Title of Invention	THREAD GUIDE
Abstract	Thread guide (1) which, for the purpose of laying a thread on a rotating reel (4), guides the thread parallel to the reel axis, over a traversing-lift extent, in a thread-guide fork (5), the finger-like thread guide (1) being connected at the end to a drive device (3), and two hollow-cylindrical guide elements (6, 7), which form the thread-guide fork (5), being arranged at the free end of the thread guide (1).

Title of Invention

THREAD GUIDE

Abstract

Thread guide (1) which, for the purpose of laying a thread on a rotating reel (4), guides the thread parallel to the reel axis, over a traversing-lift extent, in a thread-guide fork (5), the finger-like thread guide (1) being connected at the end to a drive device (3), and two hollow-cylindrical guide elements (6, 7), which form the thread-guide fork (5), being arranged at the free end of the thread guide (1).

Full Text	FORM 2 THE PATENT ACT 197 0 (39 of 1970) The Patents Rules, 2003 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (See Section 10, and rule 13 TITLE OF INVENTION THREAD GUIDE OERLIKON TEXTILE GMBH & CO, GERMAN Company LANDGRAFENSTRASSE-45 , D-41069 MOENCHENGLADBACH, GERMANY KG PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed : - ENGLISH TRANSLATION VARIFICATION CERTIFICATE u/r. 20(3)(b) I, Mr. HIRAL CHANDRAKANT JOSHI, an authorized agent for the applicant, OERLIKON TEXTILE GMBH & CO. KG do hereby verify that the content of English translated complete specification filed in pursuance of PCT International application No. PCT/EP2006/011356 thereof is correct and complete. HIRAL CHANDRAKANT JOSHI AGENT FOR OERLIKON TEXTILE GMBH & CO. KG The present invention relates to a thread guide according to the preamble of claim 1. A thread guide configured in a finger-like manner according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from WO 0024663. The thread guide has, at its free end, a thread guide fork to receive the thread to be displaced. The thread guide fork is formed by a longitudinal slot which extends in the direction of the end of the thread guide connected to a drive device. The thread guide, in total, has a small thickness to make it low in mass. To reduce the friction occurring between the thread and the thread guide, the thread guide, has rounded areas or broken edges in the region of the thread guide fork which are produced by retrospective machining of the legs of the thread guide fork. In addition, a suitable surface coating of the thread guide fork is necessary. The coating material for this purpose has to form a surface with low friction and simultaneously has to have high wear resistance. It proves to be disadvantageous that, according to the prior art, the legs of the guide fork need secondary machining to prevent wear occurring on the thread guide or on the thread to be guided. On the other hand, when drawing off the thread from a cop, loops may occur which on being grasped by a leg of the thread guide fork, may lead to plastic deformation of the thread guide. The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a thread guide having a high degree of strength and wear resistance. This object is achieved according to the invention by the characterising features of claim 1. According to claim 1, it is proposed that the thread guide, at its free end, has two thread guide elements configured as hollow bodies, which form the thread guide fork. Guide elements configured in this manner incorporate a plurality of advantages. The guide elements configured as hollow bodies have a high degree of strength and at the same time have good elastic deformation properties. Their outer -2- shape contributes to the reduction in wear as they offer the thread to be displaced at a high speed fewer engagement faces. Moreover, they are lower in mass than the legs of the thread guide fork according to the prior art which are made from a solid block. The mass inertia, which, because of the long lever, has a greater effect in particular at the free end of the thread guide than at the opposite end of the thread guide, is thereby reduced. This is beneficial, in particular, to the design of the drive. In particular, the guide elements may be substantially hollow cylindrical. Alternatively, the guide elements may have a course tapering toward one end. This may, for example, be a truncated cone shape of the guide elements. This has the advantage that the guide elements do not have to be machined retrospectively, as is the case in the prior art, to produce rounded areas or broken edges in the region of the thread guide fork, which are used to reduce the friction occurring. A further advantage is that thread guide elements configured in this manner prove to be substantially resistant to loops, which are produced when drawing off the thread from the cop. The guide elements may preferably have a circular cylindrical cross section. The abrasive effect of the thread on the thread guide can be further reduced in this manner. In addition, the occurrence of sharp edges on the guide elements coming into contact with the thread is avoided or secondary machining is circumvented. Furthermore, the guide elements may consist of a metal or a metal alloy, in particular of high-grade steel or a titanium alloy. Materials of this type have a low weight and are at the same time high-strength. This additionally contributes to a weight reduction, so the inertial behaviour of the thread guide is positively influenced. Guide elements made of such materials are also very wear-resistant. Furthermore, the guide elements produced from high-grade steel or titanium have a very high surface quality, so the necessity for a coating can be dispensed with to minimise the friction between the guide elements and the thread. The high strength -3- and the high modulus of elasticity of guide elements of this type contribute to these being more resistant to the occurrence of loops. In particular, the guide elements can be connected to the thread guide by means of a press fit. This allows additional fastening means which would additionally increase the mass of the thread guide in the region of the guide elements to be dispensed with. For this purpose, the guide elements may have a slight over-dimension, so they can be non-positively connected to the thread guide by means of the press fit here. Alternatively, the guide elements can be connected by means of adhesion to the thread guide. The increase in the mass of the thread guide due