Researchers Submit Patent Application, “Automated Creel Assemblies And Systems And Methods Of Making And Using Same”, for Approval (USPTO 20200031608)

2020 FEB 17 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- From Washington, D.C., NewsRx journalists report that a patent application by the inventors KURTZ, KALLIN (Apison, TN); TILLMAN, ROCKY (Rocky Face, GA); MOORE, WES (Rock Spring, GA); HALL, ZACHARY (Cohutta, GA), filed on July 30, 2019, was made available online on January 30, 2020.

The patent’s assignee is Columbia Insurance Company (Omaha, Nebraska, United States).

News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “In tufting/creeling operations, there is a need for improving safety and decreasing process time, changeover time, labor, and creel variability. The disclosed assemblies, systems, and methods can address one or more of these needs.”

As a supplement to the background information on this patent application, NewsRx correspondents also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent application: “Disclosed herein is a creel loading apparatus. The creel loading apparatus can comprise a frame and a platform that is movable along the frame on a first axis and a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis. A rotary actuator can be configured to rotate at least a portion of the platform about the first axis. A gripper can be movably attached to the at least a portion of the platform that is configured to rotate about the first axis. The gripper can be configured to releasably engage an inner surface of a yarn package. A linear actuator can be configured to move the gripper along a linear actuator axis that is perpendicular to the first axis. The linear actuator can comprise a first stage and a second stage.

“The creel loading apparatus can comprise a frame and a platform that is movable along the frame on a first axis and a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis. A rotary actuator can be configured to rotate at least a portion of the platform about the first axis. A gripper can be movably attached to the at least a portion of the platform that is configured to rotate about the first axis. At least one camera can be attached to the platform. The at least one camera can be configured to detect a diameter of a measured yarn package corresponding to a remaining quantity of material on the measured yarn package. At least one processor can be is configured to receive an image of the measured yarn package from the at least one camera, and approximate the remaining quantity of material on the measured yarn package based on the image of the measured yarn package.

“A system can comprise a creel loading apparatus, a staging area, and a robotic arm comprising a robotic arm gripper at a distal end of the robotic arm. The robotic arm and creel loading apparatus can be positioned with respect to the staging area so that the robotic arm can deliver yarn packages to the staging area, and the gripper of the creel loading apparatus can receive the yarn packages from the staging area.

“The system can further comprise a creel, wherein the creel comprises the staging area.

“A system can comprising a service robot having: a base, a gripper assembly having at least one gripper configured to releasably engage an inner surface of a yarn package, a service arm assembly having a proximal end secured to the base and a distal end secured to the gripper assembly, and an actuator configured to selectively move the service arm assembly to articulate the gripper assembly with respect to the base. The service robot can comprise a three-dimensional camera that is configured to determine a quantity of yarn packages on a yarn case. At least one processor can be communicatively coupled to the three-dimensional camera and the actuator of the service robot. The at least one processor can be configured to receive an input from the three-dimensional camera indicative of the quantity of yarn packages on the yarn case. The at least one processor can further be configured to selectively effect movement of the actuator.

“A method can comprise receiving a first yarn package at a first position on a creel, storing a value in memory indicating that the first position on the creel is occupied, upon receiving an instruction to place a second yarn package at the first position on the creel, determining, based on the value in the memory, that the first position on the creel is occupied, and providing feedback to an operator indicating that the first position on the creel is occupied.

“A system can comprise a creel defining a plurality of yarn package positions; a gantry configured to receive yarn packages at a loading location and place the yarn packages at select positions on the creel; a service robot configured to deliver packages to the gantry; a memory coupled with the one or more processors. The memory can have thereon a plurality of instructions to implement a method comprising: receiving a creel map comprising a plurality of yarn package engagement locations on the creel and identifiers for a yarn case to be received at each respective yarn case staging location, based on the creel map, causing the service robot to deliver select yarn packages from respective yarn cases to the gantry, and based on the creel map, causing the gantry to deliver the select yarn packages to respective yarn package engagement locations.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A creel loading apparatus comprising: a frame; a platform that is movable along the frame on a first axis and a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis; a rotary actuator that is configured to rotate at least a portion of the platform about the first axis; a gripper that is movably attached to the at least a portion of the platform that is configured to rotate about the first axis, wherein the gripper is configured to releasably engage an inner surface of a yarn package; and a linear actuator that is configured to move the gripper along a linear actuator axis that is perpendicular to the first axis, wherein the linear actuator comprises a first stage and a second stage.

“2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first stage comprises a servo motor that is configured to move the gripper along the linear actuator axis, and wherein the second stage comprises a pneumatic actuator that is configured to move the gripper along the linear actuator axis.

