Abstract: An apparatus for performing a work operation on sheet material includes a plurality of drive wheels for driving the sheet material in cooperation with a plurality of pinch rollers along a feed path. Each of the drive wheels includes a drive surface having a plurality of primary teeth and a plurality of secondary teeth. Each primary tooth includes a top surface and a plurality of primary contact points to engage the sheet material. Each secondary tooth includes either a secondary contact line or a secondary contact point that come into contact with the sheet material to provide additional driving force and to prevent the sheet material from being perforated by the primary teeth. The primary teeth and the secondary teeth of the drive wheels engage the sheet material to advance the sheet material along the feed path. The drive surface of the drive wheels of the present invention minimizes slippage of the sheet material in the drive apparatus without damaging the sheet material.

Abstract: A tape cartridge, a cartridge-drive system, and a method of operation for aligning spools inside the tape cartridge with fixed center drives. The spools are allowed to slide relative to a baseplate allowing them to move in a direction normal to their axis of rotation to account for axial misalignment with the fixed center drives. Posts maintain the spools in close proximity to the baseplate. The fixed center drives have a flexible joint to account for angular misalignments of the spool and drive axes, and to account for spool-to-drive distance variations along the axis of rotation. Each spool and drive have a ring of triangular shaped teeth that self-align when engaged. Thrust bearings may be disposed between the spools and the baseplate to minimize friction. Each spool may include a normally engaged locking clutch mechanism to reduce the possibility of tape spillage during handling. The clutch is disengaged by engagement with an annular boss on the drive.

Abstract: A yarn feeding device having a yarn brake including a wear-proof, radially deformable and frustoconical braking band supported in a braking band carrier. The carrier is held substantially coaxially relative to the axis of a storage body of the yarn feeding device and against a circumferentially continuous withdrawal rim of the storage body. A stationary support and a spring assembly are provided, which spring assembly imparts an essentially axial pre-loading force onto the braking band carrier. The braking band carrier is centered in an axially displaceable fashion at the support by means of a universal joint having at least two mechanically and positively cooperating joint elements. The joint center of the universal joint coincides with the axis of the storage body.

Abstract: A ticket dispenser includes an adjustable tension device and a driver. The driver includes at least one sharp pin configured to pierce at least a portion of a thickness of a ticket strip and to pull the ticket strip in a direction along a ticket path. The ticket strip passes through the tension device as it is pulled by the driver. The tension device exerts a force on the ticket strip in a direction opposite the pulled direction. The driver can be a roller that is rotated by a motor. In addition, the ticket dispenser includes a driver guide which is adjacent and in close proximity to the driver. The ticket strip passes between the driver guide and the driver, thereby biasing the ticket strip in close proximity to the driver, and facilitating piercing of the ticket strip by the sharp pins. The driver guide includes rollers which have a groove extending around a circumference of the rollers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for winding a continuously advancing yarn to form a package, wherein the package is wound on a driven winding spindle that is mounted in cantilever fashion on a movable spindle support. A contact roll lies with a contact force against the circumference of the package. The contact roll is likewise mounted on a movable support, and during the winding cycle, the center distance between the package and the contact roll is increased by a deflection of the spindle support. In this process the drive of the spindle support is controlled by means of a control device which is connected to a sensor that detects the lift of the contact roll. In accordance with the invention, the drive of the spindle support is driven at a deflection speed when the contact roll is outside of its desired range, and at a lower reversing speed when the contact roll is in its desired range.

Abstract: In reversible head winders two bobbin holders (3a, 3b) are alternately used. Each bobbin holder is coupled to a frequency-controllable drive (9a, 9b) associated to a frequency converter (14a, 14b). A sensing roller (6) which in operation is in contact with the surface of the bobbin (5) being formed is also equipped with a drive (10). According to the invention, each frequency converter (14a, 14b) can be switched from the drive (9a, 9b) of the associated bobbin holder (3a, 3b) to the drive (10) of the sensing roller (6). The drive of the sensing roller (6) is electrically connected to the frequency converter (14b) of the bobbin holder (3b) which is momentarily in the ready position. In this manner one can spare a frequency converter for the drive (10) of the sensing roller (6).

