GB2240992A

GB2240992A - Driving apparatus for shuttle of a loom

Info

Publication number: GB2240992A
Application number: GB9003716A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chi-Shuang Huang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-02-19
Filing date: 1990-02-19
Publication date: 1991-08-21
Also published as: GB9003716D0

Abstract

A driving apparatus for shuttle (3) of a loom includes a shuttle driving body (42) carried on an endless rope (31). The shuttle driving body (42) reciprocates under the top wall of a sley (1) and attracts and drives the shuttle (3) by magnetic force to reciprocate on the upper surface of the sley (1). A driving mechanism (6) activates the rope (31) to circulate reciprocately. When the sley (1) and the reed assembly swing to effect a beating motion, the varying length of the rope (31) is compensated by pulley (61). <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE: DRIVING APPARATUS FOR SHUTTLE OF A LOOM This invention relates to a driving apparatus for shuttle of a loom, more particularly to a reciprocating type driving apparatus.

Conventional shuttle driving apparatus for use in magnetically controlled looms are rather complicated and bulky. Furthermore, because such a shuttle driving apparatus is loaded on the sley and moves along with the same, conventional magnetically controlled looms easily malfunction.

It is therefore the main object of this invention to provide a compact, highly efficient driving apparatus for shuttle of a loom.

To achieve the above object, a driving apparatus is provided and activates a shuttle by magnetic attractive force to reciprocate on the upper surface of the top end wall of a sley so as to proceed a picking motion. The driving apparatus includes a shuttle driving body movable under the top end wall of the sley, an endless rope carrying the shuttle driving body to move, and two large tension pulley disposed on two ends of the sley so that the rope extends therearound in a tautened condition. A driving mechanism drives the rope to circulate reciprocately in alternate clockwise and counterclockwise directions so as to reciprocate the shuttle body under the top end wall of the sley. A stretcher is interposed between the driving mechanism and the large tension pulleys so as to maintain the tautened condition of the rope when the circulating direction thereof is changed.

Other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partially perspective view of an embodiment according to this invention; Fig. 2 is a schematic side view showing the structure of the embodiment; Figs. 3 to 5 are schematic views illustrating the driving mechanism of the embodiment according to this invention.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a loom in which a shuttle driving apparatus of this invention is incorporated.

As illustrated, this embodiment includes a sley 1, and a reed assembly 2 fixed on the sley 1. A shuttle 3 can fly on the upper surface of the top end wall of the sley 1 so as to proceed a picking motion. A shuttle driving apparatus 4 includes an endless rope or cable 31 a shuttle driving body 42 fixed on the rope 31 so as to reciprocate on the sley 1, two large tension pulleys 43 respectively disposed on two ends of the sley 1 so that the rope 31 extends therearound, a driving mechanism 6 activating the rope 31 to move, and a stretcher 44 disposed under the right end portion of the sley 1 between the driving mechanism 6 and the large tension pulleys 43 so as to tauten the rope 31 when the circulating direction of the rope 31 is changed.The magnets 421 of the shuttle driving body 42 can attract the magnets 311 of the shuttle 3 so as to reciprocate the shuttle 3 when the rope 31 circulates reciprocately in alternate clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

When proceeding a picking motion, the driving mechanism 6 drives the endless rope 31 to pass over the stretcher 44 and the pulleys 43 so that the endless rope 31 circulates reciprocately in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. In this way, the shuttle 4 is attracted to reciprocate on the sley 1.

The driving mechanism 6 is illustrated in Figs.

3 to 5. As illustrated, the driving mechanism 6 includes two compensation pulleys 61 disposed in proximity to the swing shafts 71 of the beating means; a speed change unit 62 with a planetary gear train disposed in an appropriate position on the frame of the loom so as to provide an increased speed output; a rope pulley 63 secured to the output shaft 620 of the speed change unit 62; and a link 64 connected pivotally to the input plate 621 at one end thereof and to a main rotating shaft 72 at the other end of the link 64.

Because the link 64 is eccentrically connected to both the input plate 621 and the main rotating shaft 72, the input plate 621 can swing within a selected range so as to rotate the rope pulley 63 at a speed greater than that of the main rotating shaft 72 in alternate clockwise and counterclockwise directions by the speed change unit 62.

The rope 31 is wound on the rope pulley 63 and has one end which extends around the right compensation pulley 61 shown in Fig. 2. The end of the rope 31 is passed in turn through the stretcher 44, the right pulley 43, the sley 1, the left pulley 43, the stretcher 44 and the left compensation pulley 61 to couple with the other end of the rope 31 at the rope pulley 63 so as to form an endless rope.

Referring to Fig. 3, when proceeding with the picking motion, the rope 31 is swung along with the ley 1 causing the length of the rope 31 to- change depending on the change of position. To eliminate this drawback, the compensation pulleys 61 are therefore provided in eccentrical positions on two sides of the swing shafts 71. When swung, the positions of the axes of the compensation pulleys 61 are changed so as to vary the distance between the rope pulley 63 and the compensation pulleys 61, thereby compensating for the length of the rope 31.

