FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved sliver-can changing mechanism of a textile spinning preparatory process. Particularly the invention is related to sliver-can replacement mechanism of a textile machines such as combing, carding, drawframe machines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In textile fibre processing machines such as carding, draw frame or combing machine, a drafted fiber band which is known as sliver is filled in a can, located in the filling station of a draw frame or the like, by means of a turntable. In general the sliver filling station comprises a coiler can handling apparatus includes a turntable rotatable about a substantially vertical platform axis for rotating a coiler can standing thereon; a coiler can changer for moving a empty can onto and moving a sliver filled can off the platform; and a centering device for centering a coiler can on the platform relative to the platform axis. The rotational axis of the turntable exhibits an equal to or less than distance from the rotational axis of the can changer than the distance from the center point of the can found in the filling station to the rotational axis of the changer. The above said principle exists in rotary type can changers.

The operation of the can changer on the rotation of the turntable is designed in such a manner, that the fiber sliver is filled into the full can exiting the filling station, until this can leaves the zone of the turntable. The sliver is then filled into the empty can which has been brought into the filling station, as soon as this empty can reaches the zone-of the turntable. This has been carried out of by the rotation of pushing arms of the can changer unit. This arrangement is called rotary can changer arrangement.

Apart from the rotary can changer mechanism some more linear sliver-can changing mechanism also available in said machines. Such kind of known linear can changer is illustrated in Fig. 1, 2 & 2a. Fig.-l shows the plan view of sliver-can changing area of said textile machines wherein the platform (1) provides space for accommodating reserve sliver-can (2), filling sliver-can (3) and a carrier (4). Said carrier (4) comprises a plurality of supporting wheels (5) and arm (6) for holding the reserve sliver-can (2). The carrier (4) moves horizontally along with reserve sliver-can (2) while replacing the filled can (3) over the platform(l). Said arm (6) can swivels sideways due to its spring action while the carrier (4) moves back after replacing the filled sliver-can (3) by an empty sliver-can (2). The plurality of holding levers (7) is also provided for holding the filling sliver-can (3) in position during the sliver (8) gets filed. And also in this system, the gap between the coiler and top surface of the can is more and further requires a special sliver cutter arrangement.
The sliver-can changing mechanism of said prior art is shown in Fig-2 &2a. The home position of sliver-can changing mechanism is illustrated in Fig-2 of the drawings wherein the pneumatic device (10) is connected to carrier (4) through a belt (11) that runs around pulleys (12). Said pneumatic device (10) is connected to pulleys (12) through a bracket (9). During this time, the reserve sliver-can is held by the carrier (4) and the filling sliver-can (3) is under processing. During the can replacement, said pneumatic device (10) is operated to extend its piston arm (10') to the required stroke length as shown in Fig-2a. Hence the filled can is replaced by empty can and then the piston arm (10') retracts to original position and brings back the carrier (4) to hold the next reserve sliver-can.

However there are other known sliver-can changing mechanism also available with the use of pneumatic devices directly mounted to carrier This known arrangements lead-to requirement of more space for mounting pneumatic device and higher stroke length Since the stroke length is higher in said mechanisms, the doff time and also the number of -components are more. Said limitations of existing art posed to develop an improved linear sliver-can changer, which would provide easy and less time consumable doffing process.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved sliver-can changing mechanism that uses lesser stroke length for doffing process.

One more object of the present invention is to provide an improved sliver-can changing mechanism that requires less space and simple mechanism with lesser components.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved sliver-can changing mechanism that requires less time for doffing process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved sliver-can changing mechanism of a textile spinning preparatory machines like carding, draw frame or comber. Said mechanism comprises a sliver-can carrier for handling the reserve sliver-can during doffing, a pneumatic device for actuating the said carrier, a bracket provided at the extreme of said carrier, wherein the said carrier is connected to a pivotal lever. One end of said lever is pivoted at machine frame whereas the another end is connected to said bracket provided at the carrier. Since the said pneumatic device is connected to the midpoint (connecting point can be varied depending on the requirement of amplification ratio) of said lever, the half stroke length of said pneumatic device is just enough to make full travel length of said carrier while doffing, i.e., if the carrier is required to move '2X' length while can changing, it is enough for the pneumatic device to make 'X1 stroke length of piston arm. Thus from above, the arcuate path of pivotal lever is being converted into linear path for sliver-can carrier through the sliding mechanism. Also the movement of the pneumatic device (X) is substantially magnified (2X) ,by the movement of pivotal lever for moving the carrier. Therefore the can changing operation is being carried out by utilizing only the minimal stroke of pneumatic device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

Fig-1 is the plan view of the known linear sliver-can changer according to the prior art.

