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 bobbin transportation arrangement, in combination with one or more yarn processing machines, includes a track on which a plurality of bobbin carriers run to transport empty tubes from a store to the machine and wound packages from the machine to another store. The track is elevated in regions remote from the machine, but has inclined sections adjacent each end of the machine connecting with a lower track extending adjacent a side of the machine, whereby bobbin receiving pegs on a bobbin carrier are at the same height as the wound packages on the machine. A control device on the machine determines that packages have been wound on a side of the machine and initiates successive despatch of the required number of bobbin carriers to that machine side, where a transfer device locates the bobbin carriers successively adjacent the yarn processing positions, transfers wound packages from the package winding cradles to the bobbin carriers and replaces them with empty tubes.

Abstract: A yarn transfer arrangement in a yarn winding machine comprises two part-circular guide plates which , when an empty tube has moved to the winding position, move from a non-operating position, spaced apart on opposed sides of the winding position of the machine by a distance greater than the diameter of a full package, to an operating position in which the plates surround the empty tube apart from an entry aperture and an exit aperture allowing yarn travel to and from the empty tube. One guide plate causes the yarn to have sufficient wrap around the empty tube that, on operation of a cutter disposed on the other guide plate adjacent the exit aperture, the cut yarn end is entrained around the empty tube between it and the other guide plate, and winding of a package on the empty tube is thereby initiated. The guide plates are then moved back to the non-operating position.

Abstract: In a textile machine, a yarn heating arrangement incorporates a channel whose bottom surface is heated and a door which closes the channel and on whose inner surface are mounted yarn guides providing a yarn path adjacent the heated surface when the door is closed and the yarn guides are disposed within the channel. The length of the heated yarn path, or the proximity of the yarn to the heated bottom surface of the channel is adjustable to vary the level of heating of the yarn, and the door can be opened for cleaning and threading. A pivotal elongate yarn guide prior to the heater or pivotal elongate cooling track after the heater allow variation of the point of yarn inlet to or yarn outlet from the heater.

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 yarn entangling jet has a yarn passageway extending therethrough and an air inlet passageway communicating with an outlet portion of the yarn passageway adjacent the junction with an inlet portion thereof. The outlet portion is preferably of triangular cross-section, comprising a base wall opposite the air inlet passageway and two converging side walls. The inlet portion has one wall coplanar with the base wall and an inlet surface which converges towards the base wall in the direction towards the junction with the outlet portion. An inlet yarn guide is positioned to ensure that the yarn approaches the base wall at the desired angle less than 180.degree.. The jet is in two parts secured together with a threading slot therebetween at one side of the yarn passageway spaced from the base wall towards the apex of the outlet portion.

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 arrangement in a textile machine comprises a cradle having a U-shaped form with cradle arms extending from a spine. The cradle arms extend rearwardly of the machine from a pivot axis passing through the arms midway between the spine and package mounting means at the free ends of the arms and disposed at that side of the nip between the package and package driving bowl from which the yarn is fed to the nip in a direction rearwardly of the machine from a traverse mechanism located at the front of the machine. The arrangement provides stability of running, easy access to the package which is presented at the front of the machine for doffing, easy threading of the yarn and easy access to the traverse mechanism for maintainance. The spine forms a handle, a package mass compensating weight, traverse mechanism protection and a support for the operators hand during package doffing.

Abstract: A textile machine, which comprises a stand-off creel, first, second and third feed means, first and second heaters, cooling zone, false twist device and take-up means, has the second and third feed means, false twist device, second heater and take-up means mounted on a common frame with the second heater disposed vertically behind the take-up means and the third feed means located forwardly of the second heater, and has guide means operable to guide a yarn from the outlet end of the second heater through 90.degree. to the third feed means. This enables the second heater to be mounted lower in the frame than with previous machines and enables the false twist device, second feed means, cooling zone and first heater to be positioned nearer to the operator for operation, maintenance or cleaning.

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.

Abstract: Apparatus for twisting a running yarn in a textile machine comprises first and second pulleys mounted for rotation about parallel axes and an endless belt passing around their aligned peripheries so as to provide two runs each of which is twisted through 180.degree. and crosses the other run to form a nip region therewith through which the yarn is guided by yarn guides. One pulley, which may be of larger diameter than the other driven pulley, is mounted on a pivoted arm to tension the belt and/or allow for the use of differing sized belts or differing sized pulleys to alter the crossing angle of the belt and the twist level applied to the yarn.

Abstract: A stabilizing or secondary heater, for producing a crimped set yarn, comprises a tube having two substantially parallel bores extending therealong, one bore providing a yarn path for the yarn. Air is passed along the other bore, in a direction opposed to the direction of travel of the yarn, so as to be heated, and then through a communicating inlet and passages to impinge upon and be entrained by yarn, the air travelling along the yarn path bore to prevent entrainment of cold ambient air therealong and to ensure good heat transfer to the yarn.