DESC:TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates in general to the field of textile machinery. Particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to a textile spinning machine employed in textile machinery for production of spun yarns. Further embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a connector assembly for supporting drafting rollers in the textile spinning machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally, textile spinning machines are developed to process natural or synthetic fibers. For processing the natural or synthetic fibers, the textile spinning preparatory machines [generally termed as “textile spinning machines”] are used. Such machines may include as among other components a draw frame, a card, a comber, or lap former which includes a drafting unit. The drafting unit consists of plurality of upper drafting rollers and their corresponding lower drafting rollers, where the fiber sliver is fed between the upper and the lower drafting rollers so that a drafting action takes place. The main objective of the drafting rollers in the textile spinning machine is to attenuate the fiber sliver passed between the upper and the lower drafting rollers, by stretching the fiber sliver resulting in improvements in the properties such as, substantially straight, and parallel fibers that reduce linear density of fiber federation.

Drafting is one of the most important process in textile spinning preparatory machine in particular card, draw frame, comber, lap former and spinning machine like as roving frame, ring frame, air jet spinning etc. In drafting roller system, the rollers run at higher speeds from the back- to front-rollers and in the process of reducing weight per unit length of fibres which are redistributed over a longer length of the fibre strand and the fibre strand becomes thinner, i.e., with some of fibres in the cross-section of the final fibre strand becomes straight and parallel manner. Drafting unit comprises drafting rollers which are having upper drafting rollers and lower drafting rollers which are parallel to each other. Fiber strand fed between upper and lower drafting rollers for drafting or drawing action.

In drafting arrangement, top rollers are used to draft the feed slivers by the action of friction as it is loaded against the bottom roller. Top rollers covered by a cot which is made up of synthetic / rubber material etc. Cots in drafting unit add overall spinning performance and final product (sliver or roving or yarn) quality. Cots used to provide uniform pressure applied on the fiber strand. It will influence an efficient drafting which results in a better grip and control over the fibers, particularly on floating fibers.

On continuous running, the rubber cot mounted on the top roller losses its desired properties like shore hardness and also results in honey dew layer formation. Due to this, certain degree of eccentricity develops on rubber cot which leads to quality deterioration on processing fibre bundle. On prolonged use, the surface tends to progressively smoother which increases the chances of slippage of material and resulting in drafting faults and roller lapping. This degree of the shore hardness is a main property of the top roller cot which has influence on drafting quality. As a process of improving these cot properties, said cots are ground periodically (according to raw material and process) to improve the sliver quality.

In existing drafting roller cot grinding process, the said drafting roller is fixed in grinding centre. To improve the running performance after a period of time (according to the raw material and process) said cot has to be ground (buffed) periodically. For grinding the top roller cot, said top roller with cot has to be placed in between the grinding centers of the grinding machine and axially clamped. For this mounting purpose, bearing assembly with the end bush has to be dismantled from the top roller. It consumes more effort and time of the personnel involved in the above said process due to the complexity of the arrangement. Also, frequent dismantling and mounting of the bearing arrangement in the top roller create disturbance in the bearing internal arrangement resulting in its premature failure and moreover it also affects the life cycle of bearing as well as top roller shaft.

The present disclosure is directed to overcome one or more limitations stated above or any other limitation associated with the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

One or more shortcomings of the conventional assembly are overcome by the assembly as claimed and additional advantages are provided through the assembly as described in the present disclosure.

Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.