Fig-2 is the schematic representation of the linear can changing mechanism with pneumatic device, belt and pulley combination according to the known art that shows home position said mechanism.

Fig-2a illustrates the can changing position of said mechanism according to Fig-2 as of known art.

Fig-3 schematically represents the improved sliver-can changing mechanism according to the present invention at home condition.

Fig-3a shows the elevated isometric view of the improved sliver-can changing mechanism according to the Fig-3.

Fig-4 schematically represents the improved sliver-can changing mechanism in middle operating condition during can changing according to the invention.

Fig-5 illustrates the improved sliver-can changing mechanism after the can replacement condition of said can changing operation according to the invention.

Fig-6 schematically represents the alternate embodiment of the improved sliver-can changing mechanism according to the present invention.

Fig-7 shows the one more embodiment of the improved sliver-can changing mechanism according to the present invention.

Fig-7a & Fig-7b shows the middle and final operating condition of the improved sliver-can changing mechanism according to the embodiment of Fig-7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention may be better understood and further advantages and uses thereof more readily apparent, when considered in view of the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, taken with the accompanying drawings. These embodiments describe only a few of the various ways in which the principles of various other embodiments may be realized and the described embodiments are intended to include all such embodiments and their equivalents and the reference numerals used in the accompanying drawings correspond to the like elements throughout the description.

The improved sliver can changing mechanism is schematically illustrated in Fig-3 of the drawings wherein the empty reserve sliver-can (2) is kept between arms of carrier (4) over the plat form (1). The filling can (3) is positioned at sliver filling station of same plat form (1). Said carrier (4) comprises a bracket (18) at the extreme end which is provided with a slot (19) for guiding the sliding pin (15) of the pivoted lever (14). One end of said lever (14) is pivoted in machine frame whereas the other end is connected through sliding pin (15) to said bracket (18) of the carrier (4). Said sliding pin (15) can also be made to rotate. As an alternate embodiment, said slot (19) can be provided directly in carrier (4) without the bracket (18).

A pneumatic device (10) is connected though a crank pin (17) at the approximate midpoint of the pivoted lever (14). Said pneumatic device (10) is mounted on the machine frame of can changing area. The crank pin (17) in connection with pneumatic device (10) can be fixed at any point of the lever (14) according to the requirement. This ensures that the fixing point of crank pin (17) determines the stroke length required for a can-changing operation. If the carrier (4) is required to move *2X' (can be generalized as Ax. Where A is the amplification ratio) length while can changing, it is enough for the pneumatic device to make 'X' stroke length of piston arm.

Fig-4 of the drawings shows the can changing mechanism while the can changing operation takes place. Here the filled sliver-can (3) is being pushed out form the filling station due to the entry of carrier (4) along with reserve sliver-can (2). The stroke length by piston arm (10') of pneumatic device (10) now reaches the 'X/2' stroke length. Since the lever (14) is required to move in a arcuate path, the sliding pin (15) slides from original position to the bottom of the slot (19) and accommodates said path variation. Thus from above, the arcuate path of pivotal lever (14) is being converted into linear path for sliver-can carrier (4) through the sliding mechanism This enables the smooth traveling of carrier(4) with reserve can (2) and ejection of filled sliver-can (3).

