Title of Invention

TUBE FEEDING DEVICE FOR A WORK STATION OF A CHEESE- PRODUCTING TEXTILE MACHINE.

Abstract

A tube feeding device for a work station of a cheese-producing textile machine having an installation for transforming an empty tube from a storage position in a tube reservoir into a tube transfer position for presentation in a pivotally seated creel between rotatable tube receiving plates thereof; the tube feeding device (12) comprising a tube gripper (24) far displacing a central longitudinal axis (57) of the empty tube (14) during a tube transfer operation such that in the tube transfer position (II) of the tube transferring installation, the central longitudinal axis (57) of the empty tube (14) exactly and continuously coincides with a common axis of rotation (61) of the tube receiving plates (58) of the creel (19), the tube gripper (24) having a gripping finger (35,36) which is self adjustable conformable to various diameters and shapes of empty tubes (14) and displacing empty tubes (14) for gripping and displacing empty tubes (14) of differing diameters and shapes.

Full Text

-2- The invention relates to a tube feeding device for a work station of a cheese-producing textile machine wiTh an installation for transferring an empty tube kept ready in a tube reservoir into a tube transfer position in which it is accepted by a pivotably sealed creel. In connection with cheese-producing textile machines, service units, so-called cheese changers, which car. be moved along the work stations of these textile machines and can be positioned as the individual work stations when needed, as well as separate changing devices, which are arranged stationary at the work stations, are known. For example, a service units which can be moved along the work stations, can be positioned at the respective work station when needed and replaces a finished cheese with an empty tube there, is described in DE 37 26 508 A1, for example. This known movable service unit has a multitude of manipulating devices, which are centrclled in accordance with a preset program during a change cycle. Inter alia, the service unit has a tube ejection arm which, when needed, transfers the finished cheese to a special conveying device extending over the length of the machine, as well as a tube gripper, which removes an empty tube froir. a tube reservoir which is parr of the work station, and places it into the creel of the respective work station. In this case the tube gripper has individual gripper fingers, whose initial position can be manually adjusted in accordance with the tube format to be manipulated. A comparable service unit is also described in E? C 126 352 Bl. A tube feeder arranged on a pivotably seated intermediate frame is provided for this known service unit, which is also quite -3- elaborate. Depending on whether it is required to handle cylindrical or conical empty tubes, this intermediate frame can be pivoted into a first or a second operating position. In accordance wich EP 0 126 352 Bl it is furthermore provided that tube holders are located on the output side of an empty tube reservoir, which can be manually set in accordance with the respective tube diameter. Since the structural design of such complex operating units as a whole is relatively elaborate and complicated, the manufacture of such units also becomes quits cost-intensive, Therefore various attempts have been made in the past to replace these movable, relatively complicated service units by stationary, simply constructed change devices at each one of the work stations of a textile machine. Texturing machines are described in DE 21 5"? 3C4 5 and DE 21 21 426 B, for example, each of whose work stations have a creel, which can be pivoted between a winding position and a cheese delivery position. Moreover, an empty tube reservoir is assigned to the individual work stations, whose outlet can be positioned within the pivot range of the creel in such a way that, after having delivered the finished cheese, the creel can be automatically provided with a fresh empty tube. A comparable device is also known from EP 0 157 ,634 B1. With this bobbin-winding machine the individual work stations are also each equipped with a creel which is pivotable between a winding position,, a cheese delivery position and an empty tube pickup position. Each work station is also assigned its own tube reservoir, which can be acted upon by means of a pivot drive mechanism in such a way that the tube at the front in the tube reservoir can be brought exactly to the level of the empty tube pickup position, of the creel and can there be picked up by tlia closing creel.' A textile machine with stationary changing devices at each work station, as well as an associated empty tube reservoir, is also represented and described in DE 195 28 983 Al by means of an 4. example of a false twist machine. However, all of the above described changing devices have the serious flaw that they are only designed for a defined tube format. This means that the empty tub© reservoirs are each designed and arranged in such a way that the empty tube feeding position of the empty tube reservoir corresponds with the empty tube pickup position of the creel only at a defined tube diameter. When changing the tube format, extensive manual adjustment or retrofitting work is respectively required provided that this is possible at all with the known devices. Proceeding from the above mentioned prior art, the subject of the invention is based on creating a cost-effective device which makes possible the introduction of empty tubes, even of different format, into the creels of the work stations of a cheese-producing textile machine in a simple way. This object is attained by means of a tube feeding device according to the features of the present invention. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are also described hereinbelow. 5. The embodiment in accordance with the invention of a tube feeding device has the particular advantage that by means of such a tube feeding device it is possible without problems to transfer empty tubes of any arbitrary diameter or of different shapes (cylindrical or conical) to a creel without any adjustment work being necessary prior to this, or in case of a change of the tube format. This means that the tube feeding device in accordance with the invention picks up the respective empty tube with its tube gripper from a preferably stationary tube reservoir, which is a part of the winding head, and conveys it into a tube transfer position, in which it can be taken over by the creel. In the course of this transport, the center longitudinal axis of the empty tube is automatically aligned in such a way that, in the tube transfer position of the tube feeding device, it exactly coincides with the axis of rotation of the tube receiving plate position there. The empty tube can subsequently be securely grasped between the rotatably seated tube receiving plates when the creel is closed- 6. In a preferred embodiment, the tube gripper has a pressure application piston, which is seated vertically displaceable and is functionally connected with the gripper finger pairs- Here, the gripper finger pairs are themselves fixed, rotatable to a limited extent, on connecting brackets. In this case the functional coupling of the pressure application piston, or of a pressure application plate tiltably arranged on the pressure application piston, with the gripper finger pairs results in every movement of this pressure application plate to lead to a comparable, but oppositely directed movement of the gripper finger pairs. The pressure application piston is slidingiy guided in a hollow body, for example a cylindrical one, and is cushioned by a spring element. This means that the spring elements acts on the pressure application piston in the direction of 'extension'. A drive arm of a control linkage which, for example, can be acted upon by the creel of the respective work station, acts on the hollow body, which itself is displaceably seated in an appropriate receiving bore of s base body of the tube gripper- 7. The hollow body, and with it also the pressure application piston, can be displaced without problems in the direction toward the empty tube via the drive arm. In the process, the pressure application plate arranged on the pressure application piston is placed on the empty tube by means of the spring force of the spring element introduced between the pressure application piston and the hollow body, and fixes it securely in place. In an advantageous embodiment, a pressure application plate is moreover arranged on the pressure application piston and is titlable in respect to the center longitudinal axis of the empty tube and is connected at its end with the gripper finger pairs by means of respective tongue-like pushers. The pressure application plate is automatically matched to the position of the surface of the empty tube, and in the process exactly controls the associated gripper finger pairs automatically via the tongue-like pushers- Each of the pushers has an elongated slot guide, which limits the displacement of carriage-1 ike connecting element. The connecting elements are each connected via control linkages with one of the gripper finger pairs. This means that the position of the gripper finger pairs is defined by the position of the connecting elements, or by the position of the tongue-like pushers, which in turn are connectedd to the pressure application plate of the pressure application piston. a. Such s direct mechanical coupling of the pressure application piston, or its pressure application plate, with the associated gripper finger pairs constitutes a cost-effective and dependable control arrangement, which makes possible in a simple manner the exact positioning of the center longitudinal axis of an empty tube, independently of the shape and diameter of the picked-up empty tube - In a preferred embodiment, the connecting elements slide on guide rails formed on the base body. This means that not only the height position of the connecting elements is dependably preset, but a horizontal excursion of the connecting elements is dependably prevented by the guide rails. The connecting elements, and therefore the gripper finger pairs, can be fixed in a special basic position b"y special holding plates, so that a problem -free transfer of an empty tube from the tube reservoir to the tube feeding device is assured. To this end the holding plates each have an angled guide slot, which extends aver a collar-like shoulder on the connecting elements. In a first embodiment the base body of the tube gripper is displaceably seated on a base frame of the tube feeding device. 