WO2024230357A1

WO2024230357A1 - Spool holding creel for weaving processes

Info

Publication number: WO2024230357A1
Application number: PCT/CN2024/084835
Authority: WO
Inventors: Giovanni Pedrini; Carlo Martinelli
Original assignee: L.G.L. Electronics (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd
Priority date: 2023-05-09
Filing date: 2024-03-29
Publication date: 2024-11-14

Abstract

The present application relates to a spool holding creel for weaving processes. The spool holding creel (10) comprises a frame which is adapted to support a plurality of spools (12) having respective yarns wound thereon. The frame is provided with a front post (18b) supporting a plurality of anti-balloon devices (36) by means of respective brackets (40). Each bracket (40) has a post-receiving seat (42) defined therein, in which the front post (18b) is accommodated, and at least one through hole (46) which opens into the post-receiving seat (42). The bracket (40) is fixed to the front post (18b) by means of at least one threaded element (44) inserted into a respective one of the at least one through hole (46).

Description

SPOOL HOLDING CREEL FOR WEAVING PROCESSES

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a spool holding creel for weaving processes.

Background of the Related Art

Creels are well known in the textile field for supporting a plurality of spools having respective yarns wound thereon. The yarns unwinding from the spools are fed to a textile machine, such as a weaving machine or a knitting machine.

A known creel typically comprises a frame, on which the spools may be arranged in horizontal and/or vertical rows. The frame may comprise a lower base and an upper base, which are interconnected by two rear posts which support the spools, and two front posts which support a plurality of anti-balloon devices provided with respective yarn guide eyelets. The yarn guide eyelets are adapted to guide the yarns unwinding from the spools toward the textile machine. The anti-balloon devices prevent the yarn balloons, which are usually formed during withdrawal of the yarns from the spools, from entangling.

Each of the anti-balloon devices may be conventionally mounted to the front posts by means of a support which comprises a C-shaped member, to which the anti-balloon device is screwed and which embraces the two front posts on their rear outer sides, and a V-shaped member, which engages the front posts on their front inner sides. The C-shaped member and the V-shaped member are interconnected by a central screw, which is arranged between the two front posts. By tightening the central screw, the C-shaped member and the V-shaped member sandwich the two front posts therebetween, thereby firmly locking the support to the front posts.

Known systems as above for supporting the anti-balloon devices require two front posts, which circumstance increases the weight and the manufacturing costs of the spool holding creel.

Content of the Invention

In view of the above, it is a main object of the present invention to provide a support system for the anti-balloon devices which reduces both the weight and the manufacturing costs of the spool holding creel.

The above object and other aims and advantages, which will better appear from the following description, are achieved by a spool holding creel having the features recited below, while the subsequent contents state other advantageous, though secondary features of the invention.

Various aspects of the present invention may be achieved in one or more embodiments below.

1)A spool holding creel for weaving processes, comprising a frame which is adapted to support a plurality of spools having respective yarns wound thereon and is provided with a front post supporting a plurality of anti-balloon devices by means of respective brackets, each of said brackets having a post-receiving seat defined therein, in which the front post is accommodated, characterized in that each of said brackets has at least one through hole which opens into said post-receiving seat, and is fixed to said front post by means of at least one threaded element inserted into a respective one of said at least one through hole.

2)The spool holding creel according to 1) , characterized in that said through hole is threaded, and said threaded element consists of a set screw tightened in the through hole in such a way as to abut against the outer surface of said front post, thereby firmly locking said bracket to said front post received in said post-receiving seat.

3)The spool holding creel according to 2) , characterized in that said bracket is formed from a metal plate, and said post-receiving seat comprises a lower U-shaped seat and an upper U-shaped seat which are aligned to each other, embrace the front post at different heights, and are interconnected, on one side, by a connecting portion of said metal plate, and on the other side by a mounting portion of said metal plate, said mounting portion having a vertical wall to which the anti-balloon device is screwed, said through hole being formed on a tab of said metal plate which rises at right angles from an inner vertical edge of said vertical wall alongside said post-receiving seat.

4) The spool holding creel according to 1) , characterized in that said front post is provided with a peripheral wall having a longitudinal groove defined thereon which opens into an inner cavity of the front post, said inner cavity being provided with a bottom wall and having an insert received therein, said through hole being not threaded and said threaded element consisting of a screw which is inserted into a respective one of said through hole and into said longitudinal groove, and threadedly engages a corresponding threaded hole of said insert, in such a way as to firmly lock said bracket to said front post received in said post-receiving seat.

