Apparatus for continuously effecting automatic bobbin exchange on spinning machines

摘要

Automatic doffing and donning apparatus for a spinning machine comprises a carriage movable along the row of spindles, and donning and doffing units each comprising an endless belt with a p plurality of cop grippers and means for successively lifting the grippers of the doffing unit and for lowering those of the donning unit, the endless belts both being driven in the same direction at a speed which offsets the movement of the carriage so that the cops and filled bobbins carried thereby remain stationary relatively to the spindles while donning and doffing take place. The donning and doffing units. In Fig. 1 (not shown) a carriage A moving in the direction shown carries donning and doffing units Bm and Cd each comprising upper and lower endless belts driven in the direction shown and each carrying slotted members 15, 31. In each of these slides a member 19, 34 comprising a pair of jaws spring-urged together, the rise and fall of the members being effected, as the carriage moves, by curved tracks 55sv, 56sv. The slides are positioned to correspond with the spacing of the spindles, and the carriage and belts move oppositely at equal speeds, each member thus remaining stationary relatively to the spindle to which it is attending throughout the donning and doffing operations. In the case of a doffing unit, as a member 19 reaches its lowest point CP, a slide-block D is projected, Fig. 5 (not shown), to detach a bobbin from its spindle and raise the bobbin into the grip of the jaws. As the carriage continues to move, the bobbin is raised successively through positions CPsv, CPyF until it is completely freed from its spindle finally the jaws are opened as one of them strikes a member 59 to release the bobbin. On the donning side, each member 34 holds a cop which is gradually lowered on to the corresponding spindle. Donning is complete when the member reaches its lowest point, the spring urging the jaws together being of such strength that it releases the cop as the member begins to move upwardly again. There is provision for raising the units clear of the spindles when the carriage is returned to the other end of the machine. In Fig. 6 (not shown), another form of apparatus is shown when the belts are inclined and the tracks 55sv 56sv are dispensed with.