Yarn feeder

Abstract

A yarn feeder (1) for supplying a yarn (F) to a textile machine is equipped with a support unit (2), a yarn feeder wheel (3), at least one yarn guide, and at least one yarn sensing lever designed as an exit sensor (22). The exit sensor (22) is rotatably mounted on the support unit (2) and is designed to pivot from an operating position, in which the exit sensor (22) is held by the yarn (F), to a switching position. The yarn feeder (1) comprises a spring element designed as a stop element and a locking device. The spring element is designed to form the locking device with a locking element (27) of the exit sensor (22). The locking element (27) is arranged on the exit sensor (22) in the area of ​​its mounting. The spring element is fixed at one end to the support unit (2). During operation, i.e.,In the operating position or the switching position, the spring element is positioned with its other end in front of the locking element (27). The spring element is designed to deform elastically through the locking element (27) and slide behind the locking element (27) when the outlet sensor (22) is moved manually into a locking position, which is provided in addition to the operating position or the switching position.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a thread feeding device for feeding a thread to a textile machine.

[0002] DE 101 13 184 B4 discloses a yarn feed device, particularly for knitting machines, comprising a support unit referred to as a housing, a yarn feed wheel, at least one yarn guide element, and at least one yarn feeler lever, also referred to as a yarn feeler. The yarn feeler lever is pivotally mounted on the housing and designed to pivot from an operating position to a switching position. The movement of the yarn feeler is limited in or adjacent to the operating position by a spring element referred to as a stop. The yarn feeler lever can be raised manually beyond the operating position. Additionally, a manually operable feeler lock can be provided. This can consist of a slide.

[0003] Before operating the feeler lock with a slider, the thread feeler lever must be lifted and held to operate the feeler lock.

[0004] Manually operated sensor locks are known from DE 199 32 484 C1 and DE 199 32 481 A1.

[0005] The object of the invention is to develop a yarn feeding device whose yarn feeler lever can be easily moved into a locking position by hand.

[0006] The problem is solved by the features of claim 1.

[0007] A yarn feed wheel according to the invention for feeding a yarn to a textile machine comprises a support unit, a yarn feed wheel, at least one yarn guide element and at least one yarn feeler lever designed as an outlet feeler.

[0008] The textile machine is, for example, a knitting machine, a warp-knitting machine, a weaving machine or another thread-taking machine.

[0009] The thread guide element(s) are designed to guide the thread coming from the thread feed wheel.

[0010] The outlet sensor is mounted on the support unit so that it can rotate and thus pivot. The outlet sensor is designed to pivot from an operating position, in which the outlet sensor is held by the thread, to a switching position. In the switching position, the outlet sensor triggers a switching signal.

[0011] A spring element designed as a stop element is arranged on the support unit, which limits the movement of the outlet sensor next to the operating position or next to the switching position.

[0012] The yarn feeder has a locking device that locks the outlet sensor. The locking device is operated manually by moving the outlet sensor.

[0013] According to the invention, the spring element designed as a stop element is additionally designed to form the locking device with a locking element of the outlet sensor.

[0014] The locking element is located on the outlet sensor in the area of ​​its bearing. The spring element is fixed to the support unit at a first end.

[0015] A second end of the spring element is arranged in operation, ie in the operating position or in the switching position, in front of the locking element.

[0016] The spring element is designed to elastically deform when the outlet sensor is moved manually into a locking position next to the operating position or next to the switching position by the locking element to such an extent that its second end slides behind the locking element.

[0017] By moving the outlet sensor with one hand against the force of the spring element, it can be moved into the locking position. It is held there by the spring element. An additional sensor lock that has to be moved manually is no longer necessary.

[0018] The path of the outlet sensor makes its position in the locked position clearly visible from the outside. The outlet sensor can only be moved to its locked position manually and not by increasing the thread tension.

[0019] In one embodiment, the spring element is designed as a spring wire, the first end of which is fixed to the support unit and the second end of which is arranged in front of the locking element in operation, ie in the operating position or in the switching position.

[0020] A spring wire as a spring element can easily be elastically deformed so that its free end shifts and slides behind the locking element.

[0021] In one embodiment, the spring wire is approximately U-shaped with two leg sections and a central section. In the first leg section, the spring wire is fixed to the support unit at its first end. In the second leg section, the spring wire is arranged with its second end under pretension on the support unit. The second end has a contact section angled approximately parallel to the central section, which, during operation, is arranged in front of the tip of the locking element.

