FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to sliver or spinning cans and a spring assembly for a sliver can.

BACKGROUND ART OF THE INVENTION

Sliver cans, sometimes sliver can known as spinning cans or card cans are used in the textile industry for collecting fibre like cotton, wool, polyester, viscose or the like or taking sliver from a coiling head of sliver from sliver can as well as transporting the sliver. Sliver cans generally are a cylindrical or rectangular in shape and are formed in standardized sizes comprises a spring biased lid which tend to keep the material at the top of the can so that in unloading this material there will be no tendency for the sliver to drag over the side of the container or to be lifted any great distance, as this action would cause the very weak untwisted fibres to stretch or break.

Textile industries use various material for preparing sliver in carding, drawframe, speedframe upto roving and spinning such as natural fibres including cotton, flax, jute, wool, mohair, silk and man-made or synthetic fibres such as polyester, acrylic, nylon, rayon, acetate, or in combination. Each fibre's density is different, therefore, when used alone or in combination, there is always requirement of a separate sliver can as each fibre require a separate spring tension based on its density. For example: the weight of a sliver material of a spinning yarn bundle with 100% cotton of 4000m length, will be different from that of a sliver material of a spinning yarn bundle comprising 50% cotton + 50% polyester of 4000m or 100% polyester of 4000m as the densities of cotton and polyester fibres are different. Due to this difference in the density of the sliver materials of the spinning yarn bundles, a sliver can/ container is required to be changed whenever a different sliver material in the spinning yarn bundle is required to be used. Therefore, it becomes difficult for an operator to repeatedly change the sliver can/ container in such situations. Further, repeated change of sliver can/ container may lead to time loss, machine stoppages and delay in production also. Further, the textile industry requires to store various types of the sliver can based on the fibres they are using, which consumes more storage space.

Hence, there is a need for a sliver can or a spring assembly that overcomes at least one of the above mentioned drawbacks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

Accordingly, the present invention in one embodiment provides a spring assembly for a sliver can comprising a top frame for adapting a movable top plate of the sliver can, a bottom frame to be adapted removably or fixedly to a bottom of the sliver can, at least two coil springs extending from the bottom frame to the top frame for moving the top plate up and down and a locking means for locking one or more springs thereby allowing to use the same spring assembly for various types of sliver material.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a sliver can comprising a can having a bottom, a top frame for adapting a top plate, at least two coil springs connecting extending from the bottom of the can to the top plate for moving the top plate up and down, and a locking means for locking the spring having a free end based on a type of sliver material, thereby allowing to use the same sliver can for various types of sliver material.

According to the present invention, top end of at least one of the spring is free.

In further embodiment, the present invention provides a spring assembly for existing sliver cans or spring assembly of the sliver cans, comprising at least one spring to be adapted concentrically to a central spring of the sliver can or spring assembly of the sliver can, said spring extends from the bottom of the sliver can or the bottom frame of the spring assembly to a top frame and a locking means for locking the spring having a free end based on a type of sliver material, thereby allowing to use the same sliver can for various types of sliver material.

According to the present invention, the springs are central springs and are adapted concentrically.

According to the present invention, the locking means comprises one or more hooks having another end pivotely connected to the bottom frame and hook end to lock the free end of the spring. Alternatively, the locking means is C-shaped hooks to lock the free end of the spring with the last coil of the spring.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will be made to embodiments of the invention, examples of which may be illustrated in the accompanying figures. These figures are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Although, the invention is generally described in the context of these embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to these particular embodiments:

Figure 1 through Figure 1A - 1 B shows a spring assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 shows a locked spring of the spring assembly shown in Figure 1 along with a magnified view of a lock according to the present invention; Figure 3 through Figure 3A - 3B shows a spring assembly to be adapted in the existing spring assembly or sliver can;

Figure 4 through Figure 4A - 4C shows a spring assembly to be used for existing sliver can according to a further embodiment of the invention; and Figure 5 through Figures 5A -5B shows the preferable types of the locking means according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRPTION OF THE INVENTION

In general, the present invention provides a mechanism to use a sliver can for various types of the sliver material. Accordingly, the mechanism of the present invention comprises at least one free end spring and a locking means to lock the said spring at compressed state.

References in the specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, characteristic of a particular feature, or function described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.

Referring Figures 1A, 1 B and 2 show a spring assembly (100) for a sliver can (not shown) according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The spring (100) assembly comprises a top frame (1 10) for adapting a movable top plate (not shown) of the sliver can, a bottom frame (120) to be adapted removably or fixedly to a bottom (not shown) of the sliver can, two coil springs (130, 140), a plurality of scissor elements (160) and a locking means (50).

As shown in Figure 1 , two central coil springs (130, 140) extends from the bottom frame (1 10) to the top frame (120) for moving the top plate up and down. The springs (130, 140) are arranged concentrically and the top ends of the springs (130, 140) are freely connected to the top frame (120) of the spring assembly (100). The locking means (50) are in non-locking positions.

