Title of Invention

"YARN PACKAGE CARRIER FOR DYEING MACHINES"

Abstract A yarn package carrier (1) for a package-dyeing machine for carrying batch of yarn packages (9) into and out from the package-dyeing machine as shown in Fig. 1. The package carrier (10) comprises a number of perforated spindles (2), which align with the yarn packages (9) and facilitate distribution of dye-liquor, which flows from inside to outside or outside to inside of the yarn package (9). The package carrier (10) is separable into two parts (1, 7).
Full Text FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to dyeing yam, in particular, although not exclusively, to dyeing textile yam.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
During processing, yam for textile manufacture is commonly wound on a perforated tubular or fluted spindle in the form of a bobbin, to form a permeable package through which dye liquor, or the like, can be circulated.
To load the permeable packages into a dyeing machine, a package carrier comprising a plurality of perforated spindles is provided. The perforated spindles facilitate alignment of the packages and circulation of the dye liquor during the dyeing process. The spindles are generally manually loaded with yam bobbins one-by-one, with a plurality of packages being loaded on each spindle. Each spindle is about one to two metres in height. Therefore, manual loading, is often impractical and time-consuming and, more particularly, may expose personnel to risk of injury due to falling or overextending oneself.
A package carrier of this type is described in GB, 2,379,455. This carrier includes a loading device comprising a basket connectable to a lifting frame by chains. The basket has openings in its base to receive the spindles of the package carrier when the basket is lowered into the carrier. Then, yam packages are loaded onto the spindles. A carrier is placed in a dyeing machine, and after the packages have been dyed and the carrier removed from the dyeing machine, the basket is lifted from the carrier, simultaneously removing the yam packages from the spindles.
SUMMARY
It is an aim of preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide an improved package carrier.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a yam package carrier for a dyeing machine comprising two carrier elements, which are separably connected, each carrier element comprising a number of spindles for aligning yam packages, the
carrier elements arranged concentrically such that one of the carrier elements provides an outer carrier having a centre region with no spindles, the centre region sized to receive the other carrier element. Therefore, when connected, the carrier elements are arranged concentrically, with one of the carrier elements forming an annular chamber about the other carrier element. Suitably, the yam package carrier further comprises alignment means.
The alignment means may comprise inter-engaging elements on each of the two carrier elements. Suitably, each of the carrier elements comprises a centre pillar, which centre pillars co-operate when the two carrier elements are connected. Suitably, the first and second carrier elements are aligned by insertion of one centre pillar into the other centre pillar.
The yam package carrier may comprise means to facilitate separation of the two carrier elements. For example, one of the carrier elements may comprise a lifting device to facilitate separation. Suitably, the lifting device is attached to a central carrier element of concentrically arranged carrier elements. A lifting device may be provided on both carrier elements.
Suitably, the yam package carrier comprises an interlocking means to releasably hold the two carrier elements together. The interlocking means may comprise a male fastener, such as a screw, bolt or similar, on one of the carrier elements and a female fastener, such as a nut, on the other carrier element.
The present invention further provides a dyeing machine comprising a yam package carrier as set out above.
The present invention also provides a method of loading a yam package carrier comprising two carrier elements which are separably connected, each carrier element comprising a number of spindles for aligning yam packages, the carrier elements arranged concentrically such that one of the carrier elements provides an outer carrier having a centre region with no spindles, the centre region sized to receive the other carrier element, the method comprising the steps of: separating the


two carrier elements; loading a plurality of yam packages on to the spindles of one or both of the carrier elements; and connecting the carrier elements by installing the said other carrier element in the centre region of the outer carrier. When connected, the first and second carrier elements provide a unitary yam package carrier.
Advantageously, the unitary yam package carrier can be loaded into a package-dyeing machine in a single step.
The present invention yet further provides a method of assembling a yam package carrier comprising two carrier elements, which are separably connected, each carrier element comprising a number of spindles for aligning yam packages, the carrier elements arranged concentrically such that one of the carrier elements provides an outer carrier having a centre region with no spindles, the centre region sized to receive the other carrier element, the method comprising the step of aligning the carrier elements as they are connected by installing the said other carrier element in the centre region of the outer carrier to form a unitary yam package carrier.
Suitably, the method of assembling the yam package carrier further comprises locking the two carrier elements together to releasably hold the two carrier elements together as a unitary yarn package carrier.
A package carrier, which is divisible into two parts for loading, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, advantageously overcomes difficulties that may be encountered when the diameter of a typical package carrier is too large for the average person to load safely.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT
The present invention will be described further, by way of example only, with reference to preferred embodiments thereof and as illustrated in the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a package carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention;


Figure 2a is a cross-sectional side view of part of a inner carrier element of the package carrier of Figure 1;
Figure 2b is a plan view of the inner carrier element of Figure 2a;
Figure 3a is a cross-sectional side view of part of an outer carrier element of the package carrier of Figure 1; and
Figure 3b is a plan view of the outer carrier element of Figure 3a.
The package carrier is suitable for carrying a batch of yarn packages 9 (see figs 2b and 3b) into and from a package-dyeing machine (not shown) in a single step. The package carrier 10 of figure 1 comprises an inner carrier element 7 concentrically arranged within an outer carrier 1.
In the illustrated embodiment, the package carrier comprises inner and outer carrier elements 7, 1 each having a substantially circular cross section. However, as will be apparent to the skilled person, any suitable cross-sectional shape could be used.
Figure 1 shows that the outer carrier element 1 comprises a cylindrical chamber, with a central section that has no spindles 2, thereby providing a surface for receiving the inner carrier element 7.
Each of the inner and outer carrier elements 7, 1 comprise a base 11, 12 respectively, for supporting a plurality of spindles 2, and a central pillar 3,6 respectively.
Each of the inner carrier 7 and outer carrier 1 comprises a number of perforated spindles 2 which align the yam packages 9 whilst also facilitating dye liquor flow 35 from inside to outside and outside to inside of the yam package 9. Figure 1 only shows an example of a spindle 2 for each carrier element 1, 7 and figures 2a and 3a do not show any spindles 2 for simplicity. However, it can be seen from figures 3b


