US3730340A

US3730340A - Device for transporting and storing yarn bobbins having bobbin tubes

Info

Publication number: US3730340A
Application number: US00096703A
Authority: US
Inventors: E Neubert
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-12-10
Filing date: 1970-12-10
Publication date: 1973-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-01

Abstract

An improvement in a device for transporting and storing yarn bobbin tubes arranged on a substantially horizontal pallet. A number of holding elements are mounted on the pallet which have top and bottom protuberances and depressions for centering and supporting the lower and upper end of the bobbin tubes so that a number of pallets having intermediately mounted yarn bobbin can be stacked one upon the other. Each holding element is composed of two holding element parts made of an injectable or pressable plastic material and arranged one above the pallet and one below the pallet. One holding element part is made of a resilient plastic material and has a substantially cylindrical, radially and resiliently compressible shank provided with an inner lock thereon. The other holding element part has a cylindrical opening thereon to receive the shank, the diameter of the opening is less than the maximum diameter of the shank so that the two holding element parts can be pressed together, the shank having the radial compression factor passing through the opening and snapping into engagement with the other holding element part through the aforesaid inner lock.

Description

Ilnited States Patent [191 Neuhert, nee Preischl DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING AND STORING YARN ROBBINS HAVING BOBBIN TUBES [76] Inventor: Edeltraud Neubert, nee Preischl,

l-Iauser near 25, 8971 Burgberg/Allgau, Germany [22] Filed: Dec. 10, 1970 21 Appl. No.:96,703

[52] 11.8. C1. ..206/65 Y, 214/10.5 R [51] Int. Cl. ..B65d 71/00 [58] Field of Search ..206/65 R, 65 Y,

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,642,183 6/1953 Prossen .206/65 Y 9 3,335,858 8/1967 Sibille ..206/65 Y 2,942,230 6/1960 Gluck ..2 l4/l0.5 2,610,735 9/1952 Ferguson ..206/65 Y 2,075,472 3/1937 Schwary et al..... ....2l4/l0.5 R 2,984,434 5/1961 Train ..242/l34 2,918,342 12/1959 Tarte, Jr. ..206/65 R 3,371,776 3/1968 Voissem ..206/65 R France ..2l4/10.5 R

[451 May 1, 1973 Primary Examiner--Samuel B. Rothberg Assistant Examiner-Stephen Marcus Attorney-Woodhams, Blanchard & Flynn [5 7] ABSTRACT An improvement in a device for transporting and storing yarn bobbin tubes arranged on a substantially horizontal pallet. A number of holding elements are mounted on the pallet which have top and bottom protuberances and depressions for centering and sup- .porting the lower and upper end of the bobbin tubes so that a number of pallets having intermediately mounted yarn bobbin can be stacked one upon the other. Each holding element is composed of two holding element parts made of an injectable or pressable plastic material and arranged one above the pallet and one below the pallet. One holding element part is made of a resilient plastic material and has a substantially cylindrical, radially and resiliently compressible shank provided with an inner lock thereon. The other holding element part has a cylindrical opening thereon to receive the shank, the diameter of the opening is less than the maximum diameter of the shank so that the two holding element parts canbe pressed together, the shank having the radial compression factor passing through the opening and snapping into engagement with the other holding element part through the aforesaid inner lock.

12 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING AND STORING YARN ROBBINS HAVING BOBBIN TUBES The invention relates to a device for transporting and storing yarn bobbins having bobbin tubes, which comprises a substantially horizontally arranged pallet and a number of holding members arranged on a pallet and having on the upper and under sides protuberances and depressions for centering and support always of the bottom or top end of the bobbin tube such that a number of pallets with yarn bobbins arranged in between them can be stacked one upon the other.

In a known device of this kind, the pallets consist of a rectangular wire frame with intersecting rods arranged therebetween. Two rods are always arranged parallel to each other at a short distance apart and a third rod is arranged at right-angles thereto. The holding elements, which are deep-drawn and stamped from sheet metal have a flange by means of which they are welded to the two parallel rods.

Although this known device owing to its advantages has proved satisfactory in some cases for transporting and storing yarn bobbins, it has not been widely adopted in practice. The principal reason for this is that there is an exceptionally large number of tube shapes, and the holding elements have always to fit these tube shapes. For making the sheet-metal holding elements expensive multiple tools are necessary, which have paid for themselves only if large numbers of given holdingelement were made. Owing to the large number of different tube shapes, however, this has not been possible.

