US3507307A - Weft thread dividing device for looms - Google Patents

Description

A ril 21, 1970 J. PICANOL WEFT THREAD DIVIDING DEVICE FOR LOOMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 7, 1968 INVENTOR. J. Pccm o! ATTOYLNESS April 21, 1970 I J. PICANOL 3,507,307

WEFT THREAD DIVIDING DEVICE FOR LOOMS 7 Filed March '7, 1968 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 in 3- x INVENTOR.

PL'CcLnoZ April 21, 1970 J.'P|ANQL 3,507,307

WEF'T THREAD DIVIDING DEVICE FOR LOOMS Filed March 7. 1968 w 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 m I T2 m E a 9 INVENTQR. J, Pica/7o! BY ATTO YLNEBS United States Patent Int. Cl. D03d43/10, 49/50 US. Cl. 139-1703 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Weft thread dividing device for looms comprising thread-like supports disposed transversely to the shuttle track and means for angularly shifting the said threadlike supports, said means being disposed beyond the comb.

This invention relates to the problem of the drawing-in of the weft threads in the drop box looms and it concerns a novel dividing device for the said weft threads.

Different dividing mechanisms have already been proposed using generally relatively rigid supports conditioned under the form of comb with elongated teeth, each tooth being assigned to a shuttle and said teeth being individually and properly actuated with a rising and lowering movement to keep the weft threads outside the path of the shuttle. In addition, these teeth are overhanging.

It is well known that these relatively rigid supports solve only partially the said problem since they are preventing the intermingling only in the portion of the weft threads in which there is no relative movement with the slay. In the other portion of the weft threads, the intermingling is still possible. The portion in which the intermingling may persist differs according to the construction. In fact, in certain constructions, the mechanism carrying the rigid supports is fastened to the slay and, in others, it is fastened to the frame. In the first construction type, the intermingling may still be possible between the rigid supports fastened to the slay and the edge of the fabric, whereas in the second construction type, the intermingling is still possible between the rigid supports fastened to the frame and the slay. In both cases, the result is hardly satisfactory.

A first object of this invention relates to a novel device relying essentially upon the application, in looms and for all weft threads, at right angles with the drop box, of one or several thread-like supports in relation with a device causing the angular shiftings thereof, said device being disposed beyond the comb in any position thereof.

Another object of this invention is to apply such threadlike flexible or rigid supports connected resiliently at one end and actuated at the other end by a device inducing the angular shifting thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a weft thread dividing device comprising the combination of relatively flexible thread-like elements and a mechanism actuated directly or indirectly by the said drop box to free the space on which the shuttle travels between the said drop box and the adjoining portion of the fabric or the warp threads.

Another object of this invention relates to the combination of such deformable thread-like supports, resilient elements interposed between at least one of the ends of the said thread-like flexible supports and a fixed point of the loom so that the said deformable thread-like supports are permanently actuated to their initial position. Another object of the invention relates to the fact that the long supports are bearing on both sides of comb.

Finally, another object of this invention relates to the combination of the said device having relatively deform- 3,507,307 Patented Apr. 21, 1970 tively flexible and deformable thread-like supports.

By the said characteristic means, the weft thread dividing device according to the invention may be constructed under very different forms and it may be thereby conveniently fitted to the type of loom being equipped.

The previously mentioned characteristic measures as well as other particularities promoting the efliciency of the dividingldevice will be more clearly apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment represented only by way of example in the enclosed drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shows diagrammatically a weft thread dividing device according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 shows diagrammatically the characteristic elements of another embodiment of the Weft thread dividing device according to the invention;

FIGURE 3 shows a side view of the essential elements of a practical embodiment of the weft thread dividing device for. looms according to the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a view according to the arrow F4 of FIGURE 3 with a partial section;

FIGURE 5 is a front view on an enlarged scale of the portion indicated in F5 on FIGURE 4;

FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 are sections respectively on the lines VIVI, VIIVII, and VIIIVIII of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 9 shows a particular embodiment of an eyelet.

In the very diagrammatic embodiment of FIGURE 1, there hasbeen shown, in two characteristic positions, a

single support of the Web thread dividing device according to the invention.

