GB1589228A

GB1589228A - Looms

Info

Publication number: GB1589228A
Application number: GB3793377A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Sulzer AG; Gebrueder Sulzer AG
Current assignee: Sulzer AG
Priority date: 1976-09-15
Filing date: 1977-09-12
Publication date: 1981-05-07
Also published as: FR2364988B1; IT1085167B; AT351470B; JPS6054418B2; JPS5338747A; DE2645302C2; DE2645302B1; FR2364988A1; ATA757376A; CH610364A5

Abstract

Series shed-weaving machine, in which a plurality of sheds travel in the warp direction during operation. The sheds are maintained by shed-holding elements, so that a plurality of wefts can be inserted at the same time. The shed-holding elements consist of pivoting wings (12) which are introduced into the warp threads (9) in a position parallel to the warp direction (6). They are pivoted through 90 DEG in the shed, so that they are in the weft direction. In this position, all the pivoting wings form a continuous shed-holding element extending in the weft direction. The entire pivoting wings can be moved further in the warp direction in this position. This makes it easier to introduce the pivoting wings into the warp threads and to maintain the travelling shed during operation, and an operationally reliable continuous shed-holding rail can be formed from the pivoted pivoting wings. <IMAGE>

Description

(54) LOOMS (71) We, SULZER BROTHERS LIMITED, a Company organised under the laws of Switzerland, of Winterthur, Switzerland, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method bv which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The invention relates to a serial shed loom having shed holders to maintain a plurality of sheds moving in the warp direction during operation, each shed holder comprising a number of associated shed-holding elements which are disposed one beside another in the weft direction and which retains the warp threads in the top-shed and bottomshed positions.

In a loom of this construction described in German Offenlegungsschrift 2 602 511, the shed-holding elements take the form of rods which are adapted to be inserted into the shed through one of the warp sheets in a direction perpendicular to the warp threads and are pivotable inside the shed around pivot axes which extend substantially parallel to the warp direction, the rods thus being moved into their shed-holding positions in which they extend in the weft direction. This is a relatively complicated construction and cannot reliably ensure that, during operation and the forward movement of the elements in the direction of the weaving plane, the pivoted-out shed-holding elements form a continuous shed-holding bar which reliably maintains all the warp threads in the open-shed position.

It is an object of the invention to provide a loom which is improved particularly in this aspect.

According to the present invention, a serial shed loom has shed holders to maintain, during operation of the loom, a plurality of sheds moving in the warp direction, each shed holder comprising a row of wing members which are mounted to be insertable into a shed while extending generally along the warp direction and swingable into shedholding positions in which they extend transversely of the warp direction.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways but three looms embodying the invention and two modifications will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the shedforming parts of a serial shed loom; Figure 2 shows a detail of Figure 1 to which a modification has been applied; Figure 3 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 of a second loom; Figure 4 is a partly sectioned fragmentary view of the loom shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a plan view of the parts shown in Figure 4; Figures 6 and 7 are sections on the lines A-A and B-B respectively of Figure 4; Figure 8 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 of another loom; Figures 8a and 8b illustrate the operation of the construction shown in Figure 8;; Figure 9 shows weaving in progress on the loom shown in Figure 1; and Figure ]0 shows a modification of the loom shown in Figure 8.

The loom of which the shed-forming parts are shown in Figure 1 and which is shown in operation in Figure 9 comprises a machine frame 1 on which are two roller ways 2, 3 on which run rollers 5 which carry L-shaped beams 4 which travel in the direction indicated by an arrow 6 along a curved path 7 indicated by chain-dotted lines. The beams are driven along the path by a chain drive 8 which moves in the direction of arrow 10.

The beams travel along below the warp threads 9 and the weaving plane 11.