9. Here, a drive arm of a control linkage acts on the base body of the tube gripper and preferably makes possible a spatial displacement of the tube gripper, as well as its defined actuation. In this case the control linkage has, inter alia, a control arm, which can be acted upon by the pivotably seatect creel. It is possible by means of such an embodiment of the tube feeding device to operate the tube gripper by means of the pivot drive mechanism of the associated creel. This means that with the above described design, the tube feeding device requires no drive mechanism of its own. In an alternative embodiment, a drive mechanism, preferably an electric drive mechanism, is arranged in the area of the base frame. Here, the electric motor is connected, for example by means of an above described, slightly modified control linkage, with the tube gripper and can displace, as well as operate it. By the use of such an electric drive mechanism arranged on the base frame of the tube feeding device it is possible to further accelerate the changing procedure, in particular the introduction of the empty tube into the creel- 10. The tube feeding device in accordance with the invention is either stationary fixed in place at each one of the work stations of a cheese-producing textile machine or, is designed as a movable service unit which can be positioned at the appropriate work station when required. The embodiment further described hereinbelow relates to a textile machine having a large degree of efficiency, since a possible defect of one of the tube feeding devices only impairs the respective work station, while the numerous further work stations remain unaffected. Moreover, a textile machine with stationary tube feeding devices at each work station has an inherently high degree of efficiency, since it is possible to immediately initiate the changing process at each work station. If necessary, changing processes can also take place simultaneously at several work stations- The embodiment has the particular advantage that as a whole it is somewhat more cost-effective wherein, when employing the tube feeding device, it is passible by means of advance planning and control to minimize possibly occurring losses of efficiency. This in particular, since a tube feeding device embodied in this way requires considerably less time for supplying a work station than, for example, a mobile cheese-changing unit employed up to now. 11. Further details of the invention can be taken from an exemplary embodiment explained by means of the acccompanying drawings. Shown are in: Figure 1, a front view of a cheese-producing textile machine with stationary tube feeding devices in accordance with the invention at the individual wok stations, Figyre 2, a front view in accordance with Figure 1, wherein the tube feeding device in accordance with the invention is embodied as a service unit which can be moved along the work stations, Figure 3, a lateral view of a tube feeding device, whose tube gripper is parked in the tube transfer position, Figure 4, the tube feeding device in accordance with Figure 3, wherein the tube gripper is in the tube transfer position, Figure 5, the tube gripper in accordance with the viewing direction X in Figure 4, Figure 5a, the tube gripper in accordance with Figure 5, but with a conical empty tube, 12- Figure 6, a tube gripper on a slightly larger scale in the tube transfer position, wherein the representation of the holding plates has been omitted for reasons of clarity. Figure 7, the base body of a tube gripper, partially in section, Figure 8, a further alternative embodiment of a tube feeding device. A cheese-producing textile machine, in the examplary embodiment an automatic cheese winder, is represented in a front view in Figures 1 and 2 and is identified as a whole by the reference numeral 1. Customarily, such automatic cheese winders 1 have a plurality of identical work stations 2, which are arranged between end frarr.es 5 and 6. Here, the work stations 2 are arranged in a row next to each other and, when required, are accessible from a service path arranged in front of the textile machine 1. In a known manner and therefore not explained in detail, spinning cops 9 are rewound into large-volume cheeses 11 on these work stations, also called winding heads 2 hereinafter. In the course of the rewinding process the spinning cops 9 are ezch in unwinding positions 10, each of which is located in the area of so-called transverse conveying paths (not represented). As indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the winding heads 2 are supplied and emptied via a bobbin and tube conveying system _3. The spirning cops 9, or the empty cop tubes 4, revolve in vertical orientation on tube conveying plates 8 on this bobbin and tube conveying system 3, of which only the tube return path 7 is represented in Figs. 1 and 2. Since the spinning cops are not only rewound, but the yarn is also checked during the rewinding process and, if required, cleaned, each winding head 2 has a number of special yarn monitoring and processing devices, which are known per se and are therefore not explained in detail. Therefore the schematic representation of the individual winding heads 2 is limited in Fig. 1 to the indication of the end product, a so-called cheese 11, a cheese drive roller 17 and a stationary tube feeding device 12 in accordance with the invention, which is arranged with its base frame 20 on a crossbar 21 extending above the winding devices. Each winding head 2 furthermore has a winding head-specific tube reservoir 13 for receiving a number of empty tubes 14 required for producing a cheese 11. As indicated in Fig. 1, each winding head 2 moreover has its own winding head computer 15 which is connected, for example by means of a bus system (not represented) with a central information system 16 of the textile machine. The textile machine