US2356343A - Tube conformer for tube weaving looms - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 22, 1944. R. ORGASS 2,356,343

TUBE CONFORMER FOR TUBE WEAVING LOOMS Filed Oct. 28, 1945 PATH OF SHU 7-7-42:

THROUGH FRONT REED TO THE HEOOL E5 BREAST PIECE OF LOOM INVENTOR. RUDOL PH 086 H65 flTTOR/VEY Patented Aug. 22, 1944 TUBE CONFORMER FOR TUBE WEAVING LOOMS Rudolph Orgass, College Point, Long Island, N. Y., assignor to Nalven & Son, Inc., Bronx, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 28, 1943, Serial No. 507,919

Claims.

This invention is directed to an improvement in looms to facilitate their use in the weaving of textile tubing and to a novel method of weaving such tubes. 7

In weaving textile tubing in a loo-m, the tube is generally woven fiat and the upper and lower parts of the tube are woven, in the main, independently of one another by the passage of the shuttle Carrying the filler threads through the respective shed portions of these parts, the resulting upper and lower walls of the tubing being joined together at the sides or lateral edges of the tubing as the weaving proceeds.

In a tube weaving loom the Warp threads extend forwardly from the heddles, through the front reed to the point of weaving to form the shed, and from this point the woven tube extends forwardly to and over the front bar of the loom. In order that the Weaving may be properly carried on, both the shed and tube must be maintained under considerable longitudinal tension. This tension has been the cause of considerable difficulty for, when the shed is progressively changed, as the weavin proceeds, the marked divergence of the warp threads thereof has a pronounced tendency to separate or pull apart the upper and lower portions of the tube at the lateral edges where they should be tightly joined to one another. This results in loosely woven edges and defective tubmg.

The only practical way heretofore known to overcome this difficulty is to place suficiently great tension on the filler threads to offset the divergent separating tendency of the threads of the shed. But filler threads often do not possess the tensile strength of the warp threads and, even if they do, the strain thus placed upon them frequently results in breakage thereof, necessitating stoppage of the loom for retieing. Moreover, great tension on fillerthreads requires a corresponding expenditure of power in the operation of the shuttle with accompanying increased wear over that which would result if lesser tension were used. Notwithstanding all this, experience has. shown that no matter how much tension is placed on the filler threads, absolutely uniform weaving is practically out of question by following this procedure, and loose weaving at the edges of the tubing is all too common in production operation.

The object of the present invention is to provide satisfactory means of assuring uniform weaving throughout the circumference of the tube and at the same time permit of materially decreased tension on the filler threads.

I am able to accomplish this result by the utilization of a novel device which I term a conformer. This novel conformer is so constituted as to engage With the tube immediately adjacent or in closely spaced relation to the end of the tube as it is being woven, being provided with a constricted opening adapted to embrace the tube at this point. The size of this opening is preferably substantially equal to the exterior cross section of the finished tube in the flattened condition. The constricted opening is so mounted as to maintain the position to which I have referred and as the tube is woven the progressively woven portion of the tube passes through the constriction to the front bar and thence around appropriate directional rollers for maintaining the required tension on the tube and sheds.

While the invention may partake of various forms and be mounted on different parts of the loom, I have found it convenient to make the conformer of spring steel wire of a gauge appropriate to the size of the tube to be operated upon. The constriction through which the tube is fed and which serves to conform the tube, is preferably made in the form of a loop bent from such wire. From one side of the loop the wire is extended to form a supporting bracket provided at its free end with an eye through which a tack, screw or other appropriate means may be passed to mount the device upon the breast piece of the loom. For the best results, the loop should be made to substantially conform to the cross sectional shape and dimension of the finished fiat tube and it should be so constructed that it can be readily opened and closed, as will be hereinafter more fully described, to permit it to be engaged and disengaged with the tube during the renewal of warp threads or for other reasons.