Each beam 4 carries a number of shedholding devices which have the general reference 12 and each of which may, as will become apparent, be referred to as a wing member. Each such device comprises: a hollow shaft 13 extending substantially perpendicularly to the weaving plane 11; a finger 15 so secured to the shaft 13 as to extend parallel to the weft direction 14; and another shaft 16 which has on it a finger 17 which also extends parallel to the weft direction 14. The shaft 16 is mounted for axial movement in the hollow shaft 13 but is prevented from rotating relatively thereto by a key 20. The shaft 16 is biased by a spring 19 into the closed position 15b, 17b (shown by way of example at the position 40b in Figure 9).The finger 15 is troughshaped and the finger 17 has a rod shape matching the trough; consequently, in the closed position l5b, 17b a composite pivoting member having a substantially smooth surface is formed. Each shaft 13 is rigidly connected to an arm 18 by which it (and the shaft 16 within it) can be pivoted about their common axis into the shed-holding position which is shown in Figure 1 and in which all the devices 12 are substantially aligned with one another and form a continuous shedholding rod 23 to maintain the shed 22 open. The fingers are slightly longer than the spacing of the axes 21 so there are no gaps between adjacent fingers.

Secured to the free ends 24 of the levers 18 are pins 25 which extend into slots 26 in a bar 28 reciprocatable in a direction indicated by arrow 27. At one end 29 of the bar 28 is a roller 31 which cooperates with a stationary cam track 32. A spring 33 tends to press the bar 28 to the right in Figure 1 so as to keep the roller 31 in continuous engagement with the cam track 32. When the bar 28 reciprocates, the levers 18 pivot and therefore the devices 12 swing.

At its ends, the bar 28 carries a bracket 24 to which is secured a toothed rack 35 having saw teeth 36 each of which is engaged by one of the shafts 16 so that as the bar 28 and hence the rack 35 is moved to the left in Figure 1 the shafts 16 and hence the fingers 17 of the devices 12 are moved upwards into the open-shed position shown, in which position the two fingers 15, 17 are spaced from one another by a distance d corresponding to the open shed. As Figure 1 shows, the shed-holding position in which the devices 12 are shown is produced by the parts 28, 35 moving to the left (rise of teeth 36).

A number of guide teeth 37 for a weft insertion element, e.g. a gripper projectile, are secured to each beam 4. A picker (not shown) picks weft threads in the direction indicated by an arrow 14 through the series of moving sheds 22, 22a, 22b which are advancing in the direction indicated by the arrows 6.

A detailed description of the weaving operation with reference to Figure 9 will be given below but first a number of possible modifications will be described.

In the modification shown in Figure 2, the fingers 15, 17 have rollers 41 to reduce friction from the warp threads 9 while the devices 12 are advancing in the direction of the arrows 6.

In the example shown in Figures 3 to 7 (which is otherwise similar to that of Figures 1 and 9) the wing members or devices 12a are in the form of plate-like members of substantially parallelogram contour. Each device 12 is secured to an individual shaft 16. When in the shed-holding position shown, the various devices 12a overlap one another in regions 42.

In the example shown in Figure 8 (which is also otherwise similar to that of Figures 1 and 9) each beam 4 has movably mounted on it a beam 4a which is biased to the right by a spring 33 and on which the swinging wing members or devices 12a are mounted.

As considered in the direction of shed movement (arrow 6), the guide teeth 37 are disposed behind the devices 12a, being secured to the beam 4. Again as considered in the direction of the arrow 6, the bar 28a is disposed behind the beam 4. To bring the devices 12a into a position parallel to the warp, they are pivoted forwardly (in the direction of the arrow 6) as indicated by an arrow 61.

In this construction a stationary cam track 32a on the left moves the bar 28a via a roller 31 a in the direction indicated by an arrow 27a. The cam track 32b acts via a roller 31b to reciprocate the beam 4a. Thus the ends of the levers 18 are moved in opposite directions and this increases the possible pivoting angle of the devices 12a and, if required, enables them to enter and leave the warp threads 9 with a helical movement.

