US3064688A

US3064688A - Heddle assembly for a loom harness

Info

Publication number: US3064688A
Application number: US158377A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert N Suhr
Original assignee: Pioneer Heddle and Reed Co Inc
Current assignee: Pioneer Heddle and Reed Co Inc
Priority date: 1961-12-11
Filing date: 1961-12-11
Publication date: 1962-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 1979-11-20

Description

Nov. 20, 1962 Filed Dec. 11, 1961 Fig. 2

R. N. SUHR HEDDLE ASSEMBLY FOR A LOOM HARNESS 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORQ Robert N. Suhr ATTORNEY Nov. 20, 1962 R. N. SUHR HEDDLE ASSEMBLY FOR A LOOM HARNESS Filed Dec. 11, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 5

INVENTOR. Robert N. Suhr BY Z ZJ ATTORNEY 3,054,688 HEDDLE ASSEMBLY FOR A LOOM HARNESS Robert N. Suhr, Marietta, Ga, assignor to Pioneer Heddle and Reed Company, Inc., Atlanta, (2a., a corporation of Georgia Filed Dec. 11, 1961, Ser. 1 o. 153,377 8 Claims. (Cl. 139-96) This invention relates to a heddle assembly for a loom harness and a method of spacing apart the heddles therein.

Generally speaking, there are, at the present time, two, conventionally used, methods of passing the warp yarns through the eyes of heddles of a loom harness. One method employs a warp drawing in machine which open ates in conjunction with heddles having keyholes therein. These heddles have keyholes with aligned circular openings, but alternate heddles are provided with oppositely extending slots in the keyholes. It is a requirement, however, that the heddles be capable of lying flat against each other or contiguous for the drawing in machine to operate properly.

On the other hand, the older machine method of threading the eyes of the heddles requires that the heddles be spaced apart. Thus, the prior art heddles which are adapted for this older machine method of threading are provided with misaligned or staggered crimps which space adjacent heddles apart. In the older machine method, a spring is urged into the heddle assembly such that each turn of the spring is received between a pair of heddles.

ter the spring has been installed, it is urged inwardly toward the body or central portion of the heddles and a worm rod is inserted through the spring, the worm rod containing a worm which, when the rod is rotated, spaces the heddles apart still further so that they may be individually threaded during the period that they are held in their spaced condition.

To the best of my knowledge, no heddle or heddle assembly has been devised which is selectively suitable for threading, employing both of the above described methods. Thus, in the past, many mills have found it necessary to maintain two separate stocks of heddles of each type described above.

Briefiy, the present invention, which obviates the diiliculty described above, includes a heddle assembly of substantially identical heddles except that adjacent heddles are provided with an oppositely extending keyhole. In the present embodiment, each heddle is provided with an offset crimp, or a plurality of such crimps, in identically the same place along the length of the heddle, the crimp or projection extending laterally. Thus, under normal conditions when the heddles are aligned, the crimps or protrusions nest one against the other with the adjacent surfaces of the heddles lying contiguous with each other. Longitudinal, i.e. upward or downward, movement along the axis of the heddle, with respect to the other heddles will, however, misalign the crimp or crimps of that particular heddle and hence will cause transverse spacing of that heddle with respect to its adjacent heddles. In the heddles of the present invention, the heddle rod eyes are of a suflicient size to permit limited longitudinal movement of the heddles through a distance suflicient to arrange a crimp of a particular heddle in an offset relation with respect to the next adjacent heddles.

The keyholes of the heddles of the present invention are of the same length and are misaligned or staggered but have large circular openings which are aligned laterally or transversely, the smaller slot portions of the keyholes being alternately up and down. Thus, in machine drawing-in, the heddles are aligned so that a release key rod passes through the large circular openings of all keyholes and the release key thereon functions in its usual way to space the heddles. On the other hand, in the hand 3,064,688 Patented Nov. 20., 19%.?

springing operation for the older machine, a rectangular bar, which has substantially the same width as the lengthof the keyholes, is passed essentially perpendicular to the heddles through the keyholes to align the keyholes and thereby shift each alternate heddle with respect to its adjacent heddles so as to stagger or misalign the crimps; for acting as camming surfaces which transversely space the heddles, as described above. It is therefore seen that either type of drawing-in procedure may be utilized with the heddles of the present invention. 7

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a heddle assembly wherein the heddles are contiguous with each other and wherein longitudinal movement of a heddle will cause lateral spacing of the heddle with respect to adjacent heddles.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a heddle assembly which may be threaded by use of either type of drawing in machine, i.e. the older drawing in machine requiring a spring to be inserted between the heddles, or the newer type which does not.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a heddle asembly which is inexpensive to manufacture, durable in structure and eiiicient in operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for readily and efficiently spacing apart by an equal amount of juxtaposed contiguous heddles.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a heddle constructed in accordance with the present invention, the heddle being of the type employed as, say, the even heddles in my heddle assembly.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing a heddle of the type for use as, say, the odd heddles in my heddle assembly.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a heddle assembly or" the heddles shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, carried by a heddle supporting rod of a heddle frame, the heddles having a lance passed through their keyholes for causing spacing of the heddles.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the heddle assembly of FIG. 3, the heddles thereof being threaded utilizing a drawing in machine.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the heddles shown in FIG. 3 operating in conjunction with a spring and worm assembly used in the old machine method.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustrating the present invention, it

being understood that in its broader aspects the present invention is not limited to the exact details herein depicted, numeral 10 denotes, generally, a heddle produced from a. narrow, thin, rectangular spring steel strip. A wide central portion of the strip forms a body 11 which is supported by oppositely extending, sheared down legs 12 and 13. The central portion or body 11 of the heddle is provided with the usual punched warp eye 14, the metal on each side of which may, if desired, be formed in bowed configuration out of the main plane of the heddle 10. Above the warp eye 14, in body 11, is a keyhole 15 having a relatively large, central, circular opening 16 and a slotted portion or slot 17 which communicates with the circular opening 15 and extends downwardly therefrom. In other words, the slot 17 is a vertically or axially disposed, narrow, elongated aperture, open at its upper end'and close by the metal of body 11 at its lower end.

At the outer ends of the legs 12 and 13 of the heddle 16 are C-shaped rod receiving plates 13 and 19 which respectively define laterally opening heddle rod eyes 20 and 21. Thus, the heddle is adapted to be received on a frame or harness, denoted generally by numeral 30, by having the

plates

18 and 19 inserted on parallel heddle supporting rods, such as rod 31, in the customary way as shown in FIG. 3. The heddle rod eyes 20 and 21 are substantially longer in a longitudinal direction than the Width of the heddle supporting rods, such as rod 31, and heuceare adapted to shift longitudinally, i.e. upwardly and downwardly, through a limited distance. Normally, however, the heddle 10 is carried in an upright position by a pair of opposed heddle supporting rods, such as rod 31, with that portion of the plate 18 which defines the upper end of eye 20 resting upon the upper edge 32 of the upper heddle supporting rod 31 and that portion of the plate 19 defining the upper end of eye 21 resting on the upper edge of the lower heddle supporting rod (not shown).

At the junction of the plate 18 adn the leg 12 is a tapered connecting portion of which is provided with a C-shaped or arcuate protrusion or crimp 23 deformed out'of the plane of the heddle 10. A similar C-shaped or arcuate crimp or protrusion 24 is provided in the upper end portion of the leg 12, immediate below the shank 22. The distance between

crimps

23 and 24 is sufficient to receive a spring 62, therebetween.

In FIG. 2, a heddle 40 similar to heddle 10 is illustrated. This heddle includes a central portion or body 41 oppositely extending

legs

42 and 43, warp eye 44, end plates 48 and 49 having heddle rod eyes 50 and 51, all arranged in a manner identical to the corresponding structure of heddle 10. The heddle 49 is also provided with shank portion 52 having a crimp 53 which is normally aligned with the crimp 23. The upper end portion of leg 42 is provided at its upper end with a crimp 54, normally aligned with crimp 24.