In addition, very long 'delivery times had to be accepted in the production of the complicated multiple tool. In addition, the sheet-metal plates could be fonned only by means of expensive multiple presses. A material other than sheet metal was hitherto not possible; since the joint between the steel-wire rods of the pallet and the holding elements would give rise to difficulties. Furthermore, the manufacturing costs of a pallet were increased because two parallel rods were always necessary for holding a holding element. Another reason why the known devices failed to be widely adopted was also the fact that yarn processing factories are often obliged to change the shape of the bobbin tubes used. In such a case, the entire devices suitable for the previous bobbin shape were then useless. Attempts have indeed been made to remove this drawback by fitting on the holding elements adapters of plastic material, but these adapters had the disadvantage firstly that they were expensive to make and secondly their gripping effect was often inadequate, so that they unintentionally fell off the holding elements. This was partly also due to the fact that the holding elements often did not have the predetermined form, since they had become distorted when being welded to the rods. This also then resulted in the bobbin tubes not fitting satisfactorily on the holding elements.

The problem underlying the invention is to provide a device for transporting and storing yarn bobbins with bobbin tubes of the aforesaid kind which is inexpensive to make and can be modified at slight expense to adapt it to another bobbin shape.

For solving this problem, the invention starts out from the idea of making the holding elements in twoparts out of plastic material, the two holding-element parts being formed like the parts of a snap fastener, the pallet being arranged between the two parts when the latter are pressed together.

The invention is characterized in that each holding element consists of two parts of injectable or pressable plastic parts, one of which is arranged above the pallet and one below the pallet, in that one holding element part consisting of resilient plastic material has a substantially cylindrical, radially resiliently compressible shank provided with interlocking means and passing through the pallet, and the other holding element part has a circular orifice for the said shank, the diameter of the said orifice being less than the maximum diameter of the shank, such that the two holding-element parts can be pressed together in the manner of a snap fastener, the shank under radial compression passing through the orifice where it snaps in by its interlocking means.

The entire device is cheaper to make, since first of all its individual parts can be made much more cheaply. The molds required for making the holding element parts are substantially simpler in construction, and they do not have to be made of such high-grade material as the multiple dies necessary for sheet-metal working. In addition, the delivery periods for plastic molding tools are much shorter. The same basic tool may be used, but with different inserts. The pallets themselves are also cheaper to make. If the pallet consists of a frame and intersecting rods, two parallel rods and one rod extending at right-angles thereto are no longer necessary for fixing a holding element but only two intersecting rods. In addition, the pallets may be made in large numbers, regardless of the tube shape for which they are later to be used, and not until later are the holding elements,

adapted to the particular tube shape, fixed to the pallet by simple pressing together of their parts. It is hereby possible to supply the device according to the invention also in small numbers, for example for a trial run, because it is possible for this purpose to connect the already prepared pallets by means of the holding elements adapted to the bobbin shape. Even in the case of small numbers, the cost of making the plastic molding tool pays for itself. It is, however, in particular important to emphasize the advantage that in converting the plant to another bobbin shape, the existing pallets will no longer be useless. As explained in the following, the existing holding elements can be removed from these pallets and new holding elements adapted to the altered bobbin shape can be fixed to the old pallets. Finally, the device according to the invention also has the ad vantage that the bobbin tubes always fit satisfactorily on the holding elements. In fact, the holding element parts, in those portions which are later intended to receive the bobbin tubes, are not deformed at all when pressed together and thus have the ideal shape corresponding to the particular bobbin form.

Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained more particularly in the following, with reference to embodiment examples illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a plan of the new device,

FIG. 2 is a side view, partly in section,

FIG. 3 shows a part longitudinal section through the new device on the line IIl--III of FIG. 4 on an approximately full-size scale,

FIG. 4 is a plan,

FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment example in sectron,

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment example in section.

In the drawings, 1 denotes a pallet which may consist of a substantially rectangular frame 1a with altogether four intersecting rods lb and 1c. The pallet shown in the embodiment example is intended to receive altogether four yarn bobbins. If the number of yarn bobbins is increased, the number of rods 1b, 1c is increased accordingly. The yarn bobbins, shown at 2 in the drawings, are mounted on bobbin tubes 3. These bobbin tubes may have quite different forms, lengths and diameters, depending on the purpose for which they are intended. At each intersection between two rods 1b, 10, a holding element 4 is provided, this holding element consisting of two parts 4a and 4b joined together in snap fastener fashion, one of which being arranged above the pallet 1 and one below the pallet. For the sake of simplicity, in what follows the holding element part 4a provided above the pallet 1 will be termed top part" and the holding element part 4b provided below the pallet will be termed bottom part. Both parts 4a, 4b consists of injectable or pressable plastic material, highly impact-resistant polystyrene of type 247 having been found to be particularly suitable.

