Title of Invention

YARN FEEDING DEVICE

Abstract

A yarn feeding device (F) comprises a housing (1) supporting a storage body (6) and includes a funnel-shaped balloon breaker (B) provided at a holding structure (H). the holding structure (H) having a single hollow holding arm (A) connected to the housing (1). the balloon breaker being adjustably mounted to the holding arm. The balloon breaker (B) is mounted by means of a tilting joint (K) to the holding arm. The tilting joint (K) defines a joint axis (Y) which is substantially perpendicular to the axis (X) of the storage body (6). The titling joint (K) is fixed to the holding arm (A). The holding arm (A) extends through a housing passage (20) in a housing front wall (3) into the interior (4) of the housing (1). The holding arm (A) is secured in the housing (1) in a sliding fixation structure (S). The sliding fixation comprise an anti-rotation mechanism (R) for the holding arm (A). The holding arm (A) has cable openings and/or tube openings at both holding arm ends, namely in the interior (4) of the housing and in the end downstream of the tilling joint (K).

Full Text

YARN FEEDINQ DEVICE The present invention relates to a yam feeding device according to the preamble part of claim 1. When windings are subsequently withdrawn with high speed and in axial direction from the storage body of a yam feeding device and overhead of the front end of the storage the yam forms a balloon. This balloon effect hinders a correct yam control and dissipates energy both negatively influencing the insertion process in the weaving machine. For that reason, particularly at yarn feeding devices for air jet weaving machines, a balloon breaker is employed which mechanically reduces the formation of the balloon and results in an improved yam control and better insertion conditions for the yarn. Different balloon breakers are known, e.g. ring-shaped or funnel-shaped bafloon breakers. Conventionally the balloon breaker is arranged coaxialfy with the storage body and such that it either surrounds the storage body or is placed downstream of the storage body. The balloon breaker is fixed to the housing of the yam feeding device such that its position, at least in axial direction, can be adjusted upon demand. Moreover, the balloon breaker is fixed so that it can be detached and/or moved away sidewardly in case that substantially unobstructed access to the storage body is needed. The funnel-shaped balloon breaker of the yam feeding device as known from EP 1 083 252 A is fixed to a sley supported on an axially extending holding arm mounted to the housing of the feeding device. The sley can be adjusted together with the balloon breaker in longitudinal directional of the holding arm. The holding arm is hollow such that cables and/or tubes can be placed therein. Such cables and/or tubes may be needed for other yam processing components which might be installed at the balloon breaker or downstream of the balloon breaker. Whenever free access to the storage body is needed, the sley with the balloon breaker is shifted off the holding arm and then hangs on the cable and/or tube running from the free end of the holding arm to the respective yam processing component That condition may be disturbing for the operator while working in the region of the storage body. In case that no cable and/or tube is provided, the sley with the balloon breaker has to be put aside and stored temporarily at an appropriate location. Removing the balloon breaker may be tecSous. The holding arm protrudes relatively far in downstream direction and creates a permanent disturbing obstacle in case that the balloon breaker is placed close to or around the storage body. Another known feeding device has three holding arms distributed around the storage body and fixed to the housing of the feeding device. Two of the holding arms support a tilting joint to which the balloon breaker is fixed. The third holding arm is releasably coupled with the balloon breaker when the balloon breaker is placed in the operative position. The third holding arm is hollow and is fixed to a side of the housing of the yarn feeding device. Cables and/or tubes, when provided, are inserted into the third holding arm and run freely from the housing side end of the holding arm and through an inlet opening into the interior of the housing. The holding assembly of the balloon breaker consists of many parts and restricts the access to the storage body undesirably when the balloon breaker is tilted sidewardly and away from the storage body for working in the region of the storage body. The inlet opening in the housing needs additional manufacturing steps and has to be sealed in order to prevent the intrusion erf