US3142451A - Slub catchers in a winding machine - Google Patents

Description

T. E. PlTTS SLUB CATCHERS IN A WINDING MACHINE- Original Filed June 26. 1961 July 28, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 77/0/1445 5 P075 BY QM 6 Maw ATTORNEY July 28, 1964 T. E. PITTS sws CATCHERS IN A WINDING MACHINE Original Filed June 26, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 II..- ll

INVENTOR filo/m5 .6. H773 BY Q F.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,142,451 SLUB CATCI-IERS IN A WINDING MACHINE Thomas E. Pitts, Cranston, R.I., assignor to Leesona Corporation, Warwick, R.I., a corporation of Massachusetts Continuation of application Ser. No. 119,552, June 26, 1961. This application Oct. 17, 1963, Ser. No. 316,952 16 Claims. (Cl. 242-356) This invention relates to improvements in a winding machine particularly adapted for use in winding yarn and more particularly relates to improvements in the slub catching mechanism of such a machine.

This application is a continuation of my copending application Ser. No. 119,552, filed June 26, 1961, now abandoned.

In the yarn winding machines such as heretofore commercially produced by Leesona Corporation of Providence, Rhode Island, and its predecessor, Universal Winding Company, it has been customary to wind yarn from the source of supply such as a bobbin to form a yarn package and in so doing to pass the lengthwise moving yarn through a series of yarn servicing and tensioning elements interposed between the source of supply or bobbin and the package being wound. The yarn servicing mechanisms have conventionally included a slub catcher adapted to detect the passage of abnormally thickened portions or snarls in the yarn and to part the yarn adjacent these portions, leaving a free end from the source of supply as well as a free end which is wound onto the package being formed. An arcuately moving transfer arm, generally in the form of a suction device, is triggered by the parting of the yarn to advance in one direction by swinging around the slub catcher and other mechanisms and thence laterally across the free end portion of the yarn extending between the slub catcher and the source of supply. It then severs the slub at the free end of said portion and on its return stroke lays the free end from supply both laterally into the slub catcher from one side thereof and also into a knotter located between the slub catcher and the package being wound. The free end from the source of supply is then automatically united by the knotter with the free end which will have previously been picked up by suitable means from the package and laid into the knotter.

Such a conventional mechanism is disclosed in the Goodhue et al. US. Patent 2,764,362, of September 25, 1956, and in the copending application of the instant inventor and Carlton A. Steele, Serial No. 30,346, filed May 19, 1960, now US. Patent No. 3,081,045.

In the operation of such a winding mechanism, however, it has been found that the arresting of the yarn travel by the slub catcher incident to the engagement of a slub thereby and subsequent parting of the tensioned yarn tends to produce a recoil action of the yarn between the slub catcher and the source of supply with the likelihood of producing snarls closely adjacent the free end. When this free end portion is picked up by the transfer mechanism for movement back into the slub catcher and to the knotter,the arcuate path of the transfer element carries a length of the yarn around the slub catcher so as in effect to bypass the latter before the yarn is again moved back into the slub catcher. It is this particular length, generally amounting to some 18 inches or so which is subject to snarling as above mentioned and which, of course, may also contain undetected slubs. In either case any slub or snarl in this particular length of the yarn which has bypassed the slub catcher is normally wound into the package being formed and thus is likely to produce defects in any material woven therefrom.

The present invention has been conceived with the foregoing considerations in mind and, accordingly, has for its primary object to provide in a winding machine an arrangement of slub catching mechanisms for acting upon substantially the entire length of yarn delivered to the package being wound, including such length or portion thereof as may normally be caused to bypass the conventional slub catcher incident to actuation of the knotting mechanism.

It is a further object to provide an auxiliary slub catcher or snarl catcher which may be readily applied as an attachment or accessory to existing machines to supplement the action of the existing main slub catcher thereon by intercepting and preventing passage onto the package of any slubs or snarls in that portion of the free end from the supply which normally bypasses the main slub catcher during the free end picking up and tying cycle.

