EP3224170B1

EP3224170B1 - Method for making a ball of thread-like textile material and a ball made in this way

Info

Publication number: EP3224170B1
Application number: EP15818049.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giacomo LIVI
Original assignee: ECAFIL BEST SpA INDUSTRIA FILATI
Current assignee: ECAFIL BEST SpA INDUSTRIA FILATI
Priority date: 2014-11-25
Filing date: 2015-11-23
Publication date: 2019-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 2035-11-23
Also published as: EP3224170A1; WO2016083973A1

Description

This invention relates to the field of making balls of thread-like textile material, such as for example but without limiting the invention cotton, wool, silk, yarns of mixed natural and synthetic materials.
More specifically, this invention relates to a new method for making a ball of thread-like textile material.
This invention also relates to a ball of thread-like textile material made by applying the above-mentioned method.
There are currently various prior art methods for making balls of thread-like textile material.
The term ball used hereinafter in the description and in the claims means a continuous portion of thread-like textile material wound in a multiplicity of turns or windings relative to at least one axis of rotation shared by all the turns.
The various windings may be made in turn around at least one collecting device.
The collecting devices usually consist of strips made of paper material or, in any case, portions of flexible material.
Also, generally, the known winding devices are designed to be joined in the form of a closed loop in order to surround the various windings which form the ball.
Each currently known different method for making leads to, using various technical solutions (for example, operated manually, automatically or semiautomatically), respective embodiments of the ball.
Amongst the known solutions of balls, it is necessary to mention the classic ball in which the collecting device comprises a strip of paper material and surrounds the outside of a central portion of the windings of the textile material.
Another well known embodiment of the ball is characterised in that the various windings of textile material are kept in the reciprocal position without the help of any collecting device but exclusively thanks to the presence of one or more interferences created in and by the thread-like material.
All the methods and, therefore, the respective balls of thread-like textile material currently made have major drawbacks.
More specifically, a major drawback, but not the only one, is due to the fact that, so as to obtain a compact ball which is easy and secure to store it is necessary that the ends of the wound textile material are protected relative to the outside environment of the ball.
In detail, this protection of the ends is needed to ensure a certain guarantee of non-spontaneous unwinding of the ball during each of the steps prior to the actual by a user: production, transport, storage... However, in order to obtain this guarantee of non-spontaneous unwinding, all the known methods and, therefore, the balls, comprise having at least the initial end of the ball being positioned inside the ball.
That is to say, that at least the initial end is well beneath the outer surface of the ball, positioned, therefore, in an almost central zone of the ball.
In this way, a compromise is always found between: ensuring in an acceptable manner the non-spontaneous unwinding of the ball, and in the step of actual first use by a user, making the operation of searching for and identifying one of the two free ends simple and risk free.
More specifically, the risk run by the user each time upon the first unwinding of a ball of known type is that of causing a twisting of the thread-like textile material with consequent possible knots.
It should also be noted that the occurrence of one or more knots can cause the inevitable need to cut a portion of textile material with a greater or lesser length; that is, generating a considerable waste of material to the expense of the end user.
This risk may even result in the complete inability to use the entire ball. Another major drawback with the prior art balls is that every time the ball is used by the user there is the same difficulty (and risks of entangling) as in the first unwinding.
Examples of methods included in the state of the art are described in DE7415533U and DE3614321 .
One aim of this invention is to provide a method for making a ball of a thread-like textile material and a ball of thread-like textile material made through the application of the above-mentioned method which overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art methods and balls.
More specifically, the aim of this invention is to provide a method for making a ball of thread-like textile material and a ball made using the above-mentioned method which, at the same time, guarantees non-spontaneous unwinding in the steps prior to use as well as being easy and with zero risk of entangling during the first unwinding step and actual use of the ball by a user.
A further important aim is to provide a ball of thread-like textile material which can be used without risk of twisting during different work sessions. More specifically, a ball which can always keep one of the two ends of the thread-like textile material instantaneously identifiable by a user.
This invention describes a method for making a ball of a thread-like textile material having a first and a second end comprising the following steps: fixing in a removable fashion a first end of the thread-like textile material to a fixing portion of a ball winding machine, performing the ball winding operations so as to create a ball of the textile material, preparing at least one device for collecting and maintaining the ball, fixing at least the first end of the thread-like textile material to an attaching portion of the at least one collecting device, extracting the ball from the ball winding machine. The method also comprises a final step of fixing the second end of the thread-like textile material to a respective second attaching portion of the at least one collecting device.
Advantageously, the first end of the thread-like textile material is the end positioned in the central and inside zone of the ball.
This invention accordingly relates also to making a ball of a thread-like textile material having a first and a second end and made according to the above-mentioned method wherein at least the end of the thread-like textile material positioned inside the ball is attached to a respective attaching portion of the collecting device to favour the unwinding; both the first end and the second end of the thread-like textile material are both engaged in a removable fashion to a single attaching portion.
Advantageously, moreover, the at least one device for collecting the thread-like textile material is in the form of a strip, preferably made of paper or plastic.
Advantageously, in addition, the collecting device comprises at least one attaching portion for a respective end of the thread-like textile the material. Advantageously, moreover, the at least one attaching portion comprises a cut having a length less than the width of the collecting device and a width less than the diameter of the thread-like textile material.
Advantageously, lastly, wherein the collecting device comprises two attaching portions for engaging, respectively, with the first end and the second end of the thread-like textile material, in order to keep them independently attached to the collecting device.
Further features and details of a preferred, non-limiting embodiment of the invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a first solution for making a ball according to this invention and made in accordance with the respective method;
Figure 2 is a schematic view of a second solution for making a ball according to this invention and made in accordance with the respective method;
Figure 3 is a schematic view of a third solution for making a ball according to this invention and made in accordance with the respective method.

As illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, the numeral 1 denotes a ball according to this invention, that is made using the method also according to this invention.
In detail the method according to this invention relates to the making of a ball 1 of thread-like textile material 4, such as, for example, cotton, silk or wool, and synthetic and non-synthetic mixed yarns.
The thread-like textile material comprises a first end 3 and a second end 5 connected continuously from the central portion of the thread-like textile material 4.
Merely by way of an example, the ball 1 may have a continuous linear length of between 20 and 400 metres.
The method according to the invention comprises the following operational steps:
Initially, it is necessary to fix in a removable manner one of the two ends 3, 5, that is, the first end 3 of the thread-like textile material 4 to a fixing portion of a ball winding machine.
Ball winding machines are machines generally used for making balls 1 of yarns, which are wound on an axis rotating by means of an appendage which is also rotating: the speed and the relative inclination of the two rotation elements determine the angle at which the successive windings 10 of the ball 1 cross.
Using this ball winding machine it is necessary to perform the ball winding operations in order to create a ball 1 comprising a variable multiplicity of windings 10 of the textile material 4.
Subsequently, preparing at least one collecting device 2 designed to keep together and compact the above-mentioned windings 10 of textile material 4.
The collecting device 2 may consist of any flexible material which can be joined in a closed loop.
Merely by way of an example, the collecting device 2 can be made with a strip of paper or plastic material.
A subsequent step of the method consists in disengaging the first end 3 of the thread-like textile material 4, which had been attached to the ball winding machine, and fixing it to a respective attaching portion 6 made directly on the collecting device 2.
Lastly, extracting the ball 1 from the ball winding machine and preparing the successive, and traditional steps for packaging and transport.
The end 3 of the ball 1 described above, which is fixed to the collecting device 2, is the one coming from the innermost part of the ball 1.
A further step, advantageously in the method according to this invention, consists in fixing, as well as the above-mentioned first end 3, also the second end 5 of the thread-like material 4 to a respective second attaching portion 7 of the collecting device 2.
In this way, it is possible to obtain a ball 1 having both the ends 3, 5 of the thread-like textile material 4 engaged to the collecting device 2.
This invention also relates to a ball 1 made using the method described above, in particular a ball 1 comprising a plurality of windings 10 of thread-like textile material 4 having a first end 3 and a second end 5.
In the ball 1 at least one of the two ends 3, 5 is attached in a removable fashion to a respective attaching portion 6, 7 of the collecting device 2. The purpose of this is to favour the unwinding by a user.
Purely by way of example, the attaching portions 6, 7 may consist of a cut having a length less than the total width of the collecting device 2 and a width less than the diameter of the thread-like textile material 4.
In this way, both the engaging and the disengaging of the thread-like textile material 4 by a user is simple and advantageous.
Other types of attaching portion 6, 7 are possible without modifying the inventive concept of this invention; for example comprising a through hole in the collecting device or an external element such as an adhesive or a protuberance made of plastic material or the like.
Figure 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a ball 1 according to this invention comprising a single collecting device 2 having however two separate attaching portions 6 and 7.
In this way it is possible to engage the two ends 3, 5 of the thread-like textile material 4 to a respective attaching portion 6, 7.
In the embodiment shown, the engaging portions 6, 7 are made by two respective cuts with a length less than the width of the collecting device 2 and a width less than the diameter of the textile material 4.
Figure 2 illustrates a second embodiment comprising a single collecting device 3 having two attaching portions 6 and 7.
In this solution, however, both the attaching portions 6, 7 are designed to engage with a single end 3 of the textile material 4.
This solution guarantees a double hold by the collecting device 2.
Figure 3 illustrates, on the other hand, a third embodiment of a ball 1 according to this invention characterised in that it comprises two collecting devices 3, 8, both in the form of a loop.
More specifically, a first collecting device 3 comprising two attaching portions 6, 7 for one (or, as mentioned above, for both 3, 5) of the ends of the textile material 4 and a second collecting device 8 which only performs the function of collecting the windings 10 of the textile material 4.
It is understood that a possible embodiment may be characterised in that the first collecting device 2 comprises a first portion 6 for engaging the respective first end 3 and that the second collecting device 8 comprises the second portion 7 for engaging the respective second end 5.
The method and the ball according to this invention bring major advantages.
A first advantage consists in avoiding the risk of spontaneous unwinding of the ball 1 during the post-production steps and prior to the actual use.
This advantage is more important since a spontaneous unwinding would without doubt mean that the entire ball 1 cannot be used, or at least a significant part of the windings 10, due to the certain generation of a knotted portion of the thread-like textile material 4.
A second important advantage consists in the fact that the identification by a user of one of the two ends 3, 5 of the textile material 4 is simple and fast, that is, the identification of the end needed for enabling the weaving tool: whether it is a needle, a bar or any other tool designed to perform operations with the thread-like textile material 4 of the ball 1.
Another important advantage consists in the fact that the engaging portions 6, 7, thanks to their elastic deformability, can be re-used for the entire life of the ball 1.
In effect, it is known that the typical user of these balls is very likely to interrupt their activities before coming to the end of the entire length of the textile material 4 wrapped in the ball 1.
By using this invention, the step of identifying the end 3, 5 to be inserted in the weaving tool when the work is restarted will be instantaneous; thereby saving time in the overall machining times.
Also, it should not be underestimated that if step of the user identifying the end 3, 5 to be used is not instantaneous, there is the risk of generating knots and tangles of the entire ball 1.
Finally, it is clear that this invention may be modified, added to or adapted in ways obvious to technicians in the field, without thereby departing from the protective scope of the appended claims.