contamination into the interior of the housing. It is an object of the invention to provide a yam feeding device having a structurally simple holding assembly for the balloon breaker. The holding assembly ought to offer the possibility of easy and comfortable manipulations when adjusting the balloon breaker into the operative position and into the passive position. Furthermore, the holding assembly ought to hinder an operator as little as possible when working in the region of the storage body while the balloon breaker is put into the passive position. Said object is achieved by the features of claim 1. The single holding arm creates a minimum obstacle in the vicinity of the storage body only. The tilting joint allows to adjust a stable operative position but also a stable passive position in which the balloon breaker is completely removed from the region where the operator has to work. Furthermore, the tilting joint can be handled comfortably and rapidly by the operator. The holding arm is supported stably over a significant length in the housing. Due to the axial adjustability of the hoking arm relative to the housing the holding arm protrudes beyond the front side of the housing only so far as it is necessary to reliably position the balloon breaker, e.g. when the baloon breaker is placed in its operative position relatively close to the storage body or even around the storage body, because the not needed part of the longitudinal extension of the holding arm remains stored in the interior of the housing and such that the outside end of the holding arm does not create a superfluous obstacle. The anti-rotation device in the housing and in the sliding fixation structure assures the correct axial alignment of the balloon breaker with the storage body independent from the axial operative position of the balloon breaker. The openings at both ends of the holding arm allow to insert a cable and/or a tube and to directly lead the cable and/or tube into the interior of the housing and to appropriate connections. The cable and/or tube can be as short as possible in order to avoid disturbing and failure-prone cable loops and/or tube loops outside the housing of the yam feeding device. When the balloon breaker is tilted sidewardly about the joint axis away from the storage body, the balloon breaker and, if provided, the cable and/or tube completely clear the region where the operator has to work. The holding structure is simple and lightweight The working comfort for the operator is improved significantly. The ratcheting mechanism in the tilting joint automatically assures at least two stable positions for the balloon breaker. The balloon breaker can be moved easily and rapidly between the at least two positions. Both ratcheting positions are predetermined optimally such that the operator has not to care for the correct operative position or the passive position of the balloon breaker, respectively. The handling when moving the balloon breaker by means of the tilting joint is extremely comfortable for the operator, because the operator only has to manually actuate the actuating element correspondingly. The position of two axially distant holding arm passages of the housing in the region of the sliding fixation structure results in a stable positioning of the holding arm. All regions where components are moved in relation to each other are encapsulated in the interior of the housing and are protected against contamination. The clamping element safely positions the holding arm in the respective position such that it cannot move in uncontrolled fashion when forces from the exterior or vibrations during the operation of the yam feeding device act on the balloon breaker and/or the holding arm. In a preferred embodiment the clamping element can be adjusted between the release position and the clamping position only in the interior of the housing and when the operator first has opened the housing. In another preferred embodiment the clamping element even can be adjusted from the outside of the housing without the necessity for the operator to open the housing first. Expediently, the anti-rotation structure for the holding arm is provided between the clamping element and the holding arm itself. Whenever the clamping element is brought into the damping position, the holding arm automatically is hindered to carry out a relative rotational movement in structurally simple way the clamping element is a U-shaped profile which, in the clamping position, abuts at the inner wall of a housing side wall and at the same time with the clamping section at the holding arm. The tensioning screw penetrating the ctamprig element between the supporting section and the clamping section is apt to reliably