The bottom part 4b has a substantially cylindrical shank 5 passing through the pallet 1, which shank must be radially compressible and is provided with interlocking means. These interlocking means consist advantageously ofa flange provided on the free end of the shank 5. To render the shank 5 radially compressible, in the embodiment example shown, it has four exially extending slots 7, offset respectively by 90. To economize in plastic material and to increase the resilience, the shank 5 is advantageously of hollow construction.

The bottom part also has advantageously a supporting flange 8 adjoining the shank 5. Furthermore, the bottom part 4b is provided with protuberances, namely the annular beadings 9 and 10, and depressions, namely the annular groove 11 and the cylindrical opening 12, always engaged by the upper end of the bobbin tube 3 or a somewhat differently shaped bobbin tube 3. The bobbin tubes are centered relative to the holding element by the said annular beadings and annular grooves.

The top part 40 is offset in stepped fashion for receiving always the lower end of a bobbin tube 3 or 3. This development, however, is not part of the present invention. What is important is merely that the bobbin tube is adequately centered and supported by a suitable formation of the top part and bottom part. According to the invention, the top part has a circular opening 13, behind which, in the embodiment example shown, is a shoulder 14. The lower, outwardly situated edge 60 of the flange 6 is advantageously rounded or chamfered like the lower edge 13a of the opening 13. Furthermore, in the embodiment example shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, in which the pallet has intersecting rods, the top part 4a at the end facing the flange 8 of the bottom part 4b, has four slots 15, always respectively offset by 90 relative to each other, whose width is at least equal to the diameter of the rods and whose length is about twice the diameter of a rod. The slots 15 embrace the intersecting rods 1b, 10.

It is furthermore also essential that in the embodiment example illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the width of the axial slots 7 is at least as large as the diameter of the rods 1b, 1c. and that they extend as far as the flange 8. Four axial slots, arranged respectively offset by 90 relative to each other, are also provided in the bottom part.

The production of the new device is carried out by first making separately the pallets 1, the top parts 4a and the bottom parts 4b. For fixing a holding piece, consisting of the top part 4a and bottom part 4b, to the pallet, the bottom part 4b is pushed with its shank 5 onto the intersecting rods 1b, 1c such that the point of intersection of the two rods lies in the hollow shank and the rods engage the axial slots 7. The top part 40 is then placed on the shank 5 from above, the rounded parts 6a of the

flange

6 and 13a of the opening 13 bearing against each other. The radially inwardly acting force components thereby produced, compress the free end of the shank 5 radially, so that the flange 6 can pass through the opening 13. After this has occurred, the shank 5, owing to its resilience, widens again and the flange 6 snaps outwardly behind the opening 13 and bears on the shoulder 14. Without a suitable tool, the two parts 4a and 4b can no longer be detached from each other. The axial slots 7 in the bottom part have a twofold function. In fact they permit compression of the shank 5 and in addition they fix the bottom part relative to the intersecting rods 1b and 10.

For other bobbin shapes, the annular beadings and depressions provided on the top part and bottom part have other diameters and lengths. On the other hand, however, the shank 5 and the opening 13 can always have the same dimensions. In this case, however, also the length of the shank may be varied according to the height at which the partition 16 in the top part is situated. If an already available pallet is to be fitted with holding elements for another bobbin shape, it is merely necessary to remove the existing holding elements. This may be done, for example, by means of a suitable tool which is pressed into the top part from above, forcing the shank 5 radially inward until its flange 6 passes through the opening 13 again. Since, however, the old holding elements as a rule are not be used again, a simpler method of removing them from the pallet is to strike the upper part laterally with a pointed hammer, whereby the upper part is split open, thus disengaging the bottom part. If the plastic material is suitable, the fragments of the old holding elements can possibly be melted down and made into new holding elements. The new prefabricated holding elements are fixed to the old pallet simply by pressing their parts together.

FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment example, in which the pallet 1 does not consist of intersecting rods but of a plate, in which openings 17 are provided. A shoulder 18 on the bottom part 4'b serves to center the bottom part relative to the opening 17. All the other parts of the holding element 4 have a similar construction and similar function to those in the embodiment example first described; and therefore they are provided with the same reference numerals and an additional index stroke. In view of this similar construction and similar effect, repeated description is superfluous. It should merely be pointed out that the axial slots 7 in the embodiment example shown in FIG. 5 may be arranged in any desired manner.