Referring Figure 1A shows a spring assembly wherein both the springs (130, 140) are in working condition and the locking means (50) are in non- lock positions. According to the present invention, the spring assembly can comprise more springs concentrically arranged as per the requirement of the textile industries based on the sliver materials. Further, the one or more springs can be removably adapted to the spring assembly so as to replace the springs as per the requirements and lock the springs as per the requirements.

As shown in Figure 1 B, the locking means (50) comprises three hook-type locking means (50) (herein after referred to as hooks) for locking the inside spring (140) in compressed state so that the outer spring (130) can be used for a sliver material of different type. Alternatively, the one locking means lock more than one spring in non-working state keeping other spring(s) in working condition based on the type of the sliver material to be collected and transported in the sliver can. Figure 2 shows the spring assembly (100) as shown in Figure 1 B without the top frame (1 10) and the outer spring (130) for defining the invention more clearly and understanding the present invention wherein the inner spring (140) of the spring assembly (100) is locked in compressed condition. The three hooks (50) have locked the inner spring (140) in a non-working condition, keeping the outer spring (130) is in working condition for using another sliver material as shown in Figure 1 B. As shown in magnified view of Figure 2, the hooks (150) are adapted pivotely at their other end (150a) to the bottom frame of the spring assembly (100). Alternatively, the locking means can be a separate part of the spring assembly and is a C - shaped hook which lock the spring at compressed state or non-working state. When the sliver can is to be used for a different sliver material or a lighter sliver material than the sliver can used for the sliver material or heavy sliver material, then top plate (now shown) is to be removed and the central spring which is to be used is required to keep in open condition and other spring(s) are compressed and locked to a non- working condition.

Figure 3 through 3A -3B shows a sliver can (200) comprising the locking mechanism as per the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the Figure 3, the sliver can (200) comprises a can (210) having a bottom (215) and a top plate (not shown). As shown in Figure 3A, two coil springs (230, 240) concentrically arranged and extend from the bottom of the can to the top plate for moving the top plate up and down. The top plate is adapted removably over the springs (230, 240). As shown in Figure 3A, a locking means comprises three hooks (50) in non-lock position (50) adapted pivotely to the bottom (215) of the sliver can (210) for locking a free end of the spring based on a type of sliver material thereby allowing to use the same sliver can (200) for various types of sliver material. The hooks (50) as shown in Figure 3B locks the inner spring (240) in a compressed position or non-working condition for using the sliver can with outer spring (230) for other material.

Figure 4 through 4A-4C shows a spring assembly (300) for the existing sliver cans or existing spring assembly of the sliver cans according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The spring assembly as shown in Figures 4A-4C for the existing sliver cans or spring assembly of the sliver cans comprises two springs (330, 340) concentrically arranged and a locking means (50) for locking the inner spring (340) having a free end based on the type of sliver material, thereby allowing to use the same sliver can with outer spring for various types of sliver material. As shown in the Figure 4A- 4C, the pivotable locking means (50) is adapted fixedly to the outer spring (330) at an end (50A). The locking means (50) is at nonlocking position in Figure 4A for using both springs (330, 340) and in a locking position in Figure 4B locking the inner spring (340).

According to the present invention spring tensions are selected based on the sliver materials. The total tension in the springs is for the heaviest material and for lightest material, tension in the spring is reduced by locking respective spring(s).

Referring Figure 5 through Figures 5A-5B shows preferable types of the locking means (50).

The locking means (50) as shown Figure 5A comprises a hook (52) pivotably connected by a pivot (54) to a fixing end (56) which is fixed to the bottom frame (120) of the spring assembly (100) as shown in Figure 1 or the bottom (215) of the sliver can (200) as shown in Figure 3 or the outer spring (330) of the spring assembly (300) as shown in Figure 4.

The locking means shown in Figure 5B is a "C"-shaped hook which lock the spring in non-working state or compressed state by hooking a first coil and last coil or free end of the spring. The locking means shown in Figure 5B is a separate part of the spring and can be separately and used for locking the other spring cans alone or in combination with the locking means as shown in Figure 5A. Alternatively, wires, threads, etc. made of metal, plastic or the like can be used as locking means to lock the spring that is required to make the coil spring in non-working condition.

Further, in Figures 1-4, it is shown that the three hooks are used for locking the spring, but even one or two hooks can be used for locking the springs. Further, one locking means can be used to lock more than one springs at a time based on the requirement.

The nouns inner, outer, hook used in the specification for understanding purpose and are not liming the invention to a meaning of said nouns. Further, though it is shown in the Figures that the inner springs are locked, it will be apparent to one of the ordinary skill in the art that outer spring can be locked with the same mechanism. Further, it will be apparent to one of the ordinary skill in the art that many modifications, improvements and sub combinations of the various embodiments, adaptations and variations can be made to the invention without departing from the scope thereof as claimed in the following claims: