US3468347A - Heddle frame actuating gearing for looms - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 23, 1969 J, UM 3,468,347'

'HEDDLE FRAME ACTUA'IING GEARING FOR LOOMS Filed Sept. 15, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Sept. 23, 1969 -r HEDDLE FRAME ACTUATING GEARING FOR LOOMS 4 Sheets-Sheet L Filed Sept. 15, 1967 9 INVENTOR M P BY AJIQRMES Sept. 23, 1969 FUMAT HEDDLE FRAME ACTUATING GEARING FOR LOOMS Filed Sept. 15, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR ATTORNEY Sept. 23, 1969 J. FUMAT HEDDLE FRAME ACTUATING GEARING FOR LQOMS Filed Sept. 15, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,468,347 HEDDLE FRAME ACTUATING GEARING FOR LOOMS Joseph Fumat, Lyon, France, assignor to Societe des Mecaniques Verdol, Lyon, Rhone, France, a French limited liability company Filed Sept. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 668,041 Claims priority, application France, Oct. 5, 1966,

US. Cl. 139-66 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a heddle frame actuating gearing eccentrics are prm vided which are selectively connectable either with an intermittently rotated grooved shaft or with a stationary part. Each eccentric carries a pivoted pawl which carries a pin-like member adapted to cooperate with the stationary part and with a movable circular cam surface having notches or grooves which may either register to permit the pin-like member to move outwardly, so that the pawl may be disengaged from the shaft and engaged with the stationary part, or may become disaligned to depress the pin-like member, and whereby the pawl may be disengaged from the stationary part and engaged with the shaft.

This invention relates to the heddle actuating gearings which, under the control of appropriate pattern mechanisms, as for instance a perforated paper band cooperating with feeler needles, open and close the shed of a loom. The invention more particularly refers to the gearings of the kind in question wherein the heddle frames are individually actuated by eccentrics rotatably mounted on a common driving shaft which rotates through successive advances of 180, means being provided whereby each eccentric may be selectively connected angularly either with the shaft to rotate therewith or with a stationary part so as to maintain the corresponding heddle frame at a fixed position.

In accordance with the present invention, the gearing comprises for each eccentric a pawl member pivoted to the said eccentric, this pawl member being engageable either with the shaft or with a stationary plate, biassing means which act on the pawl member to normally maintain same engaged with the stationary plate, and selecting means actuated by the pattern mechanism of the loom to disengage the pawl member from the stationary plate and to engage it with the grooved shaft against the action of the biassing means.

In the annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a gearing according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof taken along line IIII of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are transverse sections respectively taken along lines IIIIII and IVIV of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 shows the inner side of the stationary plate of the gearing viewed as in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 shows the driving ring of the gearing, also viewed as in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a section taken along line VIIVII of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the components of the gearing of FIGS. 1-7.

FIGS. 9 to 12 are simplified explanatory views similar to FIG. 3 but which illustrate the successive operative steps of the gearing.

FIG. 13 is a transverse section showing a modified embodiment of a gearing according to the invention.

FIG. 14 is a longitudinal section taken along line XIV-XIV of FIG. 13. The line of section correspond- 3,468,347 Patented Sept. 23, 1969 ing to FIG. 13 has been indicated at XIII-XIII in FIG. 14

1 FIG. 15 is a section taken along line XVXV of FIG.

FIG. 16 diagrammatically shows how the gearing according to the invention may be controlled by a pattern mechanism.

The gearing illustrated comprises a shaft 1 which rotates intermittently through succsesive advances of 180 in synchronism with the operation of the loom. Since such an arrangement is well known in the art, the mechanism which drives shaft 1 has not been illustrated. Shaft 1 has two diametrically opposed grooves 1a which extend longitudinally thereon. It carries a number of eccentrics 2 (FIGS. 3 and 8), each corresponding to a heddle to be actuated. Since all these eccentrics and their associated parts are identical, only one of them has been illustrated in the annexed drawings and will be described below. Eccentric 2 is loose on shaft 1 and it rotatably carries one end 3a of a fiat rod 3 to the other end of which is pivotally attached a heddle actuating lever 5. Each time eccentric 2 rotates through 180", rod 3 is moved upwardly or downwardly and through lever 5 it actuates the heddle frame accordingly.

