US3323189A - Methods and apparatus for lacing yarn masses by strings - Google Patents

Description

June 6, 1967 SHIGERU HAYASHI 3,

METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR LACING YARN MASSES BY STRINGS Filed Dec. 25, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet l June 6, 1967 r SHIGERU HAYASHI 3,

METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR LACING YARN MASSES BY STRINGS Filed Dec. 23, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 6, 1967 SHIGERU HAYASHI 3,323,189

METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR LACING YARN MASSES BY STRINGS Filed Dec. 25, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 6 1967 SHIGERU HAYASHI METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR LACING YARN MASSES BY STRINGS 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Dec.

FIG. 9

United States Patent The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for lacing a yarn mass or skein by a string.

In forming yarns into the shape of a skein, it is generally necessary to suitably lace the skein by a string in order to avoid the skein forming yarns from entangling with one another. Hitherto, the lacing operation has required prodigious efifort because the operation has utilized to manual means. In the prior operation, a lacing string is passed through a skein, for example, in a OOQ-like manner or an a OO-like manner, and then both ends of the lacing string are pulled together at one side of each skein and tied together thereat.

This operation has required much labor and time since the lacing string must completely be pierced through the skein and also both ends of the lacing string must be tied together by manual means. As a result, the operating efficiency of reeling is remarkably low, generally of the order of 40 to 50%, and has caused a great bottleneck in the factories.

Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of and apparatus for mechanically and continuously effecting the lacing operation on the yarn mass, especially skeins, for thereby greatly reducing the labor involved in the operation.

The term yarn mass used in the present invention is to be understood to denote a mass of parallel juxtaposed spun yarns or filaments, which includes skeins, warping threads used in weaving operation, warping threads used in warping operation, and the like. However, for the convenience of explanation, the present invention will be described with regard to skeins.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of lacing a yarn mass by a string for separably gripping the sections of said yarn mass by said lacing string, comprising the steps of disposing said lacing string in tension below said yarn mass at substantially right angles with respect to the length of said yarn mass, cans ing vertically swinging movement of a needle having an openable latch-hook or bearded-hook at its lower end for thereby engaging the hook with said lacing string and drawing said lacing string upwardly, then drawing said lacing string in the horizontal direction to form a loop on said lacing string, and repeating the loop-forming opera tion to separably grip the sections of said yarn mass in the loops of said string.

According to the present invention, there is also provided an apparatus for lacing a yarn mass by a string for separably gripping the sections of said yarn mass by said lacing string, comprising means for disposing said lacing string in tension at substantially right angle with respect to the length of said yarn mass, a needle having an openable latch-hook or bearded-hook, a driving shaft, first means for converting the rotary movement of said driving shaft into vertically swinging movement of said needle for thereby causing said hook to engage said lacing string and to draw said lacing string upwardly to form a loop on said lacing string, said means being operative to repeat the loop-forming operation by said hook to provide successive loops on said lacing string, and second means also driven by said driving shaft for carrying the entire apparatus in a direction at right angles with respect to the length of said yarn mass, said first and second means being alternately operated to continuously effect the lacing operation on successive yarn masses.

Other objects and particularities of the present invention which will become obvious from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of part of a skein on which lacing operation has been effected according to a prior known method;

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of part of a skein on which a lacing operation has been effected according to the method of the present invention;

FIGS. 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d are schematic explanatory views showing the steps of lacing operation on a skein by the method according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic front view similar to FIG. 3b, but showing a case in which a loop-forming aid is arranged to facilitate the lacing operation according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of an embodiment of an apparatus to practice the method of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a composite intermittent gear employed in the apparatus of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a second embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a means for disposing the lacing string in tension along a reeling machine; and

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which a hollow loop, when the lacing string is cut at either point in FIG. 2, forms the so-called knot.

The method according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 2 there is shown a skein 1 to which the lacing operation according to the invention has been made by the use of a lacing string 2. Chain lines A and B therein indicate the points at which the lacing string 2 may be cut to separate the skein 1 from adjacent skeins (not shown).

