Patent Issued for Automated Creel Systems And Methods For Using Same (USPTO 10,983,512)

2021 MAY 05 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- From Alexandria, Virginia, NewsRx journalists report that a patent by the inventors Morton, Bryan M. (Dalton, GA); Hall, Zachary N. (Cohutta, GA), filed on June 6, 2019, was published online on May 3, 2021.

The patent’s assignee for patent number 10,983,512 is Columbia Insurance Company (Omaha, Nebraska, United States).

News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Conventional methods of using a tufting creel involve manual loading and delivery of yarn packages or stalk subassemblies to a desired location. Such operations are time consuming and labor intensive. Thus, there is a need in the pertinent art for systems and methods that reduce the inefficiencies associated with such manual loading and delivery operations.”

As a supplement to the background information on this patent, NewsRx correspondents also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “Disclosed herein are systems and methods for loading and delivering stalk subassemblies and/or yarn packages to a desired location. In one embodiment, a system can comprise at least one processor, at least one automated guided vehicle, at least one creel assembly, and an automated creel loading assembly. In one aspect, the automated guided vehicle can be communicatively coupled to the at least one processor. In another aspect, each creel assembly can have a plurality of stalk subassemblies. Each stalk subassembly can be configured for selective secure engagement with an automated guided vehicle of the at least one automated guided vehicle. Additionally, each stalk subassembly can be configured for positioning in a selected operative position within the creel assembly. In these aspects, each stalk subassembly can comprise a base portion, a stalk, and a plurality of bullhorns. In one aspect, the stalk can extend upwardly from the base portion relative to a vertical axis. In another aspect, the plurality of bullhorns can extend outwardly from the stalk and can be spaced apart relative to the vertical axis. In this aspect, each bullhorn can be configured to engage a respective yarn package. In another aspect, the automated creel loading assembly can be communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to load yarn packages onto a stalk subassembly. In these aspects, the at least one processor can be configured to selectively direct each automated guided vehicle to engage a respective stalk subassembly. Upon engagement between the automated guided vehicle and the stalk subassembly, the processor can be configured to selectively direct the automated guided vehicle to move about and between the selected operative position within the creel assembly and a loading position proximate the automated creel loading assembly.

“In another embodiment, the system can comprise at least one processor, a creel assembly, and an automated guided vehicle. In one aspect, the creel assembly can have a plurality of bullhorns configured to engage respective yarn packages. In a further aspect, the automated guided vehicle can be communicatively coupled to the at least one processor. In another aspect, the automated guided vehicle can comprise a base portion, an automated creel loading assembly, and at least one yarn package storage assembly. In this aspect, an automated creel loading assembly can be positioned on the base portion and communicatively coupled to the at least one processor. In another aspect, the at least one yarn package storage assembly can be positioned on the base portion and can optionally define a plurality of engagement elements that are configured to securely engage respective yarn packages. In these aspects, each yarn package storage assembly can be selectively rotatable relative to a vertical axis to permit positioning of a selected engagement element in a desired position relative to the automated creel loading assembly. In another aspect, the at least one processor can be configured to direct movement of the automated guided vehicle to a desired location relative to the creel assembly. In a further aspect, the at least one processor can be configured to direct the automated creel loading assembly to remove selected yarn packages from the at least one yarn package storage assembly and position the selected yarn packages in engagement with selected bullhorns of the creel assembly.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“What is claimed is:

“1. A system comprising: at least one processor; at least one automated guided vehicle communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; at least one creel assembly, each creel assembly having a plurality of stalk subassemblies, each stalk subassembly being configured for selective secure engagement with an automated guided vehicle of the at least one automated guided vehicle and being configured for positioning in a selected operative position within the creel assembly, wherein each stalk subassembly comprises: a base portion; a stalk extending upwardly from the base portion relative to a vertical axis; and a plurality of bullhorns extending outwardly from the stalk and spaced apart relative to the vertical axis, wherein each bullhorn is configured to engage a respective yarn package; and an automated creel loading assembly communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to load yarn packages onto a stalk subassembly, wherein the at least one processor is configured to selectively direct each automated guided vehicle to engage a respective stalk subassembly, and wherein, upon engagement between the automated guided vehicle and the stalk subassembly, the processor is configured to selectively direct the automated guided vehicle to move about and between the selected operative position within the creel assembly and a loading position proximate the automated creel loading assembly, wherein the selected operative position is different than the loading position.

“2. The system of claim 1, wherein each creel assembly comprises two stalk subassemblies.

