YARN-END CATCHING DEVICE AND YARN WINDING DEVICE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a yarn-5 end catching
device adapted to catch a yarn-end portion of a yarn to be
processed in a yarn processing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
10 Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2013-79150
discloses an automatic winder (an automatic traverse
winding machine) adapted to rewind a yarn from a spinning
cop around a package. The automatic winder includes a yarn
joining device, a gripper tube, and a suction nozzle. An
15 upper yarn introduced to the yarn joining device by the
suction nozzle and a lower yarn guided to the yarn joining
device by the gripper tube are joined by the yarn joining
device.
The suction nozzle includes a suction nozzle head (a
20 yarn-end catching device) adapted to suck and catch a
yarn-end portion of the upper yarn wound around a surface
of the package. The suction nozzle head includes a suction
opening and a comb strip attached to the suction opening.
The comb strip includes a row of teeth adapted to restrict
25 the sucked yarn-end portion, and a structured surface (an
uneven surface) arranged in a region of a folded portion
above the row of teeth. The comb strip is made of a spring
steel plate and is manufactured by an optical etching method.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2013-79150
30 describes that since the structured surface of the
comb-strip acts on the yarn-end portion, the yarn-end
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portion is released from the surface of the package.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To release the yarn-end portion wound around the
surface of the package (to peel off from the package), 5 e), the
yarn-end portion is required to be reliably retained by
being hooked on the uneven surface when the yarn-end portion
makes contact with the uneven surface.
Although Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No.
10 2013-79150 does not disclose the uneven surface of the comb
strip in detail, from a description that the comb strip is
manufactured by the optical etching method, understanding
is made that the uneven surface is also formed by performing
the optical etching method to the spring steel constituting
15 the comb strip. In the etching method, by locally removing
a surface of a base member (the spring steel in this case)
and making a recess, a plurality of the recesses that are
lower than the surface of the base member are formed. That
is, the uneven surface formed by etching becomes a surface
20 recessed in the plurality of recesses with respect to the
surface of the base member that is not processed by etching,
and a portion that protrudes from the surface of the base
member does not exist. Fibers of a yarn are thus not likely
to be entangled with the uneven surface, which is formed
25 on the surface of the comb strip by etching, as in Japanese
Patent Application Laid-open No. 2013-79150, and retaining
the yarn-end potion is difficult.
On the other hand, the applicants of the present
application have considered improving a success rate of
30 catching the yarn-end portion by pasting a sand paper to
the yarn-end catching member for assisting catching of the
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yarn-end portion and retaining the yarn-end portion by the
sand paper. The sand paper typically has a configuration
in which a large number of abrasive grains adhere to a base
member of a paper by an adhesive, and the yarn-end portion
can be reliably restricted by the fibers of the yarn 5 being
entangled with the large number of abrasive grains that
protrude from the base member. However, the sand paper has
low durability since the protruding abrasive grains are
abraded in a short period of time by repeated contacts of
10 the yarns. The sand paper is thus required to be replaced
on a regular basis by pasting a new sand paper.
An object of the present invention is to provide a
yarn-end catching device including a yarn catching
assisting section capable of reliably retaining the
15 yarn-end portion and superior in endurance.
A yarn-end catching device of a first invention is
a yarn-end catching device adapted to suck and catch a
yarn-end portion of a yarn to be processed in a yarn
processing device, and includes a sucking and catching
20 member having a suction opening at a tip-end portion thereof,
and a yarn catching assisting section arranged at the
sucking and catching member and adapted to retain the
yarn-end portion. The yarn catching assisting section
includes a metal coating having a base layer and a plurality
25 of protrusions that protrude from the base layer.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating an automatic
winder according to the present embodiment;
FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating a winding unit
30 of the automatic winder;
FIG. 3 is a left-side view of an upper portion of the
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winding unit illustrated in Fig. 2;
FIG. 4 is a view illustrating a suction mouth of an
upper-yarn catching and guiding member located at a
yarn-end catching position indicated by a two-dot chain
line in Fig. 3 and a package when seen in a direction 5 on of
an arrow IV;
FIGS. 5 are each a view illustrating the suction mouth
in Fig. 4 when seen in a direction of an arrow V;
Fig. 5A is a view illustrating a state in which an
10 angle guide is attached;
Fig. 5B is a view illustrating a state in which the
angle guide has been removed;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along VI-VI
line illustrating the suction mouth in Fig. 4;
15 FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view
illustrating a tip-end portion of the angle guide at which
a yarn catching assisting section is arranged;
FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a state in which a
yarn-end portion has been sucked into the suction mouth;
20 FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a state in which the
yarn-end portion has made contact with the tip-end portion
of the angle guide;
FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a state in which a yarn
portion other than the yarn-end portion has been sucked in
25 the suction mouth;
FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view
of the tip-end portion of the angle guide provided with a
yarn catching assisting section according to a variant
embodiment; and
30 FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a suction mouth
according to another variant embodiment.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be
described. The present embodiment is an example in which
the present invention is applied to an automatic winder5 ,
which is a kind of a textile machine. Fig. 1 is a front
view of an automatic winder according to the present
embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a front view of a winding unit
of the automatic winder.
10 As illustrated in Fig. 1, an automatic winder 1
includes a plurality of winding units (yarn winding devices,
yarn processing devices) 2 arranged in a left-right
direction in Fig. 1, a doffing device 3 arranged to freely
travel along the plurality of winding units 2 in its
15 arrangement direction, and a machine control device 4
adapted to control the overall automatic winder 1. The
left-right direction (the arrangement direction of the
winding units 2) in Fig. 1, a near side in a direction
perpendicular to a page of Fig. 1, and a back side in the
20 direction perpendicular to the page of Fig. 1 are
respectively defined as a “left-right direction”, a “front
side”, and a “back side”. Description will be made by
appropriately using such terms indicating directions.
The automatic winder 1 is adapted to transmit an
25 instruction from the machine control device 4 to each of
the winding units 2 such that a yarn Y unwound from a yarn
supplying bobbin 8 is wound around a winding tube 17 to form
a package P in each winding unit 2. When a fully-wound
package P is formed in a certain winding unit 2, the doffing
30 device 3 moves to a position above such a winding unit 2
and replaces the fully-wound package P with an empty winding
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tube 17. Furthermore, the machine control device 4 is
adapted to control operations of each winding unit 2, to
monitor an operational state, to store a setting of an
operation parameter, and the like.
Next, a detailed configuration of each 5 winding unit
2 will be described. The winding unit 2 illustrated in Fig.
2 is adapted to form the package P having a predetermined
shape by winding the yarn Y unwound from the yarn supplying
bobbin 8 while traversing the yarn Y. Fig. 3 is a left-side
10 view of an upper portion of the winding unit 2 illustrated
in Fig. 2.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the winding unit 2 includes
a yarn supplying section 11 adapted to hold the yarn Y from
the yarn supplying bobbin 8 in a suppliable manner, a yarn
15 processing executing section 12 adapted to execute various
types of processing to the yarn Y unwound from the yarn
supplying bobbin 8 held by the yarn supplying section 11,
and a winding section 13 adapted to wind the yarn Y processed
by the yarn processing executing section 12 around the
20 winding tube 17 to form the package P. The yarn supplying
section 11, the yarn processing executing section 12, and
the winding section 13 are arranged in this order from
bottom to top. Furthermore, the winding unit 2 includes
a unit control section 33 connected in a communicable manner
25 with the machine control device 4 of the automatic winder
1.