In the embodiment examples described, the shank is always provided on the bottom part. It could, however, also be provided on the top part. Provision of the shank on the bottom part, however, has the advantage that no limits are set to the configuration of the bottom part with regard to projections and depressions necessary for receiving the bobbin tube. This is of importance because the bobbin tubes may often have at their apex a diameter which is smaller than the flange of the shank. On the other hand, bobbin tubes as a rule are larger at their base than the flange of the shank.

FIG. 6 illustrates yet another embodiment example, in which the holding element parts 24a, and 24b are widened in stepped manner towards the pallet 1, this pallet having intersecting rods lb and as in the embodiment example first described. One holding element part, in this case the top part, has a flange 25, which is somewhat larger in diameter than the flange 26 of the other holding element part. The flange 25 therefore embraces the flange 26. The flanges have axial slots 27,28 for the passage of the rods. These slots at the same time serve to increase the resilience of the flanges 25,26 so that the latter can yield resiliently outward or inward when the two holding element parts are pressed together. As interlocking means, an inwardly projecting flange 29 is provided on the flange 25 of one holding element part 24a, while the flange 26 of the other holding element part 24b has a radially outward projecting shoulder 30. The flange 29 and the shoulder 30 interlock after the two holding element parts 24a, 2412 have been pressed together, so that after being pressed together the holding element parts are undetachably connected together. To facilitate the operation of pressing the parts together, chamfers or rounded edges are provided onthe flanges 25, 26 in a manner similar to that in the embodiment example first described. The stepped construction of the two holding element parts renders them suitable for receiving bobbins of very different diameters. Due to the fact that axial slots 27, 28 are provided in both holding element parts, these axial slots can be made comparatively short, since the two flanges 25 and 26 can yield radially outward or inward when the holding element parts are pressed together.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a device for transporting and storing yarn bobbins having bobbin tubes and having a substantially horizontally arranged pallet and a number of holding elements mounted on the said pallet, which elements have at the top and bottom protuberances and depressions for centering and supporting always the lower and upper end of the bobbin tube, such that a number of pallets with intermediately mounted yarn bobbins can be stacked one upon the other, the improvement comprising each holding element being composed of two holding element parts of injectable or pressable plastic material being arranged one above and one below the pallet, one holding element part being made of a resilient plastic material and having a substantially cylindrical, radially and resiliently compressible shank provided with interlocking means, the other holding element part having a cylindrical opening for the said shank, whose diameter is less than the maximum diameter of shank, such that the two holding element parts can be pressed together in a snap fastener fashion, the shank with radial compression passing through the opening and there snapping in with its interlocking means.

2. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein the shank has axially extending slots.

3. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein the shank is hollow.

4. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein the interlocking means consist of a flange provided on the free end of the shank.

5. The improvement according to claim 4, wherein a shoulder is provided on the other holding element part behind the opening, the flange snapping in behind the said shoulder.

6. The improvement according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the flange and the opening on the edges, which first come into contact on being pressed together, are rounded or chamfered.

7. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein the one holding element part has a supporting flange adjacent the shank for support on the pallet.

8. The improvement according to claim 1, including a pallet composed of a rectangular frame and intersecting rods arranged therein, wherein four axial slots in the shank are arranged always offset by relative to each other, extend to the supporting flange and have a width which is at least as large as the diameter of the rods so that the intersection of two rods is arranged inside the shank.

9. The improvement according to claim 8, wherein on the end of the other holding element part facing the flange of the one holding element part, four slots always offset by 90 relative to each other are provided, whose width is at least as large as the diameter of the rods and whose length is approximately twice as large as-the diameter of a rod.

10. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein the holding element parts are made of high impact-resistant polystyrene.

11. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein the shank is provided on the holding element part arranged under the pallet.

12. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein the holding element parts are widened in stepped fashion towards the pallet, said pallet having intersecting rods, one holding element part having a flange which is somewhat larger in diameter than the flange of the other holding element part and embraces the said latter flange, axial slots being provided in both flanges for the passage of the rods, and the flange of one holding element part being provided with a radially inwardly projecting flange while the flange of the other holding element part has a radially outwardly projecting shoulder as interlocking means.

Claims

3. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein the shank is hollow.

8. The improvement according to claim 1, including a pallet composed of a rectangular frame and intersecting rods arranged therein, wherein four axial slots in the shank are arranged always offset by 90* relative to each other, extend to the supporting flange and have a width which is at least as large as the diameter of the rods so that the intersection of two rods is arranged inside the shank.

9. The improvement according to claim 8, wherein on the end of the other holding element part facing the flange of the one holding element part, four slots always offset by 90* relative to each other are provided, whose width is at least as large as the diameter of the rods and whose length is approximately twice as large as the diameter of a rod.