to the use of the adhesive is negligible. Furthermore, the guide elements may be provided in their interior with rods which at least partially fill the respective guide element. The at least partial filling of the guide elements configured as hollow bodies brings about an increase in the flexural rigidity of the guide elements in the lower region of receiving the thread guide fork, which is subject to the greatest loads during the displacing of the thread. For this purpose, the rods should consist of a light and high-strength material. The rods may consist, for example, of carbon or materials with comparable properties. The rods made of carbon have very high strength and elasticity but at the same time are low in mass, so the increase in weight of the thread guide is negligible in the region of the guide elements. The rods are preferably fastened in the guide elements by adhesion. Furthermore, the guide elements have different lengths. As a result, the threading of the thread into the thread guide is simplified. -4- Advantageously, the thread guide may have a course which tapers toward the free end. This also contributes to reducing the mass inertia of the thread guide, so the forces occurring at the reversal points during deceleration and acceleration of the thread guide are reduced. Further details of the invention can be inferred below from an embodiment shown in the drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a thread guide according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a detailed sectional view of a thread guide fork according to Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a detailed sectional view of a thread guide fork according to Fig. 1 with rods inserted in guide elements. Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a thread guide 1 according to the invention. The thread guide 1 has a course which tapers toward its free end. The wider end of the thread guide 1 is connected to a single motor drive 3. To displace a thread on a rotating bobbin 4, which is driven by a drive roller 2, the thread guide 1 is pivoted alternately to the left and right by means of its drive 3. At its free, narrower end, the thread guide 1 has a thread guide fork 5 which is formed by hollow thread guide elements 6, 7. The thread guide elements 6, 7 formed as hollow bodies are hollow cylindrical in the present embodiment. Alternatively, the guide elements 6, 7 may also have a course which tapers toward one end. For this purpose, they may be truncated cone-shaped, for example. The thread to be displaced is guided in accordance with the movement of the thread guide 1 between the thread guide elements 6, 7. The hollow cylindrical guide elements 6, 7 preferably have a circular cylindrical cross section, as shown in Fig. 2. Owing to the round shape of the guide elements 6, -5- 7 the abrasive effect of the thread passing at very high speed through the thread guide 1 on the guide elements 6, 7 is reduced. To produce the guide elements 6, 7, for example, high-grade steel or a titanium alloy may be used. These materials have a high strength and surface quality. In addition, because of their high modulus of elasticity, they have good elastic deformability. The guide elements 6, 7 are non-positively fastened to the thread guide 1. In this case, the guide elements 6, 7 have a slight over-dimension, so the guide elements 6, 7 are connected in the manner of a press fit to the thread guide 1. Alternatively, the guide elements 6, 7 can be connected by means of adhesive to the thread guide 1, so a type of connection which is low in mass is also provided. . To increase the flexural rigidity of the guide elements 6, 7 in the region of receiving the thread guide fork 5, the latter are reinforced by the introduction of rods 8, 9 adapted to the shape of the guide elements 6, 7, made for example of carbon or the like, as shown in Fig. 3. The rods 8, 9 in this case extend at least partially over the length of the guide elements 6, 7. The fastening of the rods 8, 9 takes place by means of adhesion. Fig. 3 shows the arrangement of the rods 8, 9. The rods are partially located in the respective end of the guide elements 6, 7 fastened in the thread guide 1. This region of the thread guide fork 5 is subjected to the greatest mechanical loads by the thread to be displaced at high speed. By using the rods 8, 9 these loads are compensated. Because of the low weight of the material used for the rods 8, 9, these can also completely fill the guide elements 6, 7. -6- WE CLAIM: 1. Thread guide (1), which, to displace a thread on a rotating bobbin (4), guides the thread parallel to the bobbin axis in a thread guide fork (5), the thread guide (1) being configured in a finger-like manner and being connected at the end to a drive device (3), characterised in that two guide elements (6, 7) configured as hollow bodies are arranged at the free end of the thread guide (1) and form the thread guide fork (5). 2. Thread guide (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the guide elements (6, 7) are substantially hollow cylindrical. 3. Thread guide (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the guide elements (6, 7) have a course which tapers toward one end. 4. Thread guide (1) according to claim 1 to 3, characterised in that the guide elements (6, 7) have a circular cylindrical cross section. 5. Thread guide (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the guide elements (6, 7) consist of a metal, a metal alloy or a composite material. 6. Thread guide (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the guide elements (6, 7) are connected to the thread guide (1) by a positive fit. 7. Thread guide (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the guide elements (6, 7) are connected to the thread guide (1) by adhesion. 8. Thread guide (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the guide elements (6, 7) are provided with rods (8, 9) in their interior, which at least partially fill the guide element (6, 7). -7- 9. Thread guide (1) according to claim 8, characterised in that the rods (8, 9) consist of a light and high-strength material. 10. Thread guide (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the guide elements (6, 7) have different lengths. 11. Thread guide (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the thread guide (1) tapers toward the free end. Dated this 4th day of June, 2008 HpAUpHANDRAKANT JOSHI AGENT FOR OERLiKON TEXTILE GMBH & CO. KG -8-