The yarn supplying section 11 includes a bobbin
holding section 15 adapted to hold the yarn supplying bobbin
8, and an unwinding assisting device 16 adapted to assist
30 unwinding of the yarn Y from the yarn supplying bobbin 8.
The unwinding assisting device 16 includes a tubular body
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29 to cover the yarn supplying bobbin 8 from an upper side
and a tubular body driving motor 25 adapted to drive the
tubular body 29 to elevate/lower. The unwinding assisting
device 16 is adapted to regulate a bulge (balloon) of the
yarn Y being unwound to stabilize an unwinding tension 5 ion by
lowering the tubular body 29 with the tubular body driving
motor 25 as unwinding of the yarn Y proceeds.
As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the winding section
13 includes a cradle 14 adapted to grip the winding tube
10 17 in a freely rotating manner, a traverse drum 18, and a
drum driving motor 28 adapted to rotate the traverse drum
18. A spiral traverse groove 18a is formed on a peripheral
surface of the traverse drum 18, and the yarn Y is traversed
by the traverse groove 18a. Since the traverse drum 18 is
15 rotated being in contact with the package P formed around
the winding tube 17 while traversing the yarn Y with the
traverse groove 18a, the package P is rotated in a winding
direction by a contact friction with the traverse drum 18
and the yarn Y unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin 8 is
20 wound around the winding tube 17.
The yarn processing executing section 12 arranged
between the yarn supplying section 11 and the winding
section 13 includes a yarn feeler 19, a tension applying
device 20, a yarn joining device 21, and a yarn clearer 22.
25 The yarn feeler 19 is adapted to detect a presence
and/or an absence of the travelling yarn Y between the
unwinding assisting device 16 and the tension applying
device 20.
The tension applying device 20 is adapted to apply
30 a predetermined tension to the travelling yarn Y. In Fig.
2, a so-called gate type is disclosed as an example. A
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plurality of fixed gate bodies 20a and a plurality of
movable gate bodies 20b are alternately arranged in a
vertical direction. By adjusting positions of the
plurality of movable gate bodies 20b in a horizontal
direction, the tension is applied to the yarn Y 5 travelling
between the fixed gate bodies 20a and the movable gate
bodies 20b.
The yarn joining device (a yarn joining section) 21
is adapted to join a lower yarn Y1 on a side of the yarn
10 supplying bobbin 8 and an upper yarn Y2 on a side of the
package P when a cutter 22a cuts a yarn upon detection of
a yarn defect by the yarn clearer 22, which is to be described
later, when a yarn is broken during winding of a package,
or when the yarn supplying bobbin 8 is replaced. An example
15 of the yarn joining device 21 may be an air splicer adapted
to perform yarn joining by generating airflow and twisting
fibers of the lower yarn Y1 and the upper yarn Y2 together.
A lower-yarn catching and guiding member 23 is
adapted to catch the lower yarn Y1 on the side of the yarn
20 supplying bobbin 8 and to guide the caught lower yarn Y1
to the yarn joining device 21. An upper-yarn catching and
guiding member 24 is adapted to catch the upper yarn Y2 on
the side of the package P and to guide the caught upper yarn
Y2 to the yarn joining device 21. The lower-yarn catching
25 and guiding member 23 and the upper-yarn catching and
guiding member 24 are respectively arranged below and above
the yarn joining device 21. The lower-yarn catching and
guiding member 23 is swingable with an axis 23a as a center
and vertically swings by being driven to swing by a motor
30 26. The upper-yarn catching and guiding member 24 is also
swingable with an axis 24a as a center and vertically swings
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by being driven to swing by a motor 27. As illustrated in
Fig. 3, the lower-yarn catching and guiding member 23 and
the upper-yarn catching and guiding member 24 are each
connected to a suction source 50.
The lower-yarn catching and guiding member 5 23
includes at a tip-end portion thereof, a suction section
30 adapted to suck and catch a yarn-end portion of the lower
yarn Y1. While the suction section 30 is catching the
yarn-end portion of the lower yarn Y1, the lower-yarn
10 catching and guiding member 23 is driven by the motor 26
and swings from bottom to top to guide the lower yarn Y1
to the yarn joining device 21. The lower-yarn catching and
guiding member 23 and the motor 26 adapted to swing the
lower-yarn catching and guiding member 23 correspond to a
15 “first yarn-end guiding device” of the present invention.
The upper-yarn catching and guiding member 24
includes at a tip-end portion thereof, a suction mouth 31
adapted to suck and catch a yarn-end portion of the upper
yarn Y2. The upper-yarn catching and guiding member 24 is
20 driven by the motor 27 and swings upward from a position
indicated by a solid line in Fig. 3 to a yarn-end catching
position indicated by a two-dot chain line. At this time,
the suction mouth 31 is located in proximity to a contact
point of the package P and the traverse drum 18 to suck and
25 catch the yarn-end portion of the upper yarn Y2 that adheres
to a surface of the package P. After catching the yarn-end
portion, the upper-yarn catching and guiding member 24
guides the caught upper yarn Y2 to the yarn joining device
21 by being driven by the motor 27 and swinging downward.
30 The upper-yarn catching and guiding member 24 corresponds
to a “yarn-end catching device” of the present invention.
11 / 42
The suction mouth 31 corresponds to a “sucking and catching
member” of the present invention. The upper-yarn catching
and guiding member 24 and the motor 27 adapted to swing the
upper-yarn catching and guiding member 24 correspond to a
“second yarn-end guiding device” of the present inve5 ntion.
Specific configuration of the suction mouth 31 of the
upper-yarn catching and guiding member 24 will be described
later in detail.
The yarn joining device 21 is adapted to join the
10 yarn-end portion of the lower yarn Y1 guided by the
lower-yarn catching and guiding member 23 and the yarn-end
portion of the upper yarn Y2 guided by the upper-yarn
catching and guiding member 24 to form a yarn Y.
The yarn clearer 22 is adapted to obtain information
15 on a thickness of the travelling yarn Y on a steady basis
and to detect an abnormal portion of the yarn Y having a
predetermined or more yarn thickness as a yarn defect in
accordance with the information on the thickness of the yarn
Y. Furthermore, the cutter 22a is attached to the yarn
20 clearer 22, and the cutter 22a immediately cuts the yarn
Y when the yarn defect is detected by the yarn clearer 22.
