Yarn carrier tubes

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a reusable yarn carrier tube for winding yarns thereon at high speeds. The yarn carrier tube may include a hollow cylindrical circumferential wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface which define a thickness of the circumferential wall and having a first end and a second end. The yarn carrier tube may further include a pick-up groove formed through the thickness of and extending in the azimuthal direction of the circumferential wall, having a first sidewall and a second sidewall defined by the thickness of the circumferential wall, and having a leading end and a trailing end. The structural features may include a barb directed toward the leading end of the pick-up groove, defining an inner slot and an outer slot. The structural features may further include within the inner slot, a first plurality of teeth and a second plurality of teeth.

1 . A reusable yarn carrier tube for winding yarns thereon at high speeds as the carrier tube is rotated in a rotational winding direction, the carrier tube comprising:
 a hollow cylindrical circumferential wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface which define a thickness of the circumferential wall, and having a first end and a second end; and   a pick-up groove formed through the thickness of and extending in the azimuthal direction of the circumferential wall, the pick-up groove having a first sidewall and a second sidewall defined by the thickness of the circumferential wall, and having a leading end and a trailing end, wherein the trailing end of the pick-up groove comprises:   a barb extending in the azimuthal direction of the circumferential wall, directed toward the leading end of the pick-up groove, the barb defining an inner slot positioned between the barb and a longitudinal central portion of the carrier tube and an outer slot positioned between the barb and the first end of the circumferential wall; and   within the inner slot, a first plurality of teeth projecting from a first sidewall of the inner slot toward a second sidewall of the inner slot and a second plurality of teeth projecting from the second sidewall of the inner slot toward the first sidewall of the inner slot.   
     
     
         2 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 1 , wherein the leading end of the pick-up groove comprises a leading wall between the first sidewall and the second sidewall and extends hyperbolically from the exterior surface to the interior surface of the circumferential wall. 
     
     
         3 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 2 , wherein the leading wall comprises a hyperbolic outer surface connected to an angled ramp. 
     
     
         4 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 2 , wherein the leading wall comprises a gradually increasing hyperbolic curve from the exterior surface to the interior surface of the circumferential wall. 
     
     
         5 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 1 , wherein the pick-up groove first sidewall and second sidewall are perpendicular to the exterior surface of the circumferential wall. 
     
     
         6 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 1 , wherein the outer slot extends away from the leading end of the pick-up groove, in the azimuth direction, further than the inner slot extends. 
     
     
         7 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 1 , wherein the barb comprises a tip pointing in the rotational winding direction. 
     
     
         8 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 1 , wherein the outer slot further includes a first side wall positioned nearer the first end of the carrier tube and a second sidewall positioned nearer the inner slot. 
     
     
         9 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 8 , wherein the angle between the second sidewall of the outer slot and the azimuthal direction parallel to the first end of the carrier tube is 20° or less. 
     
     
         10 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 8 , wherein the angle between the second sidewall of the outer slot and the azimuthal direction parallel to the first end of the carrier tube is between 7° and 10°. 
     
     
         11 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 8 , wherein the angle between the second sidewall of the outer slot and the azimuthal direction parallel to the first end of the carrier tube is 8°. 
     
     
         12 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 1 , wherein the pick-up groove includes a gathering zone and a snagging zone. 
     
     
         13 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 1 , wherein the distance between the teeth decreases, as measured across the inner slot from the leading end to the trailing end of the pick-up groove. 
     
     
         14 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each tooth of the first plurality of teeth and the second plurality of teeth includes a face generally facing the leading end of the pick-up groove, each face having an angle measured from the inner slot sidewall adjacent the respective tooth, and the angle of each face increases moving toward the trailing end of the pick-up groove.   
     
     
         15 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 1 , wherein each tooth within the first plurality of teeth is offset from each tooth within the second plurality of teeth. 
     
     
         16 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each tooth within the first plurality of teeth and the second plurality of teeth has a tip, distal from the sidewall of the pick-up groove from which the tooth projects; and   the tip of at least one tooth of the plurality of teeth extends past the central azimuthal axis.   
     