Again referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the stretcher 44 includes two small tension pulleys 441 disposed under the ley 1, a tension spring 442 interconnecting the tension pulleys 441, and two stops 443 disposed on the outer sides of the tension pulleys 441.

Because the rope 31 extends between the tension pulleys 441 and pushes the same outward, the spring 442 has a potential force for pulling the tension pulleys 441 inward. When the portion of the rope 31 passing over either of the tension pulleys 441 is loosened, the latter is pulled inward by the spring 442 so as to obviate this slackness.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the input plate 621 of the speed change unit 62 is disposed on the end portion of the input shaft 622. The casing 623 of the speed change unit 62 is fixed on the frame of the loom.

The casing 623 includes a ring gear 624 fixed on the inner surface thereof. A plurality of planetary gears 625 are disposed on the input shaft 622 and mesh with both the ring gear 624 and the sun gear 626. The end extension of the sun gear 626 is provided with a plurality of planetary gears 627 which mesh with both the ring gear 624 and the output gear 628 which is disposed on the end of the output shaft 620. Because bearings are provided between the output shaft 620 and the sun gear 626 and between the output shaft 620 and the input shaft 622, the output shaft 620 can rotate independently of both the sun gear 626 and the input shaft 622. Due to the fact that the tooth number of the ring gear 624, the planetary gears 625 and the sun gear 626 is different, when the planetary gears 625 drive the sun gear 626 and the planetary gears 627 drive the output gear 628, a high-speed swinging movement is output at the end of the speed change unit 62 to which a rotation is input. With the output shaft 620 extending through the tubular input shaft 622, motion can be input and output at the same ends of the shafts 620, 622 so as to reduce the volume of the loom.

Because the planetary gear 627 meshes with the sun gear 626 which is mounted rotatably on the input shaft 622 by bearings, the planetary gears 627 are positioned in the speed change unit 62 so as to avoid wear on the ring gear 624, thereby increasing the life of the speed change unit 62.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A driving apparatus for shuttle of a loom, said driving apparatus driving said shuttle by magnetic attractive force to reciprocate on the upper surface of the top end wall of a sley so as to proceed a picking motion; characterized in that said driving apparatus includes a shuttle driving body movable under the top end wall of said sley, an endless rope carrying said shuttle driving body to move, two large tension pulleys disposed on two ends of said sley so that said rope extends therearound in a tautened condition, a driving mechanism driving said rope to circulate reciprocately in alternate clockwise and counterclockwise directions so as to reciprocate said shuttle driving body under the top end wall of said sley, and a stretcher interposed between said driving mechanism and said large tension pulleys so as to maintain the tautened condition of the rope when the circulating direction thereof is changed.

2. A driving apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said loom has a main rotating shaft mounted rotatably thereon, said driving mechanism including a speed change unit fixed on said loom and having a rotatable input plate and a rotatable output shaft, a rope pulley sleeved rigidly on said output shaft, and a link connected pivotally and eccentrically to said input plate at one end thereof and to said main rotating shaft at the other end thereof, said endless rope having several turns wound on said rope pulley, whereby, said input plate can swing within a selected range so as to rotate said rope pulley at a speed greater than that of said main rotating shaft in alternative clockwise and counterclockwise directions by said -speed change unit.

3. A driving apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said stretcher includes two tension pulleys disposed under said sley, a tension spring interconnecting said tension pulleys, and two stops disposed on outer sides of said tension pulleys.

4. A driving apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said loom includes a beating means with two swing shafts, said driving mechanism including two compensation pulleys fixed on said loom in proximity to said swing shafts so that said endless rope extends around said compensation pulleys, said compensation pulleys being provided in eccentrical positions on two sides of said swing shaft, whereby, when swung, positions of axes of said compensation pulleys are changed so as to vary distance between said rope pulley and sdid compensation pulleys, thereby compensating for length of said rope.

5. A driving apparatus as claimed in Claim 2, wherein said speed change unit includes a casing fixed on said loom and a ring gear fixed on an inner surface thereof, a tubular input shaft journalled in said casing, an output shaft journalled within said input shaft, a sun gear sleeved on said output shaft, a plurality of planetary gears meshing with both said sun gear and said ring gear, and an output gear sleeved rigidly on said output shaft, said rope pulley being connected securely to an outer end of said output shaft.

6. A driving apparatus substantially as described hereinbefore with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A loom having a track for a magnetically drivable shuttle, and a body comprising means for generating a magnetic attraction force with a said shuttle mounted for reciprocating motion relative to said track.

8. A loom as claimed in claim 7, wherein said body is connected to or forms part of an endless belt means which is selectively drivable in each sense to reciprocate said body relative to said track.

9. A loom as claimed in claim 8, wherein said endless belt means passes through a device for maintaining the tension of the endless belt means substantially constant when the sense in which the endless belt means is driven is changed.

10. A loom having a magnetically drivable shuttle, a track for said shuttle and a drive means reciprocably movable along said track to one side thereof for causing reciprocatable movement of said shuttle on an opposed side of the track through a magnetic attraction force between said shuttle and drive means.

11. A loom as claimed in claim 10, wherein said shuttle includes a magnetic force generating element.

12. A loon as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein said drive means includes a magnetic force generating element.