When the yarn Y is cut by the cutter 22a after the
yarn defect has been detected by the yarn clearer 22, the
yarn defect remains at the upper yarn Y2. The yarn joining
25 device 21 thus removes the yarn defect from the upper yarn
Y2 guided by the upper-yarn catching and guiding member 24
by use of a built-in cutter (illustration omitted), and then
performs yarn joining of the lower yarn Y1 and the upper
yarn Y2.
30 The unit control section 33 illustrated in Fig. 2
forms a wound package P around the winding tube 17 by
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controlling operations of each section of the
above-described winding unit 2. The unit control section
33 is formed of a Central Processing Unit (CPU) as an
arithmetic processing device, a Read-Only Memory (ROM) in
which a program to be executed by the CPU and data 5 to be
used in the program are stored, a Random Access Memory (RAM)
for temporarily storing the data when executing the program,
an input/output interface adapted to input/output data to
and from an external device, and the like.
10 The unit control section 33 is electrically connected
to driving sections of the winding unit 2 such as the tubular
body driving motor 25, the motor 26 that drives the
lower-yarn catching and guiding member 23, the motor 27 that
drives the upper-yarn catching and guiding member 24, the
15 drum driving motor 28, and the like, the yarn feeler 19,
the yarn joining device 21, the yarn clearer 22, and the
like. The winding unit 2 controls each section of the
winding unit 2 and causes the winding unit 2 to perform
winding operation of the package P in accordance with
20 information related to a winding condition and the like
transmitted from the machine control device 4 that controls
overall operations of the automatic winder 1.
In a case where the yarn Y has been cut upon detection
of the yarn defect by the yarn clearer 22, in a case where
25 a yarn breakage has been detected by the yarn feeler 19,
or in a case where a yarn supplying bobbin has been replaced
in the yarn supplying section 11, the unit control section
33 controls the yarn joining device 21 and the like to
perform a series of yarn joining operations. In other words,
30 the motors 26 and 27 are controlled to cause the lower-yarn
catching and guiding member 23 and the upper-yarn catching
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and guiding member 24 to respectively guide the lower yarn
Y1 on the side of the yarn supplying section 11 and the upper
yarn Y2 on the side of the winding section 13 to the yarn
joining device 21. Subsequently, the yarn joining device
21 is controlled to join the lower yarn Y1 and the 5 upper
yarn Y2 both having been guided.
Next, a detailed configuration of the suction mouth
31 of the upper-yarn catching and guiding member 24 will
be described. As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the
10 upper-yarn catching and guiding member 24 includes at the
tip-end portion thereof, the suction mouth (the sucking and
catching member) 31 that sucks the yarn-end portion of the
upper yarn Y2. Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the suction
mouth 31 of the upper-yarn catching and guiding member 24
15 located at the yarn-end catching position in Fig. 3 and the
package P when seen in a direction of an arrow IV. Figs.
5 are each a view illustrating the suction mouth 31 of Fig.
4 when seen in a direction of an arrow V. Fig. 5A is a view
illustrating a state in which an angle guide 52 is attached.
20 Fig. 5B is a view illustrating a state in which the angle
guide 52 has been removed. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view
taken along a VI-VI line in Fig. 4.
As illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6, the suction mouth 31
includes a suction mouth main body (a main body member) 51
25 and the angle guide (a metal plate member) 52. The suction
mouth main body 51 is a tubular member. Specifically, the
suction mouth main body 51 is formed by a plate member 40
located at a lower side in Fig. 5 and having two side wall
portions 40a, 40b, and a plate member 41 located on an upper
30 side in Fig. 5. The plate member 40 and the plate member
41 are connected to each other in a state of facing each
14 / 42
other. A suction opening 42, and a first passage portion
43 and a second passage portion 44 that are continuous with
the suction opening 42 are formed between the two plate
members 40, 41. As can be seen from Figs. 4 and 5, as a
whole, the suction mouth 31 formed of the two plate m5 embers
40, 41 has a flat shape considerably large in size in a
direction of a surface thereof with respect to a thickness
thereof. As illustrated in Fig. 5, therefore, a suction
opening 42 formed at a tip end of the suction mouth 31 also
10 has a flat opening shape of which width is greater than a
thickness (a gap between the two plate members 40, 41)
thereof. Furthermore, cross-sectional shapes of the first
passage portion 43 and the second passage portion 44 located
inside are also flat. In the following description, a
15 “width direction” is referred to as a direction
perpendicular to a “suction direction” in Fig. 4, which is
a direction in which air sucked into the suction opening
42 flows within a surface parallel to the plate members 40,
41 in the suction opening 42, and the first passage portion
20 43 and the second passage portion 44.
As illustrated in Fig. 4, the width of the suction
opening 42 is substantially same as a width of the package
P to suck and catch a yarn-end portion Ya of the upper yarn
Y2 adhering to the package P. The first passage portion
25 43 has a width greatest at the suction opening 42 and
narrower as goes inside (as goes away from the suction
opening 42). Specifically, since one side wall portion 40a
(on a left side in Fig. 4) of the plate member 40 forming
the first passage portion 43 becomes close to the other side
30 wall portion 40b as goes away from the suction opening 42,
the width is narrow inside the first passage portion 43.
15 / 42
The second passage portion 44 is connected to an end
portion that is located inside of the first passage portion
43 and of which width is narrower than the suction opening
42. The second passage portion 44 is connected to bend at
an angle close to 90 degrees towards one side (the left 5 ft side
in Fig. 4) in a direction of a width of the first passage
portion 43. An end portion 44a of the second passage
portion 44, which is on a side opposite to the first passage
portion 43, is connected to the suction source 50 (see Fig.
10 3).
A plate member 45 is attached to the plate member 41.
The plate member 45 is made of a metal material and the like
and has a substantially same width as the suction opening
42. A portion of the plate member 45 other than a tip-end
15 portion thereof (a left-end portion in Fig. 6) is arranged
on an upper surface of the plate member 41. The plate member
45 bends towards the plate member 40 in a portion thereof
closer to a tip-end side than the portion arranged on the
upper surface of the plate member 41. The plate member 45
20 is formed such that a bending angle at a bending portion
is acute. The tip-end portion of the plate member 45 is
located on a lower side of Fig. 6 than the plate member 41
and serves as a hooking section 45a formed in a
comb-teeth-shaped manner along the width direction.
25 Accordingly, the hooking section 45a is located above the
first passage portion 43.
The angle guide 52 is a plate member made of a metal
or the like. A substantially half portion (a substantially
right half portion in Fig. 6), which is on an opposite side
30 to the package P, of the angle guide 52 is arranged on the
upper surface of the plate member 41 and sandwiches the
16 / 42
plate member 45 with the plate member 41. Through holes
41a, 45b, and 52a are respectively formed through the plate
member 41 and portions, which are arranged on the upper
surface of the plate member 41, of the plate member 45 and
the angle guide 52. The plate member 45 and the angle 5 guide
52 are attached to the plate member 41 in a removable manner
by a bolt 53 inserted through the through holes 41a, 45b,
and 52a. The through hole 41a is a round hole having a
substantially same diameter as the bolt 53, whereas the
10 through holes 45b and 52a are long holes extending in a
left-right direction in Fig. 6 that is perpendicular to the
width direction. Accordingly, in a state in which the bolt
53 is loosened, the plate member 45 and the angle guide 52
are movable in the left-right direction in Fig. 6 along the
15 upper surface of the plate member 41. That is, the plate
member 45 and the angle guide 52 are movable with respect
to the suction mouth main body 51 in the left-right
direction in Fig. 6.
