Abstract: Methods and apparatus for performing knee arthroplasty, including, but not limited to, bicruciate retaining knee arthroplasty, are described herein. Methods and apparatus for preparing a distal femur for a femoral implant as well as methods and apparatus for preparing a proximal tibia for a tibial implant are described. These methods and apparatus, in at least some embodiments and uses, facilitate decreasing the complexity of knee arthroplasty procedures such as bicruciate retaining procedures, while maintaining, if not improving on, the safety, accuracy and/or effectiveness of such procedures.

Abstract: A bobbin stripper for cutting and stripping remnant material such as cable and wire from a bobbin drum. The bobbin stripper comprises a cutting head that includes a cutting blade having a straight side and a tapered side having a sharp edge. The cutting blade is movable in a vertical position and in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the bobbin drum. Once the cutting blade passes along the length of the bobbin drum in one direction, the cutting blade may be rotated such that the sharp edge may engage and penetrate the remnant material in the reverse direction. The process may be repeated until the desired depth of the incision has been reached. A stop and sensor prevent the blade from cutting the drum. The remnant material may thereafter be removed by a pair of stripping plates.

Abstract: A bobbin stripper for cutting and stripping remnant material such as cable and wire from a bobbin drum. The bobbin stripper comprises a cutting head that includes a cutting blade having a straight side and a tapered side having a sharp edge. The cutting blade is movable in a vertical position and in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the bobbin drum. Once the cutting blade passes along the length of the bobbin drum in one direction, the cutting blade may be rotated such that the sharp edge may engage and penetrate the remnant material in the reverse direction. The process may be repeated until the desired depth of the incision has been reached. A stop and sensor prevent the blade from cutting the drum. The remnant material may thereafter be removed by a pair of stripping plates.

Abstract: A mechanism for cutting a reserve of thread of spindles of continuous spinning machines has a cutting blade, an element which is draggable and which is adjustable without contacting an area of a spindle where there exists a thread of a reserve to be cut and removed, and a device for regulating an adjustment of the element.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method of removing thread residues which are found on a tube. According to the invention the method is characterized in that a water jet operates on the surface of the tube. The invention further relates to an apparatus for removing thread components found ion at least one tube. According to the invention the apparatus is characterized in that it includes at least one nozzle that is so arranged in the liquid jet emerging from the nozzle is trained at at least one location on the surface of the tube.

Abstract: A device (6) for holding and centering yam tubes (3) for processing while in a vertical orientation on transport disks (2), e.g., for removing a yam remnant (4) at a tube cleaning station. During such processing, the tubes are fixed in place by means of a height-displaceable centering arbor (12) coupled with a circuit arrangement which causes the operating height (h) of the centering arbor (12) to be automatically matched to the length of the respectively provided tube (3). An arresting arrangement (20) assure that the centering arbor (12) is securely fixed in place at each of its operating heights (h).

Abstract: A device is designed to automate the process of stripping residual yarn from a yarn tube. The device comprises a feeding mechanism, an index dial, a residual yarn removing mechanism, a compression mechanism, and an arranging mechanism. The automated device enhances the recycling quality of the stripped residual yarn and minimizes the likelihood that the yarn tube is damaged in the stripping process.

Abstract: A device for centering tubes during their processing, for example in a tube cleaning station of a textile machine. In a textile machine provided with several batches of tubes of differing length, diameter and/or material, which cannot be processed together in known cleaning devices, the present device has a rotatably seated holder with at least two differing centering devices adapted for different tubes for selective positionability relative to the tubes to be centered according to sensor devices which detect the differing physical characteristics of the tubes.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing yarn remnants from a cop tube, especially a cop tube located a caddy, includes a device for removing yarn remnants from the cop tube. An elastically deformable energy storing device is disposed in the vicinity of the bottom of the cop tube. A holder for the yarn remnant removing device is movable along the cop tube and toward the energy storing device for storing potential energy.

Abstract: A remained roving bobbin exchanging device for making all the roving bobbins to be transported to a roving frame into vacant bobbins and discloses the remained roving bobbin exchanging device comprising a fixing or removal device for detecting the bobbins having the remained rovings adhered thereto on the bobbin transporting line and exchanging them with vacant bobbins and a tray transporting device for receiving the remained roving bobbins from the fixing or removal device and supplying the vacant bobbins to the fixing or removal device, in which the tray transporting device is made such that a tray can be circulated and at the same time the remained roving cutter device and the remained roving removal device are arranged to remove the remained roving from the remained roving bobbin.