5) The spool holding creel according to 4) , characterized in that said bracket is formed from a metal plate and said post-receiving seat is delimited by a vertical wall of said metal plate, to which said anti-balloon device is fixed, and a tab of said metal plate which rises at right angles from a vertical edge of said vertical wall, said through hole being formed on said tab.

6) The spool holding creel according to 1) , characterized in that it comprises two of said through holes, which are formed in said bracket at different heights and are vertically aligned to each other.

7) The spool holding creel according to 1) , characterized in that said at least one through hole has an axis which extends in a substantially radial direction with respect to the front post accommodated in said post-receiving seat.

Description of the Drawings

The invention will be now described in more detail with reference to a few preferred, non-exclusive embodiments, shown by way of non-limiting example in the attached drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a spool holding creel according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the spool holding creel of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a detail of the spool holding creel of Figure 1 to an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of Figure 2 made along line IV-IV;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an isolated component of the spool holding creel of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of Figure 2 made along line VI-VI;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a spool holding creel according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 8 is a side elevation view of the spool holding creel of Fig. 7;

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing a detail of the spool holding creel of Figure 7 to an enlarged scale;

Figure 10 is a cross sectional view of Figure 8 made along line X-X;

Figure 11 is a perspective view of an isolated component of the spool holding creel of Figure 7;

Figure 12 is a cross sectional view of Figure 8 made along line XII-XII.

Detailed Description of Embodiments

With initial reference to Figs. 1 and 2, a spool holding creel 10 comprises a frame which is adapted to support a plurality of spools 12 having respective yarns wound thereon. The yarns unwinding from the spools 12 are fed to a textile machine (not shown) , such as a weaving machine or a knitting machine.

The frame is provided with a lower base 14 and with an upper base 16 which are interconnected via two rear posts 18a having a tubular profile with a circular cross-section, and a front post 18b. The lower base 14 comprises a lower transverse beam 14a and a lower longitudinal beam 14b which are welded to each other into a T-shape. The lower base 14 is supported on three pivoting wheels 20 fixed to the ends of the T-shape. Similarly, the upper base 16 comprises an upper transverse beam 16a and an upper longitudinal beam 16b which are welded to each other into a T-shape.

The rear posts 18a are laterally fixed to the ends of the lower transverse beam 14a and of the upper transverse beam 16a. The front post 18b is laterally fixed to the free ends of the lower longitudinal beam 14b and of the upper longitudinal beam 16b.

In a first exemplary embodiment described herein, the spools 12 are conventionally supported on the rear posts 18a in a vertical row. In particular, each of the spools 12 is fitted in an idle manner to a respective horizontal pin 32 (Fig. 2) which is connected to one of the rear posts 18a via a spool holder 34. For better clarity of illustration, in Figures 1 and 2 the horizontal pins 32 connected to one of the rear posts 18a are shown without the spools mounted thereon.

The front post 18b supports a plurality of anti-balloon devices 36 which, in the present embodiment, are conventionally formed as discs.

Having now particular reference to Figs. 3-5, each of the anti-balloon devices 36 is conventionally provided with an axial annular seat 36a in which a respective yarn guide eyelet 38 is received. The yarn guide eyelet 38 is adapted to guide the yarn unwinding from the spool toward the textile machine. The anti-balloon device 36 prevents the yarn balloon, which is formed during withdrawal of the yarn from the spool, from entangling.

Each of the anti-balloon devices 36 is fixed to the front post 18b by means of a respective bracket 40 having a post-receiving seat 42 defined therein, in which the front post 18b is accommodated.

According to the invention, each of the brackets 40 has at least one through hole 44 which opens into the post-receiving seat 42, and is fixed to the front post 18b by means of at least one threaded element 46 inserted into a respective one of the through holes 44.

In this embodiment, two through holes 44 vertically aligned to each other are advantageously formed in the bracket 40 at different heights. Advantageously, the through holes 44 have respective axes A (Fig. 4) which extend in a substantially radial direction with respect to the front post 18b accommodated in the post-receiving seat 42.

In this embodiment, the through holes 44 are threaded, and the threaded elements 46 consist of set screws which are tightened in the threaded through holes 44 in such a way as to abut against the outer surface of the front post 18b, thereby firmly locking the bracket 40 to the front post 18b received in the post-receiving seat 42.

In the embodiments described herein by way of example, the bracket 40 is formed from a metal plate.