Eccentric 2 may be selectively connected with shaft 1 by means of a connecting pawl 7 (FIGS. 3 and 8) the nose or tip 7a of which may engage the grooves 1a of the shaft. As shown pawl 7 is disposed in a lateral depression 2a of eccnetric 2 and it is pivoted on a pin 8 carried by the latter. In order to obtain a higher mechanical strength, nose 7a is thicker than the main body of pawl 7, as clearly indicated in FIG. 8, the protruding portion being received in an opening 2b provided in eccentric 2. Pawl 7 is normally biassed to its ineffective position with respect to shaft 1 by a compression spring 9 mounted in a groove 20 which forms a lateral extension of depression 2a. The outer side of pawl 7, i.e. its front side in FIG. 3 or its rear side in FIG. 8, carries a laterally protruding cylindrical gudgeon 10 the free end of which is flattened, as indicated at 10a, the flat sides being disposed substantially radially. with respect to eccentric 2.

A circular plate 11, loose on shaft 1, is disposed against the side of eccentric 2 which has the depression 2a, this plate being formed with a radially protruding lug 11a which is threaded on a rod 12 parallel to shaft 1. Rod 12 is secured to the fixed frame, not illustrated. The inner side of plate 11 (i.e. its side which engages eccentric 2) has a circular depression or groove 11b (see FIGS. 5 and 8) adapted to receive a flat driving ring 13 (FIG. 6) formed with two radial lugs 13a and 1317 which are received with a snsbtantial angular clearance in two corresponding radial depresssions 11c and 11d (FIG. .5) extending between the circular groove 11b and the periphery of plate 11. Lug 13a carries a pin 14 (FIGS. 1 and 4) on which is pivotally attached a link 15 the other end of which is actuated by the pattern mechanism (as for instance by being attached to one of the hooks in the case of a dobby of the Jacquard or Verdol type). To the other lug 13b is attached a biassin'g spring 16 having its other end attached to the frame at 17. The inner periphery 13c of ring 13 has two V-shaped notches 13d which are situated with respect to each other at an angle somewhat different from 180, as indicated in FIG. 6 wherein the angular difference has been referenced oz. The inner periphery of ring 13 forms a cam surface for the lateral gudgeon 10 of pawl 7 and its diameter is such that it retains the nose 7a of pawl 7 engaged in the grooves 1a of shaft 1 (see FIGS. 10 and 11), while on the contrary notches 13d permit gudgeon 10 to move outwardly to such an extent that the nose 7a of pawl 7 may clear notches 1a, pawl 7 being thus brought to its ineffective or disengaged position by spring 9, if it is not retained by plate 11 as explained below.

For this purpose the inner side of plate 11 has an inner annular depression 112 (see FIGS. 2, 5, 7 and 8) which is somewhat deeper than depression 11b. Stated in other words, in the central portion of the flat bottom of depression 11b there is provided a further depression 11e. Gudgeon 10 is of such a length that its flattened end 10a projects beyond ring 13 into depression 11e (see FIG. 7). The outer diameter of depression He is substantially equal to the inner diameter of ring 13 and the peripheral shoulder which separates the said depression from depression 11b is formed with two diametrically opposed notches 11 with substantially radial parallel sides adapted to receive the flattened end 10a of gudgeon 10.

The device described corresponds to but one heddle frame and as above explained shaft 1 carries a plurality of such devices. Owing to their flat character, they may easily be juxtaposed on shaft 1 while being retained axially by means of two end plates removably secured to the said shaft, which permits of adapting the number of devices to the number of heddle frames to be actuated.

In the following description of the operation of the device of FIGS. 1l2 it will be assumed that at the highermost position of rod 3 (FIG. 1) the corresponding heddle frame is raised. Furthermore it will be supposed that the dobby is of the Verdol type and that it pulls link 15 (towards the right in FIG. 1) when the corresponding feeler needle detects a perforation in the pattern paper. It is however obvious that these assumptions do not limit the ambit of the invention.

