W. Schlafhorst Ag & Company

Dietmar Englehardt

Hans Grecksch

Gregor Ruth

A transport system of the type having a plurality of tube support members for independent transport of yarn packages to and between locations on a textile machine or machines can readily accommodate tube support members supporting different kinds and sizes of yarn packages due to novel constructions of the tube support members in accordance with the present invention. Each tube support member includes a base component compatibly dimensioned with respect to the guiding and tube support driving components of the transport system, a post component for support of a yarn package thereon, and a bumper component for protecting a supported yarn package against undesirable collisions and other impacts with other yarn packages or objects. In several variations of the tube support member, the bumper component extends radially outward beyond the base component as well as the yarn package itself so that the bumper component contacts tube support members or other objects first to thereby prevent collision of the yarn package with the tube support members or other objects. Several variations of the tube support member are particularly suited for supporting yarn packages of the type having a frusto-conical shape such as, for example, so-called cross-wound packages, and the bumper components of such tube support members are structured to protect such yarn packages even where the maximum diameter of the yarn package exceeds the diameter of the base component of the tube support member.

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Moenchengladbach, Germany

Dietmar Englehardt