Abstract: A drawing machine having a drawing zone (8) for drawing slivers (2), and a plurality of flyers (14) for winding the slivers on to bobbins (16), is made compact by arranging the flyers substantially longitudinally of the paths of the slivers through the drawing zone, e.g. in echelon formation with respect to the sliver paths.

Abstract: A textile yarn ring spinning or twisting apparatus of the type comprising a spindle for carrying a yarn support tube, the spindle being rotatable about its axis to enable yarn to be wound on the tube to form a yarn package, a yarn reserve winding member around which yarn may be wound prior to the doffing of a wound package from the spindle, and a yarn severing device so positioned adjacent the axis of the spindle and between the reserve winding member and an adjacent portion of the spindle on which the end of the package is located as to engage yarn extending from the reserve winding member to the wound package on the spindle. In accordance with the invention the drive mechanism enables relative rotation between the reserve winding member and the severing device so that the length of yarn extending from the package on the spindle to the reserve winding member may be severed.

Abstract: Yarn 1 fron an extruder is stretched by heated rollers (3,5) and passes to a texturizer unit 2 where it is plasticized and crimped, leaving in the form of a crimp plug along a stack (8). The yarn is heated in the unit (2) by air passing along a pipe (7) and heated by a base heating element (9) in conjunction with a booster element (11). The plug of crimped yarn (6) passes to the surface of a rotating cooling drum (4), around which it makes a number of turns before crimped yarn (1') is withdrawn from the leading end of the plug at (6'). The plug length is monitored by a sensor unit comprising a light source (16) which directs light through holes 10 in the drum onto a receiver unit (14) including three diodes A, B and C. When the plug end (6') is at the datum position, the diode A is covered, the diode (C) is uncovered and the plug end flutters backwards and forwards over the diode (B).

Abstract: A yarn spinning, twisting or doubling machine having bobbin doffing and donning apparatus for the spindles of the machine, the apparatus comprising bobbin conveying means extending along and above a row of spindles, a series of bobbin grippers spaced at the same pitch as the spindles, each gripper being mounted for vertical movement between its respective spindle and the conveyor, each gripper being designed to hold or grip a bobbin at a point beyond one end of a package wound on the bobbin so that the grippers can lift the wound bobbin from its spindle for engagement by means on the conveyor and then release the bobbin for subsequent removal, or grip an empty bobbin on the conveyor and move it to its respective spindle and control means operable to move the conveyor after it has received the full doffed bobbins and to bring empty bobbins into line with the spindles so that the grippers can place empty bobbins on the spindles.

Abstract: A drawing machine having a drawing zone (8) for drawing silvers (2), and a plurality of flyers (14) for winding the silvers on to bobbins (16), is made compact by arranging the flyers substantially longitudinally of the paths of the silvers through the drawing zone, e.g. in echelon formation with respect to the silver paths.

Abstract: This invention relates to yarn winding apparatus having a split traverse yarn guide. The yarning winding apparatus includes a mechanism to control the position of the traverse yarn guide relative to the axis of the package being wound so as to maintain a small gap between the traverse guide and the package surface during package formation. No part of the mechanism contacts the package surface.

Abstract: A conveyor 4 driven by a motor 5 feeds thermoplastic waste material 2, such as the trimmed-off edges of extruded plastics sheets, to a compression chamber 8 at the inlet of a heating box 10 of an extruder 11. The conveyor operates intermittently in synchronism with the movement of a plunger 40 operated by a hydraulic cylinder 42 which compresses the waste material to the level of a restraining member 50 controlled by a pneumatic cylinder 54. The member 50 comes into operation as the plunger 40 reaches the bottom of its stroke and holds the plastics material in a compressed condition while the plunger 40 rises again, further material 2 is fed to the chamber 8 and the cycle is repeated, the member 50 being withdrawn shortly before the plunger 40 reaches the bottom of its stroke.

Abstract: Thermoplastic yarn is texturized by the known method of forwarding it in a heated condition to a crimping zone at the entrance of a stuffer chamber (7) so as to form a plug (8) of crimped yarn within the chamber and withdrawing the yarn from the other end of the plug at a speed which is related to the input speed. The improvement comprises deriving signals from the speed of the yarn plug (8) in the stuffer chamber (7) by means of a sensing wheel (11) which drives a gapped monitoring disc (13). The disc (13) operates to intercept a beam of light from a source (14) which is directed on to a photo-sensor (15). The output of the photo-sensor is supplied to an electrical controller (36) which measures the time during which light is received for each gap in the disc (13) to provide a measure of the speed of the yarn plug.