“3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive an input indicative of an empty stalk subassembly, and wherein the processor is configured to direct an automated guided vehicle to engage the empty stalk subassembly and to position the empty stalk subassembly in a loading position proximate the automated creel loading assembly.

“4. The system of claim 1, wherein each automated guided vehicle comprises wheels.

“5. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one waste removal belt configured to direct yarn package waste away from the automated creel loading assembly.

“6. The system of claim 5, wherein the automated creel loading assembly is configured to remove yarn package waste from a stalk subassembly positioned in the loading position.

“7. The system of claim 1, wherein the automated creel loading assembly comprises a multi-axis robot.

“8. The system of claim 7, wherein the automated creel loading assembly is configured to detect indicia provided on a yarn package positioned proximate the automated creel loading assembly, wherein the automated creel loading assembly is configured to transmit an identification signal to the at least one processor indicative of the detected indicia, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify the detected yarn package based upon the received identification signal.

“9. The system of claim 8, wherein if the identified yarn package corresponds to a desired yarn package type, the processor is configured to direct the automated creel loading assembly to load the identified yarn package onto a selected bullhorn of a stalk subassembly.

“10. The system of claim 8, wherein the automated creel loading assembly further comprises at least one belt or conveyor configured to receive yarn packages proximate the multi-axis robot of the automated creel loading assembly.

“11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one creel assembly comprises a plurality of creel assemblies.

“12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one automated guided vehicle comprises a plurality of automated guided vehicles.

“13. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of creel assemblies are distributed among two stories.

“14. The system of claim 13, further comprising at least one elevator configured to permit selective movement of the stalk subassemblies and the automated guided vehicles among the two stories of creel assemblies.

“15. The system of claim 13, wherein the automated creel loading assembly is configured to load yarn packages onto stalk subassemblies positioned in a loading position on either of the two stories of creel assemblies.

“16. A method of loading and delivering yarn packages to a desired location within a creel assembly, the method comprising: using at least one processor to instruct an automated creel loading assembly to load yarn packages onto a first stalk subassembly of a plurality of stalk subassemblies when the first stalk subassembly is in a loading position, each stalk subassembly comprising: a base portion; a stalk extending upwardly from the base portion relative to a vertical axis; and a plurality of bullhorns extending outwardly from the stalk and spaced apart relative to the vertical axis, wherein each bullhorn engages a respective yarn package loaded by the automated creel loading assembly; using the at least one processor to instruct an automated guided vehicle to engage the first stalk subassembly; and using the at least one processor to instruct the automated guided vehicle to deliver the first stalk subassembly to a selected operative position within the creel assembly, wherein the selected operative position is different than the loading position.

“17. The method of claim 16, further comprising, prior to delivery of the first stalk subassembly to the selected operative position, using the at least one processor to: receive an input indicative of the first stalk subassembly being empty; and instruct an automated guided vehicle to engage the first stalk subassembly and remove the first stalk subassembly from the creel assembly, wherein the selected operative position corresponds to a previous location of the first stalk subassembly within the creel assembly.

“18. The method of claim 16, further comprising, using the at least one processor to: instruct the automated creel loading assembly to detect indicia provided on a yarn package positioned proximate the automated creel loading assembly; receive an identification signal indicative of the detected indicia; and identify the detected yarn package based upon the received identification signal.

“19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, using the at least one processor to instruct the automated creel loading assembly to load the identified yarn package onto a selected bullhorn of the first stalk subassembly if the identified yarn package corresponds to a desired yarn package type for the selected bullhorn of the first stalk subassembly.

“20. The method of claim 16, wherein the creel assembly has a first size defined by a first group of stalk subassemblies of the plurality of stalk subassemblies, the method further comprising: using the at least one processor to instruct an automated guided vehicle to engage a second stalk subassembly of the plurality of stalk subassemblies, wherein the second stalk subassembly is not among the first group of stalk subassemblies; and using the at least one processor to instruct the automated guided vehicle that engaged the second stalk subassembly to deliver the second stalk subassembly to a selected operative position, wherein the second stalk subassembly cooperates with the first group of stalk subassemblies to enlarge the creel assembly beyond the first size of the creel assembly.”

For additional information on this patent, see: Morton, Bryan M.; Hall, Zachary N. Automated Creel Systems And Methods For Using Same. U.S. Patent Number 10,983,512, filed June 6, 2019, and published online on May 3, 2021. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=10,983,512.PN.&OS=PN/10,983,512RS=PN/10,983,512

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