In the first embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1-6, the front post 18b preferably has a tubular profile with a circular cross-section, and the post-receiving seat 42 comprises a lower U-shaped seat 42a and an upper U-shaped seat 42b which are aligned to each other, embrace the front post 18b at different heights, and are interconnected, on one side, by a connecting portion 48 of the metal plate, and on the other side by a mounting portion 50 of the metal plate. The mounting portion 50 has a vertical wall 50a, to which the anti-balloon device 36 is fixed. In more detail, the vertical wall 50a has a circular opening 52 which accommodates the axial annular seat 36a in which the yarn guide eyelet 38 is received. The anti-balloon device 36 is fixed to the vertical wall 50a by means of two screws 54 which engage respective two radial recesses 52a (Fig. 5) extending in diametrically opposite directions from the periphery of the circular opening 52. The through holes 44 are formed on a tab 50b of the metal plate which rises at right angles from an inner vertical edge of the vertical wall 50a alongside the post-receiving seat 42, in such a way as to face the front post 18b accommodated in the post-receiving seat 42.

Advantageously, the mounting portion 50 has a horizontal wall 50c for manipulation and orientation of the bracket 40 by a user, which is connected to the vertical wall 50a via a curved wall 50d.

Fastening devices 56 are provided for connecting the rear posts 18a and the front post 18b to the lower base 14 and to the upper base 16, in a way known per se.

Having particular reference to Fig. 6, each of the fastening devices 56 comprises a U-shaped bracket 58 provided with two horizontal side portions 58a and with a vertical base portion 58b. The ends of the horizontal side portions 58a which are facing away from the vertical base portion 58b are laterally welded to a respective one of the lower transverse beam 14a, the lower longitudinal beam 14b, the upper transverse beam 16a and the upper longitudinal beam 16b (the upper transverse beam 16a in Fig. 6) . The horizontal side portions 58a are provided with respective, aligned bracket openings 60 defining a seat for receiving one end of the respective posts (one of the rear posts 18a in Fig. 6) . The rear posts 18a and the front post 18b are axially locked in the respective U-shaped brackets 56 by means of a locking screw 62, which is inserted from the outside into a through passage 64 formed on the vertical base portion 58b, and engages a locking nut 66 on the opposite side of the vertical base portion 58b. By tightening the locking screw 62, the locking nut 66 abuts against the inner surface of the vertical base portion 58b while the tip of the locking screw 62 abuts against the outer surface of the respective post, in such a way as to lock it axially inside the U-shaped bracket 58.

It has been found in practice that the spool holding creel for weaving processes according to the invention fully achieves the desired aims.

In particular, it is lighter and less expensive than the known solutions mentioned in the background part of the present description, by virtue of the fact that it requires only one front post for supporting the anti-balloon devices with their yarn guide eyelets.

In addition, the anti-balloon devices with their yarn guide eyelets can be easily oriented to the desired position about the axis of the front post by momentarily loosening the set screws.

A second embodiment of the spool holding creel 110 is illustrated in Figs. 7-12.

Having now particular reference to Fig. 12, the front post 118b of this second embodiment is provided with a peripheral wall having a longitudinal groove 180 defined thereon. The peripheral wall of the front post 118b is mainly cylindrical, apart from a flattened side 118b' along which the longitudinal groove 180 is formed. The longitudinal groove 180 opens into an inner cavity 182 of the front post 118b which is provided with a bottom wall 184.

In this second embodiment, the bottom wall 184 is parallel to the flattened side 118b' and is connected to the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the front post 118b via stiffening walls 186. The longitudinal groove 180 is provided with two raised edges 180a projecting inwards.

In this second embodiment, the two through holes 144 are not threaded, and each of the threaded elements 146 consists of a screw which is inserted into a respective one of the through holes 144, preferably with interposition of a washer 188, and into the longitudinal groove 180. An insert 190 is received in the inner cavity 182, and the screws threadedly engage corresponding threaded holes 192 of the insert, in such a way as to firmly lock the bracket 140 to the front post 118b received in the post-receiving seat 142.

Also in this second embodiment, the bracket 140 is obtained from a metal plate. The post-receiving seat 142 is delimited by a vertical wall 150a of the metal plate, to which the anti-balloon device 136 is fixed, and a tab 150b which rises at right angles from a vertical edge of the vertical wall 150a, on which tab 150b the through hole 144 are formed.

Likewise the previous embodiment, the vertical wall 150a has a circular opening 152 which houses the axial annular seat 136a in which the yarn guide eyelet 138 is received, and the anti-balloon device 136 is fixed to the vertical wall 150a by means of two screws 154 which engage respective two radial recesses 152a extending in diametrically opposite directions from the periphery of the circular opening 152.

Also in this second embodiment, two through holes 144 vertically aligned to each other are formed on the tab 150b at different heights and are engaged by respective two threaded elements 146. The axes A' (Fig. 10) of the through holes 144 advantageously extend in a substantially radial direction with respect to the front post 118b accommodated in the post-receiving seat 142.

