GB2138034A - Reeds for weaving - Google Patents

Abstract

A reed for weaving comprises two spaced, general parallel members (1, 2), dent means (7) extending between the members. and means for releasably securing the dent means to the members. The dent means (7) may be of modular construction. Thus reeds of given sizes and dentages are readily assembled using a minimum of components. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Reeds for weaving This invention relates to reeds for use with handlooms or mechanical weaving machines.

As is well known, weaving is the interlacing at right angles of two or more series of flexible materials of which the longitudinaily extending is termed the warp yarn, and the transversely extending is called the weft or filling yarn. The weaving process involves four functions, namely shedding (the raising of selected warp yarns using appropriate harnesses), picking (the insertion of the weft yarns through the warp yarns), battening (packing or beating the weft yarns into the cloth with a reed), and taking up and letting off (winding the woven cloth onto a beam and releasing more warp yarns from a warp beam).

These four functions are carried out by looms, be they handlooms or mechanical machines, having the following six basic components: 1. Warp beam-this is a spool capable of holding up to about 4,500 separate warp yarns each several hundred metres long.

2. Heddlec these are thin, flat metal rods having a central slot and used to separate and guide the warp yarns.

3. Harnessesthese are frames used to raise and lower selected groups of heddles, and hence warp yarns, in preparation for the passage of a weft yarn.

4. Means for inserting the filling or weft yarns, such as a shuttle or rapier.

5. Reed 'hits is a comb-like device with the teeth passing between respective pairs of warp yarns and used to pack or beat the weft yarns into the cloth so that they do not slip.

6. Take-up beam-this is a beam or roll usually similar to the warp beam and around which the cloth is wound as it is woven.

The present invention is, as already mentioned, concerned with reeds for weaving which to date have been of relatively cumbersome construction and, furthermore, incapable of adjustment when changing from one width or coarseness of cloth to another (and hence changing the number of warp yarns). The conventional reed comprises a plurality of flattened wires (termed "dents") extending between two wooden rods provided with slots to receive the dents. The dents are retained in the wooden rods by binding with tarred thread. This method of reed construction is comparatively complex, whereby the unit cost is high. Moreover, a weaver requires several reeds in order to accommodate various widths and coarseness of cloth since it is not possible to adjust a given reed. Accordingly, the provision of reeds is a significant item of cost for a weaver.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a reed of simplified and adjustable construction.

According to the present invention a reed for weaving comprises two spaced, parallel members, dent means extending between the members and means for releasably securing the dent means to the members.

Preferably, the two spaced, parallel members are in the form of rods with the dent means being apertured at each end for reception by the respective rods.

The dent means may be in the form of dent modules comprising a number of dents, whereby a given reed can be made up quickly by selecting appropriately dimensioned rods and sliding thereon the requisite number of dent modules, making up, where necessary, the final number of dents by individual dents which are also slid on to the rods. The rods themselves may be of modular constructions so that, together with the dent modules and the individual dents, a reed kit is provided which can be used to make a reed of any required length and which can subsequently be modified in an extremely simple manner so as to increase or decrease the length of the reed.

The number of dents per unit length (the dentage) of a given reed has to be selected to suit the coarseness of the yarn being used and dent modules can be produced with the more popular dentages. As regards the individual dents, these may also be made with integral spacers appropriate to a given dentage, or separate and different spacers may be provided for selection as required. The dent modules, the dents with integral spacers, and the separate spacers (if provided) may be colour or otherwise coded in order to facilitate assembly and recognition of a reed of a given dentage.

The rods may be of circular or other cross section and may be provided with tapped holes at each end for the reception of fastening screws or bolts. End pieces for the reed may be provided which are apertured for the through passage of the securing means. The end pieces may also be recessed at each end in order to accommodate tolerance build-up and thus also clamp tightly together the dent modules and individual dents when employed.

The dent modules and individual dents may be moulded from a synthetic plastics material (perhaps reinforced to provide the required strength) which lends itself well to colour coding but other materials and construction may be used. The rods may also be made from a synthetic plastics material (again possibly reinforced) although metal is preferred in order to increase the inertia of the reed to help in packing or beating the weft yarns.

A reed in accordance with the present invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the reed partially assembled, Figure 2 is an end view of a component of the reed, Figure 3 is a side view of the component of Figure 2, Figure 4 is an end view of another component of the reed, and Figure 5 is a section on the line V-V of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, the reed for use in a handloom or mechanical loom comprises a pair of spaced metal rods 1, 2 of circular cross-section and of a length appropriate to the required length of reed. Each end of the rods 1 and 2 is provided with a tapped hole 3. The reed further comprises a plurality of dent modules 4 (only one of which is shown in Figure 1), a plurality of individual dents 5 (only one of which is shown in Figures 2 and 3), and a pair of end pieces 6 (of which only one is shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5).

Looking first at the dent modules 4, each is moulded from a synthetic plastics material and comprises a plurality of dents 7 which to all intents and purposes are the same as the individual dents 5. The dents 7 extend between two generally cylindrical headers 8 which are provided with central apertures 9, whereby each module 4 can be slid on to the rods 1 and 2. The dents 7 are spaced apart to provide the required dentage and the thickness T (Figure 1) of each dent is also governed by the dentage, as is the width W.

