Abstract: A guiding device for a traveling service unit for a spinning machine having guide rollers supporting the service unit on the floor and related to a rail engaging member to maintain the service unit at a predetermined spacing from a guide running along the machine. In one form of the invention, the guide rollers are pivotally mounted and are pivoted by a connecting rod of the rail engaging member to direct the guide rollers toward or away from the rail upon any deviation of the travel of the service unit so that the service unit will be guided at a proper spacing from the rail and, therefore, from the components of the spinning machine. The control rod can be maintained in proper relation to the rail by followers on the rod straddling the rail or by a spring mounted on the servicing unit and biasing a follower roller on the rod against the rail.

Abstract: A sliver can transporting apparatus and method for circulating sliver cans between a draw frame and a sliver supply station includes an inner track component and an outer track component. The outer track component transports empty sliver cans from the draw frame to a sliver supply station and the inner track component transports full sliver cans from the sliver supply station to form a row of full sliver cans at a final can ready position. Longitudinal bar members are selectively operated to transfer the full sliver cans in groupwise manner from the inner track components to the outer track component to allow another row of full cans to be supplied to the final can ready position and to transfer the rows of full sliver cans to the double rows of the draw frame. In correspondence with the transfer of the full sliver cans to the draw frame, empty sliver cans are discharged from the draw frame to be transported along the outer track component to a sliver supply station for refilling.

Abstract: Apparatus for transporting full textile laps to a plurality of combers includes an elevated bridge structure movable in series between a lap storage station and the plural combers, a trolley movable along the bridge structure, and a lap gripping device suspended from the trolley for carrying a full replacement lap. The bridge structure is provided with a detector for each work station of each comber to recognize detectable elements at the work stations which are normally obscured by laps supported thereat but are uncovered when the laps are depleted to a sufficient extent that a replacement lap is required. Upon recognizing the detectable elements at any work station, the associated detector element transmits a signal to a controller which actuates the gripping mechansim to deposit a full replacement lap at the work station.

Abstract: A textile machine includes a plurality of tube support devices transported by a transport device to a tube transfer position for transfer of tubes between the tube support devices and a tube handling device. The tube support devices each include an upright member for individually supporting a tube in a substantially upright disposition, the upright member having a recess and an indicator device disposed within the recess. The indicator device cooperates with the transport device to indicate the presence of the upright member at an indicating position located at a predetermined location with respect to the tube transfer position. Accordingly, the transport device determines the presence of an upright member and responds accordingly to reliably position the upright member at the tube transfer position for transfer of the tube between the upright member and the tube handling device.

Abstract: Spool change in a spinning and twisting frame is triggered automatically by repetitively monitoring a row of spools with a light curtain and triggering the spool change when the measured diameter falls below the predetermined minimum value.

Abstract: A textile drafting apparatus of the type having upper and lower drafting rollers forming a plurality of roller nips for travel therebetween of a textile strand includes a carrier member for adjustably supporting the upper drafting rollers. The textile drafting apparatus includes a force-applying member for applying a downward roller nip force through the carrier member to the rollers. The force-applying member is intermediately transversely offset from the longitudinal center line of the carrier member for permitting access to attaching studs for sliding of the attaching studs in longitudinal slots on the carrier member to adjust the position of the upper drafting rollers in the carrier member. According to another aspect of the present invention, the textile drafting apparatus includes a template device for positioning an upper drafting roller at a predetermined spacing from the pivoting shaft of the carrier member.

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting spinning tubes along a textile spinning machine for use in supplying empty spinning tubes thereto and removing fully-wound spinning tubes therefrom, includes an endless flexible metal belt having a generally flat lateral extent, a plurality of spinning tube transport members mounted on the belt at spacings therealong, a belt guide arrangement for orienting the belt to travel in an operating path along the spinning machine with its generally flat lateral extent in upstanding facing relation to the spinning machine, and a drive for actuating traveling movement of the belt. Preferably, the apparatus is adapted for a textile spinning machine having spinning stations along each of two opposite sides thereof, the guiding arrangement serving to guide the belt in the aforesaid upstanding disposition along each side of the spinning machine.

Abstract: A funnel for delivering yarn for building a package on a spindle of a spinning machine has an entry channel for the passage of yarn therethrough into the interior of the funnel and an exit opening for the passage of yarn therethrough from the interior to the exterior of the funnel, the interior of the funnel having a lateral extent sufficient to allow the formation of a yarn balloon of controlled extent during building of the package on the spindle. The funnel can contain a guide portion projecting interiorly of the funnel at a spacing from the entry channel and a neck portion in which the entry channel is formed.

Abstract: A yarn feeding funnel for a textile spinning machine having an upper shaft portion and a body portion. A yarn inlet opening in the upper shaft portion is radially offset from the axis of rotation of the yarn feeding funnel and facilitates the formation of a yarn balloon of controlled extent between the yarn inlet opening and a yarn guiding eye which is coaxial with the funnel rotation axis. A plurality of alternative yarn inlet openings, each at a predetermined, different radial spacing from the funnel rotation axis, may be provided to vary the characteristics, such as the diameter, of the yarn balloon formed between the yarn inlet opening and the yarn guiding eye.