In one non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure, a connector assembly for supporting a drafting roller of a textile spinning machine is disclosed. The assembly includes a housing defining an opening extending from a proximal end to a distal end. A portion of the opening is structured to fixedly accommodate at least one bearing for supporting a sleeve of the drafting roller. A connector is removably connectable to the housing. The connector is receivable by a support member in the textile spinning machine for supporting the drafting roller.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, the at least one bearing is accommodated within the housing at the proximal end of the housing. An outer race of the at least one bearing is fixed to an inner surface of the housing.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the housing is defined with a stepped portion at a substantially central part of the housing.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the drafting roller along with the housing including the at least one bearing is mounted to the grinding center upon removing the said connector (6) from the housing.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the connector assembly includes a tensioner provided at the proximal end of the housing. The tensioner is configured to support the shaft of the drafting roller within the housing.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the connector is removably connectable to the distal end of the housing. An outer diameter of a portion of the connector connectable to the distal end of the housing corresponds to an inner diameter at the distal end of the housing. The portion of the connector connectable to the distal end of the housing and the distal end of the housing are defined with matching threads for removably coupling the connector with the housing.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the portion of the connector connectable to the distal end of the housing and the distal end of the housing is defined with a slot configured to receive a fastening member. The fastening member is structured to restrict axial movement of the connector with respect to the housing.

In another non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure, a drafting roller for a textile spinning machine is disclosed. The drafting roller includes a core defined with a sleeve at either ends. A cot is provided on a portion of the core. Further, a connector assembly is structured to be accommodated on the either ends of the core of the core. The assembly includes a housing defining an opening extending from a proximal end to a distal end. A portion of the opening is structure to fixedly accommodate at least one bearing for supporting a shaft of the drafting roller. A connector is removably connectable to the housing, wherein the connector is receivable by a support member in the textile spinning machine for supporting the drafting roller.

It is to be understood that the aspects and embodiments of the disclosure described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several of the aspects and embodiments may be combined together to form a further embodiment of the disclosure.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING FIGURES

The novel features and characteristics of the disclosure are set forth in the appended description. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures. One or more embodiments are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures wherein like reference numerals represent like elements and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a sectional view of a drafting roller for a textile spinning machine employed a connector assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrates an enlarged view of a section of the drafting roller with the connector assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS.4 and 5 illustrates a sectional view of the drafting roller and the housing of the connector assembly arranged in the grinding center of a grinding machine, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the mechanism illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The foregoing has broadly outlined the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description of the disclosure that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the description of the disclosure. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent assemblies do not depart from the scope of the disclosure. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure, as to assembly, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.

In the present disclosure, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the scope of the disclosure.

The terms “comprises…a”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof used in the specification, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusions, such that an assembly that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or method. In other words, one or more elements in an assembly proceeded by “comprises… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the assembly.

Embodiments of the present disclosure discloses a connector assembly for supporting a drafting roller of a textile spinning machine. The connector assembly according to the present disclosure eliminates the damage that may be caused to the bearings unlike the conventional setup. Also, the connector assembly ensures significant improvements in the performance of the bearing. The connector assembly ensures minimal arrangement time for connecting the drafting roller and the connector assembly to the textile spinning machine unlike conventional setup of drafting rollers.

As per the various embodiments of the disclosure, drafting roller may include a core and a cot provided on the core. The core may be designed with a stepped profile on either ends of the core. Diameter of the stepped profile may be significantly lesser than that of a substantially central portion of the core. Further, the substantially portion of the core may be encompassed by a cot. The cot may be made of at least one of synthetic materials or elastic materials including synthetic polymers or rubber material. In an embodiment, the connector assembly may be structured to support the drafting rollers on either ends of the core. The connector assembly includes a housing which may be defined with an opening extending from a proximal end to a distal end. In an embodiment, a portion of the opening is structure to fixedly accommodate at least one bearing for supporting either ends of core of the drafting roller.

The at least one bearing may be accommodated within the housing at the proximal end of the housing. The at least one bearing may be accommodated within the housing such that an outer race of the at least one bearing may be juxtaposed/fixed to an inner surface of the housing. In an embodiment, the housing may be defined with a stepped portion. The stepped portion may be defined at a substantially central part of the housing. In an embodiment, the housing may be structured to accommodate a tensioner. The tensioner may be provided on the at least one of the distal end or the proximal end. In the present disclosure, the tensioner may be positioned fixedly juxtaposed to the bearing at the proximal end. The tensioner may be configured to support/clamp ends of the core of the drafting roller within the housing.

