Yarn package holder
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention pertains to a yarn package holder for textile machines and, more particularly, to an improved type weft yarn package holder for so-called outside filling supply or shuttle-less looms. 
     In looms of the outside filling supply type, that is, those looms in which the weft yarn is supplied from an outside source and is not carried to and fro through the warp shed by the shuttle or carrier itself, it is common practice to utilize a creel on one side of the loom to support and position weft packages from which the required weft yarn is withdrawn during operation of the loom. 
     Supports for yarn packages, where the yarn is wound onto a hollow tube, in which an adjustable or elastic holding device, provided at the middle of the tube holder, engages the inner wall of the tube are known. The existing supports, however, exhibit several disadvantages. One disadvantage is that in some types of support the support is firmly attached to the tube. Another disadvantage is that many of the existing adjustable supports are provided with complicated adjusting mechanisms which make their manufacture very expensive; so much so that from an economic standpoint alone, it prevents their being used extensively in the textile industry. One such adjustable support device is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,850,394, issued Nov. 26, 1974, to Raasch et al. This patent discloses a yarn package holder for receiving and securing a conical or cylindrical tube. This patent discloses a very complicated device for expanding a series of levers inside of the package to clamp or to hold the package on the support. As pointed out above, the mechanism shown in this patent is very complex and difficult for the operator to operate. 
     Another adjustable support for yarn packages is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,744,735 issued July 10, 1973, to Alfred Koenig. The yarn holder of this patent is embodied in an adjustable support comprising a spool holder provided with a shaft which at its free end has an external screw thread. A plurality of holding devices, slideably surround the shaft. Each of the holding devices comprises two longitudinally spaced annular portions which are connected with one another at their outer peripheries by a plurality of outwardly bowed spring layers. A nut engages the external screw thread of the shaft and abuts one of the annular portions of the holding device. As the nut is turned down on the shaft, the axial length of the holding device is decreased and the extent to which the spring layers are outwardly bowed is increased. The bobbin support may thus be adjusted to the shape of the tube so that it can support and hold the bobbin securely. Each holder comprises several of the spring-loaded holding devices. One disadvantage of this holding device is that it must be manually adjusted for each different diameter tube utilized thereon, and no means is provided for maintaining the yarn package in a fixed position relative to the creel on which it is supported. For example, the yarn package may become skewered on the support, thereby causing problems when the yarn is withdrawn at high linear speeds by the loom. 
     It is, therefore, a general object of the present invention to provide a yarn package support or holder which is readily adjustable to receive and secure packages wound on hollow tubes of various diameters without the necessity of adjusting the holding device. 
     A more specific object of the invention is to provide a yarn package support or holder which will receive and secure yarn packages wound on hollow cylindrical tubes of various diameters and to maintain the packages&#39; orientation during the unwinding operation on the loom with respect to the creel. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A further object of the invention is the provision of a yarn package holder on which a yarn package may easily be placed or removed manually with the use of but a single hand. 
     The invention is embodied in a holder for receiving and frictionally securing packages of yarn wound onto hollow tubes of various inner diameters which includes a base support arm which is adapted to be attached to the creel of the loom. A contact arm for contacting the inside wall of the tube on which the yarn is wound is connected at one end to the base support arm and extends therefrom at an angle of about ninety degrees. A contoured support arm is pivotally connected to the contact arm at a point which is remote from where the end of the contact arm is connected to the base support arm. Spring means are interposed between the contact arm and the contoured support arm which urge the end of the contoured support arm away from the contact arm and against an inside wall of a hollow tube placed around the contact arm and the contoured support arm. The shape of the contoured arm is such as to permit it to frictionally engage and secure hollow tubes of various diameters. This support will support tubes of various inner diameters without requiring any adjustment in the holding mechanism itself. 