Abstract: A heat dissipating arrangement for electric drive units and like heat producing elements enclosed in an end housing of a textile spinning or like machine, includes an intake opening and a discharge opening in the housing, and a fan to draw ambient air into the housing through the intake opening, through the housing in heat-exchange relation with the heat producing elements, and outwardly through the discharge opening. The discharge opening has a relatively narrow lateral extent transversely to a longitudinal central vertical plane through the machine and a longitudinal extent of a greater dimension aligned with the central vertical plane so that contact between the discharge heated air and supply bobbins suspended about the end housing is minimized.

Abstract: A stop motion apparatus for a drafting device for roving in a textile machine includes a stop member into roving stopping engagement with the intake feed rollers of the drafting device by operation of an actuating rod. The actuating rod includes a notch having an undercut surface for engagement by a plunger element. Preferably, the undercut surface is transversely arcuate and the plunger element includes a plastic sleeve element compatibly configured with the actuating rod notch. the plunger element is selectively insertable into, and retractable from, the notch of the operating rod by an electromagentic assembly operatively connected to a yarn break monitor. The stop motion apparatus includes a shaft having a forked end for manually clearing the plunger element from the actuating rod notch.

Abstract: An apparatus for aligning a textile strand supple device and a strand guide of a drafting device of a textile machine is provided for initially inserting a textile strand into the strand guide. The strand guide of the drafting device is typically reciprocally moved transversely to the direction of feed of the textile strand and the aligning apparatus of the present invention includes a device for securing the strand guide at a predetermined position along its reciprocating path at which a conventional movable service unit can be positioned for initially inserting a textile strand into the strand guide. According to another aspect of the present invention, the aligning apparatus includes a motor assembly for adjustably moving the textile strand supply device in response to the sensed position of the strand guide of the drafting device.

Abstract: A yarn feeding funnel for a textile spinning machine having an upper shaft portion and a body portion. An axial yarn passage extends through the shaft portion and an outlet passage extends at an inclination downwardly and outwardly from the axial passage to an opening on the surface of the body portion. The body portion above the opening extends to a greater axial extent than the opening and may be an inverted frusto-conical shape or a torus shaped flange or a cylindrically shaped flange. Alternatively the opening may be in an annular recess in the body portion.

Abstract: A yarn feeding funnel for a textile spinning machine having an upper shaft portion and a body portion. An axial yarn passage extends through the shaft portion and an outlet passage extends from the axial passage to an opening on the surface of the body portion. The body portion has an outer surface of substantially constant inclination with respect to the axis of the funnel and of sufficient extent to substantially prevent the yarn from moving radially outwardly away from the funnel during its travel thereover.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically doffing fully wound bobbins simultaneously from the plural spindles of a textile spinning or twisting machine and subsequently donning empty tubes simultaneously onto the spindles. When doffing a fully wound bobbin from its supporting spindle, a trailing length of yarn from the doffed bobbin is helically placed about the spindle and, when subsequently donning an empty tube onto the spindle, the trailing yarn length is securely clamped at least partially between the empty tube and spindle, which trailing yarn length is automatically broken from the doffed bobbin upon its removal, to enable convenient automatic re-start of the machine.

Abstract: A sliver guide conduit extending between the output and calendar rollers of a draw frame or like spinning preparation machine is of a bipartite construction having an upstream conduit section extending into the interior area of a downstream conduit section, with an air conduit opening tangentially into the interior of the downstream conduit section annularly about the upstream section for admitting an airstream to assist in drawing a sliver through the sliver guide conduit during machine start-up.

Abstract: A spinning machine has an electric motor for rotating a bobbin-supporting spindle to build a package of yarn thereon and a funnel for guiding yarn onto the spindle. The spindle is rotatingly driven by an electric motor and the electric motors of the spindle and the funnel are commonly connected to a frequency control means which is, in turn, connected to an electrical power supply means. The torque of the funnel electric motor is a function of a characteristic of the funnel in accordance with the relationship that the funnel is rotated by its electric motor at a lower rate relative to the contemporaneous rate of rotation of the spindle. The apparatus can include a switch assembly selectively movable between leads for selectively connecting the funnel electric motor to the frequency control apparatus to operate the motor or to the electrical power supply means to brake the motor.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting a stop member of a stop motion device of a textile ring spinning machine is provided. The apparatus includes a carriage having a cam portion for removably receiving and manipulating the projecting cam follower portion of the stop member, a device for reciprocating the carriage and a device for releasably positioning the carriage on the reciprocating device in a predetermined position. The carriage is disengagable from the positioning device for movement therefrom sufficiently to permit removal and replacement of the stop member from the carriage and is reengagable with the positioning device for positioning the carriage in its predetermined position. Preferably, the carriage and the positioning device each includes cooperatively configured portions for releasable interengagement with one another to position the carriage in its predetermined position.

Abstract: An improvement in a roving stop motion for a spinning machine of the type having a series of pairs of drafting rollers, the stop motion including a clamping member mounted on a lever arm drivenly connected to an actuating rod by a carriage which is selectively mountable at differing locations along the actuating rod. The actuating rod is responsive to roving breakage to drive the lever arm to cause the clamping member to separate the feed rollers from one another and press the roving against one roller. The positionability of the carriage enables the lever arm to be properly disposed with respect to the feed rollers when the spacing between the roller pairs is varied.

Abstract: A stator for an electric motor for driving a spindle of a spinning machine, including a magnetic core having a stack of magnetically active plates and a plurality of coils received within the plates, projecting beyond the top and bottom surfaces of the magnetic core. A protective covering encloses the projecting portions of the coils to protect the coils from impact forces or other disturbances.