It is a still further object to provide a novel arrangement and disposition in a winding machine of a main slub catcher and an auxiliary slub catcher, so interrelated with each other and with the transfer arm of the knotting mechanism that the transfer arm, in removing the yarn free end portion laterally from the main slub catcher, moves it into and thence through the auxiliary slub catcher, thence back into the main slub catcher and into the knotter in such manner that one or the other of the two slub catchers detects and arrests slubs or snarls which may occur at any point throughout the entire length of the yarn, with the result that no unmonitored length or portion of the yarn is permitted to proceed onto the package being wound. The invention further comprises certain details of the specific form of auxiliary slub catcher as hereinafter more fully described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the yarn servicing mechanism of a winding machine, interposed between the bobbin and the package being wound, including mechanisms for tensioning, cleaning, detecting and eliminating slubs and snarls and also including a transfer arm or mechanism for carrying the free end of the yarn after removal of the slub into a knotter to be reunited to the free end of yarn extending from the package; the transfer arm being indicated in full lines in an intermediate operative position and in broken lines at the forward extremity of its advance stroke, just prior to commencement of its retraction movement toward the knotter.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in FIGURE 1 and further including a fragmentary showing of the housing which provides a pivotal support for the knotter transfer arm and its actuating mechanism.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the auxiliary slub catcher per se.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the slub catcher of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is an end View of the slub catcher of FIG- URE 4 as viewed from the left hand end of FIGURE 4.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings and referring first to the overall arrangement and combination of elements illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the general organization of the elements and the elements per se illustrated in these figures are, for the most part, conventional and, therefore, these views are primarily of a diagrammatic and general nature. In the structure shown the majority of the yarn servicing components are carried on a flat support or bracket in the form of a plate 10 constituting the cover plate of a housing 11 which encloses the various mechanisms and linkages of a conventional nature required to actuate certain of the components. However, since such mechanisms and linkages within the housing are of a conventional nature well known to those skilled in the art and similar to the disclosure of both the aforementioned Goodhue patent and pending application Serial No. 30,346, they are not shown and described herein. As above mentioned, the support It) and its associated housing 11 are interposed between a source of supply for the yarn from which the yarn is led longitudinally across and above the plate and thence to a rotating yarn packing on which it is wound by any conventional means while at the same time being axially traversed back and forth from end to end of the package in usual manner. The yarn as thus normally disposed during the winding operation is designated by the broken line Y in FIGURE 1, it being apparent that the yarn is moving in the direction of the arrow in that figure incident to its winding onto the package. It will be seen that the yarn Y is guided over the supporting plate 10 through an eyelet 14 fixedly positioned at the forward edge of the plate, then passes between suitable tensioning discs generally designated by the reference character 16 in FIGURE 1. In accordance with usual practice there is slidably axially disposed through these discs a yarn sensing pin 17 normally maintained in a raised position as long as the yarn is passing between the discs, but which is permitted to drop by the action of gravity and by its dropping action to trigger usual mechanism within the housing 11 for indexing the bobbin magazine not shown, to bring a new bobbin into position following exhaustion of the yarn from an old bobbin.

From the tension discs 16, the yarn Y extends through a usual slub catcher generally designated 18, the illustrated form of slub catcher being conventional in form and similar to that shown and described in the copending application Serial No. 30,346, of Thomas E. Pitts et al., filed May 19, 1960. The slub catcher 18 may be of any conventional form adapted to intercept portions of the thread of abnormally thick diameter or knots, snarls or the like, and arrest their movement toward the package whereby the force exerted by the winding action will tend to part the yarn.