and 2b that each of the inner 40 carrier element 7 and the outer carrier element 1 comprise a plurality of spindles 2 to support a plurality of yam packages 9.
Central pillars 3, 6 provide a means for aligning the inner carrier element 7 within the outer carrier element 1.
An interlocking device 5 secures the inner carrier element 7 and the outer carrier element 1 together. In this embodiment, the interlocking device 5 comprises a screw and nut arrangement, with the screw being provided on the inner carrier 7 and the nut on the outer carrier 1, or vice versa.
The package carrier 10 further comprises a lifting ring 4 located on the central pillar 3 of the inner carrier element 7 to facilitate separation of the inner and outer carrier elements 7, 1.
The process of loading yarn packages 9 onto the package carrier 10 is generally a manual process.
The package carrier 10 is separated into the two parts, by lifting the inner carrier 7 by some suitable means, for example a hook and crane, which hook is attachable to the lifting ring 4 of the inner carrier element 7.
To facilitate manual loading the radius of the inner carrier 7 is advantageously more or less equivalent to the length of a human arm. Therefore the need for personnel loading the package carrier 10 to overreach or climb upon the carrier 10, in order to load yam-pack ages 9 towards the centre, is eliminated. To this end, the loading region of the outer carrier 1 should be similarly sized.
When the inner carrier 7 and the outer carrier 1 are loaded with yam-packages 9 the inner carrier 7 is 15 lifted and installed in the spindle-free centre region of the outer carrier 1. As the inner carrier 7 is lowered into the outer carrier 1, the central pillars 3, 6 facilitate substantially concentric alignment of the inner carrier 7 within the outer carrier 1. When assembled, the central pillar 3 of 20 the inner carrier 7 fully encloses


the central pillar 6 of the outer carrier 1. The interlocking device 5 can then be fastened to hold the inner carrier 7 and outer carrier 1 together such that they can be lifted as a unitary item and loaded into a package-dyeing machine in a single step.




Claims
We Claim:
1. A yarn package carrier (10) for a dyeing machine comprising two carrier elements (1, 7), which are separably connected and each carrier element comprises a number of spindles (2) for aligning yam packages (9), the carrier elements arranged concentrically such that one of the carrier elements provides an outer carrier (1) having a centre region with no spindles, the centre region sized to receive the other carrier element (7) characterized in that alignment means (3, 6) comprises a centre pillar (3, 6) located on each of the carrier elements (1, 7) and two carrier elements (1, 7) are releasably held together by means of an interlocking element (5).
2. A yam package carrier (10) according to claim 1, wherein said one centre pillar (6) is insertable into the other centre pillar (3).
3. A yam package carrier (10) according to claim 1or2, wherein said one or both of the centre pillars (3, 6) comprises a lifting device (4).
4. A method of assembling a yam package carrier (10) comprises the step of aligning the carrier elements (1, 7) as they are connected by installing the said other carrier element (7) in the centre region of the outer carrier (1) and interlocking the two carrier elements (1, 7) together to releasably hold the two carrier elements together as a unitary yam package carrier.

Documents:

449-DEL-2005-Abstract-(23-03-2012).pdf

449-DEL-2005-Abstract-(25-07-2012).pdf

449-del-2005-abstract.pdf

449-DEL-2005-Claims-(23-03-2012).pdf

449-DEL-2005-Claims-(25-07-2012).pdf

449-del-2005-claims.pdf

449-DEL-2005-Correspondence Others-(23-03-2012).pdf

449-DEL-2005-Correspondence Others-(25-07-2012).pdf

449-del-2005-correspondence-others.pdf

449-DEL-2005-Description (Complete)-(23-03-2012).pdf

449-DEL-2005-Description (Complete)-(25-07-2012).pdf

449-del-2005-description (complete).pdf

449-DEL-2005-Drawings-(23-03-2012).pdf

449-DEL-2005-Drawings-(25-07-2012).pdf

449-del-2005-drawings.pdf

449-del-2005-form-1.pdf

449-del-2005-form-18.pdf

449-DEL-2005-Form-2-(23-03-2012).pdf

449-DEL-2005-Form-2-(25-07-2012).pdf

449-del-2005-form-2.pdf

449-DEL-2005-Form-3-(23-03-2012).pdf

449-del-2005-form-3.pdf

449-del-2005-form-5.pdf

449-DEL-2005-GPA-(23-03-2012).pdf

449-DEL-2005-Petition-137-(23-03-2012).pdf


Patent Number 254315
Indian Patent Application Number 449/DEL/2005
PG Journal Number 43/2012
Publication Date 26-Oct-2012
Grant Date 18-Oct-2012
Date of Filing 01-Mar-2005
Name of Patentee FALMER INVESTMENTS LTD
Applicant Address 3RD FLOOR, OMAR HODGE BUILDING, WICKHAMS CAY I, P.O.BOX 362, ROAD TOWN, TORTOLA, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 DR. TSUI TAK MING, WILLIAM FLAT F, 6TH FLOOR, HYDE PARK MANSION, 53 PATERSON STREET, CAUSEWAY BAY, HONG KONG
PCT International Classification Number D06B 23/04
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 04251215.2 2004-03-02 EPO