[0022] In one embodiment, the two leg sections extend approximately horizontally during installation. The central section has two connecting sections, one connecting section extending approximately vertically from one of the two leg sections, and the other connecting section extending approximately horizontally.

[0023] In one embodiment, the second leg portion is arranged to be displaceable in the horizontal direction.

[0024] This makes it easier for the spring wire to slide around the locking element of the outlet sensor.

[0025] In one embodiment, the outlet sensor has two legs with angled sections at each end. The angled sections of the legs are mounted on the support unit and connected by a roughly cylindrical plastic body extending along the rotation axis. The legs of the outlet sensor are connected at their ends opposite the mounting by a thread guide element designed as a web. The locking element of the outlet sensor is designed as a projection, e.g., a nose or a cam. The locking element is arranged on the plastic body. In an alternative, the locking element is manufactured in one piece with the plastic body.

[0026] In one embodiment, an additional stop element is provided, which is formed by a thread guide element designed as an outlet plate and is arranged behind the outlet sensor in the direction of thread travel. The locking position is provided next to the operating position. The locking element of the outlet sensor is arranged with respect to the outlet plate such that when the outlet sensor moves into the locking position, the outlet plate is first elastically deformed by the outlet sensor before the spring element slides behind the locking element.

[0027] This makes it possible to give the operator a clear haptic indication that the outlet sensor is being pushed into the locked position.

[0028] The invention is further explained using an embodiment schematically illustrated in the drawing. Shown are: Figure 1 a side view of a thread feeding device according to the invention; Figure 2 the side view of the Figure 1 , wherein a section of a vertical section through the yarn feeding device is shown in the area of ​​a blocking element of an outlet sensor; Figure 3a a simplified enlargement of the section of the Figure 2 with the blocking element and a spring element designed as a spring wire in an operating position, parts of the outlet sensor being omitted; Figure 3b one of the Figure 3a corresponding cutout in an intermediate position; Figure 3c one of the Figure 3a corresponding cutout in a locked position; Figure 4a an enlarged and further simplified section of the Figure 3a ; Figure 4b an enlarged and simplified view from below showing the locking element and the spring wire; Figure 4c an enlarged and simplified perspective view showing the locking element and the spring wire; and Figures 5a, 5b, 5c Views of the spring wire corresponding to its position in Figures 4a, 4b, 4c.

[0029] In the Figures 1 and 2 A yarn feeding device 1 for feeding a yarn F in a textile machine is shown. The yarn feeding device 1 has a support unit 2 with a fastening clamp 3. The yarn feeding device 1 is provided with a yarn feeding wheel 4, which is mounted on a lower end of a support unit 2 extending through the support unit and mounted in the support unit.

[0030] Shaft 5 is arranged. On the shaft 5, at least one pulley 6, in this example two pulleys 6, and a clutch with a handle 7 are arranged.

[0031] In the course of the thread F in front of the thread feed wheel 4, an inlet eyelet 8, a knot catcher 9, a thread brake 10 and an inlet sensor 11 are arranged on the support unit 2.

[0032] The support unit 2 comprises a support arm 12 and a housing with a first housing part 13 and a second housing part 14.

[0033] A first thread guide element and a second thread guide element are arranged along the path of the thread F downstream of the thread feed wheel 4. The thread guide elements are designed to guide the thread F delivered by the thread feed wheel. The first thread guide element downstream of the thread feed wheel 4 is referred to below as the take-off element 20, and the second thread guide element downstream is referred to as the run-out element 21.

[0034] The yarn feeding device 1 is provided with a runout sensor 22, which is mounted on the support unit 2 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis. The runout sensor 22 is designed to pivot from an operating position, in which the runout sensor 22 is held by the yarn F, into a switching position.

[0035] The outlet sensor 22 has two legs 23, 24, which are provided with angled sections 23a, 24a at one end, hereinafter referred to as the bearing end. The outlet sensor 22 is mounted with the angled sections 23a, 24a on the support unit 2 by means of a bearing plate L.

[0036] The legs 23, 24 of the outlet sensor 22 are connected to each other at their bearing end via their sections 23a, 24a and a roughly cylindrical plastic body 25 extending along the rotation axis A. The legs 23, 24 are connected to each other at their end opposite the bearing end by a thread guide element formed as a web 26. The web 26 is provided with a ceramic layer or a ceramic tube.