fix the holding arm by using not only the force of the tensioning screw but also the long lever arm between the supporting section abutting at the inner side of the housing side wall and the clamping section abutting on the holding arm. The holding arm then is fixed by the clamping element and also by the friction within the holding arm passages of the housing. The housing is rigid enough to alow to generate high forces stably fixing the holding arm. In a structurally simple way the tensioning screw is inserted with a head part in a undercut groove of the housing side wall. This is advantageous in terms of an easy assembly and a comfortable handling of the sliding fixation structure. In another preferred embodiment the tensioning screw is penetrating the housing side wall such that it can be handled from the outer side of the housing without opening the housing. In order to provide the anti-rotation effect for the holding arm, the clamping section of the damping element has at least one engaging element engaging into an axial grrove or slot of the holding arm. The anti-rotation structure thus will be active whenever the clamping element has been brought into the clamping position, irrespective of the initial axial position of the holding arm. The anti-rotation structure even may fulfil a further task, namely to prevent that the holding arm can be pulled out inadvertently from the housing. The free end of the holding arm past the tilting joint may be closed by a plug avoiding that contamination may intrude into the interior of the housing. The opening for the cable and/or tube may be provided in the plug in case that at least one cable and/or tube is provided. In case that at least one cable and/or tube is provided, it can be guided through the holding arm into the interior of the housing. The holding arm expediently is a section of a round tube. Alternatively, the holding arm could be a profiled tube or could be a tube having at least a profile portion for achieving the anti-rotation effect in another fashion. The tilting joint expediently is clamped in a fixed position on the holding arm, preferably even with the help of a form-fit securing device which prevents axial displacement and/or a rotation of the tilting joint on the holding arm. In case of a yarn feeding device for a jet weaving machine a sensor device and/or stopping device is provided at the outer side of the front wall of the housing in structural association to the outer circumference of the storage body. The housing passage used to insert the holding arm into the housing of the yarn feeding device then is placed beside the sensor device and/or stopping device in the front wall of the housing such that it does not hinder the access to the sensor device and/or stopping device. The position of the holding arm then is offset sidewardly. However, the joint arm of the tilting joint for securing the balloon breaker is situated at the side of the holding arm facing towards the storage body such that the balloon breaker is secured in its operative position in a stable fashion. An embodiment of the invention will be described with the help of the drawings, fri the drawings is: s ■. Fig. 1 a perspective side view of a yarn feeding device with a housing cover lid removed, Fig. 2 a perspective view of a detail illustrating a sliding fixation structure, and Fig. 3 a cross-section of a tilting joint with the section plane situated in the joint axis. A yarn feeding device F in Fig. 1, particularly a yam feeding device F for an air or water jet weaving machine {not shown), has a metal housing 1 with housing side wails 2 and a housing front waH 3 confining an interior space 4 of the housing 1. in the interior 4, conventionally a not shown drive motor and further control systems or supply connections are provided. In front of the front wall 3 a rotatable winfring element 5 is situated which rotates in relation to a stationary storage body 6. The storage body 6 may contain several segments allowing to vary the diameter of the storage body 6 upon demand. A sensor device and/or a stopping device, as conventional for jet weaving machine feeding devices, is connected to the front wall 3 or even to a boss 7 formed integrally with the front wall 3. The yam feeding device F is equipped with a balloon breaker B, which has in the embodiment shown the form of a funnel having a large diameter flange end 8, a funnel coat 9 with longitudinal ribs 10 extending with different lengths along the funnel coat 9. The large diameter flange end 8 is placed in the shown operative position of the balloon breaker B in front of the front end of the storage body 6 and such that the funnel axis substantially is coaxial with the axis X of