The conformer of this invention has many advantages in the weaving of fabric tubes. By holding the upper and lower portions of the tube against spreading at the weaving point, it positively assures proper binding of the warp threads by the filler threads at the lateral edges of the tube as the weaving proceeds. It does this in a positive mechanical fashion and by so doing obviates the necessity of weaving the filler threads under high tension as was heretofore necessary. In fact I have found it possible to reduce the tension on the filler threads as much as 50-75% of that heretofore considered absolutely essential to draw the upper and lower portions of the shed together according to prior procedure. The material lessening of the tension on the filler threads also correspondingly lessens the Wear and tear on the shuttles, blocks, pinion wheels and racks of the batten. Furthermore, the lowering of the tension brings about a corresponding saving in power for the operation of the shuttles.

From the method aspect, the present invention comprises passing a shuttle alternately through a shed which is changed with each passage of the shuttle to weave a tube, and confining the woven tube directly adjacent the path of travel of the shuttle to preclude spreading of the edges of the tube due to divergent pull of the shed threads.

Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claims, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one practical embodiment of the invention, but the construction therein shown is to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective fragmental view showing certain conventional portions of a loom in the process of weaving a tube in fiat condition and s with which loom parts and tube a tube conformer embodying the present invention is associated.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the conformer removed from the loom.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of such conformer.

Figure 4 is an end elevation as viewed from the loop end thereof.

In the drawing, I designates the breast piece of the loom and 2 the front bar. The shed embodies the usual warp threads 3 which extend from conventional heddles through a front reed (not shown) forwardly to the point of weaving and from this point the woven tube 4 extends forwardly over the front bar 2 and thence downwardly to the usual directional rolls of the loom. A shuttle passes transversely through the shed alternately in opposite directions along the path of travel indicated in the drawing to interweave the filler thread with the warp threads of the shed, which are periodically shifted by the heddles to effect the desired weave.

All of these parts, as well as the operation thus far described, are absolutely conventional and well known in the art, being referred to here merely to show the use of the present invention as an accessory thereof.

The conformer of the present invention embodies primarily a conforming loop 5 with appropriate means 6 to support such loop in a position directly adjacent the point of weaving, which is directly adjacent the path of the shuttle through the shed.

In the form of the invention shown, the device is made entirely from a single piece of spring steel wire. A portion of the wire is bent to form the tube conforming loop 5 and at one end of the loop the wire is bent to extend in a direction substantially normal to the plane of the loop, to constitute a supporting bracket 6 extending forwardly to the breast piece I to which it is secured in any appropriate manner. As here shown, the wire of the bracket 6 is provided at its forward end with an eye I and a tack or screw 8 is passed through the eye and driven into the breast piece I. This need not be, and preferably is not a rigid attachment, for the function of the bracket 6 is primarily that of a spacer, serving to hold the loop 5 in a transverse plane in which it embraces the tube 4 directly adjacent the weaving point.

The upper portion of the loop is provided at one end with a hook shaped catch 9 adapted to normally engage with the lower portion of the loop adjacent the bracket 6 in order to hold the loop in closed condition to embrace the tube, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1. This hook shaped catch may, however, be manually disengaged when desired and the inherent springy character of the wire will then cause it to spring open into the dotted line position of Figs. 1 and 4, so that the loop may be disengaged from the tube. When thus disengaged the accessory may be bodily swung about the axis of the tack 8, so that it will be out of the way.

One essential feature of the present invention has to do with the dimensions of the loop and particularly its vertical dimension. This dimension must be substantially equal to the corresponding external dimension of the tube operated upon, so that the upper and lower reaches of the loop will respectively form abutments 5a and 5b which confine the tube in a vertical direction. There may be slight clearance without objection, but since it is the function of the loop to preclude the drawing of the upper and lower portions of the tube apart at the lateral edges thereof, it is absolutely necessary that these abutments confine th corresponding portions of the tube against such a condition.