Also in this second embodiment, the bracket 140 is provided with a horizontal wall 150c for manipulation and orientation of the bracket 140 by a user.

In this second embodiment, the rear posts 118a have a tubular profile with a circular cross-section and are connected to the lower base 114 and to the upper base 116 likewise the previous embodiment.

For its connection to the lower base 114 and to the upper base 116, as shown in Fig. 12, the front post 118b has its ends received in respective U-shaped brackets 158 in a way similar to the previous embodiment. The front post 118b, also in this case, is fixed to each of the U-shaped brackets 158 by means of a locking screw 162, which is inserted from the outside into a through hole 164 formed on the vertical base portion 158b of the U-shaped bracket 158, and engages a nut 166 on the opposite side of the vertical base portion 158b. The only difference with respect to the previous embodiment is that, in this case, the locking screw 162 is inserted in the longitudinal groove 180 and its tip abuts against the bottom wall 184 of the inner cavity 182 of the front post 118b, rather than on the outer surface of the latter.

A few preferred embodiments of the invention has been described herein, but of course many changes may be made by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the claims.

For instance, all the above-mentioned nuts could be dispensed with, if the holes into which the respective screws are inserted were threaded.

In addition, though the axes of the through holes preferably extend in a substantially radial direction with respect to the front post accommodated in the respective post-receiving seat, of course the bracket could be locked to the front post even if the axes of the through holes were not radial, provided that they intersect the front post.

Nevertheless, in certain cases a single threaded element could be sufficient to firmly lock the bracket to the front post.

Of course, the frame of the spool holding creel may be extensively modified (e.g., the rear posts could be replaced by another structure such as a continuous wall, a trellis frame, and the like) , provided that it has a front post to which the anti-balloon devices are fixed.

Claims

A spool holding creel (10, 110) for weaving processes, comprising a frame which is adapted to support a plurality of spools (12) having respective yarns wound thereon and is provided with a front post (18b, 118b) supporting a plurality of anti-balloon devices (36, 136) by means of respective brackets (40, 140) , each of said brackets (40, 140) having a post-receiving seat (42, 142) defined therein, in which the front post (18b, 118b) is accommodated, characterized in that each of said brackets (40, 140) has at least one through hole (44, 144) which opens into said post-receiving seat (42, 142) , and is fixed to said front post (18b, 118b) by means of at least one threaded element (46, 146) inserted into a respective one of said at least one through hole (44, 144) .
The spool holding creel (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said through hole (44) is threaded, and said threaded element (46) consists of a set screw tightened in the through hole (44) in such a way as to abut against the outer surface of said front post (18b) , thereby firmly locking said bracket (40) to said front post (18b) received in said post-receiving seat (42) .
The spool holding creel (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that said bracket (40) is formed from a metal plate, and said post-receiving seat (42) comprises a lower U-shaped seat (42a) and an upper U-shaped seat (42b) which are aligned to each other, embrace the front post (18b) at different heights, and are interconnected, on one side, by a connecting portion (48) of said metal plate, and on the other side by a mounting portion (50) of said metal plate, said mounting portion (50) having a vertical wall (50a) to which the anti-balloon device (36) is screwed, said through hole (44) being formed on a tab (50b) of said metal plate which rises at right angles from an inner vertical edge of said vertical wall (50a) alongside said post-receiving seat (42) .
The spool holding creel (110) according to claim 1, characterized in that said front post (118b) is provided with a peripheral wall having a longitudinal groove (180) defined thereon which opens into an inner cavity (182) of the front post (118b) , said inner cavity (182) being provided with a bottom wall (184) and having an insert (190) received therein, said through hole (144) being not threaded and said threaded element (146) consisting of a screw which is inserted into a respective one of said through hole (144) and into said longitudinal groove (180) , and threadedly engages a corresponding threaded hole (192) of said insert (190) , in such a way as to firmly lock said bracket (140) to said front post (118b) received in said post-receiving seat (142) .
The spool holding creel (110) according to claim 4, characterized in that said bracket (140) is formed from a metal plate and said post-receiving seat (142) is delimited by a vertical wall (150a) of said metal plate, to which said anti-balloon device (136) is fixed, and a tab (150b) of said metal plate which rises at right angles from a vertical edge of said vertical wall (150a) , said through hole (144) being formed on said tab (150b) .
The spool holding creel (10, 110) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises two of said through holes (44, 144) , which are formed in said bracket (40, 140) at different heights and are vertically aligned to each other.
The spool holding creel (10, 110) according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one through hole (44, 144) has an axis (A, A') which extends in a substantially radial direction with respect to the front post (18b, 118b) accommodated in said post-receiving seat (42, 142) .