the storage body 6. In a small diameter end 11 of the balloon breaker B a yarn processing component 12, e.g. a threading nozzle and a yarn guiding eyelet is mounted. A connection 13 is connected via a tube and/or cable 14 to a connecting or supply location in the interior 4 of the housing 1. The balloon breaker B is held in the operative position by means of a hokfirg structure H. The holding structure has a single holding arm A extending essentially parafel to the axis X. A tilting joint K is fixed by damping and, preferably by means of a not shown form-fit securing device, to one end of the holding arm A. The tilting joint K has a joint axis Y which is substantially perpendicular to the axis X and, in the shown embodiment, substantially parallel to the plane defined by the top opening of the housing 1. During the operation of the yam feeding device F the top opening of the housing 1 is closed by a not shown cover lid. The tilting joint K, furthermore, has a joint arm 17 which is fixed to the large diameter flange end 8 of the balloon breaker B. An actuating element 18 formed like a knob with a handle serves to adjust the joint arm 17 with the balloon breaker B between the shown operative position and a tilted passive position in which the balloon breaker B in Fig, 1 is tilted upwardly such that unobstructed access is possible to the region of the storage body 6. The holding arm A is hollow and a section of a round tube, e.g. made from metaL The holding arm A is inserted into a passage 20 of a boss 22 of the housing front wall 3 and a further passage 19 in a rib 21 integrally formed with the housing side wall 2. In-between the passages 19,20 a clamping element C is provided which is held in place by at least one tensioning screw 25 penetrating the clamping element C and engaging into the housing side wall 4. The clamping element C is in the shown embodiment a U-shaped section of a metallic profile 24 having two legs. A head part 27 (Fig. 2) of the tensioning screw 25 is e.g. inserted in an undercut groove 23 e.g. dovetail-groove formed at the inner side of the housing side waH 2. The passages 20, 29 and the clamping element C with the tensioning screw 25 and the groove 23 commonly constitute a sliding fixation structure S for the holding arm A. Furthermore, an anti-rotation structure R is integrated into the sliding fixation structure S preventing that the holding arm A may rotate relative to the housing 1. In case that, alternatively, the holding arm A is formed with a profiled contour fitting into the accordingly shaped passages 19, 20, the anti-rotation structure automatically may be achieved by the form-fit between the holding arm A and the passages 19,20 (not shown). The clamping element C, by means of the tensioning screw 25, is adjustable between the shown clamping position, in which the holding arm A is fixed to the housing 1, aid a release position (Fig. 2), in which the holding arm A can be pulled further out of the housing 1 or pushed further into the housing 1. The inner end of the holding arm A defines a cable opening and/or tube opening 15. A similar, not visible, opening is provided at the other free end of the holding arm A past the tilting joint K. This other end, alternatively, can be closed by a plastic plug in case that no cable and/or tube is provided. As a further alternative, the plug can be formed with a respective tube opening and/or cable opening (Fig. 2). In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 the yam processing component 12 is connected via a tube 14 with a not shown supply and/or valve for pressurised air. Instead or additively at least one electric cable could be provided which also runs through the holding arm A. Fig. 2 illustrates the holding assembly S and the. anti-rotation structure R already described with reference to Fig. 1. The clamping element C is a section of a U-shaped profile 24 having two legs. The legs of the profile 24 define a supporting section 31 and a clamping section 29. The profile 24 can be pressed by means of the tensioning screw 25 with the supporting section 31 against the inner side of the housing side wall 2, whie the clamping section 29 then is pressed against the outer side of the holding arm A. The tensioning screw 25 has the head part 27 threaded into the undercut groove 23 indicated in Fig. 1. As an alternative, the tensioning screw 25 could penetrate the housing side wall 2 such that the head part 27 is accessible from the outer side of the housing 1 without opening the housing for adjustment of the clamping element C. Lock nuts 28 serve to press the clamping element C against the inner side of the housing side wall 2 and at the same time against the holding arm A which also