Full Text

FORM 2
THE PATENT ACT 197 0 (39 of 1970)
The Patents Rules, 2003 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (See Section 10, and rule 13
TITLE OF INVENTION THREAD GUIDE

OERLIKON TEXTILE GMBH & CO,
GERMAN Company
LANDGRAFENSTRASSE-45 ,
D-41069 MOENCHENGLADBACH,
GERMANY

KG

PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed : -

ENGLISH TRANSLATION VARIFICATION
CERTIFICATE u/r. 20(3)(b)
I, Mr. HIRAL CHANDRAKANT JOSHI, an authorized agent for the applicant, OERLIKON TEXTILE GMBH & CO. KG do hereby verify that the content of English translated complete specification filed in pursuance of PCT International application No. PCT/EP2006/011356 thereof is correct and complete.

HIRAL CHANDRAKANT JOSHI AGENT FOR OERLIKON TEXTILE GMBH & CO. KG

The present invention relates to a thread guide according to the preamble of claim 1.
A thread guide configured in a finger-like manner according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from WO 0024663. The thread guide has, at its free end, a thread guide fork to receive the thread to be displaced. The thread guide fork is formed by a longitudinal slot which extends in the direction of the end of the thread guide connected to a drive device. The thread guide, in total, has a small thickness to make it low in mass. To reduce the friction occurring between the thread and the thread guide, the thread guide, has rounded areas or broken edges in the region of the thread guide fork which are produced by retrospective machining of the legs of the thread guide fork. In addition, a suitable surface coating of the thread guide fork is necessary. The coating material for this purpose has to form a surface with low friction and simultaneously has to have high wear resistance.
It proves to be disadvantageous that, according to the prior art, the legs of the guide fork need secondary machining to prevent wear occurring on the thread guide or on the thread to be guided. On the other hand, when drawing off the thread from a cop, loops may occur which on being grasped by a leg of the thread guide fork, may lead to plastic deformation of the thread guide.
The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a thread guide having a high degree of strength and wear resistance.
This object is achieved according to the invention by the characterising features of claim 1.
According to claim 1, it is proposed that the thread guide, at its free end, has two thread guide elements configured as hollow bodies, which form the thread guide fork. Guide elements configured in this manner incorporate a plurality of advantages. The guide elements configured as hollow bodies have a high degree of strength and at the same time have good elastic deformation properties. Their outer
-2-