In the instant arrangement the slub catcher employs a pair of relatively spaced guides 19 and 20 extending parallel to each other and transversely to the thread movement and having relatively smooth lower edges 19 and 20' disposed in spaced relation above and parallel to the fiat upper surface of an anvil 21. A slub catcher blade 22 is pivotally supported in a reversely bent portion or recess 23 of the element 20 and is normally maintained in a retracted position above the anvil 21 by means of a suitable spring arrangement 24. The arrangement is such that when an enlarged portion of the yarn Y too large to pass between the lower edge of the blade 22 and the anvil 21 engages the lower edge of the blade, it then tends to swing the blade with the enlarged portion or slub and toward the anvil 21 whereby to function somewhat in the manner of a knife to part the yarn on the right hand side of the slub as viewed in FIGURE 2.

It will be seen that the slub catcher blade 22 together with the associated guide plates 19 and 20 have their lower edges normally spaced above and parallel to the anvil plate 21 to form slots which open toward the right in FIGURE 1, the anvil plate 21 and the slots being of appreciable transverse extent to guidingly engage and determine the level of the yarn as it is wound onto its package, while permitting the necessary lateral traversing movement of the portion of the thread being wound. In accordance with conventional practice the arrangement is such that the yarn may be placed in the slots beneath the plates 19 and 20 through the open end thereof by the action of the transfer arm 25 hereinafter referred to. In order to facilitate the reception of the thread or the yarn from the transfer arm there may be provided means for swinging upwardly the right hand end portion of the entire assembly of guide plates 19 and 20 and slub catcher blade 22 during actuation of the transfer arm, such means being shown in the copending application earlier identified herein.

Also, in order to better guide the thread or yarn laterally into the slub catcher and its associated guide plates there may be provided a stationary guide 26 having an inclined cam portion as shown in FIGURE 1 and merging with a hold down bar 27 longitudinally spaced rearwardly of the guide plate 20 but extending parallel thereto. A triggering means for initiating an operative cycle of the yarn pickup and transfer arm and the associated knotter may take the form of a yarn tension control arm or device 28 normally biased upwardly and located between the guide plate 20 and the hold down bar above mentioned. The thread or yarn extends beneath the lower edge of the guide plate 20, thence over the triggering or tension arm 28, thence beneath the hold down bar 27 from whence it extends to the package being wound. The triggering arm 28 is normally biased upwardly but is held down in the position shown in FIG- URE 2 as long as the yarn is tensioned across it in the manner shown. However, as soon as the yarn is broken through actuation of the slub catcher, the trigger element 23 is free to move upwardly and initiate the yarn end pickup and tying cycle through suitable conventional connections with the pickup arm 28 and knotter (not shown).

Where it is desired to apply wax to the thread or yarn being wound the thread may be passed through a usual waxing or wax applying device generally interposed between the tensioning discs 16 and the main slub catcher. In the instant case the wax applying device assumes the form of a wax disc W having a generally square opening through its center, the wax disc being supported on and rotatably driven by a shaft having a square end portion 30 received in its central opening, rotation being imparted to the shaft by conventional mechanism within the housing 11.

It will be seen that the thread Y extends between the rotating wax disc and. a supporting platform 31 against which the disc is urged by gravity, the arrangement being such that the disc thus rests against the yarn and due to its rotary movement is worn away evenly incident to its application to the yarn.

When the yarn is broken by actuation of the main slub catcher to initiate the free end pickup and tying cycle, it will be seen that the break will occur substantially at the slub catcher blade 22 or between said blade and the yarn package being wound, thus leaving the free end from the supply of yarn extending between the tensioning discs 16, and the main slub catcher blade 22 across the path pursued by the free end pickup device or arm 28 in its operative movement. The free end portion from supply is thus accessible to be picked up by the transfer arm or mechanism 28, the free end of which moves in an are just rearwardly of the tension discs and intersecting the generally longitudinally extending yarn Y in a direction generally transverse thereto. The position of the yarn at this time may be better maintained or supplemented by the action of a suction slot 32 communicating with a main suction pipe 33 shown fragmentarily in FIGURE 2, whereby the free end of the yarn is drawn into the said slot automatically. This same slot serves also to clean the yarn during its passage toward the package onto which it is to be Wound. There is also shown a suction nozzle 34 positioned to hold the free end of a reserve bobbin carried by a rotary magazine in accordance with conventional practice in such manner that when the magazine is indexed to bring the reserve bobbin into operative position, the free end portion of yarn normally extending to the suction nozzle 34 will be moved into the eyelet 14 to extend across the operative path of the transfer arm 28 to be picked upon thereby and carried to. the knotter in usual manner to replace the yarn from an exhausted bobbin.

