Abstract: A support assembly is disclosed which is adapted to be mounted in adjacent pairs to form a wedge shaped cusp for rotatably supporting a shaft of a spinning rotor of an open end yarn spinning apparatus. The assembly includes a support shaft, a bearing mounted on the shaft, and a pair of discs mounted on the shaft on respective opposite sides of the bearing. Each disc comprises an annular metal body member which is mounted upon the support shaft by a press fit, and an annular ring assembly mounted coaxially upon the other periphery of the body member by a self-holding but readily releaseable interconnection. The ring assembly includes an inner metal ring, and an outer plastic ring which is fixedly mounted to the inner metal ring, and the releasable interconnection of the ring assembly to the body member permits the ring assembly to be readily replaced when the plastic ring becomes worn from use, and without releasing the press fit between the body member and support shaft.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for restarting a yarn spinning apparatus, such as a wrap yarn spinning machine, and which involves the removal of an initial low quality interconnection in the form of a pieced-up segment, and its subsequent replacement with a high quality interconnection, without interrupting the yarn advance. For this purpose, the apparatus includes a first yarn accumulator for receiving the portion of the yarn which includes the pieced-up segment, and this portion is severed and removed. A second auxiliary yarn accumulator is also provided which is attached to a yarn splicing device, and which is operative to accumulate the advancing finished yarn during the brief time the splicing operation occurs. The brief accumulation time of the finished yarn in the auxiliary accumulator avoids the troublesome step of removing a large quantity of finished yarn from an accumulator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the continuous heat treatment of a carpet yarn or the like is disclosed, and wherein the yarn is advanced in loop form through a heat treatment chamber and then along a downstream accumulation zone. A control system is provided for insuring that all portions of the yarn remain in the heat treatment chamber for a predetermined residence time, and such that all portions of the yarn will possess uniform properties and appearance in a finished carpet. The control system continuously monitors the number of loops of yarn in the apparatus, and in the event that the number of loops either exceeds a predetermined maximum or is less than a predetermined minimum, a yarn severing mechanism located upstream of the heating chamber is actuated. By appropriate selection of the maximum and minimum numbers, all of the yarn downstream of the severing mechanism will be able to pass through the heating chamber in the predetermined residence time, and thus no off-standard yarn will be produced.