FIG. 16 shows by way of example how such a dobby or pattern mechanism of the Verdol type may operate. In this figure reference numeral 200 designates the perforated paper band, 201 a feeler or reading needle, and 15a the hooked end of link 15, this end cooperating with a transverse bar 202 having a reciprocating motion both vertically and horizontally. Bar 202 is first raised, whereby needle 201 clears band 200 and permits the advance thereof, it is thereafter lowered to cause needle 201 to rest on band 200 or to pass through same if it needs a perforation, and then bar 202 is displaced rearwardly to pull link 15 if needle 201 has met a perforation, or to leave said link unactuated if needle 201 has been retained by a plain portion of the paper band.

The explanatory views of FIGS. 9-12 show different positions of the parts, but while these views are similar to FIG. 3, they show in dash lines the contour of the inner periphery 13 of ring 13, the position of the rectangular notches 117 of plate 11 being indicated in full lines. The lug 13b of ring 13 has been diagrammatically illustrated in the form of a dashed line in FIG. 9 and it has been supposed that under the action of spring 16 of FIG. 1 (not illustrated in FIG. 9), it engages a fixed abutment 18. In practice the angular displacement of ring 13 under the action of spring 16 is limited by the left-hand side of radial depression 110 in FIG. 5, which forms an abutment for lug 13a. But in some cases it may be of advantage to provide a separate abutment such as 18 for each eccentric device, this abutment being preferably adjustable.

FIG. 9 shows the device at rest with the heddle frame at its lowered position. The flattened end 1011 of gudgeon 10 is located in the lower notch 11f of the stationary plate 11 while the cylindrical portion of the said gudgeon is disposed in the lower notch 13:! of the driving ring, these two notches 11 and 1311 being in line. The nose 7a of pawl 7 is disengaged from grooves 1a of shaft 1, pawl 7 is therefore ineffective and eccentric 2 cannot be rotated by shaft 1. Furthermore it is positively retained against rotation by the engagement of the flattened end 10a in the substantially rectangular notch 11 of the stationary plate 11. At this position of rest, lug 13b bears against abutment 18 under the action of spring 16. It will be noted that the upper notch 13d of ring 13 is not in line with the upper notch 11 of plate 11, since notches 11f are diametrically opposed, while notches 13d are disposed at an angle of in (see FIG. 6) with respect to each other. This of course supposes that link 15 is not pulled, i.e. that the corresponding feeler needle detects no perforation in the pattern paper.

It is to be remarked that at the two positions of dwell of shaft 1, one of its grooves 1a is situated in front of the nose 7a of pawl 7.

When the heddle frame is to be raised, i.e. when the feeler needle has detected a perforation in the pattern paper, link 15 is pulled (towards the left in FIG. 1) during a dwell of shaft 1 and ring 13 is therefore rotated counterclockwise in the said figure. The arrangement is such that this rotation corresponds exactly to the angle a of FIG. 6, whereby the lower notch 13d of ring 13 is disaligned with respect to the lower notch 11 of stationary plate 11, while the upper notch 13d of ring 13 comes in line with the upper notch 11) of plate 11. Owing to the V-shaped contour of notches 13d, the cylindrical portion of gudgeon 10 is forced inwardly, pawl 7 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 9 against the action of spring 9 and therefore its nose 7a engages the adjacent groove 1a of shaft 1. The parts are now at the position illustrated in FIG. 10. Pawl 7 is liberated with respect to stationary plate 11 and it now forms a positive connection between eccentric 2 and shaft 1.

During the next rotation of 180 of shaft 1, eccentric 2 is therefore rotated through half a revolution and rod 3 passes from its lowermost to its highermost position. The heddle frame is thus raised.

If during the next pick the feeler needle again detects a perforation in the pattern paper, i.e. if the heddle frame is to remain at the raised position, link 15 is again pulled towards the left in FIG. 1 and therefore the upper notches 13d and 11 are again in line. Gudgeon 10 may move outwardly under the action of spring 9, pawl 7 being thus again brought to its ineffective position. Eccentric 2 is therefore disconnected from shaft 1, but it is positively locked with stationary plate 11. Theparts thus assume the position illustrated in FIG. 12. The heddle frame will not be lowered during the next rotation of shaft 1.