The transfer arm 28 is exemplified as being in the form of a suction tube having one portion journaled in bearing 35 for rotation about a fixed axis spaced rearwardly of the housing 11, with its free end swingable between the tensioning discs 16 and the usual cam plate 36 positioned to engage the follower 37 of a conventional cutter and clamp mechanism carried by the free end, so that when the free end swings across the path of the yarn Y and carries it generally to the position shown in broken lines Y1 in FIGURE 1 before commencing its return movement, the cutter will be actuated by interengagment of the cam plate and follower to sever the portion of the yarn carrying the slub, whereby the latter is sucked into the slot 32 for removal through the main suction pipe, leaving the newly cut end gripped in the cutter for movement with the free end of the transfer arm.

From the position shown in broken lines at FIGURE 1 at the extremity of its advance stroke, the transfer arm 28 will then commence its retraction stroke through an are generally designated by the line A in FIGURE 1, whereby the yarn will be carried laterally to the right hand side of the slub catcher to a position such as at Y2 in FIGURE 1, and a considerable portion thereof will be caused to completely bypass the main slub catcher 18 before it is moved back laterally thereinto by the continued arcuate movement of the arm incident to the laying of the free end of the yarn from the source of supply into the knotter which functions then to unite it with the free end of yarn which will have been picked up previously and delivered into the knotter from the package being wound. It will be seen that the guide element will tend to guide the yarn laterally into the sidewise opening slot of the main slub catcher during the latter stages of the swinging movement of the transfer arm but that nevertheless after the transfer arm has laid the free end from supply into the knotter there will be a substantial length, in practice approximately 18 inches or so of the yarn, which will never have been acted upon by the main slub catcher. This particular portion has been found inpractice to contain a somewhat higher than average incidence of slubs or snarls, the latter being caused to a large extent as an incident of breakage or parting of the yarn by the slub catcher and the ensuing recoil or whipping action of the tensioned yarn.

The foregoing features and elements of the invention together .with the foregoing mode of operation are all in accordance with conventional practice, but have thus been described in said detail in order to facilitate a better understanding of the instant invention and the problems giving rise thereto. The said problemsconsist primarily of the aforementioned bypassing of the main slub catcher by a portion of the yarn incident to the picking up and tying cycle in such a conventional mechanism.

In order to provide for detecting and eliminating slubs and snarls in this particular portion or length of the yarn which normally bypasses the main slub catcher during actuation of the transfer arm, there is provided in accorddance with the instant invention an auxiliary slub catcher designated 40 in its entirely, which is normally disposed to one side of the yarn Y when in its normal position during the course of the normal winding operation, but which nevertheless is positioned and adapted to receive and act upon the said portion incident to the lateral component of movement imparted thereto by the transfer arm 28 in carrying said portion toward the knotter.

While an auxiliary slub catcher 40 suitable for the purpose of the instant invention may assume a number of different detailed forms, the primary requisite of such an auxiliary slub catcher is that it shall be adapted for lateral reception of the yarn. Thus, in the illustrated example of FIGURE 4, it is provided with a yarn receiving mouth orentry slot 41 opening laterally in a generally horizontal direction opposite to the opening of the mouth or entry slots between the anvil plate 21 and its associated slub catcher blade 22 and hold down bars 19 and 20. Also it is importan'tthat the mouth or entry slot 41 of this auxiliary slub catcher be so positioned as to receive and operatively engage the yarn just as soon as the yarn is acted upon by the retraction movement of the transfer arm, but not to act upon it during normal movement of the yarn through the main slub catcher .18.