Referring now to Figure 9, which shows the weaving operation performed by the loom shown in Figure 1, the several shed-holding units 40 comprising the integers 4, 28, 35, 12, 37 travel cyclically around an oval 41. Before entering the shed, the wing members or devices 12 having the fingers 15, 17 first come into a position 15a, 17a parallel to the warp, whereafter they enter the shed 22 in position 15b, 17b. When the devices 12 are in the shed, the fingers 17 rise into the open position 17c as the shed continues to move and both fingers of each device swing like a wing to positions parallel to the weft (position 15c, 17c). Each unit 40 then passes through positions 40b, 40c. The devices now move to the left without altering their relative positions (position 40d, 40e), whereafter the devices 12 swing in the direction indicated by an arrow 43 and each finger 17 descends as indicated by an arrow 44, so that the fingers move into the closed position 15f, 17f which is parallel to the warp and in which they are not spaced apart from one another and can be moved out of the shed 22c (position 40f). During this movement the weft thread 45 picked by the elements 44 issues from the shuttle guide 37 and is beaten up on the cloth 47 by the edge of a rotating reed 46 which travels along the locus 65.

The swinging devices 12a of Figures 3 to 7 are introduced into the shed 22 parallel to the warp in the same way as in Figure 9, pivoted in the shed to a position parallel to the weft and, after further displacement, are moved parallel to the warp out of the shed 22e (position 40f).

The construction shown in Figure 8 operates as follows (see Figures 8a and 8b). First, the shaft 16 is, when in the position corresponding to position 40 (Figure 9), in a position 161 substantially parallel to the warp.

The devices 12a move towards the warp threads 9 in an inclined position 12al and are introduced successively through the warp threads. The unit 40 gradually moves into position 40b, the beam 4a moving the shafts 16 through position 1611. The shafts 16 and the devices 12a become upright consecutively in the shed (positions 161all, 12a111) until finally at the end of the helical movements of the devices 12a the position 161111, 12allll (shed-holding position) corresponding to the position 40c of Figure 9 has been reached.

In the example shown in Figure 10 the swinging devices 1 2d is symmetrical with respect to the pivot axis 16. Such devices could replace those shown in Figure 8.

In all embodiments, the pivot axis 21 of the swinging devices 12, 12a is disposed substantially perpendicular to the weaving plane 11 or warp direction (arrow 6) during the displacement, so that the swinging devices can be moved in and out in a very advantageous manner.

Instead of by gripper needles, weft insertion can be by rapiers or water or air jets, for example.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A serial shed loom having shed holders to maintain, during operation of the loom, a plurality of sheds moving in the warp direction, each shed holder comprising a row of wing members which are mounted to be insertable into a shed while extending generally along the warp direction and swingable into shed-holding positions in which they extend transversely of the warp direction.

2. A loom as claimed in Claim 1 in which the wing members of each shed holder are mounted on a carrier member extending in the weft direction and have a common swing drive.

3. A loom as claimed in Claim 2 in which each wing member has a drive lever which is connected to a common drive rod movable in the weft direction to move all the drive levers.

4. A loom as claimed in Claim 3 which includes a cam track which extends in the warp direction and which serves to drive the drive rod.

5. A loom as claimed in Claim 4 in which the wing members are pivoted in a drive member which is movable in the weft direction and the loom includes a second cam track which serves to drive the said drive member.

6. A loom as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4 or Claim 5 in which the carrier member and the drive rod form part of a carriage which is arranged to travel around a closed path.

7. A loom. as claimed in any of the preceding Claims in which each wing member is in the form of a plate and in the shedholding positions all the plates are disposed one beside another and form a continuous shed-holding slat which is disposed perpendicularly to the weaving plane.

8. A loom as claimed in Claim 7 in which each plate is pivotally mounted at one end.

9. A loom as claimed in Claim 7 in which each plate is pivotally mounted at its centre.

10. A loom as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 6 in which each wing member comprises two parallel fingers having a first condition for introduction into the shed in which the fingers are close together and an operative condition for shed holding in which the fingers are parallel to one another and separated from one another by a distance corresponding to the open shed.

11. A loom as claimed in Claim 10 in which the fingers of each wing member are mounted on separate shafts which extend substantially perpendicularly to the weaving plane and have a common axis, the shafts being axially movable relative to one another to adjust shedding distance.