A substantially half portion (a substantially left
20 half portion in Fig. 6), which is on a side of the package
P, of the angle guide 52 further protrudes towards the side
of the package P than the plate member 41 and bends to a
side of the plate member 40 in a middle portion thereof.
The angle guide 52 is formed such that a bending angle at
25 a bending portion is obtuse. Accordingly, a portion
including a tip-end portion of the angle guide 52 further
extends to the side of the package P than the suction opening
42. As described above, in the suction mouth 31, by moving
the angle guide 52 with respect to the suction mouth main
30 body 51 in the left-right direction in Fig. 6, an amount
of protrusion of the angle guide 52 from the suction opening
17 / 42
42 can be changed.
A tip-end portion 52b of the angle guide 52 is located
on an upper side of the tip-end portion of the suction mouth
31, in other words, a downstream side in a rotational
direction (an unwinding direction) of the package P at 5 the
time of catching a yarn end, which is to be described later.
The tip-end portion 52b corresponds to a “downstream-side
end portion” of the present invention. A yarn catching
assisting section 54 is arranged on a surface of the tip-end
10 portion 52b of the angle guide 52. Frictional resistance
on a surface of the yarn catching assisting section 54 is
greater than frictional resistance on a passage wall
surface of the first passage portion 43. As illustrated
in Fig. 6, the yarn catching assisting section 54 is adapted
15 to assist catching of the yarn-end portion Ya by retaining
the yarn-end portion Ya at the time of catching the yarn-end
portion Ya of the upper yarn Y2 by the suction mouth 31.
The yarn catching assisting section 54 extends at the
tip-end portion 52b of the angle guide 52 over a surface
20 52d on a side of the first passage portion 43 (an upstream
side in the unwinding direction) and a surface 52e on a side
opposite to the first passage portion 43 (a downstream side
in the unwinding direction) via a tip-end surface 52c, which
is proximate to the surface of the package P.
25 The yarn catching assisting section 54 will be
described in more detail. Fig. 7 is a partially enlarged
cross-sectional view illustrating the tip-end portion 52b
of the angle guide 52 to which the yarn catching assisting
section 54 is provided. As illustrated in Fig. 7, the yarn
30 catching assisting section 54 includes a metal coating 55
formed at the tip-end portion 52b of the angle guide 52.
18 / 42
The metal coating 55 includes a base layer 55a having a
predetermined thickness and a plurality of minute
protrusions 55b each protruding from the base layer 55a.
The metal coating 55 is formed by metal spraying.
When microscopic particles of a metal material having a 5 flow
property such as metal that is molten by heating, or the
like are sprayed towards a surface of the angle guide 52,
the sprayed innumerable particles adhere to the surface of
the angle guide 52 and are immediately cooled naturally and
10 solidify. At the time, some of the particles become the
plurality of protrusions 55b by solidifying before
scattering on the surface of the angle guide 52. The other
particles become the base layer 55a by solidifying in a
state of scattering along the surface of the angle guide
15 52. The base layer 55a plays a role in fixing the plurality
of protrusions 55b on the surface of the angle guide 52.
In this manner, since the base layer 55a and the plurality
of protrusions 55b are simultaneously formed by a same metal
material, connection strength between the base layer 55a
20 and the protrusions 55b is high. Furthermore, by adjusting
a condition for the metal spraying, a surface shape of the
metal coating 55 such as sizes of the protrusions 55b, or
the like can be appropriately changed.
For example, a nickel-series metal material or a
25 tungsten-series (tungsten carbide and the like) metal
material can be preferably used as the metal material to
spray. A material of the angle guide 52 to be sprayed is
not limited in particular, but a metal material such as
stainless steel or the like can be preferably used. To
30 enhance adhesive strength of the base layer 55a of the metal
coating 55 to the angle guide 52, the surface of the angle
19 / 42
guide 52 may be roughed by performing a surface treatment
such as blast processing or the like to the surface of the
tip-end portion 52b of the angle guide 52 before metal
spraying.
Since when the yarn-end portion Ya of the upper 5 yarn
Y2 makes contact with the metal coating 55 of the yarn
catching assisting section 54, fibers of the yarn are
entangled with the plurality of protrusions 55b of the metal
coating 55, the yarn-end portion Ya is likely to be retained
10 at the yarn catching assisting section 54. A surface
roughness of the metal coating 55 is preferably within a
range of 4 to 20 in Ra (Arithmetic Average Roughness: in
accordance with JIS-B0601) to cause the fibers of the yarn
to be easily entangled. A coating thickness of the metal
15 coating 55 is not limited in particular, but the coating
thickness is about 80 μm in a case of the nickel-series metal
coating, and is about 120 μm in a case of the tungsten-series
metal coating.
Next, effects at the time of catching a yarn end by
20 the suction mouth 31 will be described. As illustrated in
Fig. 4, the yarn-end portion Ya of the upper yarn Y2 on the
side of the package P is wound around the package P and
adheres to the surface thereof. When the upper-yarn
catching and guiding member 24 driven by the motor 27 is
25 swung to the yarn-end catching position indicated by the
two-dot chain line in Fig. 3, the suction opening 42 of the
suction mouth 31 at the tip end thereof faces the surface
of the package P. Simultaneously with this, by rotating
the traverse drum 18 at a low speed in a direction opposite
30 to a direction at the time of winding by the drum driving
motor 28 in the winding section 13, the package P is rotated
20 / 42
in the unwinding direction, which is an opposite direction
of the winding direction. Accordingly, the yarn-end
portion Ya wound around the package P is sucked from the
suction opening 42 and caught by the upper-yarn catching
and guiding member 24 while being drawn from the 5 package
P.
At the time of catching the yarn-end portion Ya by
the suction mouth 31, the following three situations may
mainly occur.
10 (Case 1: A case in which the yarn-end portion Ya is
sucked into the suction opening 42 in a normal manner)
Fig. 8 is a view illustrating a state in which the yarn-end
portion Ya has been sucked into the suction mouth 31. The
yarn-end portion Ya of the upper yarn Y2 becomes close to
15 the suction opening 42 from the upstream side in the
unwinding direction. As illustrated in Fig. 8, in a case
where the yarn-end portion Ya moved from the upstream side
in the unwinding direction has been directly sucked from
the suction opening 42 into the first passage portion 43,
20 the sucked yarn-end portion Ya is hooked in the hooking
section 45a of the plate member 45. Accordingly, the
yarn-end portion Ya once sucked is prevented from being
drawn outside again accompanying rotation of the package
P in the unwinding direction by strong adherence to the
25 surface of the package P such as hair tangling of the yarn.