FIGS. 3a through 3d are explanatory views showing the manner of lacing operation according to the invention. A lacing string 2 is positioned in tension along the entire width of a reeling machine at a position at which the lacing operation is effected on the reeling machine. The lacing string 2 may be coiled in the form of a cheese or cone so that the string 2 can successively be supplied as required towards the reeling machine. When it is desired to effect the lacing at more than two different points on a single skein, lacing strings of corresponding number may be disposed in tension at positions opposite the desired points. Before starting the lacing operation, it is necessary to form an initial loop 4 on the starting end of the lacing string 2 as shown in FIG. 3w. Then, as shown in FIG. 3b, a needle 3 having an openable latchhook or bearded-hook is moved downwardly to be passed through the loop 4 to hook a portion of the lacing string 2 therebelow. Then, the needle 3 is moved upwardly to form a new loop as shown in FIG. 3c. The above-described operation is further repeated to form at least two loops at the outside of the skein 1 as shown in FIG. 3d. Then, the needle 3 is forced into the skein 1 and the same operation is repeated to hold skein sections in separate loops to thereby bind the skein. sections by the loops. After the above operation, the needle 3 proceeds to the opposite side of the skein 1 to repeat the loop-forming action to provide more than two hollow loops. Subsequently, the needle 3 proceeds to start the loop-forming action for a next skein 1. The. relation between the skein 1 and the lacing string 2 after all of the above-described operations is as shown in FIG. 2 in which the skein 1 is separated into two sections.

Although FIG. 2 shows the case of separating the skein into two sections, it may readily be understood that separation of the skein into more than three sections can easily be attained by suitably adjusting the intervals of repetition of the lacing operation. In order to separate a series of skeins 1 joined together by the lacing string 2 from one another, the lacing string 2 must be severed. But, this is easily done by merely severing the loops at a point intermediate between two adjacent skeins 1f Points A and B in FIG. 2 show the points of severing in such case. The lacing string 2 would not separate by severing the string at these points provided that there are more than at least two loops on each side of the skein 1. When the lacing string 2 is cut at a cutting point (A or B), the cut ends of the lacing string 2 present the state as shown in FIG. 9 and the two hollow loops on each side of the cutting point form knots respectively. This is because the lacing string 2 is displaced by a tension applied to the string due to the movement of the needle relative to the string so that the hollow loops not holding therein the skein sections are fastened toform knots just like stitches in knitted goods. In order to insure firm knots on the lacing string 2, there must be more than at least two loops on each side of the skein 1 and best results can be obtained with the smallest possible loops. It may be convenient for the easy formation of the initial loop 4 to provide a reciprocable loop-forming aid 5 for cooperation with the lacing string 2 as shown in FIG. 4.

The present invention relates to a method of effecting the lacing operation on a skein by mechanical means in which one or a plurality of strings are passed in tension below the skein and means for causing vertical move ment of a needle is associated with means for causing intermittent movement of apparatus in a direction of the path of the lacing string which is at right angles with the skein.

It will be understood that, although the inventive method has been described in the above with regard to the case of the lacing operation on a skein, the method can also be applied, for example, to lacing of a yarn mass wound about the beam of a warping machine in the warping operation with the machine.

A preferred embodiment of an apparatus for practising the inventive method will hereinunder be described. FIG. 5 represents a view for the purpose of explaining the mechanism of the apparatus, which view is taken in a direction at right angles with respect to a plane formed by the skeins. Therefore, the skeins 1 are shown in section in FIG. 5. Reference numeral 2 designates a lacing string which is passed in tension below the skeins 1 at right angles therewith. Numeral 6 designates a driving shaft of the apparatus which may be driven by an electric motor or by hand. Mounted on the driving shaft 6 is a composite gear 7 which is formed of integrally secured two gears 7a and 7b each having thereon intermittently cut tooth portions, as best shown in FIG. 6. The combination of the gears 7a and 7b forming the composite gear 7 is such that a toothed portion of one of the gears is opposed by -a non-toothed portion of the other gear and the toothed portions alternately exist on either of the two gears.