    
    
      BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the claims appended to this application. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and to its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1 is a diagramatic plan view of a yarn creel such as those used on outside filling supply looms; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail plan view showing the yarn package support holder of the invention attached to the creel arm; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the yarn package holder of the invention, with the tube removed; 
     FIG. 4 is a side view of the holder illustrated in FIG. 3, showing a tube supported by the holding mechanism with parts of the tube broken away for clarity; and 
     FIG. 5 is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 4, but wherein the holder has been modified to receive smaller cylindrical tubes. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a yarn creel 10, suitable for application to a textile machine such as an outside filling supply loom or a knitting machine, as desired. Creel 10 comprises a support arm 14 which is bolted to the frame 16 to retain it in place. Two yarn packages 12 are wound onto tubes 13 and supported on yarn package holders 18 which are connected to support arm 14 by suitable bolts. The term &#34;tube&#34; as used herein means conical and cylindrical tubes of various lengths and diameters. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 wherein is shown a specific embodiment of the holder of the invention. Holder 18 comprises a base support 20 in the form of an arm, which, in use, is attached to creel support arm 14. Extending from the base support 20 at approximately a ninety degree angle is a tube contact arm 24. A reduced portion of contact arm 24 extends through a support plate 22 and base support 20 and is secured rigidly in place by a nut 26 which is threaded onto the reduced portion of contact arm 24. Thus, contact arm 24 extends from base plate 22 and base support 20 in a cantilevered fashion. 
     As can be seen from the drawings, the contact arm, as illustrated, is hexagonal, but it will be understood that the configuration of the tube contact arm may be selected as desired as long as a surface which comes into contact with the inner surface of tube 13 extends generally at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the base support 20. 
     On the free end of the tube contact arm 24, a contoured package support arm is pivotally connected. Contoured package support arm 28 has a stepped configuration which permits it to be readily depressed by the insertion of a tube 13 thereon. The contoured package support arm is provided with a sleeve 30 of frictional material such as rubber in its curved portion which is designed to come into holding contact with the inside wall of tube 13. 
     Interposed between the tube contact arm 24 and the contoured package support arm 28, is a spring 34 which is held into place by a fixed shank of a fastener in the form of a machine screw 36 which extends through slot 37 in arm 28. Spring 34 normally urges contoured package arm 28 away from the tube contact arm 24 and into frictional contact with the inside wall of tube 13. 
     The contoured support arm 28 includes a nose portion 29 having an inclined yarn package guiding surface 29a which guides the package up and over screw 36, a biased bridge portion 29b and an outwardly bowed package engaging portion 29c. More particularly, slot 37 has sufficient length to allow relative movement of contoured arm 28 and the fixed shank of fastener 36 facilitating pivoting of the contoured arm 28. Bridge portion 29b contains slot 37 and bridges yarn package guiding surface 29a and bowed portion 29c. Yarn package guiding surface 29a guides a yarn tube over the head of fastener 36 and onto bowed portion 29c in a manner that enables one handed operation from an opposing side of the holder. 
     Where relatively small diameter tubes are utilized, as seen in FIG. 5, the tube contact arm comes directly into contact with the inside wall of the tube. However, when very large tubes are used, a spacer bar 38 is placed along side the tube support arm 24 and interposed between the tube support arm and the inside wall of the tube. Spacer bar 38 is held in place against the tube contact arm by means of a machine screw 40 and a pin 42 which maintains the appropriate alignment of the spacer bar with the tube contact arm. 
     In operation, the holder of the present invention will receive and secure yarn packages wound on various diameter tubes without any adjustment of the mechanism, as for example seen in FIG. 5. The surface of the tube contact arm 24 maintains the yarn package at a right angle to the base 22 so that the operator of the loom may adjust the orientation of the package on the loom and expect it to be maintained even under the conditions of vibration that exist on looms or weaving machines. The rigid connection of the tube contact arm to the base support arm assures this continued relationship between the yarn package and the base. 
     It has also been found that the same relationship can be maintained for much greater diameter tubes such as that shown in FIG. 4 by interposing a spacer bar 38 between the tube contact arm and the inside of the tube without sacrificing in any degree the rigidity of the yarn support and the continued proper orientation of the yarn package on the creel. 
     Although the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and the appended claims.