Consequently, a success rate of catching the yarn-end
portion Ya is improved.
At this point, a tip-end portion of the plate member
40 is located further away from the surface of the package
30 P than the tip-end portion 52b of the angle guide 52.
Therefore, air that flows from the upstream side in the
21 / 42
unwinding direction towards the suction opening 42 as
indicated by an arrow A in Fig. 8 is likely to flow from
the suction opening 42 into the first passage portion 43,
whereas air that flows from a downstream side in the
unwinding direction towards the suction opening 42 5 as
indicated by an arrow B is blocked by the angle guide 52,
and thus is unlikely to flow from the suction opening 42
into the first passage portion 43. That is, air is likely
to be introduced from the upstream side in the unwinding
10 direction into the suction opening 42. Accordingly, the
yarn-end portion Ya that becomes close to the suction
opening 42 from the upstream side in the unwinding direction
is likely to be sucked.
The yarn catching assisting section 54 is arranged
15 at the tip-end portion 52b of the angle guide 52, which is
located on the downstream side in the unwinding direction,
of the tip-end portion of the suction mouth 31. Therefore,
when the yarn-end portion Ya moved from the upstream side
in the unwinding direction is sucked into the suction
20 opening 42, the yarn-end portion Ya does not make contact
with the yarn catching assisting section 54, and the yarn
catching assisting section 54 does not interfere with
suction of the yarn-end portion Ya.
(Case 2: A case in which the yarn-end portion Ya makes
25 contact with the yarn catching assisting section 54)
Fig. 9 is a view illustrating a state in which the yarn-end
portion Ya makes contact with the yarn catching assisting
section 54 of the tip-end portion 52b of the angle guide
52. In other words, Fig. 9 illustrates a case in which the
30 yarn-end portion Ya becomes close to the suction opening
42, but is not sucked into the suction opening 42. The yarn
22 / 42
catching assisting section 54 is arranged at the tip-end
portion 52b of the angle guide 52 that is located on a further
downstream side in the unwinding direction than the suction
opening 42. The tip-end portion 52b of the angle guide 52
is also located at a position closer to the surface 5 of the
package P than the tip-end portion of the plate member 40.
The yarn-end portion Ya that has not been sucked into the
suction opening 42 thus makes contact with the yarn catching
assisting section 54 arranged at the tip-end portion 52b
10 of the angle guide 52. When the yarn-end portion Ya makes
contact with the yarn catching assisting section 54, fibers
of the yarn-end portion Ya are entangled with the plurality
of protrusions 55b of the metal coating 55, and the yarn-end
portion Ya is retained.
15 When the package P is rotated in the unwinding
direction while the yarn-end portion Ya is retained at the
yarn catching assisting section 54, a portion continuous
with the yarn-end portion Ya of the yarn Y adhering to the
surface of the package P is peeled off from the surface of
20 the package P. Then, when the package P is further rotated
in the unwinding direction, tension on the yarn-end portion
Ya becomes great and the yarn-end portion Ya is separated
from the yarn catching assisting section 54.
Since a suction force is applied when the yarn-end
25 portion Ya is separated from the yarn catching assisting
section 54, the yarn-end portion Ya can be sucked into the
suction opening 42. Even in a case where the yarn-end
portion Ya is not sucked into the suction opening 42 at this
stage, when the package P is further rotated in the
30 unwinding direction, and the yarn-end portion Ya again
becomes close to the suction opening 42 from the upstream
23 / 42
side in the unwinding direction, the yarn-end portion Ya
that has been peeled off once is to be sucked. The yarn-end
potion Ya is thus more likely to be sucked into the suction
opening 42 than a previous time. That is, since the yarn
catching assisting section 54 reliably retains the yarn-5 end
portion Ya, the success rate of catching the yarn-end
portion Ya is improved.
Since the yarn catching assisting section 54 is
arranged at the tip-end surface 52c, which becomes
10 proximate to the package P, of the tip-end portion 52b of
the angle guide 52, the yarn-end portion Ya is likely to
make contact with the yarn catching assisting section 54.
Furthermore, since the yarn catching assisting section 54
is arranged over the tip-end portion 52b of the angle guide
15 52 from the surface 52d on the upstream side in the unwinding
direction to the surface 52e on the downstream side in the
unwinding direction via the tip-end surface 52c, even when
the yarn-end portion Ya unexpectedly moves and makes
contact with a position away from tip-end surface 52c, the
20 yarn-end portion Ya is likely to make contact with the yarn
catching assisting section 54.
Furthermore, since the yarn catching assisting
section 54 extends at the tip-end portion 52b of the angle
guide 52 over a full length of the suction opening 42 in
25 the width direction, the yarn-end portion Ya can be made
contact with the yarn catching assisting section 54
wherever the yarn-end portion Ya is located on the surface
of the package P.
(Case 3: A case in which a portion other than the
30 yarn-end portion Ya is sucked into the suction opening 42)
Fig. 10 is a view illustrating a state in which a yarn portion
24 / 42
other than the yarn-end portion Ya has been sucked into the
suction mouth 31. When the yarn is cut by the cutter 22a,
when the yarn is broken during winding of the package P,
or when the yarn supplying bobbin 8 is replaced, a slackened
portion Yb, which is slackened and bulges outward, of 5 the
upper yarn Y2 is formed at a portion in proximity to the
yarn-end portion Ya of the upper yarn Y2. The slackened
portion Yb is thus sucked from the suction opening 42 into
the first passage portion 43 in some cases. At this time,
10 if the slackened portion Yb that has been sucked reaches
the hooking section 45a and is hooked in the hooking section
45a, since the upper-yarn catching and guiding member 24
is swung, trying to guide the slackened portion Yb of the
yarn Y that has been caught to the yarn joining device 21,
15 the yarn Y is disconnected, and a disconnected yarn waste
remains on the surface of the package P. Otherwise, when
the upper-yarn catching and guiding member 24 is swung, the
slackened portion Yb is guided to the yarn joining device
21 without being disconnected, and the slackened portion
20 Yb and the lower yarn Y1 are processed to be joined. That
is, normal yarn joining is not performed.
In the present embodiment, as illustrated in Fig. 10,
the slackened portion Yb makes contact with the tip-end
portion 52b of the angle guide 52 at the same time as when
25 the slackened portion Yb is sucked from the suction opening
42 into the first passage portion 43. The tip-end portion
52b of the angle guide 52 further protrudes towards the side
of the package P than the tip-end portion of the plate member
40. Therefore, even if the slackened portion Yb is sucked
30 from the suction opening 42 into the first passage portion
43, the slackened portion Yb that has been sucked is
25 / 42
unlikely to reach the hooking section 45a.
As illustrated in Fig. 10, when the slackened portion
Yb is sucked, the slackened portion Yb makes contact with
the yarn catching assisting section 54. Similar to the case
in which the yarn-end portion Ya is retained at the 5 yarn
catching assisting section 54, which has been described
earlier, also in a case where the slackened portion Yb is
retained at the yarn catching assisting section 54, a
portion continuous with the slackened portion Yb of the
10 upper yarn Y2 is removed from the surface of the package
P by the package P rotated in the unwinding direction.