shape contributes to the reduction in wear as they offer the thread to be displaced at a high speed fewer engagement faces. Moreover, they are lower in mass than the legs of the thread guide fork according to the prior art which are made from a solid block. The mass inertia, which, because of the long lever, has a greater effect in particular at the free end of the thread guide than at the opposite end of the thread guide, is thereby reduced. This is beneficial, in particular, to the design of the drive.
In particular, the guide elements may be substantially hollow cylindrical. Alternatively, the guide elements may have a course tapering toward one end. This may, for example, be a truncated cone shape of the guide elements. This has the advantage that the guide elements do not have to be machined retrospectively, as is the case in the prior art, to produce rounded areas or broken edges in the region of the thread guide fork, which are used to reduce the friction occurring. A further advantage is that thread guide elements configured in this manner prove to be substantially resistant to loops, which are produced when drawing off the thread from the cop.
The guide elements may preferably have a circular cylindrical cross section. The abrasive effect of the thread on the thread guide can be further reduced in this manner. In addition, the occurrence of sharp edges on the guide elements coming into contact with the thread is avoided or secondary machining is circumvented.
Furthermore, the guide elements may consist of a metal or a metal alloy, in particular of high-grade steel or a titanium alloy. Materials of this type have a low weight and are at the same time high-strength. This additionally contributes to a weight reduction, so the inertial behaviour of the thread guide is positively influenced. Guide elements made of such materials are also very wear-resistant. Furthermore, the guide elements produced from high-grade steel or titanium have a very high surface quality, so the necessity for a coating can be dispensed with to minimise the friction between the guide elements and the thread. The high strength
-3-

and the high modulus of elasticity of guide elements of this type contribute to these being more resistant to the occurrence of loops.
In particular, the guide elements can be connected to the thread guide by means of a press fit. This allows additional fastening means which would additionally increase the mass of the thread guide in the region of the guide elements to be dispensed with. For this purpose, the guide elements may have a slight over-dimension, so they can be non-positively connected to the thread guide by means of the press fit here.
Alternatively, the guide elements can be connected by means of adhesion to the thread guide. The increase in the mass of the thread guide due to the use of the adhesive is negligible.
Furthermore, the guide elements may be provided in their interior with rods which at least partially fill the respective guide element. The at least partial filling of the guide elements configured as hollow bodies brings about an increase in the flexural rigidity of the guide elements in the lower region of receiving the thread guide fork, which is subject to the greatest loads during the displacing of the thread.
For this purpose, the rods should consist of a light and high-strength material. The rods may consist, for example, of carbon or materials with comparable properties. The rods made of carbon have very high strength and elasticity but at the same time are low in mass, so the increase in weight of the thread guide is negligible in the region of the guide elements. The rods are preferably fastened in the guide elements by adhesion.
Furthermore, the guide elements have different lengths. As a result, the threading of the thread into the thread guide is simplified.
-4-

