Yarn feeding apparatus, particularly for knitting machines

Abstract

A yarn feeding or supply apparatus for textile machines, particularly knitting machines, has a rotatable storage drum supported on a holder, which can be coupled to a drive source setting it into rotation and having yarn guide elements for directing yarn to and from the drum associated with it. In order to assure satisfactory formation of windings of storage yarn on the storage drum even with yarns which may be difficult to handle, the arrangement is such that the yarn supply guide element directing the yarn onto a first conical circumferential surface, acting as the yarn run-on surface, is disposed at least at the height of this surface; that the storage drum has an inwardly receding conical yarn support surface adjoining a second conical circumferential surface in the axial direction, the cone angle of the yarn support surface being substantially smaller than that of the second conical surface, an annular surface extending essentially at right angles to the two conical surfaces being disposed between these two conical surfaces, and the axial length of the yarn support surface being appropriate for receiving an intermediate group of yarn loops comprising a plurality of adjacent yarn windings; and that the conical yarn support surface merges with an essentially cylindrical circumferential surface of the storage drum accepting the storage loops of yarn.