[0037] The plastic body 25 has a locking element 27. The locking element 27 comprises a cylindrical shell 28, which is formed as a projection 29 in a certain circumferential area. The projection 29 has a tip at its outer end, which is formed at the top by an inclined upper surface 29a and, adjoining it at a slightly acute angle, at the bottom by an inclined lower surface 29b. With respect to a radial ray to the tip of the locking element 27, the upper surface 29a is flatter and longer than the lower surface 29b.

[0038] The yarn feeding device 1 has a spring element designed as a stop element which, in this example, limits the movement of the locking element 27 and thus the movement of the outlet sensor 22 next to the operating position.

[0039] The spring element is designed as a spring wire 30, the first end of which is fixed to the support unit 2 and the second end of which is arranged in front of the locking element 27 in the direction of movement of the locking element 27 in the operating position.

[0040] Figure 3a shows an arrangement of the spring wire 30 to the blocking element 27 of the outlet sensor 22 in operating position. Figure 3b shows an arrangement of the spring wire 30 to the blocking element 27 on the way of the outlet sensor 22 into the blocking position and Figure 3c the arrangement in the locked position.

[0041] The Figure 4a shows an enlarged and further simplified section of the Figure 3a . Figure 4b shows an enlarged and simplified view from below with the locking element 27 and the spring wire 30. Figure 4c shows an enlarged and simplified perspective view with the locking element 27 and the spring wire 30.

[0042] Figures 5a, 5b, 5care views of the spring wire 30 showing its position in the Figures 4a, 4b, 4c are equivalent to.

[0043] The spring wire 30 has approximately the shape of a U with a first leg portion 31, a middle portion and a second leg portion 32.

[0044] The first leg portion 31 is fixed to the support unit 2 by the first end of the spring wire 30. The first end of the spring wire 30, and thus of the first leg portion 31, is formed as a holding portion 31a angled toward the second leg portion 32.

[0045] The second leg section 32 is arranged with the second end of the spring wire 30 under pretension on the support unit 2. The second end of the spring wire 30, and thus of the second leg section 32, is formed as a contact section 32a angled approximately parallel to the central section. The holding section 31a extends approximately parallel to the contact section 32a.

[0046] Figure 3a shows the spring wire 30 and the locking element 27 in operation, ie in this example in the operating position. The contact section 32a of the spring wire 30 is arranged in the direction of movement of the locking element 27 in front of the tip of the locking element 27. In particular, the contact section 32a of the spring wire 32 is in operation, as in Figure 3a can be seen, arranged above the upper surface 29a of the projection 29 of the locking element 27.

[0047] During installation, the two leg sections 31, 32 extend approximately horizontally. The second leg section 32 extends downward at a slight angle. It is slightly prestressed by the support unit, in particular the housing part 14.

[0048] The central section has two connecting sections 33a, 33b. Connecting section 33b extends approximately vertically from leg section 31, and connecting section 33a extends approximately horizontally. Leg section 32 adjoins connecting section 33a.

[0049] The spring element is locked with its first end between the bearing plate L and the first housing part 13 of the support unit 2. In this example, the spring wire 30 is guided between the first housing part 13 and the second housing part 14 and locked with its first leg 31. The guide between the first and second housing parts 13, 14 forms a small space B, which allows a small movement of the second leg section 32 in the horizontal direction. The second leg section 32 is supported under preload on the second housing part 14.

[0050] When the locking element 27 moves from the operating position into the locking position, the spring element, i.e. the contact section 32a of the spring wire 30, is initially located in front of the locking element 27 in the direction of movement of the locking element 27. During the movement, the spring element 30 slides around the locking element 27 and is located behind the locking element 27 in the locking position.

[0051] In the Figure 2 , 3a , 4a - 4c In the arrangement shown, the spring wire 30 is located in operation, ie in the operating position, above the locking element 27. The locking element 27 is arranged with its projection 29, namely with the upper surface 29a, below the contact section 32a of the spring wire 30.

[0052] When the outlet sensor 22, and thus the locking element 27, is moved manually against the spring force of the spring wire 30, the projection 29 is pressed against the contact section 32A. The spring wire 30 is elastically deformed, and the contact section 32a bends upward until the contact section 32a of the spring wire slides behind the locking element 27, i.e., over the surface 29a of the projection 29 of the locking element 27 to the surface 29b.

[0053] When the outlet sensor 22, and thus the locking element 27, is moved manually in the opposite direction, the spring wire 30 is elastically deformed again. The contact section 32a of the spring wire 30 is pressed horizontally laterally into space B by the lower surface 29b of the projection 29 and slides again over the locking element 27.