Claims

A method for making a ball (1) of thread-like textile material (4) having a first end (3) and a second end (5) comprising the following steps:
- fixing in a removable manner the first end (3) of the thread-like textile material (4) to a fixing portion of a ball winding machine,

- performing the ball winding operations in order to create a ball (1) of the textile material (4),

- preparing at least one device (2) for collecting and maintaining the ball (1),

- fixing at least the first end (3) of the thread-like textile material (4) to an attaching portion (6) of the at least one collecting device (2),

- extracting the ball (1) from the ball winding machine, characterised in that it also comprises a final step of:
- fixing the second end (5) of the thread-like material (4) to a respective second attaching portion (7) of the at least one collecting device (2).
The method according to claim 1 wherein the first end (3) of the thread-like textile material (4) fixed to the collecting device (2) is the end positioned more inside the ball (1) relative to the second end (5).
A ball (1) of thread-like textile material (4) having a first end (3) and a second end (5) and made using the method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the two ends (3, 5) of thread-like textile material (4) is attached to a respective attaching portion (6) of the collecting device (2) to favour the unwinding, characterised in that the first end (3) and the second end (5) of the thread-like textile material (4) are both attached in a removable fashion to the first attaching portion (6).
The ball (1) according to claim 3, wherein the at least one device (2) for collecting of the thread-like textile material (4) is in the form of a closed loop, preferably made of paper or plastic.
The ball (1) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the collecting device (2) comprises at least one attaching portion (6, 7) for a respective end (3, 5) of the thread-like textile material (4).
The ball (1) according to claim 5, wherein the at least one attaching portion (6, 7) comprises a cut having a length less than the width of the collecting device (2) and having a width less than the diameter of the thread-like textile material (4).
The ball (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the collecting device (2) comprises two attaching portions (6, 7) for engaging, respectively, with the first end (3) and the second end (5) of the thread-like textile material.