is. pressed against the walls of the passages 19, 20. The anti-rotation structure R is constituted, in the shown embodiment, by at least one engaging projection 30 formed at the clamping section 29 and a corresponding longitudinally extending groove or slot 32 in the holding arm A. In a not shown alternative the engaging projection 30 could be provided between the legs of the profile 24. In a further, not shown embodiment, even the tensioning screw 25 could extend through longitudinal slots of the holding arm A to provide the anti-rotation feature. The co-action between the projection 30 and the slot or groove 32, furthermore, avoids that the holding arm A inadvertently can be pulled out from the housing. This is because the left side end of the groove 32 in Fig. 2 situated with axial distance from tie free end of the holding arm A. Rg. 2 also illustrates that the holding arm A is a section of a round tube 26. in Fig. 2 the clamping element C is shown in the release position. The holding arm A can be pulled outwardly or can be pushed inwardly into the housing in order to position the balloon breaker B. As soon as the tensioning screw 25 is tightened, the supporting section 31 will abut at the inner side of the housing side wall 2, while at the same time the clamping section 29 is forcefully pressed against the holding arm A with the engaging projection 30 engaging into the groove or slot 32. The clamping pressure of the clamping element C also presses the holding arm A against the inner wall of the passages 19, 20. Fig. 3 illustrates the design of the tilting joint K shown in Fig. 1. The section plane coincides with the joint axis Y. The tilting joint part 16 is clamped by means of a screw 33 onto the holding arm A. Not shown form-fit components could be provided to improve the positioning of the tilting joint part 16 on the holding arm A. The joint arm 17 is connected to the joint part 16 by a bott 34. The actuating element 18 is fixed to tie joint arm 17. The bolt 34 is loaded by a spring 35 such that the joint arm 17 is pressed against the joint part 16. Between the joint arm 17 and the joint part 16 two circumferentially profiled washers 36 (ratchet mechanism) are provided which define the operative position of the balloon breaker B as shown in Fig. 1 and also at least one passive position. The bolt 34 is coupled by a cross pin 37 with the joint arm 17 such that rotation of the bolt 34 and the joint arm 17 caused by the actuating element 18 will move the balloon breaker about the joint axis Y. Fig. 3, furthermore, illustrates that the free end of the holding arm A can be closed by a plug 38, e.g. made from plastics. In case that an electric cable and/or a tube has to be inserted, the plug 38 can contain the opening 39. In case that no cable and/or tube is provided, the plug 38 can fully close the holding arm end. CLAIMS 1. Yam feeding device (S), particularly for jet weaving machines, comprising a housing (1) for supporting a storage body (6), a balloon breaker (B) provided in axial alignment with and in operative association to the storage body (6) at a holding device (H), the holding device (H) comprising a single hollow holding arm (A) connected with the housing (1) and extending at least essentially parallel to the axis (X) of the storage body (6), the balloon breaker (B) being adjustably mounted to the holding arm (A), characterised in that the balloon breaker (B) is secured to one end of the holding arm (A), that the opposite end of the holding arm (A) is inserted through a housing passage (20) in a housing front wall (3) into the interior (4) of the housing (1), that the opposite end of the holding arm (A) is fixed axiaily adjustable in a sliding fixation (S) inside of the housing (1), that the sliding fixation (S) is equipped with an anti-rotation mechanism (R) for the holding arm (A), and that the holding arm (A) has at least one cable opening and/or tube opening (15, 39) in at least one end. 2. Yarn feeding device as in claim 1, characterised in that an adjustable tilting joint (K) having a tilt axis (Y) essentially perpendicular to the axis (X) is provided between the holding arm (A) and the balloon breaker )B). 3. Yarn feeding device as in claim 2, characterised in that the tilting joint (K) contains a ratcheting mechanism (M) defining about the tilting axis (X) the operating position in which the balloon breaker (B) is coaxially aligned with the storage body (6) and at least one passive position in which the balloon breaker (B) is pivoted from the operative position sidewardly away from the storage body (6). 4. Yarn feeding device as in claim 3, characterised in that the ratcheting mechanism (M) is equipped with a manually actuable adjusting element (18) for adjusting the ratcheting mechanism (M) between the operative and the passive positions, respectively. 