Abstract: In order to produce core yarn wrapped with at least two separate wrapper yarns of the same or opposite hands, core material is passed in succession through a pair of rotary hollow spindles, each carrying a package of wrapper yarn whereby the core material is wrapped and which are relatively displaced so that the path of the material between a point just before the entrance of the first spindle and a point just after the exit of the second spindle deviates from a straight line so as to cause the core material or the resultant yarn to engage a rotary end of at least one of the spindles so as to apply false twist. The spindles may be supported so that their axes are displaced or displaceable in relation to one another for which purpose each spindle may be carried by a mounting capable of angular displacement about a support shaft and capable of being secured in any one of a range of angular positions.

Abstract: A textile winding head of the driven flyer type having a rotary bobbin carrier is provided with an adjustable brake of the electromagnetic induction type, preferably of the regenerative type, and a controller for increasing the braking torque progressively as the diameter of the package increases during winding so as to maintain close control over the tension of the material being wound. A tachogenerator may be connected to turn with the bobbin carrier to provide a signal varying with the angular velocity of a package being wound to provide an input signal to the controller for adjusting the braking torque. Additional tachogenerators may be connected to turn respectively with the delivery rollers and the flyer to provide correction signals, and the controller is preferably a computer for receiving the signals from the three tachogenerators and for providing an output signal for adjusting the braking torque.

Abstract: A yarn winder includes a package support roller and traversing mechanism which comprises slot-like guides on closely spaced contra-rotating driving members which may be either concentric or eccentric. A deflector arrangement at each end of the resultant field of traverse assists the transfer of the yarn from a guide on one driving member at one end of the field and then back to a guide on the first driving member at the other end of the field, each guide being followed in the direction of motion by a cam-like compensating surface, for temporarily increasing the length of the yarn path to take up slack which would otherwise be formed during transfer from one guide to another, and, in the case of concentric driving members, preceded in the direction of motion by a ramp-like lifting surface.

Abstract: A process for the production of crimped filaments of semi-crystalline polyolefins or blends of polyolefins with other materials by melt drawing at 100 meters per minute or less, rapidly and asymmetrically cooling at least a portion of the filaments, forming the filaments into a tow and subjecting the tow to a heat treatment without drawing at at least 100.degree. C. and thereafter drawing the filaments in two stages, the last of which is at a temperature of at least 70.degree. C. With the practice of the process of this invention, there is provided a useful crimp of at least two crimps per centimeter which develops after the filaments are relaxed and subjected to a further heat treatment which may be applied either to the filaments or to products produced therefrom when in a relaxed state subsequent to drawing.

Abstract: A winding head includes a supporting frame arranged so as to be capable of movement towards or away from a package driving roller, a plurality of pairs of arms pivoted about a common axis on the supporting frame, each pair being capable of moving a package center along a part-circular path into an operative position in which the center is capable of co-operation with the driving roller and subsequently moving a package carried by the center away from the operative position, a support member carried by the frame for supporting a package center in the operative position, the support member being movable from its supporting position to release a package wound on the center and allow it to move away from the operative position, whereby successive package centers may be brought into the operative position as each package is completed.

Abstract: A method of maintaining the peripheral speed of a textile yarn or tape package being wound on a positively driven take-up spindle at or about a predetermined speed comprising sensing the peripheral speed of the package, comparing this speed with the predetermined speed and varying the drive to the take-up spindle in accordance with variations between the actual and set or predetermined speeds of the package until the peripheral speed of the package is substantially equal to the set or predetermined speed.

Abstract: A yarn or tape winding machine comprising a take-up spindle which is arranged to be driven by a drive, the torque/speed of which is variable in accordance with the setting of a torque variator device and a control device for the torque variator, including means in the path of the tape or yarn prior to the take-up spindle to sense the tension of the tape or yarn and a control drive for the variator which is mechanically connected to the tension sensing means and which is effective to adjust the variator to alter the torque applied to the winding spindle when the yarn or tape tension varies beyond predetermined limits.