Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a combined textile yarn comprising two yarn components that are false twisted to different twist levels and then combined to form a combined textile yarn. The yarn components may be twisted in the same or opposing directions, and may be drawn simultaneously with twisting to differing draw ratios before being combined.

Abstract: A textile machine for texturing textile yarns by false twisting, heating and cooling the false twisted yarns, has yarn feeding devices, a heating device with a heated surface, a cooling zone and a false twisting device. The feeding devices are operable to feed a yarn along a longitudinal yarn path in contact with the heated surface, through the cooling zone and the false twisting device. In such a machine, to provide that the surge speed is higher than would be the case with a conventional contact heater arrangement or guided non-contact heaters, to allow processing at these higher speeds without detriment to the yarn properties, and to minimize the temperature settings and hence the power consumption of the heater, the heated surface is substantially flat along the longitudinal yarn path, and the yarn path in the cooling zone extends in a direction different from that of the longitudinal yarn path.

Abstract: In a yarn false twist texturing process in which yarn is passed through heating and cooling zones to a false twist device, the yarn is passed in a helical path around a cylinder at opposed ends of which yarn guides are disposed to provide the helical path, preferably through the cooling zone. In order to raise the surge speed at which the process becomes unstable, at least one of the yarn guides is positionally adjustable relative to another guide and/or a third guide is located between the other two so as to increase the helix angle of the yarn path and the effective angle of wrap around a cylindrical cooling device on which the guides are mounted. The cooling cylinder may be a tube to which suction is applied to draw fumes from the yarn as it passes over a port in the tube and to draw ambient air into the tube to assist the cooling effect. The non-abrupt changes in direction of the yarn path allows the twist to run back through the cooling and heating zones.

Abstract: Cleaning of a textile machine or part of such a machine is effected by directing a laser beam at the part to be cleaned for an appropriate length of time. This may be done with the part in situ in its normal operating position in the machine, and the machine may be run in its normal operating condition, possibly with the yarn running to avoid machine down time. Alternatively, the operation may include moving the yarn to a substitute part whilst the original part is cleaned, or moving a substitute part into the normal operating position whilst the part to be cleaned is moved to a cleaning position. A lens system may direct a parallel beam to the part to be cleaned from a remote location, or a fiber optic cable may extend near to that part to guide the laser beam to it.

Abstract: In a textile yarn texturing machine, a cooling arrangement for the heated false-twisted yarn is provided by a tube having a guide at the inlet end and a guide on the diametrically opposed side of the tube at the outlet end to guide the yarn in a helical path around the outer surface of the tube. The yarn makes one-half turn around the tube during its travel from the inlet end to the outlet end. Holes on the yarn path in the first part of the tube are connected to a suction device for fume extraction, and a cooling fluid may be passed through the tube to enhance cooling. The tube may form the second part of the cooling arrangement and is preferably inclined downwardly from a horizontally disposed first part towards the false twist device. The cooling arrangement or at least the first part is aligned with the preferably horizontally disposed heater located above the operator's aisle of the machine.

Abstract: A yarn texturing machine having an air jet for combining and texturing at least two yarns to form a single textured yarn, which includes respective yarn feed and drawing devices for each yarn. To provide good control of the yarns in the low tension region upstream of the jet the drawing devices are positioned relative to the jet and each other so that the yarns travelling to the jet travel along straight, spaced yarn paths which converge at the jet at an angle of between 70.degree. and 50.degree., and lie in a plane inclined at between 60.degree. and 90.degree. to the axis of the jet. After the jet the textured yarn is passed upwardly then downwardly over a setting heater located above the jet and then to a wind-up mechanism disposed beneath the jet.

Abstract: A method of monitoring yarn quality in a yarn texturing process comprises measuring the velocity of the travelling yarn at two locations and comparing the measured velocities. At a first location the yarn tension is sufficient to draw out the crimp and at a second location the tension is lower such that the crimp is developed. Apparatus for performing this method comprises a measuring device to measure the peripheral speed of a driving roller which is part of a nip-feed device serving to feed a crimped yarn at the first location from a false twist device to a second heater of a false twist texturing machine. At the second location between the second heater and a third feed device of the machine is a second velocity measuring device which comprises an inlet tube, an outlet tube and two discs of brass which form spaced measuring stations spaced by an insulating body.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of monitoring yarn package offtake performance comprising withdrawing yarn from a package, for a predetermined period of time continuously measuring the tension of said yarn at predetermined time intervals throughout said withdrawal and updating the obtained tension distribution data with each tension measurement. The method also includes noting the maximum and minimum tensions measured and the limiting values of a range of tensions outside which range only a predetermined proportion of said measured tensions fall, and determining an offtake performance factor from said maximum, minimum and limiting values of tensions.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying liquid to a running yarn in a textile machine comprises a hollow body providing a manifold for the liquid and an elongate tube extending horizontally across the manifold. The tube is retained in a bore in the body by a yarn guide which is detachably secured to the body and the bore in the tube communicates with a groove yarn path provided by the yarn guide via a bore in the yarn guide of larger diameter than the bore in the tube. The constant supply of liquid to the yarn is provided by the controlled flow of liquid along the tube whose length is at least 100 times the diameter of the bore therein. A height adjustable weir in a liquid supply tank supplies liquid to the manifold at a predetermined pressure. The yarn path has a plurality of yarn contact points to ensure complete application of liquid by the yarn.

Abstract: Apparatus for false twisting yarns is of the type comprising three rotatable shafts, each shaft having a plurality of discs thereon. The shafts are mounted on a base member and two shafts are pivotal about axes which with the axis of the third shaft are at the apices of an equilateral triangle. The third shaft, and spindles providing pivots for the movable arms which carry the other shafts, each have a respective first drive pulley thereon and a primary drive belt passes around the three pulleys. The spindles each also have second drive pulley thereon and each movable shaft has a third drive pulley thereon, a second drive belt passing around each respective pair of second and third drive pulleys. A cam mounted on the third shaft has two like operating portions into contact with which a respective follower part of each movable shaft is biassed. Movement of the shafts may be made without alteration of the tension in, or reverse bending of, the belts.

Abstract: A creel is provided for a textile machine, the creel including a frame mounted in a C-shaped support structure so as to be pivotal about its vertical central axis. The frame defines four spaces on each of three levels. In each space are pivotally mounted a pair of mutually spaced package support arms which are movable between two operative positions offset towards each side of the space so that a larger diameter reserve package can only be accomodated on one package arm when the in-use package on the other package arm of that pair has been used sufficiently to reduce its diameter significantly. This enables large packages to be used in a creel of lower height than would otherwise be required, to reduce package handling problems.

Abstract: A package mounting apparatus for a textile machine comprises a cradle having a pair of arms between which a package is supported. One part of one cradle arm is biassed by a spring away from the other arm but is retained during package build in a package retaining arm position. The retaining force is provided by the vibration damping means being located between the cradle arms and the mounting arms of the machine. When the package is completed, the cradle is moved to a park position using the spine of the cradle as a handle, at which position brake means are actuated to stop rotation of the package. A stop device is then released manually to allow further pivoting of the cradle, whereby the damping means become disengaged from the mounting arm so as to allow outward movement of the movable arm part and the release of the package, which drops onto supports provided on the cradle arms and is subsequently removed.