With this in mind there is illustrated in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 a specific form 'of auxiliary slubcatcher'particularly adapted for use in connection with the other mechanisms shown in the accompanying drawings. Such an auxiliary slub catcher comprises broadly any suitable means defining a laterally extending metering slot 42 opening at 41 in a lateral direction toward the yarn Y during its normal disposition through the main slub catcher 18, but displaced toone sidetherof 'or, in other words, on the right hand side thereof as shown in FIG- URE 1. The metering slot 42 thus formed isjpositio'ned generally at the level of the interface between the friction discs 16, whereby the discs themselves 'may assist in guiding the yarn into the slot during retraction movement of the transfer arm 28. ,Such' guiding is further supplemented by the action of the Vertically disposed or extending guide lips or flanges 43 and'44 converging inwardly toward the mouth 41 of the metering slot 42. Also, if desired, there may be provided an overlying arcu'atehold down plate 45 extending from the free end of the auxiliary slub catcher partially around and concentrically to the hold down discs 16.

Preferably the metering slot 42 is of adjustable width so that it may be adapted to coact with yarns of varying gauges or diameters. Suitable adjustability may be attained as indicated in the present embodiment by constructing the auxiliary slub catcher of apair of pivotally connected members '46 and 47, of which the lower stationary member is formed with a generally horizontal flange or base 48 by means of which it is secured by screws 49 to the support 10. The upper'andmovable member46 is pivotally connected at 50 to the lower member 47'at a location as'far displaced aspossible from the mouth of the metering slot. The location of the pivot 50 is such as to maintain the opposed edges of the slot 42 between the said members as nearly as possible in true parallelism throughout'their range of relative a'djustment. Normally'the upper member 46 is resiliently urged downwardly as by means of the spring51 coiled around its pivot 50 and having one end abutting against bracket 52 on the stationary member and the other end portion abutting against a lateral flange 53 on the upper movable member 46 andpres'singf downwardly as shown. Preferably this spring is formed at its last mentioned end with inverted U-shaped portion, one leg 54 of which extends across the metering slot or; gap 42to form a stop for engagement by the yarn. Adjustment of the width of the gap may be attained by meansof a set screw 55 threaded downwardly through the bracket 53 for 'abutment 'with the base or base flange 48 of the stationary member 47 whereby to raise the upper member as desired against the resilient hold downactionof the spring 51. It is desirable also to provide a lifting tab 56 on the upper edge of the movable member whereby same may be manually raised against the resilient spring action in order to permit freeing or removal of foreign mat rial from the adjustable gap. The range of relative adjustment of the members 46 and 47 may be restricted within desired limits by a rivet 57 fixed to member 47 for movement in a slot 58 in member 46.

as indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 1. In doing so it will move beneath the guide plates 19 and 20 and over the anvil plate 21. At the same time it will move between the lower edge of the slub catcher blade 22 and the anvil plate. The spacing between the slub catcher blade and the anvil plate will normally be so selected as to permit free passage therebetween of yarn of normal diameter and of somewhat greaterthan normal diameter within a certain range of tolerance. However, when enlarged or thickened portions or slubs of greater than normal diameter attempt to move between the blade 22 and the anvil plate 21 they will abut against the lower blade edge and swing the blade thus toward the plate whereby to grip the slub and prevent its passage beneath the slub catcher. The tension of the thread incident to the winding action as well as the pinching action of the blade 22 against the anvil will cause breakage of the yarn at or beyond this point. This breakage and the ensuing release of the hold down action of the tensioned yarn on the trigger element 28 will permit that element through the biasing action exerted thereon to swing upwardly and initiate the free end pickup and tying cycle. This will result in arcuate movement of the suction transfer arm 25 about its axis so that its free end will pass across the free end portion of the yarn extending between the tension discs 16 and the main slub catcher 18, it being understood that at this time the broken or parted free end of this portion will normally be received and held in the suction slot 32 shown in FIGURE 1. As it moves across the yarn, the free end of the transfer arm will pick up the yarn closely adjacent the tension discs 16, and sever it at the pick-up point by inter-engagement between the cam plate 36 and the knife actuating follower element 37, while gripping and holding the new free end thus formed. The severed end portion containing the slub is then drawn into the slot 32.

