Abstract: A spinning- or twisting-machine has an elongated spindle bank, a row of rotatable spindles supported on the bank, respective individual drive motors on the bank for each spindle, respective electrical control circuits connected to the respective motors and electrically energizable to power the respective motor, and a plurality of electricity-supply conductors extending along the bank past the spindles. A respective housing support part for each spindle carries the respective electrical control circuit and is provided with electrical-input contacts. A mount engaged between the housing part and the spindle bank allows movement of the housing part on the bank between a closed position in which it surrounds and protects the respective circuit and in which the contacts conductively engage the supply conductors and an open position in which it exposes the respective circuit and disengages the contacts from the supply conductors.

Abstract: The device comprises a support body (15) fixable to the machine structure and an operating lever (20) pivoted to the support body (15). Two parts (18a, 18b) are axially slidable within the support body (15), one carrying a brake shoe (19) arranged to act on the shank (11) of the spindle and the other engaged with the operating lever (20), the two parts (18a, 18b) being maintained axially spaced apart by a compression spring (24). A return spring (23) acts between the support body (15) and the part (18b) engaging the operating lever (20) to maintain the device in its inactive position. On pressing the lever (20), the brake shoe (19) is urged against the spindle shank (11) with a pressure which depends on the spring (24) interposed between the two parts (18a, 18b), independently of the force exerted on the operating lever (20), so preventing damage or operational problems arising in the spindles if the operator presses excessively on the operating lever (20).

Abstract: Strand break detector for monitoring a number of straightened strands extending along a number of predetermined paths, with regard to a broken or missing strand. An optical transmitter with light-receiving means is arranged to supply, at relative motion between strands and transmitter transversely of the strands, a signal for each passing strand. A shield is arranged as a spacer in front of the light-receiving means and forms an inlet for light to the light-receiving means, and a slide surface for guiding the strands engaging the slide surface, past the light inlet at relative movement between the strands and the transmitter.

Abstract: Apparatus for laying-up fine filaments, i.e. filaments which may be readily broken by bending, tension or torsion stresses, which comprises a rotatable platform carrying a plurality of filament bobbins, each bobbin being supported on the platform so that it can rotate about its own axis and about an axis perpendicular thereto, a drive system for rotating the bobbins about the latter axis as the platform is rotated to produce one rotation of each bobbin about the latter axis with each revolution of the platform, braking means for the bobbins which varies the braking force in accordance with radius of a filament winding on a bobbin, tubular guides extending between each bobbin and the laying-up point and supporting discs intermediate the bobbins and the laying-up point which are rotatable with the platform, the tubular guides being rotatably supported on the discs.

Abstract: A system for the spinning or twisting of thread or yarn in which a thread is supplied by a strand-supply spool and is collected on a strand-takeup spool so that the strand spans the distance between the spools over a predetermined length, the twist-generating spool being driven for a predetermined number of turns to bring the number of twists over the length to the normal twisting level before the two spools are operatively connected together for joint operation at the normal rate. The delay between operation of the nontwist-generating spool and the twist-generating spool is created by a counter responsive to the number of twists produced in the length during the interval.