The keyhole 45 in body 41 includes a central circular opening 46 and an upwardly extending, downwardly opening slot 47 communicating with the hole 46. Thus, the keyhole 15 is a downwardly extending keyhole, while the keyhole 45 is an upwardly extending keyhole. The

heddles

10 and 40 are so proportioned that when arranged in juxtaposed, side-by-side relationship in the usual way on the heddle supporting rods, such as rod 31, the large

circular openings

16 and 46 are aligned with each other while the

keyholes

15 and 45 are staggered such that the

slots

17 and 47 are in misalignment with each other, i.e.

they extend in opposite directions. The overall length of the

keyholes

15 and 45, however, are the same.

It is now seen that the flat flexible

metallic heddles

10 and 40 are identical in dimensions and in configuration, except that the keyhole 15 on heddle 10 is a downwardly extending keyhole and that keyhole 45 on heddle 40 is an upwardly extending keyhole. Therefore, under normal conditions,

heddles

10 and 40 may nest fiat against each other on the heddle supporting rods, such as rod 31 'with the protruding portions of

crimps

23 and 24 resting in the recessed portions of

crimps

53 and 54.

As explained above, when the heddles of FIGS. 1 and 2 are utilized on a loom harness, they are arranged alternately, as illustrated in FIG. 3, there being a heddle 10,-

a heddle 40, heddle 10, heddle 40, etc. in side-by-side relationship.

' When it is desired to thread the warp or

yarn eyes

14 and 44 of the heddles on the heddle frame utilizing a worm and spring mechanism, a flat rectangular lance 60, seen in FIG. 3, is first passed through the

eyes

15 and 45 of the

heddles

10 and 40. The lance 60 has a width W which is approximately equal to or slightly less than the distance from one end of a

keyhole

15 or 45 to the other end thereof. The outer end 61 of the lance 60 is tapered toward its end point to facilitate passing the lance 60 through the

keyholes

15 and 45. As the lance 60 passes laterally through the

keyholes

15 and 45, alternately, in a path parallel to the heddle supporting rods, such as rod 31, it aligns all the

keyholes

15 and 45 of heddle assembly such that the large

circular openings

16 and 46 4 are slightly offset from each other. This causes all heddles 10 to shift longitudinally with respect to all heddles 40. The upward shifting of the heddles 10 misaligns the

crimps

23 and 24 with respect to the

crimps

53 and 54 as seen in FIG. 3. This misalignment of the alternate heddles 10, in turn, causes the protruding portions of all crimps 23 and 24 to ride out of the recessed portions of

crimps

53 and 54 in which they were nested and thereby urge the

adjacent heddles

10 and 40 apart by a distance equal to the amount of offset to the crimp, and since the

crimps

23, 24, 53 and 54 are equally otfset by a distance equal to or slightly greater than the diameter of the wire forming coil spring 62, there is provided sufficient space between

adjacent heddles

10 and 40 to permit the entry of a single revolution of spring 62 as seen in FIG.5. Therefore, since the lance 60 will pass readily through

keyholes

15 and 45 of all

heddles

10 and 40 on the heddle frame or harness 30, all heddles will automatically be spaced properly for receiving the spring 62 between the

upper crimps

23, 53 and the

lower crimps

24, 54.

In the usual way, the spring 62, after installation, is worked down toward the central portions of the

heddles

10 and 40, the spring 62 being urged through the

heddles

10 and 40 sufficiently that a portion of the spring 62 protrudes on the other side. Thereafter, a worm rod 63 is passed through the spring 62, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the worm rod 63 having worm 64 thereon. After this has been done, the rod 63 is rotated for successively spacing the

adjacent heddles

10 and 40 apart sufiiciently that the

warp eyes

14 and 44 thereof may be threaded. Once the spring 62 has been inserted in the

heddles

10 and 40,

the lance'60 may be removed from the keyholes 15 and g 45. The subsequent urging of the spring 62 downwardly toward the central portion of the

heddles

10 and 40 will tend to return the heddles to their aligned position with respect to heddle 49. Thus, all

yarn eyes

14 and 44 will again be aligned so that the warp yarns not shown) may readily be inserted therethrough.