The gear 7a meshes with a gear 8 on a shaft 9 to rotate a crank or cam 10. A needle 3 is connected with the crank or cam 10 and is slidably supported by a supportingmember 11 so that rotation of the crank or cam 10 causes vertical and lateral movement of the needle 3 about the supporting member 11. In its downward and lateral movement, the needle 3 engages the lacing string 2 with its hook and draws the string upwardly in its upward movement to form a loop. The other gear 7b of the composite gear 7 is in meshing engagement with a gear 12 on a shaft 13 to rotate a pinion 15 through a bevel gear 14 to thereby cause leftward movement of the apparatus on a fixed rack 16, a distance slightly greater 4 than the width of the yarn mass divided by an integer larger than 1.

Or more precisely, while the needle 3 is drawing up the lacing string 2 by the rotation of the composite gear 7, the gear 12 is not rotating and the apparatus remains unmoved at a definite position. At the completion of one operating cycle of the needle 3, the gear 12 is rotated to transfer the apparatus to a next predetermined position. When both the gear 8 meshing with the gear 7a and the gear 12 meshing with the gear 7b take the positions at which these gears are opposed by the non-toothed portions of the composite gear, these gears 8 and 12 may race. In order to avoid such racing, suitable brake means must be provided. In the apparatus of the invention, double block type frictional brakes as at 17 are provided on the shafts 9 and 13. However, any other known means may be employed in lieu of the frictional brakes 17 illustrated in FIG. 5. Further, ordinary gears may be employed in place of the composite gear 7 to alternately cause the movement of the needle 3 and the advancing movement of the apparatus and the gears 8 and 12 may be alternately slided to be disengaged from the driving gears on the driving shaft so as to interrupt the drive.

A second embodiment according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 7. In FIG. 7, a needle 3, intermittent gear 7a, crank or cam 10, member 11 for swingably supporting the needle 3, gear 8, shaft 9 and driving shaft 6 are entirely similar tothose shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and are arranged to perform a similar operation. In the second embodiment, the advancing movement of the apparatus is caused by a cam instead of the rack and pinion system employed in the first embodiment of FIG. 5. In FIG. 7, a cylindrical cam 18 having a cam groove 19 is integrally secured on the shaft 6. Projections or pins 20 are provided on a rail 22 and are arrangedto fit in the cam groove 19 of the cylindrical cam 18. The apparatus is mounted on wheels 21 which run on the rail 22.

The camgroove 19 is cut in a manner to provide suit able coaction between the gear 7a, that is, the pin 20 runs in the portions of the groove 19 parallel with the side face of the cam 18 while the gear 7a meshes with the gear 8, and the pin 20 runs in the portions of the groove 19 an angle with the side face of the cam 18 while the gear 7a does not engage with the gear 8 so as to cause the apparatus to travel a required distance. The required distance of travel may vary depending on the required number of sections of the skein for example, splitting of the skein into two sections, three sections, or more sections. Cylindrical cams of various groove shapes are provided to deal with a variety of lacing operations. Since the pin 20 provided on the fixed rail 22 fits in the cam groove 19, the apparatus intermittently travels as the driving shaft 6 rotates. Since the cam groove 19 is so cut as to coact with the intermitten gear 7a, the pin 20 is in the portion of the groove 19 parallel with the side face of the cam 18 while the needle 3 actuated by the intermittent gear 7a is drawing the lacing string 2 upwardly. Therefore, the apparatus remains unmoved at a definite position. After the needle 3 has completed its one operation cycle, the pin 20 is now in the obliquely running portion of the cam groove 19 and thus the apparatus travels to a next predetermined position.

FIG. 8 shows means for disposing the lacing string in tension below a skein in the apparatus of the present invention. In FIG. 8, the skein is illustrated by reference numeral 33. A sprocket 24 is journa'lled in a bearing 31 fitted to each end of a reel rod 23 forming part of the reeling machine, and on one of the sprockets 24, there is coaxially mounted a clutch element 27. An endless chain 31 is passed about the sprockets 24 and is provided with a clamp 26 for clamping the end of a lacing string 2 therein. The sprockets 24, bearings 31, clutch element 27, chain 30 and clamp 26 may be provided on each reel rod 23, or on every other or every third reel rods 23.