5. Yam feeding device as in claim 1, characterised in that the sliding fixation (S) comprises two axialiy distant holding arm passages (19, 20) in the housing (1) and a clamping element (C) which is located between both holding ami passages and is adjustable between a release position and a clamping position. 6. Yarn feeding device as in claim 5, characterised in that the clamping element (C) is adjustable in the interior (4) of the housing (1). 7. Yam feeding device as in claim 5, characterised in that the clamping element (C) is accessible and adjustable from the outer side of the housing (1). 8. Yam feeding device as in claim 1, characterised in that the anti-rotation mechanism (R) is provided between the clamping element (C) and the holding arm (A). 9. Yam feeding device as in claim 5, characterised in that the clamping element (C) is a U-shaped profile (24) having a supporting section (31) for abutment at the inner side of a housing side wall (2) and a clamping section (29) for abutment at the holding arm (A), and that a tensioning screw (25) is provided for adjusting the clamping element (C) which tensioning screw (25) is inserted into the clamping element (C) between the supporting section and the clamping section to engage into the housing side wall (2). 10. Yam feeding device as in claim 9, characterised in that the tensioning screw (25) has a head part (27) which is inserted in an undercut groove (23) or a dovetail-groove of the housing side wall (2). 11. Yarn feeding device as in claim 9, characterised in that the tensioning screw (25) penetrates the housing side wall (2) such that it is accessible from the outer side of the housing side wall (2). 12. Yam feeding device as in claim 8, characterised in that the clamping section (29) has an engaging element (30) engaging in an axialiy extending groove (32) of the holding arm (A), preferably in an axialiy extending slot of the holding arm. 13. Yam feeding device as in claim 12, characterised in that the axially extending groove or slot (32) has an end distant from the free end of the holding arm (A), and that co-action between the engaging element (30) and the end of the slot or groove (32) define a pull-out stop for the holding arm (A). 14. Yam feeding device as in claim 1, characterised in that the at least one electric cable opening and/or tube opening (39) is provided in a closure plug (38) inserted into the free end of the holding arm (A), preferably equipped with a cable/tube sealing structure. 15. Yam feeding device as in claim 1, characterised in that at least one cable and/or tube (14) leading to at least one electric or pneumatic function component (12)f e.g. a threading nozzle or a yam brake, provided at the baloon breaker (B) and/or downstream of the balloon breaker (B), is inserted from the downstream side into the holding arm (A) and extends through the holding arm (A) to the interior (4) of the housing (1). 16. Yam feeding device as in daim 1, characterised in that the holding arm (A) is a round tube (26). 17. Yam feeding device as in claim 2, characterised in that the tilting joint (K) is clamped onto the outer side of the holding arm (A), preferably with a form-fit securing assembly preventing a relative rotation and/or axial displacement between the holding arm (A) and tilting joint (K). 18. Yam feeding device as in at least one of the claims, characterised in that a sensor device and/or a stopping device is provided at the housing front wall (3) in structural association to the outer circumference of the storage body (6), that the housing passage (20) is located in the housing front wail (3) adjacent to the housing side wall (2) at a side of the sensor device and/or the stopping device and that the tilting joint (K) comprises a joint arm (17) at the side of 8ie hokfrig arm (A) facing to the axis (X) of the storage body (6), the jcwrt arm (17) being fixed to the balloon breaker (B).

Documents:

4023-CHENP-2006 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS.pdf

4023-CHENP-2006 CORRESPONDENCE PO.pdf

4023-CHENP-2006 PETITION.pdf

4023-chenp-2006 abstract duplicate.pdf

4023-chenp-2006 claims duplicate.pdf

4023-chenp-2006 description(complete) duplicate.pdf

4023-chenp-2006 drawings duplicate.pdf

4023-CHENP-2006 FORM-3.pdf

4023-CHENP-2006 POWER OF ATTORNEY.pdf

4023-chenp-2006-abstract.pdf

4023-chenp-2006-claims.pdf

4023-chenp-2006-correspondnece-others.pdf

4023-chenp-2006-description(complete).pdf

4023-chenp-2006-drawings.pdf

4023-chenp-2006-form 1.pdf

4023-chenp-2006-form 18.pdf

4023-chenp-2006-form 3.pdf

4023-chenp-2006-form 5.pdf

4023-chenp-2006-pct.pdf