Method and apparatus for winding textile yarn from a supply package onto

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for operating a textile winding machine to wind yarn packages with the capability to verify a reported yarn break situation and to respond accordingly in the event that a yarn break has not, in fact, occurred. A sensing device at a textile winding station senses the travel of a yarn therepast as the yarn is wound from a supply package onto a take-up package. In the event of a yarn break or movement of the yarn beyond the sensing range of the sensing device, the sensor reports the absence of yarn to a control unit. The control unit responds to the signal from the sensing device by stopping the yarn winding operation and implementing a yarn re-establishment operation. The yarn re-establishment operation includes monitoring the position of a yarn end engaging member during its movement toward one of the yarn packages and querying the sensing device at a predetermined time determined in correspondence with the position of the yarn end engaging member as to the presence or absence of yarn. If the presence of yarn is reported, the control unit controls a yarn cutting device to cut the yarn ends and subsequently controls a splicing device to splice the yarn ends together. If the absence of yarn is reported, the control unit controls the yarn end engaging members to dispose yarn ends in the splicing device without any cutting of the yarn.