A toothed clutch element 28 coaxial with a handle 29 is provided for meshing engagement with the clutch element 27. Further, a tension washer 32 is provided to impart tension to the lacing string 2. After the reeling operation of the skein 33 on the reeling machine, the lacing string 2 is clamped by the clamp 26 and the clutch element 28 is engaged with the clutch element 27. Then by turning the handle 29, the lacing string 2 is advanced under tension leftwardly in FIG. 8. The clamp 26 advancing in the leftward direction while drawing the lacing string 2 clamped therein is shown as at A and the clamp 26 having finished its lacing string drawing operation is shown as at B. When, the lacing operation on one position on the skein 33 has been completed, it is necessary to effect a further lacing operation on another position on the skein 33, and the handle 29 may be turned in the opposite direction to cause movement of the clamp 26 in the rightward direction in FIG. 8 until the clamp 26 takes the position at the righthand side extremity in FIG. 8. Then, the lacing string 2 clamped in the clamp 26 is released from the clamp 26, and the clutch element 28 is disengaged from the clutch element 27. The reeling machine is then rotated to a position at which another lacing operation is to be effected, and the clutch element 27 on the fresh reel rod 23 is engaged with the clutch element 27 thereon. The operation thereafter is entirely the same as the above operation.

Although in the foregoing description preferred embodiments of the present invention have been explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be understood that the invention is in no Way limited to such specific embodiments and various modifications and changes in the structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of lacing yarn masses arranged in equally spaced relation in which the respective yarn masses are gripped separately from each other while they are held integral as a whole, the method comprising disposing a lacing string under tension below said yarn masses at substantially right angles with respect to the length of said yarn masses, alternately swinging a needle having an openable hook vertically and horizontally to thereby form at least two small hollow loops of said lacing string at one side of a first of said yarn masses, piercing said needle through the latter yarn mass to form a desired number of large loops of said lacing string and then forming at least two small hollow loops adjacent said latter yarn mass opposite the initially formed small hollow loops, continuously carrying out the above lacing operations on all of said yarn masses, and severing a small loop at the middle between adjacent yarn masses.

2. Apparatus for lacing yarn masses arranged in equally spaced relation for gripping the respective yarn masses separately from each other to form sections while they are held integral as a Whole, said apparatus comprising means for disposing a lacing string in tension below said yarn masses at substantially right angles with respect to the length of said yarn masses, a driven composite intermittent gear including gear members which are coaxially mounted and each of which has non-toothed portions thereon, respective driven gears driven by said gear memheld integral as a whole, said apparatus comprising means here, said non-tooth portions of the gear members being arranged thereon such that both gear members will be out of mesh with said driven gears simultaneously, a crank coaxial with said driven gear, a rocking needle operatively connected to said crank and including an end portion with an openable hook, a bevel gear coaxial with said driven gear, a driven bevel gear adapted to mesh with said bevel gear, a pinion coaxial with said driven bevel gear and a fixed rack adapted to mesh with said pinion and disposed at right angles with respect to the length of said yarn masses, the teeth of said composite intermittent gear being cut in such a manner that the number of teeth in one of the toothed portions of one of said intermittent gear members is such as to cause said crank to make one complete turn, while the number of teeth in the toothed portions of the other said intermittent gear member is such as to cause the entire apparatus to be moved by Way of said fixed rack and said pinion in a direction at right angles with respect to the length of said yarn masses by a distance slightly greater than the width of each yarn mass divided by an integer larger than 1 when said hook is located inside of the Width of said yarn mass and by a desirably small distance when said hook is located outside said yarn mass, the total number of teeth provided on said other gear member being such as to cause the entire apparatus to be moved, upon rotation of said gear member for a complete turn divided by an integer, in a direction at right angles with respect to the length of said yarn masses by a distance equal to the distance between the center lines of adjacent yarn masses.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means for disposing said lacing string in tension at substantially right angles with respect to the length of said yarn mass comprises a sprocket adapted for being mounted on each end of the reel rod of a reeling machine, an endless chain passed about said sprocket for endless movement, a clamp provided on said endless chain for clamping the end of said lacing string therein, and means including a clutch for causing the movement of said chain.