In the event the yarn has been merely exhausted from one spool or bobbin, the ensuing action of the sensing pin 17 will have triggered the magazine to index same for positioning the new bobbin to bring its yarn into the eyelet 14 from whence its free end will be held in the nozzle aforementioned and thus will extend across the path of movement of the arm so that it will be picked up by the arm and returned therewith to the knotter. Thus, whether the transfer arm picks up the free end which has previously been parted by action of the main slub catcher or whether it picks up the new free end from the reserve bobbin, the said free end will in either event be carried by the transfer arm on its retraction movement back around and to the right hand side of the main slub catcher as shown in FIGURE 1. Incident to this bypassing action or movement, a considerable length of the yarn adjacent the free end will be caused to completely bypass the main slub catcher.

However, it will be readily apparent that all but a very small length of the free end portion will, as an incident to the lateral component of movement of the transfer arm, be carried into and drawn through the metering gap 42 in the auxiliary slub catcher 40. The extreme free end portion which does not pass through the auxiliary slub catcher will in any event be carried past the knotter and severed from the remainder of the yarn incident to actuation of the knotter so that actually all of the yarn which is wound into the finished package will have been subjected to the action of one slub catcher or the other. It will be seen that during the latter half of the arcuate movement of the transfer arm 25, the yarn will be moved back inwardly or laterally from auxiliary slub catcher 40 into the main slub catcher 18 as well as toward the knotter, whereby following completion of the tying cycle the main slub catcher will act upon the yarn in usual manner.

In the event a snarl or slub is caught in the auxiliary slub catcher during the tying cycle, it will either be broken or pulled from the transfer arm and the latter, in accordance with conventional practice, will then be automatically actuated to make another advance stroke and a second attempt to pick up the free end and lay it in the knotter. In order that the transfer arm 25 cannot at this time pull the slub or snarl out of the mouth of the metering gap 42, the guide lips or flanges 43 and 44 project appreciably from the surfaces or faces of the auxiliary slub catcher blades 46 and 47 in such manner that they will present opposed edges at the mouth 41 to engage and arrest the outward movement of the slub or snarl so that the latter cannot be caused to be withdrawn and thence carried toward the knotter in a manner to defeat the auxiliary slub catcher through bypassing it. Normally, after the transfer arm has made its second pickup attempt as thus described, it will come to rest and the winding operation will cease until such time as the operator notes the condition and corrects it in a manner which will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

In this application there is shown only the preferred embodiment of the invention simply by way of illustration of the practice of the invention. However, it will be recognized that the invention is capable of other and different embodiments and that its several details may be modified in various ways, all without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, the drawings and description herein are to be considered as merely illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

What is claimed is:

1. In a yarn winding machine, a main slub catcher supported on said machine and arranged for reception of yarn, an auxiliary slub catcher on said machine spaced from said main slub catcher and arranged for reception of yarn, and a yarn transfer element movable between said slub catchers to carry yarn from one slub catcher to the other.

2. In a yarn winding machine, a main slub catcher sup ported on said machine and arranged for the lateral reception of yarn, an auxiliary slub catcher on said machine spaced from said main slub catcher and arranged for lateral reception of yarn, and a yarn transfer element movable between said slub catchers to carry yarn from one slub catcher to the other.

3. In a yarn winding machine, a main slub catcher supported on said machine and arranged for the lateral reception of yarn from one lateral direction, an auxiliary slub catcher on said machine spaced from said main slub catcher and arranged for lateral reception of yarn from a different lateral direction, and a yarn transfer element movable between said slub catchers to carry yarn from one slub catcher to the other.