The connector assembly further includes a connector that may be removably connectable to the housing. In an embodiment, the connector may be receivable by a support member defined in the textile spinning machine for supporting the drafting roller. In an embodiment, the connector may be removably connectable to the distal end of the housing. An outer diameter of a portion of the connector connectable to the distal end of the housing may correspond to an inner diameter at the distal end of the housing. In an embodiment, the portion of the connector connectable to the distal end of the housing and the distal end of the housing are defined with conforming threads. The conforming threads on the distal end of the housing and the portion of the connector enables the connector to be removably coupled to the connector with the housing. In some embodiments, the connector may be snap fitted, press fitted, and similar such coupling means may be employed. Further, the portion of the connector connectable to the distal end of the housing and the distal end of the housing may be defined with a slot or a hole. When the connector is coupled to the housing, the position of the slots on the portion of the connector and the distal end of the housing corresponds and may receive a fastening member. The fastening member restricts the axial movement of the connector with respect to the housing.

Henceforth, the present disclosure is explained with the help of one or more figures of exemplary embodiments. However, such exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limitations of the present disclosure. The segment of textile spinning machine shown in figures is of one particular configuration, it is to be noted that slight variations in configuration of the segment of textile spinning machine are to be considered as part of the present disclosure.

The following paragraphs describe the present disclosure with reference to FIG(s) 1 to 5. For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to specific embodiments illustrated in the drawing and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated methods, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains.

The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit application and uses. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background or summary or the following detailed description. It is to be understood that the disclosure may assume various alternative orientations and step sequences, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices or components illustrated in the attached drawings and described in the following specification are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions or other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments that may be disclosed are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described referring to the accompanying drawings. While some specific terms directed to a specific direction will be used, the purpose of usage of these terms or words is merely to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure referring to the drawings. Accordingly, it should be noted that meaning of these terms or words should not improperly limit the technical scope of the present disclosure. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specific devices, methods, applications, conditions, or parameters described and/or shown herein, and that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments by way of example and is not intended to be limiting of the claimed invention.

In general, a textile spinning machine [not shown] for processing fibers among other components may include drafting units. These drafting units for the textile spinning machine may consist of a plurality of drafting rollers. With general reference to the drawings, a representative drafting roller for the textile spinning machine is depicted by referral numeral A. The explication hereinafter is made with reference to FIGs 1 to 5 in conjunction and wherever necessary reference to specific drawing may be made for better insight. The plurality of drafting rollers (A) [hereinafter referred to as the drafting rollers (A)] may be configured as a plurality of top rollers and a plurality of bottom rollers. The plurality of top rollers and the plurality of bottom rollers may be configured to assemble or orient required number of fibres prior to subjecting them to further operations in the textile spinning machine such as but not limiting to a twisting operation. The process of assembling or orientation of the fibres is done by means of drafting of the fibre strand by the drafting rollers (A). In an embodiment, the drafting rollers (A) may be arrayed on either side of the conveyor system that may be associated with the textile spinning machine for supplying fibres required to be draft through the plurality of drafting rollers (A). In some embodiments, the drafting rollers (A) may be arranged either along a side of the conveyor system or above the conveyor system or combination thereof. Also, each of the drafting rollers (A) may be positioned as conjugate pairs, in order to be arranged as top drafting roller and bottom drafting roller, or lateral drafting rollers or oblique drafting rollers and the like. In an embodiment, the drafting rollers (A) may be supported by at least one bearing (3) provided on the frame of the conveyor system. The arrangement of the drafting rollers (A) may be dependent on several factors including, but may not be limited to, orientation of the conveyor system, manner in which fibres may be required to be drafted, quantity of fibres being drafted, and the like.