Therefore, when the package P is rotated in the unwinding
direction, and the yarn-end portion Ya becomes close to the
suction opening 42 again, the yarn-end portion Ya is easily
15 caught.
In the present embodiment, the angle guide 52 is
attached to the plate member 41 of the suction mouth main
body 51 in a removable manner. Accordingly, for example,
when the metal coating 55 of the yarn catching assisting
20 section 54 is abraded, the yarn catching assisting section
54 can be easily replaced by removing the angle guide 52.
In the present embodiment, the suction mouth 31
includes the suction mouth main body 51 and the angle guide
52, and angle guide 52 is attached to the suction mouth main
25 body 51 in a movable manner. Accordingly, since a
positional relationship between the angle guide 52 and the
suction mouth main body 51 can be changed by moving the angle
guide 52 with respect to the suction mouth main body 51 in
the left-right direction of Fig. 6, the amount of protrusion
30 of the angle guide 52 from the suction opening 42 can be
changed according to a yarn type of the yarn Y, or the like.
26 / 42
For example, in a case where the yarn type of the yarn
Y wound around the package P is unlikely to be sucked from
the suction opening 42, the plate member 45 (the hooking
section 45a) is made close to the surface of the package
P. Accordingly, since the sucked yarn-end portion 5 on Ya
becomes likely to be hooked in the hooking section 45a, the
success rate of catching the yarn-end portion Ya can be
improved. Conversely, in the case where the yarn type of
the yarn Y wound around the package P is unlikely to be sucked
10 from the suction opening 42, the tip-end portion 52b of the
angle guide 52 is made close to the surface of the package
P. Accordingly, the yarn-end portion Ya becomes likely to
make contact with the yarn catching assisting section 54
arranged at the angle guide 52, and thus the success rate
15 of catching the yarn-end portion Ya can be improved.
As described above, in the present embodiment, the
yarn catching assisting section 54 includes the metal
coating 55 having the base layer 55a and the plurality of
protrusions 55b that protrudes from the base layer 55a.
20 When the yarn-end portion Ya makes contact with the yarn
catching assisting section 54, fibers of the yarn are
entangled with the plurality of protrusions 55b of the metal
coating 55. Therefore, in comparison with a case in which
recesses are formed on the surface of the angle guide 52
25 by etching or the like to make an uneven surface, the
yarn-end portion Ya is more likely to be retained at the
yarn catching assisting section 54. Furthermore, since
the plurality of protrusions 55b are firmly fixed to the
angle guide 52 by the base layer 55a, the protrusions 55b
30 can be prevented from coming off.
Since the metal coating 55 has high strength and is
27 / 42
superior in abrasion resistance, abrasion is lessened in
comparison with a case of using a sand paper or the like.
In a case of pasting the sand paper or the like on the angle
guide 52 by an adhesive, adhesive strength is relatively
low and peeling resistance is also low. In comparison 5 n with
this, since adhesive strength of the metal coating 55, which
is formed by metal spraying, to the angle guide 52 is higher,
peeling resistance is superior. Although depending on
conditions, the adhesive strength of the metal coating 55,
10 which is formed by metal spraying, to the angle guide 52
is dozens of times as high as the adhesive strength of the
sand paper pasted by the adhesive. As described above,
since the metal coating 55 has high abrasion resistance and
high peeling resistance, the metal coating 55 is superior
15 in durability, allowing replacement frequency to be less.
Furthermore, since the strength of the metal coating 55 is
high, even if a dust such as a yarn waste, or oil agent
adheres to the yarn catching assisting section 54, the dust
can be removed by sweeping with a brush or the like.
20 In the present embodiment, since when the yarn-end
portion Ya makes contact with the yarn catching assisting
section 54, the yarn-end portion Ya is easily retained at
the yarn catching assisting section 54, the success rate
of catching the yarn-end portion Ya by the suction mouth
25 31 can be improved. Since the success rate of catching is
improved, a time required for yarn joining operation
performed by the yarn joining device 21 can be shortened.
Next, a variant embodiment that is the
above-described embodiment to which various modifications
30 are applied will be described. The same reference numerals
are denoted on components having a same configuration as
28 / 42
the above-described embodiment, and descriptions thereof
are appropriately omitted.
1] A metal coating of the yarn catching assisting
section 54 is not limited to a configuration of the
above-described embodiment as long as the 5 metal coating
includes a plurality of protrusions.
For example, as illustrated in Fig. 11, a metal
coating 65 may include granular substances, which serve as
a plurality of protrusions 65b. In other words, a metal
10 material, which is to be a base layer 65a, includes granular
substances 66 different from the metal material, and the
granular substances 66 become the plurality of protrusions
65b by being surrounded by the metal material. The granular
substances 66 serving as the protrusions 65b preferably
15 have higher hardness than the metal material serving as the
base layer 65a, and are preferably superior in abrasion
resistance. For example, a ceramic material can be
preferably used.
The metal coating 65 of Fig. 11 can be formed by
20 various types of plating. For example, after adding the
granular substances 66 such as ceramics or the like to
plating solution including a metal constituent, the metal
material is caused to adhere to the surface of the angle
guide 52 by plating. At this time, the granular substances
25 66 and the metal material adhere to the angle guide 52 and
become the protrusions 65b. The metal material adheres to
the angle guide 52 in a state of surrounding the granular
substances 66 and becomes the base layer 65a to firmly fix
the granular substances 66 to the angle guide 52.
30 Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to both
electrolytic plating and non-electrolytic plating. In
29 / 42
other words, in both of a case in which the angle guide 52
is formed by an electric conductor that conducts
electricity and a case in which the angle guide 52 is formed
by an insulator that does not, the metal coating 65 can be
5 formed on the angle guide 52.
2] Since the yarn-end portion Ya is likely to be
retained at the yarn catching assisting section 54 by
applying the present invention, the hooking section 45a
that hooks the yarn-end portion Ya in the first passage
10 portion 43 of the suction mouth 31 may be omitted. In other
words, as illustrated in Fig. 12, the plate member 45
including the hooking section 45a may be omitted, and the
angle guide 52 may be directly attached to the plate member
41 on an upper side of the suction mouth main body 51.
15 3] A position where the yarn catching assisting
section 54 is arranged is not limited to the above-described
embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, as
illustrated in Fig. 6, the yarn catching assisting section
54 is arranged over the tip-end portion 52b of the angle
20 guide 52 from the surface 52d on the upstream side in the
unwinding direction to the surface 52e on the downstream
side in the unwinding direction via the tip-end surface 52c,
but the yarn catching assisting section 54 may be arranged
only at the tip-end surface 52c of the angle guide 52.