12. A loom as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11 in which each of the fingers has a roller to reduce the friction with warp yarns in contact therewith.

13. A serial shed loom substantially as described herein with reference to: Figures 1 and 9; or Figures 1 and 9 modified as described herein with reference to Figure 2; or Figures 3 to 7; or Figures 8, 8a and 8b; or Figures 8, 8a and 8b modified as described herein with reference to Figure 10.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

7 are introduced into the shed 22 parallel to the warp in the same way as in Figure 9, pivoted in the shed to a position parallel to the weft and, after further displacement, are moved parallel to the warp out of the shed 22e (position 40f).

The construction shown in Figure 8 operates as follows (see Figures 8a and 8b). First, the shaft 16 is, when in the position corresponding to position 40 (Figure 9), in a position 161 substantially parallel to the warp.

The devices 12a move towards the warp threads 9 in an inclined position 12al and are introduced successively through the warp threads. The unit 40 gradually moves into position 40b, the beam 4a moving the shafts 16 through position 1611. The shafts 16 and the devices 12a become upright consecutively in the shed (positions 161all, 12a111) until finally at the end of the helical movements of the devices 12a the position 161111, 12allll (shed-holding position) corresponding to the position 40c of Figure 9 has been reached.

In the example shown in Figure 10 the swinging devices 1 2d is symmetrical with respect to the pivot axis 16. Such devices could replace those shown in Figure 8.

In all embodiments, the pivot axis 21 of the swinging devices 12, 12a is disposed substantially perpendicular to the weaving plane 11 or warp direction (arrow 6) during the displacement, so that the swinging devices can be moved in and out in a very advantageous manner.

Instead of by gripper needles, weft insertion can be by rapiers or water or air jets, for example.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. A serial shed loom having shed holders to maintain, during operation of the loom, a plurality of sheds moving in the warp direction, each shed holder comprising a row of wing members which are mounted to be insertable into a shed while extending generally along the warp direction and swingable into shed-holding positions in which they extend transversely of the warp direction.
2. A loom as claimed in Claim 1 in which the wing members of each shed holder are mounted on a carrier member extending in the weft direction and have a common swing drive.
3. A loom as claimed in Claim 2 in which each wing member has a drive lever which is connected to a common drive rod movable in the weft direction to move all the drive levers.
4. A loom as claimed in Claim 3 which includes a cam track which extends in the warp direction and which serves to drive the drive rod.
5. A loom as claimed in Claim 4 in which the wing members are pivoted in a drive member which is movable in the weft direction and the loom includes a second cam track which serves to drive the said drive member.
6. A loom as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4 or Claim 5 in which the carrier member and the drive rod form part of a carriage which is arranged to travel around a closed path.
7. A loom. as claimed in any of the preceding Claims in which each wing member is in the form of a plate and in the shedholding positions all the plates are disposed one beside another and form a continuous shed-holding slat which is disposed perpendicularly to the weaving plane.
8. A loom as claimed in Claim 7 in which each plate is pivotally mounted at one end.
9. A loom as claimed in Claim 7 in which each plate is pivotally mounted at its centre.
10. A loom as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 6 in which each wing member comprises two parallel fingers having a first condition for introduction into the shed in which the fingers are close together and an operative condition for shed holding in which the fingers are parallel to one another and separated from one another by a distance corresponding to the open shed.
11. A loom as claimed in Claim 10 in which the fingers of each wing member are mounted on separate shafts which extend substantially perpendicularly to the weaving plane and have a common axis, the shafts being axially movable relative to one another to adjust shedding distance.
12. A loom as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11 in which each of the fingers has a roller to reduce the friction with warp yarns in contact therewith.
13. A serial shed loom substantially as described herein with reference to: Figures 1 and 9; or Figures 1 and 9 modified as described herein with reference to Figure 2; or Figures 3 to 7; or Figures 8, 8a and 8b; or Figures 8, 8a and 8b modified as described herein with reference to Figure 10.