If on the contrary the feeler needle has detected no perforation in the pattern paper, i.e., if the needle frame is to be lowered for the next pick, link 15 and ring 11 are returned to and maintained at their position of rest by spring 16. Ring 13 is again brought to its initial position of FIG. 9. Its upper notch 13d becomes disaligned with respect to the upper notch 11f of stationary plate 11. Gudgeon 10 is therefore forced inwardly and therefore the nose 7a of pawl 7 re-engages the adjacent groove 1a of shaft 1. The parts thus assume the position of FIG. 11. Eccentric 2 is liberated from stationary plate 11 and it is now connected with shaft 1 by pawl 7 to be driven through half a revolution during the next rotating step of shaft 1. The parts will return to the position of FIG. 9 and therefore the heddle frame will be lowered.

In the modified embodiment of FIGS. 13-15 the parts identical with or similar to those of FIGS. 1-12 have been designated by the same reference numerals plus 100, shaft 1 becoming shaft 101, and so on. Here the stationary plate 111 has on its inner side a fiat lateral annular projection 111g (shown in section in FIG. 13 transversely with respect to the shaft 111) and the driving ring 113 is rotatably mounted on projection 111g. The pawl 107 carries a pin 20 which protrudes towards plate 111 and on this pin is pivoted a small link 21 the free end of which, at the disengaged position of pawl 107, enters one of two diametrically opposed radial grooves 111h provided in projection 111g. In each groove Ink is slidably mounted a short pusher rod 22 guided by a pin 23 carried by plate 111 and which may slide freely in a slot 22a of the said rod (see FIG. 14). The length of each pusher rod 22 is substantially equal to the radial width of projection 111g. Pusher rods 22 are adapted to co-act with the inner V-shaped notches 113d of ring 113.

At the position illustrated in FIGS. 13-15 the free end of the upper pusher rod 22 has been pushed into the upper notch 113d of ring 113, whereby link 21 has been permitted to enter the corresponding groove 111h under the action of the biassing spring 109 of pawl 107. The nose 107a of the latter is thus disengaged from the grooves 101a of shaft 101 and the flat rod 103 is retained at its highermost position, since link 21 then acts as a retaining bolt or cotter pin in the radial groove 111h. In order to enhance this retaining action of link 21, the depression 102a of eccentric 102 does not open on the periphery of the latter and the portion of the said eccentric comprised between depression 102a and the periphery has a radial groove 102e for passage of link 21. If now ring 113 is rotated clockwise through a small angle (angle a in FIG. 6), the upper pusher rod 22 will be depressed and link 21 will be pushed inwardly, whereby the nose 107a of pawl 107 will be driven into the adjacent groove 101a of shaft 101 against spring 109. At the next rotational step of the shaft, eccentric 102 will thus be rotated through 180, link 21 being retained by the inner periphery of projection 111g, and the flat rod 103 will be brought to its lowermost position. Owing to the clockwise rotation of ring 113, the lower notch of the latter will now register with the lower groove 111h of projection 111g and therefore link 21 will enter the said groove while pushing the lower end of the corresponding pusher rod 22 into the said notch 113d. 'Ihe gearing of FIGS. 13-15 is therefore quite similar in operation to the gearing of FIGS. 1-12, the radial grooves 111k of plate 111 playing the role of the notches 11 of plate 11, while link 21 acts in some way as gudgeon 10.

As shown in FIG. 15 the protruding end of the pin 108 on which pawl 107 is pivoted, is retained by a small plate 24 clamped by a screw 25 in a depression 102d of eccentric 102. In order to retain the lower pusher rod 22 in its groove 11111 the annular lower end 103a of the flat rod 103 is formed with a flat downward extension 10312. It will further be noted that to reduce the inner diameter of the annular projection 111g of plate 111, eccentric 102 has been formed with a crescent-shaped depression 102 which partly receives the said projection.