When it is desired to utilize a drawing in machine, such as shown in FIG. 4, the loom harness is arranged in the usual way on the machine with the

heddles

10 and 40 thereof in transverse alignment. By such an arrangement, the release key 65 on the release rod 66 is readily passed through the keyholes 15 and 55, as illustrated in FIG. 4. It will be understood by those skilled in the art, that the drawing in machine includes a worm 67 which aligns, successively, the

heddles

10 and 40 so that the drawing in needle 68 may pass through the eyes and through the drawing in needle guide 69 in the customary way.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations may be made in the embodiments here chosen for purpose of illustrating the present invention, without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the aplended claims.

I claim: 7

1. Process of spacing a plurality of aligned juxtaposed heddles on heddle rods wherein the heddles are provided with staggered keyholes having aligned openings and aligned protrusions nested in recesses in adjacent heddles comprising passing a lance having a width approximately equal to the length of a keyhole progressively through all keyholes for aligning all keyholes and simultaneously heddles on heddle rods wherein the heddles are provided with staggered keyholes having aligned openings and aligned protrusions nested in recesses in adjacent heddles comprising passing a lance having a width approximately equal to the length of a keyhole progressively through. all keyholes for aligning all keyholes and simultaneously therewith staggering said heddles and said protrusions thereon such that said protrusions no longer nest within their respective recesses and act against the surfaces of the adjacent heddles to space the same apart, passing the adjacent coils of a spring through the spacings between said heddles, removing said lance from said keyholes, and urging said spring toward. said warp eyes for again aligning said. heddles.

3. In a heddle assembly of the type wherein a plurality of flat, juxtaposed heddles are. supported by a heddle rod projecting through the rod eyes of the heddles and wherein said heddles are provided with staggered holes, the combination therewith of a camming surface in each heddle extending laterally out of the plane of the heddle, each heddle having a recess for receiving the camming surface of the adjacent heddle when said heddles are aligned and lying fiat against each other, the rod eyes of certain of said heddles being sufliciently longer than the width of said rods to permit limited longitudinal movement of said certain of said heddles, the holes of adjacent heddles being misaligned longitudinally by a distance suflicient to permit misalignment of its camming surface when said holes are aligned laterally, such that the camming surfaces will evenly space said heddles apart when said holes are longitudinally spaced.

4. In a heddle assembly of the type wherein a plurality of fiat, juxtaposed heddles are supported by opposed heddle rods projecting through the rod eyes of the heddles and wherein each of said heddles is provided with a warp eye and a keyhole spaced from said warp eye, said keyhole including a large circular portion and a slot communicating with said large circular portion, said heddles being so disposed that in their normal positions on said rods the large circular portions of all keyholes are aligned and the slots of adjacent heddles extend in opposite directions, the combination therewith of the provision of a crimp in each heddle extending laterally out of the plane of the heddle, the crimps of all heddles being aligned when said heddles are in their normal positions for nesting one within another when said heddles lie flat against each other, the keyholes of adjacent heddles being misaligned longitudinally by -a distance suflicient to permit misalignment of said crimps when said keyholes are aligned laterally, such that said crimps will space said heddles apart when said keyholes are longitudinally aligned.

5. In a heddle assembly of the type wherein a plurality of flat, juxtaposed, flexible, metallic heddles are supported by opposed heddle rods projecting through the rod eyes of the heddles and wherein each of said heddles includes a central body provided with a warp eye and a keyhole spaced from said warp eye, said keyhole including a large circular portion and a slot communicating with said large circular portion, said heddles being so disposed that in their normal positions on said rods the large circular portions of all keyholes are aligned and the slots of adjacent heddles extend in opposite directions, the combination therewith of the provision of a crimp in each heddle extending laterally out of the plane of the heddle, the crimps of all heddles being of equal size and being aligned when said heddles are in their normal positions, said crimps extending in the same direction for nesting one within another when said heddles lie flat against each other, the rod eyes of certain of said heddles being suflficiently longer than the width of said rods to permit limited longitudinal movement of said certain of said heddles, the keyholes of adjacent heddles being misaligned longitudinally by a distance suflicient to permit misalignment of said crimps when said keyholes are aligned laterally, such that said crimps will evenly space said heddles apart when said keyholes are longitudinally aligned.