4. In a yarn winding machine of the class in which the yarn being wound is normally drawn through a main slub catcher and, in event of breakage, a free end of said yarn is picked up by a transfer arm having a component of lateral movement and carried thereby laterally to one side of the main slub catcher, and thence to a knotter, the combination with said winding machine of an auxiliary slub catcher mounted on said machine, said auxiliary slub catcher being spaced from the main slub catcher and arranged to receive yarn transported thereto by the arm.

5 In a yarn winding machine, a main slub catcher supported on said machine and arranged for reception of yarn from one lateral direction, an auxiliary slub catcher on said machine spaced longitudinally from said main slub catcher and arranged for lateral reception of yarn from an opposite lateral direction, and a yarn transfer element movable between said slub catchers and having both longitudinal and lateral components of movement whereby to carry yarn laterally from one slub catcher to the other.

6. In a yarn winding machine of the class in which the yarn being wound is normally drawn through a main slub catcher and, in event of breakage, a free end of said yarn is picked up by a transfer arm having a component of lateral movement and carried thereby laterally to one side of the main slub catcher, and thence to a knotter, the combination with said winding machine of an auxiliary slub catcher mounted on said machine on said one side of the main slub catcher, and arranged to receive yarn carried laterally to said one side by the arm, and to act upon said yarn during subsequent movement of said arm toward the knotter.

7. In a yarn winding machine including a main slub catcher and means for winding yarn in a generally longitudinal direction through said slub catcher, an auxiliary slub catcher disposed to one side of the main slub catcher and longitudinally spaced therefrom, and a yarn transfer element movable between said slub catchers in a predetermined path having both longitudinal and sideways components for deflecting the yarn to one side into said auxiliary slub catcher and then drawing it longitudinally through said auxiliary slub catcher.

8. In a yarn winding machine, a fixed supporting bracket having longitudinally opposed front and rear ends, yarn guide means adjacent the front end of said bracket for slidably receiving and laterally positioning a yarn strand for movement in a generally predetermined longitudinal path over said bracket, a main slub catcher on said bracket longitudinally rearwardly spaced from said yarn guide means for slidably receiving said yarn and for parting the yarn responsive to a slub, thereby leaving a free end portion of yarn extending longitudinally between said yarn guide means and said main slub catcher, a transfer arm having a free operative end swingable through an advance stroke and a return stroke in an are extending around said main slub catcher and between said main slub catcher and the yarn guide means for picking up said free yarn end portion and transferring it to a knotter, in combination with an auxiliary slub catcher positioned outside of said arc adjacent said yarn guide means, said auxiliary slub catcher having a yarn metering gap opening toward the normal path of said yarn movement, for reception of and operative engagement with said yarn incident to the movement imparted to said yarn on the return stroke of the transfer arm toward said knotter.

9. In a yarn winding machine of the class wherein the yarn includes a rectilinear run normally moving in the direction of its length from a source of supply toform a package, said run passing in series through a tensioning device and a main slub catcher spaced from said tensioning device in a longitudinal direction, said main slub catcher having a yarn receiving opening on one side thereof, and a transfer element movable transversely to said yarn between said tensioning device and said main slub catcher for picking up a free end portion of yarn and laying same in a knotter to be united with a free end extending from said package, the combination with said winding machine of an auxiliary slub catcher fixedly positioned in a longitudinal position between said tensioning device and said main slub catcher, said auxiliary slub catcher including relatively spaced yarn metering blades defining between them a metering gap disposed transversely to one side of said run of the yarn, said gap including a mouth opening toward said run of the yarn and including guides converging laterally toward said mouth to direct the displaced yarn thereinto.

10. In a yarn winding machine, a fixed support adapted for disposition beneath a running length of yarn during lengthwise movement of said yarn in a path extending from a source of supply to a package in process of being wound, a main slub catcher positioned on said support and in said path for normal operative engagement with said running length of yarn to arrest the yarn movement and part the yarn incident to attempted passage of a slub therethrough, said main slub catcher being adapted for reception of the yarn from one side thereof, and an auxiliary slub catcher positioned on said support on said one side of said path and including a mouth adapted for reception of yarn displaced to said one side, in combination with a yarn transfer arm having a first component of movement towards and away from said one side, and a second component of movement longitudinally towards a knotter, for picking up a free end portion of the yarn parted by said main slub catcher, moving said yarn into said auxiliary slub catcher and longitudinally therethrough toward a knotter, and thence from said auxiliary slub catcher back into said main slub catcher.