I represented in Fig. 2 differs from the textile machine ir. accordance with Fig. 1 only by the design of the tube feeding device 12 in accordance with the invention. Here, only a single tube feeding device 12, which is designed as a movable service unit 18, is provided ir. place of a plurality of stationary tube feeding devices 12 in the area of the individual winding heads 2. This service unit 18 is supported by means of a running gear 63, arranged on the base frame 20, on a track 64, which has been installed above the winding heads 2 of the textile machine 1. In this case the service unit 18 is preferably connected via a bus line (not represented) with the central information system 16 of the textile machine 1 and can be employed by the latter in accordance with the requirements at the individual work stations 2. Fig. 3 shows a lateral view of a tube feeding device 12 in accordance with the invention. Here, the rube feeding device 12 essentially consists of a base frame 20 which, in accordance with the embodiment ir. Fig. 1, is rigidly fixed in place on a crossbar 21 of the automatic cheese winder 1, a tube reservoir 13 fastened to the base frame 20, as well as a tube gripper 24, which is movably attached to the base frame 20. This, means that the base frame 20 has an elongated slot guide 22 for the displaceable seating of the base body 31 of the tube gripper 24. Furthermore, a control linkage, identified as a whole by the reference numeral 23, is arranged on the base frame 20. Here, the control linkage 23 consists in detail of a control arm 25 with the pivot shaft 26, a drive arm 28 rotatably seated on a pivot shaft 27, as well as an intermediate linkage 29 inserted between the control arm 25 and the drive arm 28. A spring element 30, preferably an extension spring, furthermore also acts on the drive arm 28. As can be seen in Fig. 3, the base body 31 of the tube gripper.34 is conducted by means of sliding rollers 32. or the like - 5 in the elongated slot guide 22 of the base frame 20. Moreover, sealing brackets 33, 34, which support the pivot shafts 37, 38 of the gripper finger pairs 35, 36, are formed on the side of the base body 31 opposite the slide rollers 32. The gripper finger pairs 35, 36 are seated, rotatable tc a limited extent, on these pivot shafts 37, 38, and are connected via control linkages 39, or 40 with special connecting elements 41, 42 on the base body 20. The connecting elements 41, 42, over each one of whose collar-like shoulders 47 an elongated slot receiver 60 in tongue-like slides 43, or 44 as well as a guice 65 in one of the support: plates 45, or46, extends, slide on guide rails 48, or 49, formed on the base body 31. As can be seen in particular in Fig. 7, the base body 31 has a receiving bore 50, which is open toward the bottom and is preferably slit. A hollow body 52 is displaceable seated in this receiving bore 50, whose connecting bracket 53, which passes through the receiving bore 50, is connected with the drive are 28 of the control linkage 23. Moreover, a pressure application piston 54, on which a spring element 55 acts, is displaceably seated inside the hollow body 52. On its end, the pressure application piston 54 has a pressure application plate 56, which is seated, tiltable in the direction of the longitudinal axis 57 of the tubes' 14, and to which the tongue-like slides 43, or 44, are connected. Actuation of the tube feeding device 12 takes place either via the creel 19r which acts on the control arm 25 of the control linkage 23, or via a separate drive mechanism 62 which, as indicated in Fig. 8, is attached to the base frame 20 of the tube feeding device 12. The drive mechanism 62, which in this case has preferably been designed as an electric motor, provides the displacement of the tube gripper 24 inside the base frame 20, as well as the functionally correct actuation of the tube gripper 24. It is of course also possible to provide several drive mechanises for the displacement and actuation of the tube gripper 24 in place of a common drive 62. This means that the base frame can have a drive mechanism for moving the tube gripper 24 inside the base frame 20, and a further, separate drive mechanism for actuating the tube gripper 24. However, this embodiment variation is not represented in the drawings. Functioning of the device, explained by means of the exemplary embodiment in accordance wirh Fig. 1: When a cheese 11 at one of the winding heads 2 of the texzile machine 1 has reached its prescribed preselected size ( = preselecred diameter or preselected yarn length), which is detected by the associated winding head computer 25, the respective winding head 2 is stopped and the yarn running from the spinning ccp 9 to the cheese 11 is made ready in a known manner for producing a fresh cheese. Thereafter the creel 9 is pivoted from its winding position into a tube transfer position by means of an appropriate drive mechanism (not represented), and the finished cheese 11 is transferred to a cheese conveying arrangement (not represented) extending behind the winding heads 2 over the length of the machine. At this time the tube gripper 24 of the tube feeding device 12 is parked in the tube receiving position I, which is represented in Fig. 3. This means that a fresh empty tube 14 is kept ready on the pivotec-in gripper finger pairs 35, 36. As indicated in Fig. 3, the gripper finger pairs 35, 36 are fixed in place in this position by the support plates 45, 46. This means that limit stops at the connecting bracket 53 of the