Abstract: An improved device is provided for quick coiling and wrapping of wire or other flexible strand materials such as ropes, cables, hose or the like. In a presently preferred form, the device comprises a handle portion and a base portion, the base portion having an elongated body carrying two substantially parallel spaced laterally adjustable carrier arms protruding from the elongated body to securely hold the coil of flexible strand material in place on the device until the coil is wrapped and/or removed. The handle portion of the device is provided with a hand grip for conveniently gripping the device as the flexible material is wound thereon and an adjustment mechanism of for selecting the desired length of the elongated body.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a drive mechanism (2) for transporting a tow (4) at constant speed between feed and receive reels (5, 6), an interlayer tape (7) being interleaved on both reels (5,6) between successive windings of the tow. According to the invention, said tape is drivingly coupled between the two reels (5,6) to a drive wheel (9) and each reel is further drivingly coupled to the drive wheel (9) via a slip mechanism (18, 19). Preferred application: driving fibres through a CVD chamber.

Abstract: A yarn winding machine for winding a continuously advancing yarn into packages, the yarn being guided in a yarn traversing mechanism which includes a traversing unit and a grooved roll downstream thereof in the direction of the advance of the yarn. To transfer the yarn from a full package mounted on one winding spindle to an empty tube mounted on another winding spindle, the spindle mounting the full yarn package is moved to a doffing position and the spindle mounting the empty winding tube is moved to the winding position. The machine is provided with a yarn deflection device, which comprises a guide plate extending parallel to the circumference of the grooved roll, and a yarn guide adapted for movement in a direction parallel to the winding spindles.

Abstract: A retractor for a vehicle restraint system has a locking mechanism comprising an additional inertia member (7) which decouples from the webbing spool when a predetemined acceleration or deceleration force is exceeded, due to the pretensioning operation taking place, and operates a locking pawl (3) to prevent further movement of the spool. The locking pawl (3) is then positively held in the locking condition using a spring catch (9) integral with the inertia member (7), or it can be spring biased in the locking condition using a spring displacing the inertia member (7) against the locking pawl (3) once shear pins (8) have been destroyed. This prevents webbing payout in a multiple crash situation, and provides a positive indication that the pretensioner has fired.

Abstract: A capstan motor which includes: a stator yoke having a multiple number of coils provided on a circle centered about a rotational shaft; and a rotor yoke having an annular magnet opposing the multiple number of coils and rotating integrally with the rotational shaft, and is constructed such that a hysteresis plate is provided opposing the rotor yoke on the side opposite the multiple number of coils for receiving leakage of the magnetic flux from the magnet and is attached rotatably relative to the rotary shaft; and driving force for rotation is extracted from the hysteresis plate, and a tape driving system using it.

Abstract: The invention relates to a variable-force discharge mechanism for materials loaded on a reel. Some material is drawn with an external device (1) from a reel (2) around a reversing wheel (6), said reel being driven or decelerated with a discharge motor (3). In order to reduce the tensile stress fluctuations of a material (5), the reversing wheel (6) is afforded a certain displacement (A), within which a resilient assembly (7-9) produces a counter-force for a traction force (F). The counter-force produced by the resilient assembly is created by a piston-cylinder unit (7), having its gas pressure adjustable by a regulating valve (9) which sustains an adjustable, constant counter-force.

Abstract: A method for controlling widthwise contraction of a conveyed web utilizes a serpentine web conveyance path. Web conveyance path may be formed by opposing first web carrier belts and opposing second web carrier belts forming a generally serpentine transport path for supporting opposite lateral edges of the conveyed web.