Also, the drafting unit consisting of the drafting rollers (A) [as shown in FIG.1] which may be organized into sections consisting of upstream pair of drafting rollers, central pair of drafting rollers and downstream pair of drafting rollers, for suitably drafting fibres being conveyed through the conveyer stream. In an embodiment, each section of the drafting rollers (A) may be provided such that, outer surface speeds of each pair of rollers in a given section of the drafting unit may progressively increase relative to the previous section in the drafting unit, in direction of conveyance of the fibre. Further, as the drafting rollers (A) run at higher speeds from the back to the front drafting rollers i.e., in the fibre direction, the process the fibre is redistributed over a longer length of the fibre strand and the fibre strand becomes thinner, i.e., with fewer fibres in the cross-section of the final fibre strand. The draft between any pair of drafting rollers may be defined as the ratio of the surface speed of succeeding rollers to that of the preceding rollers. The fibre conveyed by the conveyor is supplied into the drafting unit of the textile spinning machine and is fed in the fibre traveling direction through the sections of the drafting unit between the top drafting rollers and the bottom drafting rollers and come out as drafted sliver or fibres.

Said drafting rollers (A) for the textile spinning machine includes a core (2) (as shown in FIG.2). The core (2) may be defined with a stepped profile at either ends. In an embodiment, the stepped profile of the core (2) may define a sleeve of the core (2) [as shown in FIG.2]. On a portion of the core (2) of the drafting rollers (A), a layer of material made of at least one of synthetic polymers or elastic material may be encompassed. Said layer of synthetic polymers or elastic material is generally referred to as cot and is depicted by referral numeral 1 in the corresponding drawings. The cot (1) in the drafting roller (A) add to the overall spinning performance and final product (sliver or roving or yarn) quality. The cot (1) may be structured to provide uniform pressure applied on the fibre strand ensuring better grip and control over the fibres, particularly floating fibres. However, on continuous use of the drafting roller (A), the cot (1) that encompasses the core (2) loses its desired properties like shore hardness and honey dew layer formation takes place. Due to which certain degree of eccentricity develops on rubber cot which leads to quality deterioration on processing fibre bundle. On prolonged use the surface tends to progressively more smooth which increases the chances if slippage of material and resulting in drafting faults and roller lapping. As a process of improving the cot (1) properties, said drafting rollers (A) are removed from the textile spinning machine periodically to improve sliver quality. The drafting rollers (A) are subjected to grinding to improve the shore hardness and the surface roughness of the cot (1).

Conventionally, the drafting rollers may be supported on the conveyor system [frame/common axle] of the textile spinning machine by bearings that were fixed to the frame of the conveyor system. To improve the running performance after period of time (according to the raw material and process) the cot has to be buffed. For grinding the cot of the drafting roller, the drafting roller should be placed in between the grinding centres (4) of the grinding machine and axially clamped. For this mounting purpose, the bearing assembly with the end bush may have to be dismantled from the drafting roller. The conventional process consumes more effort and time of the maintenance personnel involved in the process due to complexity of the conventional arrangement. Further, frequent dismantling and mounting of the conventional bearing from the drafting roller creates disturbance in the bearing internal arrangement resulting in its premature failure and moreover affects the life cycle of bearing as well as drafting roller. The present disclosure that will be described henceforth is structured to overcome the drawbacks of the conventional bearing and drafting roller arrangements of the textile spinning machine.

According to the present disclosure, a connector assembly depicted by referral numeral 10 in the corresponding drawings may be employed to overcome the drawbacks of the conventional arrangements. The connector assembly (10) [as shown in FIG.1] of the present disclosure for supporting the drafting rollers (A) may include a housing (5) [as shown in FIG.3]. The housing (5) may substantially be circular in shape and may be defined a through opening. In an embodiment, the opening in the housing (5) may extend from a proximal end (P) to a distal end (D). In an embodiment, a central part of the housing (5) may be defined with a stepped profile i.e., diameter of the housing (5) towards the proximal end (P) is greater than the diameter of the housing (5) at the distal end (D). In some embodiments, the diameter of the housing (5) at the distal end (D) may be greater than the diameter of the housing (5) at the proximal end (P), thus defining a stepped profile. In an embodiment, said at least one bearing (3) may be positioned within the housing (5). The at least one bearing (3) may be accommodated within the housing (5) at the proximal end (P) of the housing (5) but not limiting to the same. An outer race of the at least one bearing may be fixed to an inner circumferential surface of the housing (5). The at least one bearing (3) may be removably connected to the inner circumferential surface of the housing (5). The at least one bearing may configured to rotatably support the sleeve defined on either ends of the core (2) of the drafting roller (A). Further, a tensioner (T) may be provided at the proximal end (P) of the housing (5). The tensioner (T) may be juxtaposed to the at least one bearing (3) and configured to clamp the sleeve of the core (2) of the drafting roller (A) within the housing (5). The housing (5) with the at least one bearing (3) may be fixedly connected to the sleeve on either ends of the core (2) of the drafting roller (A).

