Abstract: Yarn is guided along a linear path through a light beam which is directed toward a photoelectric detector. Non-uniformities in the surface texture of the yarn cause the intensity of the light received by the detector to fluctuate rapidly as long as the yarn is moving. If the yarn stops moving as a result of breakage, the intensity of the light remains constant, and the detector produces an electrical signal indicative of the breakage.

Abstract: A textile machine in the form of a warper for drawing multiple strands from a creel and for winding the strands on a rotatable beam which forms part of the warper. Located between the creel and the beam is a strand guide and tension isolator comprising a motor-driven delivery roller and two nip rollers. Load cells are associated with one of the nip rollers and produce signals which vary substantially linearly as a function of changes in the tension of the strands between the final nip roller and the beam. The load cell signals are used to control the drive motor for the delivery roller so as to cause the motor to reduce the torque applied to the delivery roller when the tension increases and to increase the torque applied to the delivery roller when the tension decreases.

Abstract: A warper for drawing textile strands from a creel and for winding the strands on a rotatable beam which forms part of the warper. During winding, the strands are pressed against the beam by a pair of parallel ironing rollers. Each ironing roller has a long section ruggedly supported at both ends by bearings and a short section having one end supported by one of the bearings and an unsupported opposite end. The ironing rollers may be adjusted axially to accommodate beams of different lengths. The ironing rollers axially overlap one another in all adjusted positions so as to insure that all threads on each beam are pressed by at least one roller.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying a foamed treatment material such as size to a textile material such as threads as the latter passes between a pair of drive rollers includes a frame which forms a pocket for the size above the rollers with the rollers forming the bottom of the pocket. A guide projects down into the pocket toward the line of contact between the drive rollers and the threads pass through a passage in the guide so that the threads are shielded from the size in the passage and only the lengths of thread between the lower end of the guide and the drive rollers are exposed to the size. In order that the application of size to the threads is comparatively uniform, the guide is raised and lowered in response to the speed of travel of the threads so that longer lengths are exposed at faster speeds and shorter lengths are exposed at slower speeds.