6. In a heddle assembly of the type wherein a plurality of flat, juxtaposed, flexible, metallic heddles are supported by opposed heddle rods projecting through the rod eyes of the heddles and wherein each of said heddles includes a central body provided with a warp eye and a keyhole spaced from said warp eye, said keyhole including a large circular portion and a slot communicating with said large circular portion, said heddles being so disposed that in their normal positions on said rods the large circular portions of all keyholes are aligned and the slots of adjacent heddles extend in opposite directions, the combination therewith of the provision of a pair of upper and lower spaced crimps in each heddle extending laterally out of the plane of the heddle, the upper crimps of all heddles being of equal size and being aligned when said heddles are in their normal positions, the lower crimps of all heddles being of equal size and being aligned when said heddles are in their normal positions, said upper crimps extending in the same direction for nesting one within another when said heddles lie flat against each other, said lower crimps extending in the same direction for nesting one within another when said heddles lie flat against each other, the rod eyes of certain of said heddles being sufliciently longer than the width of said rods to permit limited longitudinal movement of said certain of said heddles, the keyholes of adjacent heddles being misaligned longitudinally by a distance suflicient to permit misalignment of said crimps when said keyholes are aligned laterally, such that said crimps will evenly space said heddles apart when said keyholes are longitudinally aligned.

7. In a heddle assembly of the type wherein a plurality of flat, juxtaposed, flexible, metallic heddles are supported by opposed heddle rods projecting through the rod eyes of the heddles and wherein each of said heddles includes a central body provided with a Warp eye and a keyhole spaced from said warp eye, said keyhole including a large circular portion and a slot communicating with said large circular portion, said heddles being so disposed that in their normal positions on said rods the large circular portions of all keyholes are aligned and the slots of adjacent heddles extend in opposite directions, the combination therewith of the provision of a pair of upper and lower spaced crimps in each heddle extending laterally out of the plane of the heddle, the upper crimps of all heddles being of equal size and being aligned when said heddles are in their normal positions, the lower crimps of all heddles being of equal size and being aligned when said heddles are in their normal positions, said upper crimps extending in the same direction for nesting one within another when said heddles lie flat against each other, said lower crimps extending in the same direction for nesting one within another when said heddles lie flat against each other, the rod eyes of certain of said heddles being sufliciently longer than the width of said rods to permit limited longitudinal movement of said certain of said heddles, the keyholes of adjacent heddles being misaligned longitudinally by a distance sufficient to permit misalignment of said crimps, when said keyholes are aligned laterally, such that said crimps will evenly space said heddles apart when said keyholes are longitudinally aligned, said upper and lower crimps being positioned between the rod eye and the keyhole on each heddle and being spaced apart by a distance greater than the diameter of a coiled wire spring employed in the drawing in operation, each crimp being offset from the plane of its heddle by a distance suflicient to space the adjacent heddles apart approximately the width of the wire of said spring.

8. Process of spacing heddles apart wherein said heddles are substantially identical and are provided with keyholes having large openings, oppositely extending slots communicating with said openings and wherein each of said heddles is provided on one side with a protrusion out of the plane of the heddle and a recess on the other side of said heddle, the steps of arranging said heddles in juxtaposition such that adjacent heddles have keyholes with slots extending respectively in opposite directions, aligning said heddles such that the large openings of all heddles are in transverse alignment and the protrusions of the heddles are received in the recesses of their adjacent heddles, and passing a lance through said aligned openings to pass through said slots of said keyholes and thereby stagger the alternate heddles longitudinally sufficiently that the protrusions of said alternate heddles are misaligned with respect to their adjacent recesses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kaufmann Mar. 16, 1937 Kaufman Aug. 12, 1941 Kaufmann Aug. 14, 1945 Kaufmann Aug. 26, 1947 Sides June 24, 1958