Abstract: An apparatus and method for filling textile material into containers having an elongate cross-section, contemplates suspending each container by releasable holder elements secured to displacement devices. Advantageously further provided for each container, during the filling operation, is an external elevation positioning device which can be releasably coupled with the container to be filled with textile material. A displacement device moves the container which is being filled beneath a coiler to deposit loops of the textile material into the container. A device serves to automatically remove the filled containers and a further device delivers empty containers which are to filled.

Abstract: A gripping and manipulating apparatus is mounted on a conveying vehicle and comprises an articulated arm and gripping member. The gripping member is disposed at the moving end of the articulated arms and comprises a multi-element lazy-tongs mechanism having two receptacle retainers. The movement of the retainers is produced by a drive element, a part thereof acting on guide elements. The guide elements are pivotally connected to the retainers. The gripping member can fold down to a reduced dimension and its three pivots lead to a compact construction for the conveying vehicle. Also, a securing device is included for securing the end of a band or sheet or the like of textile material and is disposed on the articulated arm or on the gripping member and is movable therewith. The space required between the vehicle and the textile machines and between the individual receptacles is reduced.

Abstract: A method of conveying textile material in cans from a machine delivering textile material to a machine receiving textile material uses a self-propelled conveying carriage guided on a guide track and controlled by a central control unit. Known systems using a self-propelled conveying carriage for automatically transferring cans from one machine to another generally do not permit fully automatic operation without manual intervention. In other words, some manual intervention is required at short intervals of time for such systems. The invention provides in the path of an automatic conveying system a control station in which a central control unit is incorporated and which performs automatic operations, including transmission of control instructions to the carriage, checking can contents and conditions, exchanging defective cans, and exchanging and checking a power supply carried on board the conveying carriage.

Abstract: The charging station includes a circular magazine which is pivotable about a central axis. Above or beneath the circular magazine, which forms a first disk-shaped partial region of the charging station, there is arranged a second partial region, and specifically a device carrier or support. The latter carries the charging and control devices. In the circular magazine there are a plurality of deposit positions or places for energy storage devices where discharged energy storage devices of transport vehicles are again recharged. A transport carriage with gripper devices serves to displace the energy storage devices from the transport vehicle into the circular magazine and is arranged at the region between the central axis and the periphery of the circular magazine. The exchange and charging apparatus is very compact and space-saving in construction and affords the direct and automatic transfer of energy storage devices between transport vehicles and the charging station.

Abstract: A transport vehicle with a changing device mounted on it and a method for moving fiber sliver containers from textile delivery machines to a textile processing machine, or vice verse. The changing device comprises a multi-section robot arm with container holders. The textile material containers are placed on depositing places on the transport vehicle, whereby these depositing places are equipped with revolving support plates. Furthermore, a movable catcher device is built on the transport vehicle, by means of which the end of the fiber sliver is caught and is movable. During the conveying operation of the transport vehicle the fiber sliver end is laid in the catcher device through the rotation of the revolving plate. As soon as the changing position for the textile material container has been reached, the container is transferred to the textile processing machine by means of the changing device and the fiber sliver end is transferred by means of the catcher device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a feed table for feeding slivers by way of a conveyor to a textile processing machine. The slivers are drawn off from associated spinning cans by way of draw-off devices and placed on the conveyor. In the event of a sliver running out or breaking, reserve slivers are fed in automatically by way of draw-off devices specifically devised for this purpose. The conveyor comprises individual conveyor belts associated with each sliver and each reserve sliver and have a draw-off devices, each conveyor belt being drivable by way of a controllable drive, the conveyor belts being a part of the draw-off devices.

Abstract: A method of conveying textile material in recipients from a machine delivering textile material to a machine receiving textile material by means of a self-propelled conveying carriage (F) whose movements are controlled by a central control unit (Z). A disadvantage of the known systems is that despite the use of a self-propelled carriage for the between-machines transfer of the cans, fully automatic operation without manual intervention is impossible--i.e., some manual intervention is required at short intervals of time.