1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cone holder device with a tube end protector, and more particularly to such a device for use with creels feeding yarn to a tufting machine, warpers, heatset equipment, twisters, cabling machines, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cardboard tubes are widely utilized throughout the carpet industry, and likely in other industries, to provide yarn or other materials such as string, wires, cable, etc., collectively referred to herein as xe2x80x9clinexe2x80x9d for further processing, such as by a tufting machine in the carpet industry. Once the material about a particular cardboard tube has been spent, the tube is often reutilized at some manufacturing locations. Over time, the cardboard tubes are kicked, dropped, squished or otherwise deformed and/or damaged to their use and abuse. The workers which utilize the cardboard tubes in the manufacture of finished goods are sometimes negligent in their inspection of the cardboard tubes. When a damaged tube is utilized, the line fed from the tube may get hung up on the tube end and break the line or disadvantageously apply tension to affect the end product.
It is common in the industry to utilize the end cap as shown in FIG. 1 on a cardboard tube to protect a damaged tube end. While this cap works with tubes which are still round, if a tube is out of round, the cap is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to put on the damaged tube. Furthermore, constant training is required of employees to ensure that they correctly and consistently put the caps on the tubes prior to directing the yarn from the cardboard tubes to the tufting machine or the like.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved way to protect potentially damaged ends of cardboard tubes which is not subject to the inadvertent or negligent failure of some employees to fail to put the caps on damaged ends, or the need to utilize cardboard tubes which cannot have caps placed on the end due to their being squished in a somewhat elliptical shape, or otherwise.
As suggested above, there are problems with having an exposed damaged end. One problem is as yarn or other conduit is fed from the cardboard tube, the line can get snagged on the damaged end and cause breakage. A broken line usually results in downtime for the machine which is utilizing the line to provide a finished good. Furthermore, once the problem is corrected, there is a splice which connects the line back together which may result in an imperfection in the finished good thereby potentially decreasing the value of the finished good. Even a snag which pulls free may cause an excessive tension affecting the finished good. All of these issues are serious concerns for industry.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved tube end protector.
Consequently, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for protecting a damaged end of a tube.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cone holder which replaces existing springs or tube holders or other devices.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a protector mechanism preventing line material from catching or breaking on rough edges, torn or nicked tubes, oblong or crushed tubes, or otherwise.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a permanent part of the creel with a protector to eliminate the need for personnel to manually install protectors on each individual tube prior to its use.
Accordingly, an existing tube holder on a creel is equipped with a tube stop which is typically located proximate to the non-feeding end of the tube holder. The feeding or free end of the tube holder is equipped with a deflectable tube end protector which is preferably connected to the end of the existing tube holder. Accordingly, a cardboard tube may be placed onto the tube holder which results in the deflection of the end protector until the cardboard tube is properly located on the tube holder between the end protector and tube stop which allows the end protector to deflect back to its normal position against the feeding end of the cardboard tube. In the normal configuration, the outer perimeter of the tube protector extends beyond the outer perimeter of the cardboard tube. Accordingly, as yarn or other material is fed from the cardboard tube, it contacts the edge of the tube protector instead of the end of the cardboard tube, therefore any imperfections at the end of the cardboard tube are no longer problematic for feeding the yarn from the cardboard tube.