What I claim is:

1. In a heddle actuating gearing interposed between a pattern mechanism and the heddle frames of a loom, of the kind comprising a grooved shaft rotated intermittently through successive advances of 180 in synchronism with operation of the loom, at least one eccentric loosely carried by said shaft heddle driving rods each loosely mounted on one of said eccentrics and means under control of the pattern mechanism to selectively connect each of said eccentrics with said shaft to raise and lower the corresponding heddle driving rod, said means comprosing for said eccentric a notched stationary plate loosely surrounding said grooved shaft; a pawl member pivoted to said eccentric and engageable either with said shaft or with said stationary plate, biassing means acting on said pawl member to normally maintain same engaged with said stationary plate; and selecting means actuated by said pattern mechanism to disengage said pawl member from said stationary plate and to engage said pawl member with said grooved shaft against the action of said biassing means.

2. In a gearing as claimed in claim 1, said pawl member being formed with a nose to engage the grooves of said grooved shaft.

3. In a gearing as claimed in claim 1, said pawl member having a lateral extension to engage said stationary plate, said stationary plate having an inner circular portion co-axial to said grooved shaft and which forms a cam surface to retain said later extension at such a radial position with respect to said grooved shaft that said pawl member is engaged therewith, and said inner circular portion of said stationary plate having two diametrically opposed notches of substantially rectangular shape to receive said lateral extension of said pawl member so as to permit said biassing means to disengage said member from said shaft and to engage said pawl member with said stationary plate through said lateral extension.

4. In a gearing as claimed in claim 3, said selecting means actuated by the pattern mechanism of the loom comprising a ring having an axis co-axial to said grooved shaft, said ring being angularly movable through an angle a about its axis between two end positions under the action of the pattern mechanism of the loom, said ring having an inner periphery co-axial to said shaft and forming a cam surface to retain the lateral extension of said pawl member at such a position that same is engaged with said grooved shaft, and said inner periphery of said ring being formed with two substantially V-shaped notches each of which may either be brought in line with one of the notdhes of said stationary plate for one end position of said ring to receive said lateral extension and to permit said biassing means to disengage said pawl member from said grooved shaft and to engage same with said stationary plate, or be disaligned from said one notch of said stationary plate to urge said lateral extension inwardly towards said grooved shaft so as to engage said pawl member with said shaft, said V-shaped notches being disposed on said ring at an angle of ia with respect to each other.

5. In a gearing as claimed in claim 1, a link pivoted to said pawl member, said link extending outwardly with respect to said grooved shaft, said eccentric having a radial groove to guide said link, said plate being formed with a substantially flat lateral annular projecting portion having an inner periphery and an outer periphery both co-axial to said shaft, said inner periphery of said annular portion forming a cam surface to retain said link at such a radial position with respect to said grooved shaft that said pawl member is engaged therewith, and said inner periphery of said annular portion of said stationary plate having two diametrically opposed radial grooves into which said link may penetrate to permit said biassing means to disengage said pawl member from said grooved shaft and to engage said pawl member with said stationary plate through said link.

6. In a gearing as claimed in claim 5, said selecting means actuated by the pattern mechanism of the loom comprising a pusher rod slidable in each of the radial grooves of the lateral annular projecting portion of said stationary plate, said pusher rod having a length equal to the radial width of said annular projecting portion; and a ring having an axis coaxial to said grooved shaft, said rin being angularly movable through an angle on about its axis between two end positions, said ring having an inner periphery rotatably mounted on the outer periphery of the annular projecting portion of said stationary plate, said inner periphery of said ring being formed with two substantially V-shaped notches, each one of which may either be brought in line with one of the grooves of said annular projecting portion of said stationary plate for one end position of said ring to receive the pusher rod slidable in said one of said grooves and to permit said biassing means to disengage said pawl member from said grooved shaft and to engage said pawl member with said stationary plate, or be disaligned from said one of said grooves of said annular projecting portion to urge said last-named pusher rod inwardly towards said shaft so as to engage said pawl member with said shaft, said References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Barlow 139-66 Edelstein et a1 13966 Hoem'g l3966 Hoenig 13966 8 FOREIGN PATENTS 7/1959 France. 10/ 1965 France.

FRED C. MATTERIL 111., Primary Examiner MANUEL ANTONAKAS, Assistant Examiner

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