Further, the connector assembly (10) may include a connector (6) which may be connectable to the housing (5). In an embodiment, the connector (6) may be detachably connectable to the at least one of the proximal end (P) or the distal end (D). According to the present disclosure, the connector (6) may be removably connectable to the distal end (D) of the housing (5) and the same will be used for elucidation hereinafter. The connector (6) may be receivable by a support member that may be defined in the textile spinning machine. In an embodiment, the connector (6) may act as a bridge between the frame of the textile spinning machine and the housing (5) connected to the drafting roller (A) at either ends. An outer diameter of a portion of the connector (6) that may be connectable to the distal end (D) of the housing (5) corresponds to an inner diameter of the distal end of the housing (5). An outer circumferential surface of the portion of the connector (6) connectable to the distal end (D) of the housing (5) may be defined with plurality of threads. Also, matching threads may be defined on the inner circumferential surface of the distal end (D) of the housing (5) which is designed to receive the connector (6). The connector (6) may be threadingly connected with the distal end of the housing (5) to bridge the drafting rollers to the textile spinning machine. In some embodiments, the connector (6) may be connected the distal end of the housing by other joining means such and may not be limiting to at least one of snap fit, press fit and the like. Further, the portion of the connector (6) that may be connectable to the distal end (D) of the housing (5) may be defined with a slot. Also, the distal end (D) of the housing (5) which accommodates the portion of the connector (6) may be defined with a slot corresponding to that on the portion of the connector (6). Once the connector (6) is plugged into the distal end of the housing (5), the position of the slots corresponds and may be configured to receive a fastening member (8) [as shown in FIG.3]. The fastening member (8) is structured to restrict the axial movement of the connector (6) with respect to the housing. In an embodiment, the slot and the fastening member (8) may be a key and a keyway assembly. Further, the drafting roller (A) can be disengaged from the frame of the textile spinning machine by un-plugging the connector (6) from the housing (5).

Referring to FIG.4 and FIG.5 in conjunction, which depicts the drafting roller (A) mounted in the grinding centre (4). Here, the drafting roller (A) along with the housing (5) may be mounted on the grinding centre (4) unlike the convention arrangement where only drafting roller to be mounted. The drafting roller (A) along with the housing (5) may be mounted on the grinding centres (4) just by detaching the housing (5) from the connector (6). The connector (6) may be retained in the frame of the textile spinning machine. The drafting roller (A) along with the housing (5) including the at least one bearing (3) may be mounted to the grinding centre (4) after removing the connector (6) from the housing (5). Further, the grinding hole (7) may be defined on both ends of the drafting roller (A) which may accommodate the grinding centres (4). Further, the housing (5) that may be retained with the drafting roller (A) may be clamped by a spring-loaded arrangement. By the said arrangement, the cot (1) encompassing the drafting roller (A) can be machined for grinding without disturbing the at least one bearing (3).

The configuration of the connector assembly (10) that may be employed to bridge the drafting roller (A) to the textile spinning machine significantly improves the durability of the at least one bearing (3) and the drafting roller (A). Further, the disclosed arrangement eases the process of grinding the cot (1) without disturbing the bearing (3) unlike the conventional setup. The connector assembly (10) of the present disclosure eliminates effort and time of the service personnel involved in the above said process due to the complexity of the arrangement. Further, frequent dismantling and mounting of the bearing (3) from the drafting roller (A) is eliminated. Thus, resulting in elimination of premature failure and moreover significantly increasing the life cycle of the at least one bearing (3) and the draft roller (A).