hollow body 51 act in the direction F on the angled rear sides 68 of the support plates 45, 46. By means of this the support plates are pivoted around their pivot point 59 in such a way that the shoulder 47 of the connecting brackets 41, 42, on which the conrrol linkages 39, 40 of the gripper finger pairs 35, 36 are hinged, is fixed in the angled part of the support plate guide 65. After the cheese 11 has been passed to the cheese conveying arrangement, the creel 19 is pivoted back into its winding position and in the process acts on the control arm 25 of the control linkage 23 in the direction E. This pivot movement of the control arm 25 is transferred via the intermediate linkage 29 to the drive arm 28, which thereupon is pivoted downward in the direction G. The downward pivoting drive arm 28, which is connected to the connecting bracket 53 of the hollow body 51, displaces this hollow body 51, and with it the pressure application piston 54, which is seeded in a cushioned manner in the hollow body 51, downward until the hollow body 51, and the connecting bracket 53 with it, takes up the end position represented in Fig. 4, in which the support plates 45, 46 are released and thereupon pivot in the direction H around their pivot point 59. In the course of lowering the hollow body 51, the pressure application plate 56, which is tiltably arranged on the end of the pressure application piston 54, is placed on the enpty tube 14. This means than the spring element 55 arranged inside the hollow body 51 acts on the empty tube 14 via the pressure application piston 54, or the pressure application plate 56, and also via zhe empty tube 14 on the gripper finger pairs 35, 36. Because of the force of this action the gripper finger pairs 35, 36 pivot downward and in the process lift the connecting element 41, 42 via the control linkage 39, 40. Here, the displacement path of the connecting elements is United by the slides 43, 44,' or by their elongated slot receivers 60. This means that in the course of the displacement of the tube gripper 24 from its tube receiving position I into its tube transfer position II, in which the base body 31 of the tube gripper 26 is displaced in the direction V in the elongated slot guide 22 of the base frame 20, the shoulder 47 of the connecting elements 41, 42 rests against the upper edge of the elongated slot receiver 60 of the tongue-like slides 43, 44, such as is represented by way of example in Figs. 5 and 5a. In the process, the empty tube 14 is placed in a position in which its center -18- longitudinal axis 57 exactly coincides with the axis, of rotation 61 of the tube receiving plates 58 of the creel 19, which at this tine has also been pivoted into the tube transfer position II. Now the empty tube 14 can be gripped without problems by closing the creel 19, and after the yarn coming from the spinning cop 9 and kept in readiness at the winding device, as previously indicated, has been fixed in place on the empty tube 14, or has been clamped between the empty tube 14 and one of the tube receiving plates 58 of the creel 19, it can be lowered onto the cheese drive roller 17, The finger pairs 35, 36 open against the spring force of the spring element 55 in the course of this lowering of the empty tube 14 onto the cheese drive roller 17, which means that in the course of the pivoting of the creel 19 in-to its winding position, the control arm 25 of the control linkage 23 is removed from. contact with the creel 19. Thereupon the tube gripper 24 moves back into its initial; or base position represented in Fig. 3, which also represents the rube receiving position I, under the influence of the spring element 30. In the course of pivoting into this tube receiving position I, the drive sleeves 66, arranged in the area of the pivot shaft 37 and hinged on the gripper fingers, engage the closing and transfer elements 67, which are pivotably arranged on the tube reservoir 13. In the process the closing and transfer elements 67 are pivoted in such a way that the front one of the empty tubes 14 stored ir: the tube reservoir 13 is transferred to the gripper finger pairs 35, 36. With this, the change cycle is terminated and the tube feeding device 12 is ready for another tube transfer. 19 WE CLAIM 1. A tube feeding device for a work station of a cheese - producing textile machine comprising an installation capable of picking up and transferring an empty tube disposed in a tube reservoir at a transfer-ready state into a tube transfer position the empty tube being accepted by a pivotably seated creel in said tube transfer position, characterized in that the tube feeding device (12) has a tube gripper (24), which is automatically adjusted to the configuration of the picked-tip empty tube (14), thereby enabling displacement of the center longitudinal axis (57) of the picked-up empty tube (14) during the tube transfer independently of the configuration of the empty tube (14) so that in the tube transfer position (II) of the tube, the feeding device (12) coincides with a common axis of rotation (61) of the tube receiving plates (58) arranged on the creel (19). 2. The tube feeding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tube gripper (24) comprising a pressure application piston (54) seated being displaceable in the direction toward the empty tube (14) atleast one gripper finger pair (35, 36), which are seated being limitedly pivotable around a plurality of pivot shafts (37,38), functionally connected with one of the pressure application piston (54), and a pressure application plate (56), which is tiltably seated on the pressure application piston (54). 