25 The suction mouth 31 of the above-described
embodiment includes the suction mouth main body 51 and the
angle guide 52 attached to the suction mouth main body 51,
and the yarn catching assisting section 54 is attached to
the angle guide 52. Conversely, the present invention may
30 be applied to a case in which a suction mouth is not provided
with the angle guide 52. In other words, a portion
30 / 42
corresponding to the angle guide 52 may be integrally
provided to the suction mouth main body 51. In this case,
a metal coating of the yarn catching assisting section 54
is provided to a portion, which is located on the downstream
side in the unwinding direction, of a 5 wall portion that
forms the suction opening 42 at the tip-end portion of the
suction mouth main body 51.
Furthermore, a position of the suction mouth 31 where
the yarn catching assisting section 54 is arranged is not
10 limited to the tip-end portion where the suction opening
42 is formed. For example, the yarn catching assisting
section 54 may be arranged on an inner surface of the first
passage portion 43 of the suction mouth 31 and may provide
an effect similar to the hooking section 45a.
15 Alternatively, the yarn catching assisting section 54 may
be provided to a device or a member other than the suction
mouth 31. For example, the yarn catching assisting section
54 may be provided to the suction section 30 (see Fig. 2)
adapted to catch a yarn-end portion of the lower yarn Y1.
20 Furthermore, a yarn catching assisting section of the
present invention may be applied to a various types of yarn
processing devices adapted to process a yarn other than an
automatic winder adapted to wind a package.
In the above-described embodiment, assisting
25 catching the yarn-end portion Ya wound around the surface
of the package P by forming the metal coating 55 on the angle
guide 52 of the suction mouth 31 by metal spraying or the
like, and thus improving the success rate of catching the
yarn-end portion Ya has been proved, but the embodiment of
30 the present invention is not limited thereto. For example,
a resistance member of the present invention that assists
31 / 42
withdrawing and catching of a yarn-end portion from a yarn
supplying bobbin may be applied to a yarn-end preparing
device that performs a preparing operation for catching a
yarn end from the yarn supplying bobbin to be supplied to
a winding unit of an automatic winder and for 5 performing
a yarn rewinding operation.
According to the present invention, catching of the
yarn-end portion by the sucking and catching member can be
assisted and thus a success rate of catching the yarn-end
10 portion can be improved by retaining the yarn-end portion
at the yarn catching assisting section when the yarn-end
portion makes contact with the yarn catching assisting
section arranged at the sucking and catching member having
the suction opening. The yarn catching assisting section
15 includes the metal coating having the base layer and the
plurality of protrusions that protrude from the base layer.
When the yarn-end portion makes contact with the yarn
catching assisting section, fibers of the yarn are
entangled with the plurality of protrusions of the metal
20 coating. Therefore, in comparison with a case in which an
uneven surface is made by forming protrusions on a surface
of the sucking and catching member by etching or the like,
the yarn-end portion is more likely to be retained at the
yarn catching assisting section. Furthermore, the
25 plurality of protrusions are firmly fixed to the sucking
and catching member by the base layer, the protrusion can
be prevented from coming off.
Furthermore, since the metal coating has high
strength and is superior in abrasion resistance, abrasion
30 is lessened in comparison with a case of using a sand paper,
allowing replacement frequency to be less. Even in a case
32 / 42
where a dust such as a yarn waste, oil agent, or the like
adheres to the yarn catching assisting section, the
particle can be removed by sweeping with a brush or the like.
The “metal coating” in the present invention merely
requires its main constituent to be metal and is not 5 limited
to a case in which the whole coating is made of a metal
material. In other words, the “metal coating” includes a
coating formed of a mixture in which a metal material as
a main constituent is mixed with another material.
10 In the yarn-end catching device of a second invention
according to the first invention, the metal coating is
formed by solidifying a metal material, which has a flow
property, sprayed on the sucking and catching member.
In the present invention, by spraying the metal
15 material having the flow property such as molten metal or
the like on the sucking and catching member (hereinafter
referred to as metal spraying), the metal coating is formed.
Innumerable particles of the sprayed metal material hit
against the surface of the sucking and catching member.
20 Some of the particles solidifies before scattering and
become the plurality of protrusions. The other particles
solidifies in a state of being scattered and become the base
layer. In this configuration, since the base layer and the
plurality of protrusions are simultaneously formed of the
25 same metal material, connection strength between the base
layer and the protrusions are high.
The yarn-end catching device of a third invention
according to the first invention, the metal coating
includes granular substances formed of a material different
30 from a metal material that forms the base layer. The
granular substances form the protrusions by protruding in
33 / 42
a state of being surrounded by the metal material of the
base layer.
In the present invention, the metal material to be
the base layer of the metal coating includes the granular
substances made of the material different from 5 the metal
material. The granular substances form the protrusions in
the state of being surrounded by the metal material.
The yarn-end catching device of a fourth invention
according to the third invention, the metal coating is
10 formed by causing the metal material and the granular
substances to adhere to the sucking and catching member by
plating.
In the present invention, by causing the metal
material and the granular substances to adhere to the
15 sucking and catching member by plating, the granular
substances become the protrusions. The metal material
adheres to the sucking and catching member in the state of
surrounding the granular substances and becomes the base
layer.
20 In the yarn-end catching device of a fifth invention
according to any one of the first invention through the
fourth invention, a surface roughness of the metal coating
is Ra 4 to 20.
In the present invention, since the surface roughness
25 of the metal coating is within a range of 4 to 20 in Ra
(Arithmetic Average Roughness), the fibers are likely to
be entangled with the metal coating and the yarn-end portion
can be reliably retained.
The yarn-end catching device of a sixth invention
30 according to any one of the first invention through the
fifth invention is a sucking and catching device, which is
34 / 42
adapted to suck the yarn-end portion from a package, of a
yarn winding device adapted to wind the yarn to form the
package. The yarn catching assisting section is arranged
at a downstream-side portion located on a downstream side
in an unwinding direction, which is a rotational 5 direction
of the package when the yarn-end portion is sucked and
caught from the package, of the tip-end portion of the
sucking and catching member.
When the yarn-end portion is sucked and caught from
10 the package by the yarn-end catching device, the package
is rotated in the unwinding direction opposite to a normal
yarn-winding direction, and the yarn-end portion is drawn
from the package. In the present invention, the yarn
catching assisting section is arranged at the portion,
15 which is on the downstream side in the unwinding direction,
of the tip-end portion of the sucking and catching member.
The yarn catching assisting section thus does not interfere
when the yarn-end portion moving from an upstream side in
the unwinding direction is sucked into the suction opening
20 of the sucking and catching member.
In a case where the yarn-end portion has passed the
suction opening without being sucked, the yarn-end portion
makes contact with the yarn catching assisting section and
is retained. Since the package is rotated in the unwinding
25 direction in such a state, the yarn-end portion is peeled
off from a surface of the package. Therefore, since the
yarn-end portion is likely to be sucked into the suction
opening, the success rate of catching the yarn-end portion
is improved.
30 In the yarn-end catching device of a seventh
invention according to the sixth invention, the yarn
35 / 42
catching assisting section is arranged at a tip-end surface,
which is proximate to the package when the yarn-end portion
is sucked and caught from the package, of the
downstream-side portion of the sucking and catching member.