[0054] The blocking element 27 of the outlet sensor 22 is arranged with respect to the outlet element 21 such that when the outlet sensor 22 is moved manually into the blocking position, the outlet plate 27 is first elastically deformed by the outlet sensor 22 before the spring element 30 slides behind the blocking element 27.

[0055] By moving the outlet sensor 22 from the operating position to the locking position, the operator first applies a counterforce against the spring element, i.e., the spring wire 30, designed as a stop element. Subsequently, a greater counterforce against the outlet element 21, designed as an additional stop element, must be overcome. While the spring element, the spring wire 30, slides around the locking element 27, the outlet sensor 22 moves back slightly. Reference symbol list

[0056] 1Yarn feeding device 32 second leg section 2Support unit 32a Contact section 3Fastening clamp 33a Connecting section 4Yarn feed wheel 33b Connecting section 5Shaft A Rotation axis of the outlet sensor 6Belt pulley F Thread 7Handle L Bearing plate 8Inlet eyelet B Space 9Knot catcher 10Yarn brake 11Inlet sensor 12Support arm 13First housing part 14Second housing part 20Trigger element 21Discharge element 22Discharge sensor 23Leg 23aAngled section 24Leg 24aAngled section 25Plastic body 26Bridge 27Blocking element 28Cylindrical casing 29Protrusion 29aUpper surface 29bLower surface 30Spring wire 31First leg section 31aHolding section

Claims

1. Thread feeding device (1) for feeding a thread (F) to a textile machine, with a support unit (2), with a thread feed wheel (3), with at least one thread guiding means which is designed to guide the thread (F) fed by the thread feeding wheel (3), and with at least one thread sensing lever designed as an outlet sensor (22), which is rotatably mounted on the support unit (2) and is designed to pivot from an operating position, in which the outlet sensor (22) is held by the thread (F), into a switching position, with a spring element designed as a stop element and a locking unit, which are arranged on the support unit (2), wherein a movement of the outlet sensor (22) in or next to the operating position or in or next to the switching position is limited by the spring element, and wherein the outlet sensor (22) can be locked by the locking unit, characterized in that the spring element is designed to form the locking unit with a locking element (27) of the outlet sensor (22), wherein the locking element (27) is arranged on the outlet sensor (22) in the region of its mounting, and wherein the spring element is fixed at one end to the support unit (2), and in operation, i.e. in the operating position or in the switching position, is arranged with its other end in front of the locking element (27), wherein the spring element is designed to be elastically deformed by the locking element (27) and to slide behind the locking element (27) when the outlet sensor (22) is moved by hand into a locking position, which is provided next to the operating position or next to the switching position.

2. Thread feeding device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring element is designed as a spring wire (30), the first end of which is fixed to the support unit (2) and the second end of which is arranged in front of the locking element (27) in operation, i.e. in the operating position or in the switching position.

3. Thread feeding device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the spring wire (30) has approximately the shape of a U with a first leg section (31), a middle section and a second leg section (32), the first leg section (31) is fixed with the first end to the support unit (2) and the second leg section (32) is arranged with the second end under pretension on the support unit (2), wherein the second end has a contact section (32a) which is bent approximately parallel to the middle section and which, in operation, is arranged in front of the tip of the locking element (27).

4. Thread feeding device (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the two leg sections (31, 32) extend approximately horizontally when installed and the central section has two connecting sections (33a, 33b), wherein one connecting section (33a, 33b) extends approximately vertically starting from one of the two leg sections (31, 32) and wherein the other connecting section (33a, 33b) extends approximately horizontally.

5. Thread feeding device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the second leg section (32) is arranged to be displaceable in the horizontal direction.

6. Thread feeding device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the outlet sensor (22) has two legs (23, 24) which have angled sections (23a, 24a) at one of their ends, which are mounted on the support unit (2) and which are connected by an approximately cylindrical plastic body (25) extending along the axis of rotation (A), the legs (23, 24) being connected at their ends opposite the mounting by a thread guiding element (25) formed as a web (26), and wherein the locking element (27) is formed on the plastic body (25) as a projection (29), e.g. a nose or a cam.

7. Thread feeding device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an additional stop element is provided, which is formed by a thread guiding element designed as an outlet element (21) and which is arranged downstream of the outlet sensor (22) in the thread running direction, characterized in that the locking position is provided next to the operating position (I), and the locking element (27) of the outlet sensor (22) is arranged with respect to the outlet element (21) in such a way that when the outlet sensor (22) moves into the locking position, the outlet element (21) is first elastically deformed by the outlet sensor (22) before the spring element slides behind the locking element (27).

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