The horizontal dimension of the loop is not so important for even though the loop is somewhat longer than the width of the tube, no serious condition will result because the front reed maintains the warp threads of the shed in substantially parallel vertical planes and there is no appreciable tendency of these threads to diverge at the weaving point. In practice, however, I preferably make the length of the tube substantially the same as the width of the tube with slight clearance. The loop should extend transversely of the tube, preferably as close to the path of the shuttle as not to interfere with the operations of the latter, although if slightly back from the closest possible position, it will operate satisfactorily, the test being the ability of the loop to properly confine the edges of the upper and lower portions of the tube against such spreading as will result in loose weaving.

The conformer shown in the drawing is adapted to efilciently carry out the method of this invention for this apparatus will confine the woven tube directly adjacent the path of travel of the shuttle in such a manner as to preclude the spreading of the edges of the tube due to the divergent pull of the warp threads of the shed. The structure which I have chosen for illustration is especially efficient for it not only fulfills this purpose, but it does so without placing undue wear upon the tube. Tubes woven according to this invention have a uniform width and weaving impossible of attainment under prior practice.

In practically carrying out the invention, one of my conformers is employed in conjunction with the weaving of each tube of a multiple tube weaving loom, so that in a loom weaving 20 tubes, 20 conformers would be employed.

In the foregoing detailed description I have specifically referred to the conformer as supported on the breast piece. However, I am aware that it may be mounted on other parts of the loom without departing from the invention or a separate supporting bar might be added to the loom to serve as a support for the conforming loops of this invention. For the reasons given, the present invention is to be understood as not limited to the specific structure shown but as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a tube weaving loom wherein the warp threads extend from heddles through a front reed to a weaving point where a fiat tube is woven by the passage of a shuttle through the shed, and means is provided for maintaining the threads of the shed and the Woven tube under longitudinal tension; the combination with these parts of an elongated loop embracin the woven tube in a position directly adjacent the path of the shuttle and extending transversely of the tube with the longitudinal reaches of the loop spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the corresponding dimension of the flat tube to preclude the spreading apart of flat sides of the tube due to diverging tension of the warp threads of the shed, and means for maintaining the loop in said position as the weaving proceeds, said loop embodying a catch whereby the loop may be opened to permit it to be engaged with or disengaged from the tube.

2. In a tube weaving 100m wherein the warp threads extend from heddles through a front reed to a weaving point where a flat tube is woven by the passage of a shuttle through the shed, and means is provided for maintaining the threads of the shed and the woven tube under longitudinal tension; the combination with these parts of a length of wire, one end of which is attached to a rigid part of the loom with the wire extending from such point of attachment to a point adjacent the path of the shuttle and there bent into an elongated loop transversely embracing the tube with the elongated reaches of the loop straddling the tube and spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the corresponding dimension of the tube, the end of the portion of the wire which forms one elongated reach of the loop having a hook shaped catch to engage with that portion of the wire which forms the other elongated reach of the loop to permit of the opening and closing of the loop to engage or disengage it from the tube.

3. A conformer for flat tube weaving looms comprising; a bracket provided at one end with an attaching member and having at its other end an elongated loop of a length at least equal to the width of the flat tube with which it is adapted for use and of a width approximately equal to the thickness of such tube, said loop embodying a catch to permit of the opening and closing of the loop.

4'. A conformer for fiat tube weaving looms comprising; a bracket provided at one end with an attaching member and having at its other end entirety of a single piece of wire.

5. A conformer for flat tube weaving looms comprising; a bracket provided at one end with an attaching member and having at its other end an elongated loop of a length at least equal to the width of the flat tube with which it is adapted for use and of a width approximately equal to the thickness of such tube, said loop having at one end of one of its longer sides a hooked catch adapted to detachably engage its other longer side, and said conformer consisting in its entirety of a single piece of wire.

RUDOLPH ORGASS.

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