It is to be noted that, all changes, modifications, and variations to the mechanism within the meaning and range of equivalency are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

Equivalents

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc. It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and/or "an" should typically be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

Referral Numerals
Referral Numerals Description
A Drafting roller arrangement
1 Cot
2 Core
3 Bearing
4 Grinding centers
5 Housing
6 Connector
7 Grinding center hole
8 Fastening member
10 Connector assembly
P Proximal end
D Distal end
T Tensioner
,CLAIMS:We claim:

1. A connector assembly (10) for supporting a drafting roller of a textile spinning machine, the assembly comprising:
a housing (5) defining an opening extending from a proximal end (P) to a distal end (D), wherein a portion of the opening is structured to fixedly accommodate at least one bearing (3) for supporting a sleeve of the drafting roller (A); and
a connector (6) removably connectable to the housing (5), wherein the connector (6) is receivable by a support member in the textile spinning machine for supporting the drafting roller.

2. The assembly (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one bearing (3) is accommodated within the housing (5) at the proximal end (P) of the housing (5).

3. The assembly (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drafting roller (A) along with the housing (5) including the at least one bearing (3) is mounted to the grinding centre (4) upon removing the said connector (6) from the housing (5).

4. The assembly (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein an outer race of the at least one bearing (3) is fixed to an inner surface of the housing (5).

5. The assembly (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing (5) is defined with a stepped portion at a substantially central part of the housing (5).

6. The assembly (10) as claimed in claim 1 comprises a tensioner (T) provided at the proximal end (P) of the housing (5), wherein the tensioner (T) is configured to support the drafting roller (A) within the housing (5).

7. The assembly (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connector (6) is removably connectable to the distal end (D) of the housing (5).

8. The assembly (10) as claimed in claim 7, wherein an outer diameter of a portion of the connector (6) connectable to the distal end (D) of the housing (5) corresponds to an inner diameter at the distal end (D) of the housing (5).

9. The assembly (10) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the portion of the connector (6) connectable to the distal end (D) of the housing (5) and the distal end of the housing (5) are defined with matching threads for removably coupling the connector (6) with the housing (5).

10. The assembly (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portion of the connector (6) connectable to the distal end (D) of the housing (5) and the distal end of the housing (5) is defined with a slot configured to receive a fastening member (8), the fastening member (8) is structured to restrict axial movement of the connector (6) with respect to the housing (5).

11. A drafting roller (A) for a textile spinning machine, the drafting roller (A) comprising:
a core (2) defined with a sleeve at either ends;
a cot (1) provided on a portion of the core (2); and
a connector assembly (10) structured to be accommodated on the extensions on either ends of the core (2), the assembly (10) comprising:
a housing (5) defining an opening extending from a proximal end (P) to a distal end (D), wherein a portion of the opening is structured to fixedly accommodate at least one bearing (3); and
a connector (6) removably connectable to at least one of the proximal end (P) and the distal end (D) of the housing (5).

12. The arrangement (A) as claimed in claim 11 comprises a tensioner (T) provided at the proximal end (P) of the housing (5), wherein the tensioner (T) is configured to support the drafting roller (A) within the housing (5).

13. The arrangement (A) as claimed in claim 11, wherein the housing (5) including the at least one bearing (3) is mounted to the grinding centre (4) upon removing the said connector (6) from the housing (5).

14. The arrangement (A) as claimed in claim 11, wherein a portion of the connector (6) connectable to the distal end (D) of the housing (5) and the distal end of the housing (5) are defined with matching threads for removably coupling the connector (6) with the housing (5).

15. The arrangement (A) as claimed in claim 11 and 14, wherein the portion of the connector (6) connectable to the distal end (D) of the housing and the distal end of the housing (5) is defined with a slot configured to receive a fastening member (8), the fastening member (8) is structured to restrict axial movement of the connector (6) with respect to the housing (5)