Advantageously, the thread guide may have a course which tapers toward the free end. This also contributes to reducing the mass inertia of the thread guide, so the forces occurring at the reversal points during deceleration and acceleration of the thread guide are reduced.
Further details of the invention can be inferred below from an embodiment shown in the drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a thread guide according to the invention;
Fig. 2 shows a detailed sectional view of a thread guide fork according to Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 shows a detailed sectional view of a thread guide fork according to Fig. 1 with rods inserted in guide elements.
Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a thread guide 1 according to the invention. The thread guide 1 has a course which tapers toward its free end. The wider end of the thread guide 1 is connected to a single motor drive 3. To displace a thread on a rotating bobbin 4, which is driven by a drive roller 2, the thread guide 1 is pivoted alternately to the left and right by means of its drive 3.
At its free, narrower end, the thread guide 1 has a thread guide fork 5 which is formed by hollow thread guide elements 6, 7. The thread guide elements 6, 7 formed as hollow bodies are hollow cylindrical in the present embodiment. Alternatively, the guide elements 6, 7 may also have a course which tapers toward one end. For this purpose, they may be truncated cone-shaped, for example. The thread to be displaced is guided in accordance with the movement of the thread guide 1 between the thread guide elements 6, 7.
The hollow cylindrical guide elements 6, 7 preferably have a circular cylindrical cross section, as shown in Fig. 2. Owing to the round shape of the guide elements 6,
-5-

7 the abrasive effect of the thread passing at very high speed through the thread guide 1 on the guide elements 6, 7 is reduced. To produce the guide elements 6, 7, for example, high-grade steel or a titanium alloy may be used. These materials have a high strength and surface quality. In addition, because of their high modulus of elasticity, they have good elastic deformability.
The guide elements 6, 7 are non-positively fastened to the thread guide 1. In this case, the guide elements 6, 7 have a slight over-dimension, so the guide elements 6, 7 are connected in the manner of a press fit to the thread guide 1. Alternatively, the guide elements 6, 7 can be connected by means of adhesive to the thread guide 1, so a type of connection which is low in mass is also provided. .
To increase the flexural rigidity of the guide elements 6, 7 in the region of receiving the thread guide fork 5, the latter are reinforced by the introduction of rods 8, 9 adapted to the shape of the guide elements 6, 7, made for example of carbon or the like, as shown in Fig. 3. The rods 8, 9 in this case extend at least partially over the length of the guide elements 6, 7. The fastening of the rods 8, 9 takes place by means of adhesion.
Fig. 3 shows the arrangement of the rods 8, 9. The rods are partially located in the respective end of the guide elements 6, 7 fastened in the thread guide 1. This region of the thread guide fork 5 is subjected to the greatest mechanical loads by the thread to be displaced at high speed. By using the rods 8, 9 these loads are compensated. Because of the low weight of the material used for the rods 8, 9, these can also completely fill the guide elements 6, 7.
-6-

WE CLAIM:
1. Thread guide (1), which, to displace a thread on a rotating bobbin (4), guides the thread parallel to the bobbin axis in a thread guide fork (5), the thread guide (1) being configured in a finger-like manner and being connected at the end to a drive device (3), characterised in that two guide elements (6, 7) configured as hollow bodies are arranged at the free end of the thread guide (1) and form the thread guide fork (5).
2. Thread guide (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the guide elements (6, 7) are substantially hollow cylindrical.
3. Thread guide (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the guide elements (6, 7) have a course which tapers toward one end.
4. Thread guide (1) according to claim 1 to 3, characterised in that the guide elements (6, 7) have a circular cylindrical cross section.
5. Thread guide (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the guide elements (6, 7) consist of a metal, a metal alloy or a composite material.
6. Thread guide (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the guide elements (6, 7) are connected to the thread guide (1) by a positive fit.
7. Thread guide (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the guide elements (6, 7) are connected to the thread guide (1) by adhesion.
8. Thread guide (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the guide elements (6, 7) are provided with rods (8, 9) in their interior, which at least partially fill the guide element (6, 7).
-7-

9. Thread guide (1) according to claim 8, characterised in that the rods (8, 9) consist of a light and high-strength material.
10. Thread guide (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the guide elements (6, 7) have different lengths.
11. Thread guide (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the thread guide (1) tapers toward the free end.
Dated this 4th day of June, 2008

HpAUpHANDRAKANT JOSHI AGENT FOR OERLiKON TEXTILE GMBH & CO. KG
-8-

THREAD GUIDE

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