Abstract: A pneumatic cleaner for textile machinery adapted to travel along the length of endwise-aligned machines in which yarn spindles have whirl-cleaner blades to strip the turns of yarn from the whirl. The cleaner has exhaust tubes having at least one exhaust port for blowing cleaning air into the machinery. One of the exhaust tubes has a retractable and extendible nozzle to direct the cleaning air against each whirl-cleaner blade and to displace said blade end into engagement with the whirl of each spindle as the cleaner passes the spindle. The nozzle is extended into close proximity to each whirl-cleaner blade by the flow of cleaning air and is retracted from said whirl-cleaner blade when flow of cleaning air is stopped. The flow of cleaning air is controlled with the travel of the cleaner, so that the nozzle is retracted to avoid interfering with other parts of the machinery when it is not needed to actuate the blades.

Abstract: A roving bobbin carrier system having a single carrier line for conveying a plurality of full wound roving bobbins from a roving frame to a fine spinning frame and conveying a plurality of unwound roving bobbins from the fine spinning frame to the roving frame with the unwound roving bobbins converted into blank roving bobbins having no residual roving. A stock conveyor is provided at a midway position of the carrier line independently thereof. A residual roving removing device and first and second transfer mechanisms are provided in connection with the stock conveyor to convert the unwound roving bobbins to the blank roving bobbins. Accordingly, the conveyance of the full wound roving bobbins and the unwound roving bobbins can be efficiently carried out through the single carrier line.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for finishing socks is disclosed which utilizes a boarding or blocking machine of the type having a plurality of sock boarding (blocking) forms which are movable within a track. Socks to be block (boarded) are applied to the boarding forms with a free yarn end or string still attached to each sock. Clipping assemblies are mounted on either side of the track in position to automatically sever the extending string as each boarding form moves past the clipping assemblies. A vacuum system is associated with each clipping assembly to continuously remove the severed strings and other loose materials resulting from the clipping operations. By employing the clipping asemblies in combination with and in association with the boarding machine, the previously required, separate, string severing operations can be eliminated.

Abstract: Unused thread is automatically removed from a spool by a device which holds the spool in position for a thread cutting operation. A clamping device is provided to maintain the unused thread on the spool during the cutting operation. A cutting device is movable into engagement with the thread and movable axially along the spool for cutting the unused thread. The clamping device is then actuated to release the cut thread and permit the same to separate from the spool.

Abstract: An improved textile bobbin cleaning system for removing fiberglass remnants, rovings, yarn, waste or the like from a textile fiber spool, core or bobbin in order that same may reused to store or rewind with new textile fibers, threads, yarn or the like. The invention utilizes an endless indexing conveyor system which aligns bobbins which need to be stripped of remnant fibers before a geared oscillating water jet cutting system which hydraulically cleans the bobbins by cutting the fiber remnants. A pneumatic clamping system has the flexibility and utility to secure bobbins of different design and dimension for the hydraulic stripping action. In addition, a sealed waste conveyor carries away the fibrous waste designed to eliminate waste accumulation on the conveyor mechanism and removes the cuttings for disposal. Also a bobbin removal conveyor is provided for which removes processed and cleared bobbins from the cleaning area to be packaged for transporting for further bobbin usage.

Abstract: Apparatus for use with a traveling cleaner for textile machines, particularly ring spinners, operable to strip yarn ends from the whirls of the spindles for the bobbins of the ring spinner apparatus. A whirl cleaner blade is pivoted to the frame of the ring spinner adjacent each spindle so that its free blade end may be displaced into engagement with the whirl of the spindle by a jet of compressed air impinged against the blade. The compressed air is supplied by a nozzle suspended from the carriage of the pneumatic cleaner to impinge against the blade. The compressed air is fed from a central junction box under the track for the carriage through the energy chain which houses the power supply cables for the carriage. From the carriage, the compressed air is piped to the nozzle positioned at the level of the spindle whirls.

Abstract: A residual roving clearing apparatus for clearing a residual roving remaining on a roving bobbin. The residual roving clearing apparatus comprises a bobbin holding device for rotatably holding a roving bobbin, a cutting device for cutting layers of coils of residual roving remaining on the roving bobbin held by the bobbin holding device, and a rotary brush device for clearing the residual roving from the roving bobbin. The residual roving clearing apparatus is capable of efficiently clearing the residual roving from the roving bobbin by cutting layers of coils of the residual roving along a cutting line parallel to the axis of the roving bobbin held by the bobbin holding device, and stripping off the cut layers of coils of the residual roving from the roving bobbin by the rotary brush of the rotary brush device.

