any of said feeding sliver ends said free sliver end is caused to gravitate from said supplementary guiding member and is directed into overlapping splicing contact with said reserve sliver end so as to disengage said reverse end from said retaining member and draw it into said machine.

5. A combination as claimed in claim 4, wherein said supplementary sliver guide members are each mounted on the outer end of an elongated adjustable supporting bracket with the other inner end of said bracket connected to one of said first named sliver guide plates, whereby the disbracket.

7. A sliver piecing apparatus adapted to be embodied in a textile machine having sliver feeding means and at least one associated guide member to direct the travel of sliver moved by said means, said sliverpiecing apparatus comprising of an elongated adjustable suport member adapted for attachment to said sliver guide member s0 as to extend outwardly therefrom, a supplementary sliver guide plate having at least one sliver guiding recess mounted on said supporting member, and a reserve sliver supporting bracket in'- cluding at least one sliver piercing point adapted for attachment to said rst named sliver guide member beneath said supplementary'sliver guide plate. y

8. A method of piecin'g up sliver characterized by the steps of, placing afree leading end o1' sliver from a reserve supply in a rst position for access of the tail end of a sliver feeding from a y depleted supply, loosely retaining said reserve the machine.

KENNETH GERALD S'I'REW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,556,018 Naumburg Oct. 6, 1925 1,626,954 Naumburg May 3, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 597,388 Germany May 25, 1934

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