The individual dents 5 (Figures 2 and 3) comprise a dent extending between two spacers 10 of cylindrical form Fand having a central aperture 11, whereby the dents can also be slid on to the rods 1 and 2. It will be appreciated that the spacers 10 at respective ends of a plurality of individual dents 5 together make up headers similar to those of the dent modules 4. It should be noted that the thicknesses of the spacers 10 and the dents 5 shown in Figure 3 are less than those of the dent module 4 of Figure 1 and this is merely for convenience of showing the changes in dimensions required to produce a reed of increased dentage. The individual dents 5 are moulded from a synthetic plastics material and preferably are of a different colour from the dent modules 4 of Figure 1 in order to highlight the different dentages involved.

Figure 1 shows one end piece 6 assembled next to a dent module 4 and Figures 4 and 5 show the detailed construction of each end piece. Each end piece 6 comprises a bar 1 2 rounded at each end to conform to the shape of the headers 8 and spacers 10, and also of slightly increased width at the ends to provide the necessary spacing from the adjacent dent 7 for the associated end warp yarn.

The ends of each end piece 6 are apertured at 1 3 and counterbored at 14 for the reception of the rods 1 and 2, the counterbores acconmodating any tolerance build up of the dent modules 4 and individual dents 5, thereby ensuring that all of the reed components can be tightly clamped together. Clamping is effected by passing screws or bolts through the apertures 1 3 in the end pieces 6 and into the tapped holes 3 of the associated ends of the rods 1 and 2.

It will be appreciated that a reed in accordance with the present invention is readily assembled and dismantled in order to vary the length and/or dentage using only a minimum of components, as opposed to providing a separate reed for each length and dentage as at present. The use of a synthetic plastics material for the modules 5 and individual dents 5 makes colour coding a simple matter and also the components are corrosion free.

However, other materials can be used. The rods 1 and 2 may also be of modular construction if desired and the entire reed can be made of individual dents and separate spacers, the latter being changed when a different dentage is required. To some extent, it is desirable to change the thickness T and width W of the dents to suit the required dentage but dents of given dimensions in these respects could well be used at least for a number of dentages provided the appropriate spacers are employed.

As an alternative to the use of rods 1 and 2 and apertured dent modules 4 and dents 5, the module headers 8 and the ends of the dents 5 may be shaped for the reception of respective slotted, and correspondingly shaped, sleeve members which slide thereover and retain these components in position, fastening means being provided to clamp the components together.

With known reeds, and with the reed modules shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, it is necessary to thread each warp yarn through the appropriate gap (also termed "dent") between adjacent dents when warping up a loom. This tedious procedure can be relieved according to an optional feature of the present invention in which each dent module 4 has one header so constructed as to be releasable from the associated ends of the dents 7. Thus once the reed has been assembled using the rods 1 and 2 as described, the rod associated with the detachable headers is removed, followed by detachment of those headers from the dents of the respective modules. The warp yarns are then easily laid in the respective gaps between pairs of dents 7 in warping up the loom. The detachable header of each module is then re-assembled on the dents thereof, this procedure greatly simplifying that involving the threading of the warp yarns through the reed.

In order to prevent any undue flexing of the rods 1 and 2 (bearing in mind a reed can be up to 60 inches long for a handloom), whereby one or more detachable headers is/ are inadvertently removed from the associated dents, an individual dent (which has no detachable components) may be employed between adjacent dent modules. The headers and associated ends of the dents can be detachably secured together by snap-in means, for example.

Claims (14)

1. A reed for weaving comprising two spaced, generally parallel members, dent means extending between the members, and means for releasably securing the dent means to the members.

2. A reed according to claim 1, wherein the two spaced members are in the form of rods with the dent means being apertured at each end for reception by the respective rods.

3. A reed according to claim 2, wherein the dent means comprise dent modules, each having a plurality of dents, whereby a given reed may be constructed by selecting the appropriate number of dent modules and mounting them on the rods, any balance of dents being made of individual dents.

4. A reed according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the individual dents are formed with integral spacers.

5. A reed according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein separate spacers are provided between the individual dents which spacers can be selected as regards width to provide the required dentage.

6. A reed according to any of claims 3, 4 or 5, wherein the dent modules, individual dents with integral spacers and the separate spacers, where appropriate, are colour or otherwise coded to facilitate assembly and recognition of a reed of a given dentage.

7. A reed according to claim 2 and any claim appended thereto, wherein the rods are of modular construction to accommodate various sizes of reed.

8. A reed according to claim 2 and any claim appended thereto, wherein tapped holes are provided in the ends of the rods for the reception of fastening means.

9. A reed according to claim 8, wherein end members are provided which are apertured for the through passage of the fastening means.

10. A reed according to claim 9, wherein the end members are recessed for the reception of the ends of the rods to accommodate tolerance build-up and thus also clamp tightly together the dent modules and for individual dents.

11. A reed according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the components are formed from synthetic plastics material which may be reinforced.

1 2. A reed according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the components are of metallic construction.

1 3. A reed according to claim 1, wherein the two spaced members are in the form of slotted sleeve members which are slidable over the correspondingly shaped ends of the dent means to retain the latter in position.

14. A reed according to claim 1, wherein the dent means are releasably secured together by snap-in means provided on the dent means.

1 5. A reed for weaving substantially as herein particularly described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.