     
         17 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each tooth within the first plurality of teeth and the second plurality of teeth has a tip, distal from the sidewall of the pick-up groove from which the tooth projects; and   the distance between the sidewall from which each tooth projects to the tip of each tooth is substantially the same.   
     
     
         18 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 1 , wherein:
 each tooth within the first plurality of teeth and the second plurality of teeth has a tip, distal from the sidewall of the pick-up groove from which the tooth projects; and   the distance between the sidewall from which each tooth projects to the tip of each tooth increases in the direction opposite to the rotational winding.   
     
     
         19 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier tube is formed from plastic. 
     
     
         20 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier tube is molded. 
     
     
         21 . A reusable yarn carrier tube for winding yarns thereon at high speeds as the carrier tube is rotated in a rotational winding direction, the carrier tube comprising:
 a hollow cylindrical circumferential wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface which define a thickness of the circumferential wall, and having a first end and a second end;   a pick-up groove formed through the thickness of and extending in the azimuthal direction of the circumferential wall, the pick-up groove having a first sidewall and a second sidewall defined by the thickness of the circumferential wall, and having a leading end and a trailing end, wherein the trailing end of the pick-up groove comprises:
 a barb extending in the azimuthal direction of the circumferential wall, directed toward the leading end of the pick-up groove, the barb defining an inner slot positioned between the barb and a longitudinal central portion of the carrier tube and an outer slot positioned between the barb and the first end of the circumferential wall; and 
 within the inner slot, a first plurality of teeth projecting from a first sidewall of the inner slot toward a second sidewall of the inner slot and a second plurality of teeth projecting from the second sidewall of the inner slot toward the first sidewall of the inner slot; and 
   wherein the leading end of the pick-up groove comprises a leading wall between the first sidewall and the second sidewall and extends hyperbolically from the exterior surface to the interior surface of the circumferential wall.   
     
     
         22 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 21 , wherein the leading wall comprises a hyperbolic outer surface connected to an angled ramp. 
     
     
         23 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 21 , wherein the leading wall comprises a gradually increasing hyperbolic curve from the exterior surface to the interior surface of the circumferential wall. 
     
     
         24 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 21 , wherein the pick-up groove first sidewall and second sidewall are perpendicular to the exterior surface of the circumferential wall. 
     
     
         25 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 21 , wherein the outer slot extends away from the leading end of the pick-up groove, in the azimuth direction, further than the inner slot extends. 
     
     
         26 . The yarn carrier tube of  claim 21 , wherein each tooth within the first plurality of teeth is offset from each tooth within the second plurality of teeth. 
     
     
         27 . A method for capturing a thread on a carrier tube, the method comprising:
 forming a carrier tube comprising a hollow cylindrical circumferential wall having an exterior surface and an interior surface which define a thickness of the circumferential wall, and having a first end and a second end;   forming a pick-up groove through the thickness of and extending in the azimuthal direction of the circumferential wall, the pick-up groove having a first sidewall and a second sidewall defined by the thickness of the circumferential wall, and having a leading end and a trailing end, wherein the trailing end of the pick-up groove comprises:
 a barb extending in the azimuthal direction of the circumferential wall, directed toward the leading end of the pick-up groove, the barb defining an inner slot positioned between the barb and a longitudinal central portion of the carrier tube and an outer slot positioned between the barb and the first end of the circumferential wall; and 
 within the inner slot, a first plurality of teeth projecting from a first sidewall of the inner slot toward a second sidewall of the inner slot and a second plurality of teeth projecting from the second sidewall of the inner slot toward the first sidewall of the inner slot; and 
 wherein the leading end of the pick-up groove comprises a leading wall between the first sidewall and the second sidewall and extends hyperbolically from the exterior surface to the interior surface of the circumferential wall; 
   rotating the carrier tube along a longitudinal central axis of the carrier tube, in a rotational winding direction;   positioning a thread near the pick-up groove; and   once the thread is captured within the pick-up groove, winding the thread onto the carrier tube.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the barb comprises a tip which is directed toward the rotational winding direction.