Abstract: A yarn supply apparatus for knitting machines is provided wherein an outgoing yarn guide eye set is disposed laterally adjacent to and lower than an underside of a yarn supply drum; a yarn pull-out section with a vertical circumferential surface is slightly inclined toward the circumference of the underside of the yarn supply drum such that when the yarn unwinding from the yarn supply drum the yarn will be vibrated upward and downward rapidly for being completely in contact with the circumferential surface of the yarn pull-out section so as to filter out dirt adhered on the yarn and nap accumulated on the circumferential surface of the yarn pull-out section. As a result, the manual cleaning work will be minimized.

Abstract: A cable storage assembly including a storage case, a cable coil within the storage case, and an outlet opening in the side of the case through which the cable is withdrawn. A disc-shaped base is provided on the floor of the case and the cable coil is located thereon. This permits rotation of the coil and base more readily than prior art devices. The Invention also includes the provision of one or more low-friction sheets between the floor of the case and the base which will further enhance the ability of the assembly to deliver the cable easily. The sheets may be replaced by a bearing which contacts the floor at a very limited area, compared to that of the base, which aids in additional friction reduction. If it is desired to fabricate the case out of thin cardboard, plastic, or the like, a planar hard support is provided on the floor and the bearing rests thereon. In all cases, the amount of force necessary to withdraw the cable is drastically reduced.

Abstract: A yarn winding apparatus and a method for winding a continuously advancing yarn on a driven tube. A bobbin tube is clamped between two clamping plates that are rotatably supported on a package holder, and one of the clamping plates includes in its front edge facing the tube a catching slot with a catching nose that is directed in the direction of rotation, and a clamping slot for clamping the yarn. For purposes of threadup, the yarn is guided by a yarn guide and a suction device to the front edge of the clamping plate in such a manner that the yarn and the clamping plate move essentially in the same direction. To guide the yarn after having dropped into the catching slot, reliably to a lead-in plane of the clamping slot, the clamping plate has in its front edge a recess which undercuts the catching nose and the catching slot and forms a guiding edge on the edge of the clamping plate.

Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement in connection with a spooler, in which the cable to be spooled or the like is arranged to move onto the spooler or the like via accumulator, the moving wheels (2) of which are arranged to move between two extreme positions, depending on the line speed and the spooling speed, in such a manner that the moving wheels (2) are arranged to move into the lower extreme position (2b) when the line speed is higher than the spooling speed. To avoid damage a cutting means (6) is arranged in connection with the accumulator, the cutting means being arranged to touch the cable or the like moving via the moving wheels (2) when the moving wheels (2) of the accumulator move into the upper extreme position (2a) and to move into a position for cutting the cable or the like as a result of the motion of the cable or the like.

Abstract: A tail gap winder transfers a web from a first core to a second core by, immediately after the web is cut, pivoting the idler roller to lengthen the distance between the idler roller and the rotating drum to create a gap between the cut ends of the web; removing the first core from the rotating drum surface as the gap passes under the first core location; moving the second core into contact with the rotating drum surface; and winding the incoming cut edge around the second core. The idler roller pivots toward the rotating drum to decrease the distance between the idler roller and rotating drum and to take up the extra length of web during the winding portion of the operating cycle.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process and an apparatus for the storage of a textile material between operating components of spinning mill machines, wherein a first driving means drives an operating component which delivers the material into a storage facility and a second driving means drives another operating component which removes the material from the storage facility. One of the operating components is a high-dynamically reacting component, and the other operating component is a low-dynamically reacting component. The purpose of the invention is to minimize the size of the storage facility and to simultaneously reduce the amount of stored material. This is accomplished in that the quantity of delivered and removed material at any given time is continually measured and a running difference between the two quantities is determined.

Abstract: A ticket dispensing apparatus is provided including a framework having a driver roller rotatably coupled to the framework to dispense tickets therefrom. Also included is a sensor for monitoring the dispensing of the tickets. A motor is coupled to the drive roller and in communication with the sensor to rotate the drive roller and thereby advance the tickets. Further coupled to the framework is a support for supporting the tickets. For maintaining the tickets in operational relationship with the sensor and the drive roller, at least one guide is coupled to the support. In use, the guide is adjustable to accommodate tickets of varying widths. Also, the guide is substantially rigid in order to avoid bending the tickets.