Since the yarn catching assisting section is 5 arranged
at the tip-end surface of the sucking and catching member
that is proximate to the package when catching the yarn-end
portion, the yarn-end portion is likely to make contact with
the yarn catching assisting section.
10 In the yarn-end catching device of an eighth
invention according to the seventh invention, the yarn
catching assisting section is arranged over the
downstream-side portion of the sucking and catching member
from a surface on the upstream side in the unwinding
15 direction to a surface on a downstream side in the unwinding
direction via the tip-end surface.
Since the yarn catching assisting section is arranged
over the downstream-side portion of the sucking and
catching member from the surface on the upstream side in
20 the unwinding direction to the surface on the downstream
side in the unwinding direction via the tip-end surface,
even if the yarn-end portion unexpectedly moves and makes
contact with a position away from the tip-end surface of
the downstream-side portion, the yarn-end portion is likely
25 to be retained.
In the yarn-end catching device of a ninth invention
according to any one of the sixth invention through the
eighth invention, the yarn catching assisting section is
adapted to extend over a full length of the downstream-side
30 portion in an axial direction of the package.
Since the yarn catching assisting section is arranged
36 / 42
over the full length of the downstream-side portion in the
axial direction of the package, the yarn-end portion can
be retained at the yarn catching assisting section wherever
the yarn-end portion is located on the surface of the
5 package.
In the yarn-end catching device of a tenth invention
according to any one of the sixth invention through the
ninth invention, the sucking and catching member includes
a tubular main body member at which the suction opening is
10 formed, and a metal plate member attached to the main body
member in a removable manner and adapted to further protrude
towards a side of the package than the suction opening to
form the downstream-side portion. The yarn catching
assisting section is arranged at the metal plate member.
15 In the present invention, in a case where the metal
coating is abraded, or the like, the yarn catching assisting
section can be easily replaced by removing the metal plate
member from the main body member.
In the yarn-end catching device of an eleventh
20 invention according to the tenth invention, the metal plate
member is attached to the main body member such that an
amount of protrusion from the suction opening is
changeable.
In the present invention, by changing the amount of
25 protrusion of the metal plate member from the suction
opening, a distance between the yarn catching assisting
section and the package can be adjusted.
A yarn winding device of a twelfth invention includes
a yarn supplying section, a winding section adapted to wind
30 a yarn from the yarn supplying section to form a package,
a yarn joining section arranged between the yarn supplying
37 / 42
section and the winding section and adapted to join a
yarn-end portion on a side of the yarn supplying section
and a yarn-end portion on a side of the winding section,
a first yarn-end guiding device adapted to guide the
yarn-end portion on the side of the yarn supplying se5 ction
to the yarn joining section, and a second yarn-end guiding
device including the above-described yarn-end catching
device adapted to suck and catch the yarn-end portion on
the side of the winding section from the package, and
10 adapted to guide the yarn-end portion on the side of the
winding section that has been caught by the yarn-end
catching device to the yarn joining section.
In the present invention, since the yarn-end portion
is easily retained at the yarn-end catching assisting
15 section when the yarn-end portion makes contact with the
yarn catching assisting section of the yarn-end catching
device, the success rate of catching the yarn-end portion
is improved. Since the success rate of catching is improved,
a time required for yarn joining operation performed by the
20 yarn joining section is shortened.
38 / 42
WE CLAIM:
1. A yarn-end catching device adapted to suck and
catch a yarn-end portion of a yarn to be processed in a yarn
processing device comprising:
a sucking and catching member including a 5 suction
opening at a tip-end portion thereof; and
a yarn catching assisting section arranged at the
sucking and catching member and adapted to retain the
yarn-end portion,
10 wherein the yarn catching assisting section includes
a metal coating having a base layer and a plurality of
protrusions that protrude from the base layer.
2. The yarn-end catching device according to claim
15 1, wherein the metal coating is formed by solidifying a
metal material sprayed on the sucking and catching member,
the metal material having a flow property.
3. The yarn-end catching device according to claim
20 1, wherein the metal coating includes granular substances
formed of a material different from a metal material that
forms the base layer, and the granular substances form the
protrusions by protruding in a state of being surrounded
by the metal material of the base layer.
25
4. The yarn-end catching device according to claim
3, wherein the metal coating is formed by causing the metal
material and the granular substances to adhere to the
sucking and catching member by plating.
30
5. The yarn-end catching device according to any one
39 / 42
of claim 1 through claim 4, wherein a surface roughness of
the metal coating is Ra 4 to 20.
6. The yarn-end catching device according to any one
of claim 1 through claim 5, that is a sucking and 5 catching
device of a yarn winding device adapted to wind the yarn
to form a package, the sucking and catching device being
adapted to suck the yarn-end portion from the package,
wherein the yarn catching assisting section is
10 arranged at a downstream-side portion of the tip-end
portion of the sucking and catching member, the
downstream-side portion being located on a downstream side
in an unwinding direction that is a rotational direction
of the package when the yarn-end portion is sucked and
15 caught from the package.
7. The yarn-end catching device according to claim
6, wherein the yarn catching assisting section is arranged
at a tip-end surface of the downstream-side portion of the
20 sucking and catching member, the tip-end surface being
proximate to the package when the yarn-end portion is sucked
and caught from the package.
8. The yarn-end catching device according to claim
25 7, wherein the yarn catching assisting section is arranged
over the downstream-side portion of the sucking and
catching member from a surface on an upstream side in the
unwinding direction to a surface on the downstream side in
the unwinding direction via the tip-end surface.
30
9. The yarn-end catching device according to any one
40 / 42
of claim 6 through claim 8, wherein the yarn catching
assisting section is adapted to extend over a full length
of the downstream-side portion in an axial direction of the
package.
5
10. The yarn-end catching device according to any
one of claim 6 through claim 9,
wherein the sucking and catching member includes a
tubular main body member at which the suction opening is
10 formed, and a metal plate member attached to the main body
member in a removable manner and adapted to further protrude
towards a side of the package than the suction opening to
form the downstream-side portion, and
the yarn catching assisting member is arranged at the
15 metal plate member.
11. The yarn-end catching device according to claim
10, wherein the metal plate member is attached to the main
body member such that an amount of protrusion from the
20 suction opening is changeable.
12. A yarn winding device comprising:
a yarn supplying section;
a winding section adapted to wind a yarn from the yarn
25 supplying section to form a package;
a yarn joining section arranged between the yarn
supplying section and the winding section and adapted to
join a yarn-end portion on a side of the yarn supplying
section and a yarn-end portion on a side of the winding
30 section;
a first yarn-end guiding device adapted to guide the
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yarn-end portion on the side of the yarn supplying section
to the yarn joining section; and
a second yarn-end guiding device including the
yarn-end catching device according to any one of claim 1
through claim 11 adapted to suck and catch the yarn-5 end
portion on the side of the winding section from the package,
and adapted to guide the yarn-end portion on the side of
the winding section that has been caught by the yarn-end
catching device to the yarn joining section.