Complete doffing is carried out when the stroke length by piston arm (10') of pneumatic device (10) reaches the 'X' stroke length as shown by Fig-5 of the drawings. Now the sliding pin (15) reaches the total doffing length (2X) and filled can (3) is replaced completely by reserve can (2). Said sliding pin (15) reaches its original position while the piston arm (10') completes its extension. Then the carrier (4) leaves the empty can (2) in filling station and is returned to the original position to pickup the next reserve can for subsequent cycle. This is achieved by retracting the said piston arm (10') to home position. In a simple manner, the entire can changing process can be referred with respect to the distance traveled by sliding pin (15) as follows,

Fig-3 - Sliding pin (15) at home position; piston arm (10') at home position; and carrier (4) along with empty reserve sliver-can (2) is at home position. And the same position as in machine is shown by elevated isometric view in Fig-3a.

Fig-4 - Sliding pin (15) moves 'X'; piston arm (10') is at 'X/2'; and carrier (4) along with empty reserve sliver-can (2) moves 'X'.

Fig-5 - Sliding pin (15) moves '2X'; piston arm (10*) is at 'X'; and carrier (4) along with empty reserve sliver-can (2) moves '2X'.

where, 'X' is the stroke length of piston arm (10').

An embodiment of the present invention is shown in Fig-6 wherein a binge rod (16) is provided with a hinge pin (21) at one end which is connected to the carrier (4). The other end of the said hinge rod (16) is slidably connected by a sliding joint (20) to the pivoted lever (14).

Yet another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Fig-7 of the drawings where the pivoted lever of the invention is replaced with link rods (22 and 24) which are connected together by the link pin (23). During can changing operation both the said levers (22 and 24) will actuate accordingly with respect to the operation of pneumatic device (10). Therefore the empty can (2) is being moved to 2X distance and placed in operation position by replacing the filled sliver can (3) by the 'X' stroke length of pneumatic device (10). The consecutive middle and final position of the sliver cans and operation position of pneumatic device is illustrated in Fig-7aand Fig-7b respectively.

As an further embodiment, the platform (1) can set to be movable for can changing operation and in that, the gap should be more between coiler bottom surface and sliver-can (2) top surface. Since the present invention works with less stroke length, the space requirement for mounting the pneumatic device is also less. This also eneusur less doffing time, lower number of working components and thereby low cost with simple construction. Moreover as the gap between coiler bottom surface and sliver-can can be keep closer, there is no requirement for special sliver cutter. The embodiments shown herein are only exemplary and further embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention.

We claim:
1. A can changing apparatus for textile spinning preparatory machine comprising:

a sliver can carrier (4) for handling a reserve can (2);

a pneumatic device (10) for actuating said carrier (4);

a pivotal lever (14, 22) connected to said sliver can carrier (4) at one end, characterised in that the arcuate path of pivotal lever (14, 22) is converted into linear path of sliver can carrier (4)

2. The can changing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pneumatic , device (10) is connected approximately to midpoint of said lever (14).

3. The can changing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said carrier (4) has a bracket (18) at the extreme end.

4. The can changing apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said bracket has a slot (19) for guiding a sliding pin (15) of said lever.

5. The can changing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said sliding pin (15) isrotatable.

6. The can changing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein carrier (4) has a slot disposed directly therein.

7. The can changing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pneumatic device (10) is connected to said lever through a crank pin (17).

8. The can changing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reserve can • is disposed on a platform (1).

9. The can changing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein one end of said -lever is pivoted in machine frame.

10. The can changing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pivotal lever (14) is connected to said carrier through a hinge rod (16),

11. The can changing apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said hinge rod (16) has a hinge pin (21) at one end connected to the carrier.

12. The can changing apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said hinge rod (16) is slidably connected via a sliding joint (20) to the pivoted lever (14).

13. The' can changing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two link rods (22; 24) connected through a link pin (23) to carrier (4).

14. The can changing apparatus, as claimed in claim 13 wherein one link rod (22) is connected between the machine frame and link (24)

15. The can changing apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the other link rod (24) is connected between said carrier and link rod (22)

16. A can changing apparatus for textile spinning preparatory machine comprising: a sliver can carrier (4) for handling a reserve can (2); a pneumatic device (10) for actuating said carrier (4); wherein the movement of the pneumatic device (X) is substantially magnified (2X) by the movement of pivotal lever (14) for moving the carrier (4)