11. In a yarn winding machine, a main slub catcher supported on said machine, and having a slot opening toward one side of the machine for reception of a running length of longitudinally moving yarn, an auxiliary slub catcher on said machine longitudinally spaced from said main slub catcher and defining a yarn metering slot opening in an opposite direction from said first mentioned slot, and yarn transfer means movable through an arc between said slub catchers, to carry yarn into said auxiliary slub catcher and from said auxiliary slub catcher to the main slub catcher while drawing it longitudinally through said auxiliary slub catcher.

12. A yarn winding machine as defined in claim 9 including means adjacent the mouth of said gap and carried by said auxiliary slub catcher for preventing retraction of a slub in a lateral direction from said mouth.

13. A yarn winding machine, as defined in claim 10 in which said auxiliary slub catcher includes flanges projecting therefrom normally in a longitudinal direction, on opposite sides of its said mouth, to prevent retraction of a slub through said mouth incident to lateral movement of said transfer arm.

14. A yarn winding machine, as defined in claim 13 wherein said flanges converge laterally inwardly to said mouth of the auxiliary slubcatcher.

15. A yarn winding machine, as defined in claim 10 in which said auxiliary slub catcher comprises a pair of members having relatively opposed lateral edges defining a metering slot communicating at one lateral end with said mouth, a means interconnecting said members for adjustment of their said edges toward and away from each other.

16. A yarn winding machine, as defined in claim 10 in which said auxiliary slub catcher comprises a pair of rigid members having relatively opposed lateral edges defining a metering slot, said mouth of the auxiliary slub catcher comprising one lateral end of the slot, said members being pivotally interconnected at their ends remote from said mouth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,434,091 Arrington Jan. 6, 1948 2,522,751 Doll Sept. 19, 1950 2,732,610 Perry Jan. 31, 1956 2,764,362 Goodhue et a1. Sept. 25, 1956

Claims (1)

1. 8. IN A YARN WINDING MACHINE, A FIXED SUPPORTING BRACKET HAVING LONGITUDINALLY OPPOSED FRONT AND REAR ENDS, YARN GUIDE MEANS ADJACENT THE FRONT END OF SAID BRACKET FOR SLIDABLY RECEIVING AND LATERALLY POSITIONING A YARN STRAND FOR MOVEMENT IN A GENERALLY PREDETERMINED LONGITUDINAL PATH OVER SAID BRACKET, A MAIN SLUB CATCHER ON SAID BRACKET LONGITUDINALLY REARWARDLY SPACED FROM SAID YARN GUIDE MEANS FOR SLIDABLY RECEIVING SAID YARN AND FOR PARTING THE YARN RESPONSIVE TO A SLUB, THEREBY LEAVING A FREE END PORTION OF YARN EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY BETWEEN SAID YARN GUIDE MEANS AND SAID MAIN SLUB CATCHER, A TRANSFER ARM HAVING A FREE OPERATIVE END SWINGABLE THROUGH AN ADVANCE STROKE AND A RETURN STROKE IN AN ARC EXTENDING AROUND SAID MAIN SLUB CATCHER AND BETWEEN SAID MAIN SLUB CATCHER AND THE YARN GUIDE MEANS FOR PICKING UP SAID FREE YARN END PORTION AND TRANSFERRING IT TO A KNOTTER, IN COMBINATION WITH AN AUXILIARY SLUB CATCHER POSITIONED OUTSIDE OF SAID ARC ADJACENT SAID YARN GUIDE MEANS, SAID AUXILIARY SLUB CATCHER HAVING A YARN METERING GAP OPENING TOWARD

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