4. Apparatus for lacing yarn masses arranged in equally spaced relation for gripping the respective yarn masses separately from each other to form sections while they are held integral as a whole, said apparatus comprising means for disposing a lacing string in tension below said yarn masses at substantially right angles with respect to the length of said yarn masses, a driven intermittent gear, a driven gear adapted to mesh with said intermittent gear, a crank coaxial with said driven gear, a rocking needle operatively connected to said crank and including an end portion with an openable hook, a cylindrical cam mounted on said driving shaft and having a peripheral surface with successive groove portions extending at an angle and extending parallel with the side face of said cam, and a fixed projection provided on a line extending at right angles with respect to the length of said yarn masses for constant s-lidable engagement with said groove portions in the cylindrical cam, said groove portions which extend at an angle relative to the side face of said cylindrical cam being arranged so as to engage with said fixed projection only when said toothed portions of the intermittent gear are not in engagement with said driven gear, the teeth of said intermittent gear being cut in such a manner that the number of the teeth in each of said toothed portions is such as to cause said crank to make one complete turn for each revolution of the intermittent gear, the distances at which said groove portions which. are inclined with respect to the side face of said cylindrical cam being such as to cause the entire apparatus to be moved by said fixed projection in a direction at right angles with respect to the length of said yarn masses by a distance slightly greater than the width of said yarn mass divided by an integer larger than 1 when said hook is located inside of the width of said yarn mass and. by a desirably small distance when said hook is located outside of said yarn mass, the total length of said groove portions extending axially of said cylindrical cam being such as to cause the entire apparatus to be moved, upon one complete turn of said cylindrical cam, in a direction at right angles with respect to the length of said yarn masses by a distance equal to the distance between the center lines of adjacent yarn masses multiplied by an integer.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said means for disposing said lacing string in tension at substantially right angles with respect to the length of said yarn mass comprises a sprocket adapted for being mounted on each end of the reel rod of a reeling machine, an endless chain passed about said sprocket for endless movement, a clamp provided on said endless chain for clamping the end of r 7 8 said lacing string therein, and means including a clutch FOREIGN PATENTS for causing the movement Of said chain. 41 529 1910 Franca 266,326 10/1913 Germany.

References Cited 272,509 4/1914 Germany.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 26,452 10/1906 Great Britain.

1,938,586 12/1933 Gatelyet a1 28-21 2 2,603,852 7/1952 Fleischer 28 21 MERVIN STBINJHIMIYExamine!- 2,736,084 2/ 1956 Fleischer 28--21 R. FELDBAUM, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A METHOD OF LACING YARN MASSES ARRANGED IN EQUALLY SPACED RELATION IN WHICH THE RESPECTIVE YARN MASSES ARE GRIPPED SEPARATELY FROM EACH OTHER WHILE THEY ARE HELD INTEGRAL AS A WHOLE, THE METHOD COMPRISING DISPOSING A LACING STRING UNDER TENSION BELOW SAID YARN MASSES AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES WITH RESPECT TO THE LENGTH OF SAID YARN MASSES, ALTERNATELY SWINGING A NEEDLE HAVING AN OPENABLE HOOK VERTICALLY AND HORIZONTALLY TO THEREBY FROM AT LEAST TWO SMALL HOLLOW LOOPS OF SAID LACING STRING AT ONE SIDE OF A FIRST OF SAID YARN MASSES, PIERCING SAID NEEDLE THROUGH THE LATTER YARN MASS TO FORM A DESIRED NUMBER OF LARGE LOOPS OF SAID LACING STRING AND THEN FORMING AT LEAST TWO SMALL HOLLOW LOOPS ADJACENT SAID LATTER YARN MASS OPPOSITE THE INITIALLY FORMED SMALL HOLLOW LOOPS, CONTINUOUSLY CARRYING OUT THE ABOVE LACING OPERATIONS ON ALL OF SAID YARN MASSES, AND SEVERING A SMALL LOOP AT THE MIDDLE BETWEEN ADJACENT YARN MASSES.

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