Abstract: A high speed device (10) for safely removing residual yarn (18) from a paper tube (16) without damage to the latter is provided which includes a specialized multiple-blade cutting assembly (20) serving to completely strip yarn from the tube (16) without tangling. The overall device (10) includes a mandrel assembly (14) for supporting a tube (16) to be processed, together with a shiftable carriage (94) supporting the cutting assembly (20) for axial movement of the latter along the length of the tube (16). The cutting assembly (20) has a high speed, metallic leading cutting blade (68) together with a relatively low speed, synthetic resin trailing cutting blade (70) presenting a serrated outer periphery. The leading blade (68) is oriented slightly above the outer surface of the tube (16) for cutting the majority of the residual yarn (18), whereas the trailing blade (70) is positioned for contacting the tube (16) and removing any yarn remnants (18a).

Abstract: Strand lap-ups may be removed from textile rolls by using the present method and apparatus while the textile rolls remain in position on the textile machine or by initially removing a roll with a lap-up thereon from the textile machine before shearing and severing the lap-up and replacing the removed roll with another roll free of any lap-ups. The present apparatus includes a wheeled hand truck with a vertical array of spaced shelves with at least one of the shelves containing replacement textile rolls and another shelf serving to receive textile rolls having lap-ups thereon. An electrically powered shear is associated with the hand truck and includes a pair of generally parallel cooperating rows of teeth facing in a common direction with the free ends of the teeth being blunt to prevent damage to the roll when being utilized to remove the lap-up from the roll.

Abstract: A draft roller in a spinning machine in which its portion in contact with a fiber bundle, i.e. the draft portion, is made relatively large in diameter, and the roller portion adjacent to the draft portion are tapered gradually away from the draft portion so that fibers wound around the draft portion are moved therefrom to the tapered portions and can be removed easily.

Abstract: A device to aid in the removal of residual textile material from a core element includes a platform to support plural core elements thereon and an indexing system to sequentially index the core elements into a cutting position. The indexing system includes an index plate fixed concentrically with respect to the platform and defines plural radially spaced-apart notches each corresponding to a respective core yarn cutting position. A pivotal base plate carries a pivotal pawl member. Camming of the base plate responsively causes the base plate to pivot in one direction thereby causing the pawl member to be disengaged from one notch and advanced to the next sequential notch. Upon pivotal movement of the base plate in a direction opposite to the one direction, advancement of the indexing plate and thus advancement of the core elements supported upon the platform occurs.

Abstract: A bobbin separating unit, includes at least two first and second serially connected bobbin separating devices, the second bobbin separating device having a given upper level, the first bobbin separating device including a feeding device being controllable by the second bobbin separating device, the feeding device being movable from a bobbin receiving position to bobbin feeding positions disposed above the given upper level, and the feeding device including a feed location in the form of a vibratory conveyor.

Abstract: Yarn remnants are automatically removed from a bobbin or the like by disposing the bobbin along a longitudinal axis substantially coinciding with its central axis and locating a cutter and at least two strippers about the longitudinal axis. The bobbin is then moved along the axis relative to the cutter and strippers while simultaneously moving the cutter and strippers radially toward the axis. The radial movement of said cutter and strippers is controlled in response to the axial movement of said bobbin through a template having a contour conforming to the shape of said bobbin, so that on the inward movement of the cutter and strippers in cooperation with the axial movement of said bobbin, the yarn is cut and removed.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for removing coils of scrap wire or cable (103) from about a reel (100) comprised of an array of juxtaposed cutting blades (50-53) and apparatus (60-63, 54-57) for reciprocally driving each of the blades independently along a different path in a group of mutually juxtaposed paths. Apparatus (16) is also provided for supporting the reel with the reel flanges straddling a portion of the group of paths.

Abstract: Apparatus for the removal of yarn residue from a bobbin, cop carrier or the like, comprising a cutting element, supported by a movable support and a sensor, being formed by an elongated finger which is slidable longitudinally in a bore of a holder mounted on the support over a predetermined limited distance.The free end of the finger converges to a point at said free end and is adapted to bear near the cutting element on the bobbin or the like which is to be cleaned. The sensor is spring biased longitudinally in the direction of said free end.