3. The tube feeding device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pressure application piston (54) which is acted upon by a spring element (55) is seated in a cushioned manner in a hollow body (51), and wherein the hollow body (51) itself is sfidingly guided in a receiving bore (50) of a base body (31) of the tube gripper (24). 20 4. The tube feeding device as claimed in claim 3, wherein a pivotably seated driving arm (28) of a control linkage (23), which can be acted upon by the creel (19) of the respective work station (2), is hinged on a connected bracket (53) of the hollow body (51). 5. The tube feeding device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pressure application plate (56), which is arranged at the end of the pressure application piston (54) and is seated being tiltable in respect to the center longitudinal axis (57) of the empty tube (14), is connected via, atleast one tongue-like slide (43,44) with the atleast one gripper finger pair (35,36). 6. The tube feeding device as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of the atfeast one tongue-like slide (43, 43) has an elongated slot receiver (60), which limits the displacement path of atleast one carriage-like connecting element (41,42). 7. The tube feeding device as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the atleast one carriage-like connecting elements (41,42) is connected by means of respective control linkages (39,40) with the alteast one gripper finger pair (35,36). 8. The tube feeding device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the atleast the one gripper finger pair (35,36) is controllable via one of the atleast one slide (43,44) the atleast one connecting element (41,42) and the atleast one control linkage (39,40). 21 9. The tube feeding device as claimed In claim 6, wherein the atleast one connecting element (41,42) is stidingty guided on atleast one guide rait (48,49) of the base body (31) of the tube gripper (24). 10.The tube feeding device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the atleast one connecting element (41,42) is fixable by means of atleast one support plate (45,46) in a position (S), and wherein the atleast one gripper finger pairs (35,36) assumes a tube receiving position (I) in said position (S). 11. The tube feeding device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein the base body (31) is disptaceably seated on a base frame (20) of the tube-feeding device (12). 12.The tube feeding device as claimed in claim 11, wherein a control linkage (23) is arranged on the base frame (20) which makes possible a spatial displacement of the base body (31) including a actuation of the tube gripper (24). 13.The tube feeding device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control linkage (23) has a control arm (25), which can be acted upon by the creel (19) of the respective work station (2). 14.The tube feeding device as claimed in claim 11, wherein an electric drive mechanism (62) arranged in the area of the base frame (20) is provided for one of the spatial displacement and the actuation of the tube gripper (24). 22 15.The tube feeding device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of tube feeding device (12) is fixedly arranged on a crossbar (21) of the textile machine (1) which is installed above the work stations (2) of the cheese-production textile machine (1). 16,The tube feeding device as claimed in claim , wherein the tube feeding device (12) is a part of a service unit (18), which is movable along the work stations (2) of the cheese-production textile machine (1) and which can be positioned as needed at any of the work stations (2). 17.The tube feeding device as claimed in cfaim 16, wherein the service unit (18) is supported by means of a running gear (63) on a track (64) arranged above Ihe work stations (2) of the cheese-production textile machine (1) and is connected with a central information system (16) of the textile machine (1). A tube feeding device for a work station of a cheese-producing textile machine having an installation for transforming an empty tube from a storage position in a tube reservoir into a tube transfer position for presentation in a pivotally seated creel between rotatable tube receiving plates thereof; the tube feeding device (12) comprising a tube gripper (24) far displacing a central longitudinal axis (57) of the empty tube (14) during a tube transfer operation such that in the tube transfer position (II) of the tube transferring installation, the central longitudinal axis (57) of the empty tube (14) exactly and continuously coincides with a common axis of rotation (61) of the tube receiving plates (58) of the creel (19), the tube gripper (24) having a gripping finger (35,36) which is self adjustable conformable to various diameters and shapes of empty tubes (14) and displacing empty tubes (14) for gripping and displacing empty tubes (14) of differing diameters and shapes.

Documents:

00572-cal-2001-abstract.pdf

00572-cal-2001-claims.pdf

00572-cal-2001-correspondence.pdf

00572-cal-2001-description(complete).pdf

00572-cal-2001-drawings.pdf

00572-cal-2001-form-1.pdf

00572-cal-2001-form-18.pdf

00572-cal-2001-form-2.pdf

00572-cal-2001-form-26.pdf

00572-cal-2001-form-3.pdf

00572-cal-2001-form-5.pdf

00572-cal-2001-letters patent.pdf

00572-cal-2001-priority document others.pdf

00572-cal-2001-priority document.pdf

572-CAL-2001-FORM-27.pdf