“3. The creel loading apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a sub-platform, wherein the servo motor is configured to move the sub-platform along a track, and wherein the pneumatic cylinder is attached to the sub-platform so that the pneumatic cylinder is in a fixed position along the linear axis with respect to the sub-platform.

“4. The creel loading apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second gripper and a second linear actuator, wherein the second gripper is movably attached to the platform and configured to releasably engage an inner surface of a yarn package, and wherein the second linear actuator is configured to move the second gripper along the linear axis.

“5. The creel loading apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a third gripper and a third linear actuator, wherein the third gripper is movably attached to the platform and configured to releasably engage an inner surface of a yarn package, and wherein the third linear actuator is configured to move the third gripper along the linear axis.

“6. The creel loading apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a camera that is attached to the platform, wherein the camera is configured to detect a diameter of a measured yarn package corresponding to a remaining quantity of material on the measured yarn package.

“7. The creel loading apparatus of claim 6, further comprising at least one processor that is configured to: receive an image of the measured yarn package from the camera, and approximate the remaining quantity of material on the measured yarn package based on the image of the measured yarn package.

“8. The creel loading apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a horizontal track and a vertical member that is movable along the horizontal track, and wherein the platform is movably attached to the vertical member.

“9. The creel loading apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a staging platform that is attached to the vertical member so that the staging platform is configured to move with the vertical member along the first axis.

“10. The creel loading apparatus of claim 9, wherein the staging platform comprises at least one bullhorn configured to receive a yarn package thereon.

“11. The creel loading apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gripper comprises a generally cylindrical profile having a gripper axis and at least one portion that is configured to extend and retract radially with respect to the gripper axis in order to selectively grip and release the yarn package.

“12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one camera comprises a first camera that is disposed on a first side of the platform and a second camera that is disposed on a second side of the platform opposite the first side of the platform.

“13. A system comprising: the creel loading apparatus comprising: a frame, a platform that is movable along the frame on a first axis and a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis, a rotary actuator that is configured to rotate at least a portion of the platform about the first axis, a gripper that is movably attached to the at least a portion of the platform that is configured to rotate about the first axis, wherein the gripper is configured to releasably engage an inner surface of a yarn package, and a linear actuator that is configured to move the gripper along a linear actuator axis that is perpendicular to the first axis, wherein the linear actuator comprises a first stage and a second stage; a staging area; and a robotic arm comprising a robotic arm gripper at a distal end of the robotic arm, wherein the robotic arm and creel loading apparatus are positioned with respect to the staging area so that the robotic arm can deliver yarn packages to the staging area, and the gripper of the creel loading apparatus can receive the yarn packages from the staging area.

“14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a creel, wherein the creel comprises the staging area.

“15. A method of using a creel system comprising a creel, a gantry, and a service arm, comprising: receiving a creel map comprising a plurality of yarn package engagement locations on the creel and respective identifiers corresponding to yarn packages to be received at each yarn package engagement location; assigning, based on the identifiers of the yarn packages of the creel map, yarn case staging locations for receiving respective yarn cases, wherein each yarn case has a respective identifier and comprises a plurality of yarn packages; receiving a yarn case at each respective yarn case staging location; using the service arm to provide yarn packages from the yarn cases to the gantry; and using the gantry to deliver the yarn packages to the respective yarn package engagement locations based on the creel map.

“16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving a yarn case at each respective yarn case staging location comprises: receiving an identifier for a yarn case to be received at each respective yarn case staging location; determining, based on the creel map, if the identifier for the yarn case corresponds to the identifier for a yarn package within the creel map; and if the identifier for the yarn case does not correspond to the identifier for a yarn package within the creel map, providing feedback to an operator.

“17. The method of claim 16, wherein the identifier for the yarn case is a SKU.

“18. The method of claim 15, further comprising: receiving an identifier for a yarn case at a yarn case staging location; determining if the yarn case staging location is occupied by another yarn case; and if the yarn case staging location is occupied, providing feedback to an operator of the creel system.

“19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: receiving a yarn case on a respective yarn case staging location; and detecting the yarn case on the respective yarn case staging location.

“20. The method of claim 18, wherein detecting the yarn case on the respective yarn case staging location comprises receiving a signal from a load sensor.

“21. The method of claim 18, wherein determining if the yarn case staging location is occupied comprises receiving a signal from a load sensor.

“22. The method of claim 18, wherein determining if the yarn case staging location is occupied comprises receiving a value from memory corresponding to the staging location being occupied.”

For additional information on this patent application, see: KURTZ, KALLIN; TILLMAN, ROCKY; MOORE, WES; HALL, ZACHARY. Automated Creel Assemblies And Systems And Methods Of Making And Using Same. Filed July 30, 2019 and posted January 30, 2020. Patent URL: http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220200031608%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20200031608&RS=DN/20200031608

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