This support consists of a flexible, rigid or semi-rigid thread-like element a disposed transversely with respect to the shuttle track b and, in low position, it may engage a recess or a cut-out c of the said track. This thread-like element a is connected, on one hand, via a resilient element d, to a fixed point point e of the loom. At its other end, which is situated beyond the comb (not shown), the said thread-like element a is linked at the end of a device capable of shifting it angularly within predetermined limits. This mechanism is shown very diagrammatically by a rod 1 positively directed by guides g, the other end of the said rod being linked at the end of a lever h actuated by cam j and permanently returned by a resilient element k fastened, on the other hand, in a fixed point of loom m.

A blower o is disposed above the said thread-like support a and it is oriented downwardly in the direction or approximately in the direction of track b.

Generally, one such thread-like support a will be used for one weft thread. This thread-like support may be rigid or flexible and, in this respect, it may be a metallic wire, a plastic wire or a wire of a composite material.

The essential characteristic of this device lies in the fact that the operating mechanism, shown diagrammatically by rod is permanently disposed beyond the comb.

Another embodiment is shown in FIGURE 2, in which the drop 'box of the loom is shown in 1, its return device being shown in 2. The device for actuating the said box is not represented, being of a known type, the drop box comprises namely four compartments 3-45-6 respectively. The shuttle track is shown diagrammatically in 7 and ithas a cut-out 9 between the said drop box 1 and the laps of the warp threads 8. In front of this cut-out, are stretched relatively flexible supports forming one of the essential characteristics of the invention. These supports are in number equal to the number of shuttles less one and they are flexible wires having a suitable section 101112 respectively.

These wires may be also made of a synthetic resin or a metallic material or of any other suitable composite or not composite material.

In a preferred embodiment, these thread-like elements are tied up in two fixed points of the loom' shown diagrammatically in 13-1-4 respectively through resilient elements 15-16-17 and 18-19-20 respectively.

These thread-like elements -11-12 are normally disposed and stretched to engage the said cut-out 9 of the shuttle track 10. In an intermediate point of their length, these thread-like elements are made integral with rods 21-22-23 respectively which are in turn linked at the end of levers 24-25-26 respectively the other end of which is mounted on a common axis 27. Each of the said levers 24-25-26 contacts permanently a cam 28-29- 30 respectively, the profile of which is such that, by the rotation of their common axis 31, the said levers 24-25-26 may be conveniently brought to a standstill in high position or in low position. The said axis 31 is also common to a guide pulley 32 of the return device 2 of the drop box, the said return device being shown diagrammatically by a cable 33 fastened at one end to the said drop box guided by a pulley 34 and the said guide pulley 32 is connected at the other end to a fixed point 35 of the loom by a resilient element 36. Each vertical movement of the said drop box 1 corresponds to an angular shifting of axis 31 or the said cams 28-29-30. The said deformable threadlike supports 10-11-12 are shifted or brought to a standstill in high or low position in accordance with this angular shifting.

A blower 37 may be disposed between the drop box and the said deformable thread-like supports 10-11-12 and it is oriented for actuating the weft threads in a suitable direction to space them from each other.

The weft threads indicated by reference numerals 42-45 extend from the shuttles 38-41 to the cloth 8.

In this way, the other characteristic positions of the drop box 1 may be considered so that each of the stages 3-4-5-6 comes properly with its underside at the level or in the projection of the said track 7.

FIGURES 3 to 8 show the essential elements of an operating mechanism for the weft thread dividing device according to the invention. In this embodiment, the control of the deformable thread-like supports is provided by the positive control of the drop box of which the four characteristic positions corresponding to the standstill of the different compartments 3-4-5-6 of the drop box in the projection of the shuttle track 7 are represented in 1'-1"-1'-1"" (FIGURE 3). The said positive control of the box is represented by the lever 46 fastened, on one hand, to the said box (not shown) and, on the other hand on the driving axis 47 operated by the programming device known per se and controlling the sequential positions of the said drop box.

Upon the said lever 46, between the drop box and the said driving axis 4 7, is linked one of the ends of a crank arm 48 the other end of which functions as a support for the axis 49 of the sprocket-wheel 50. The latter functions as a guide for a chain 51 which is guided by a second sprocket wheel 52 also upon the said axis 31 common to cams 28-29-30. One of the ends of the said chain 51 is fastened at 53 upon a small stationary casing 54 of the loom, whereas the other end is fastened at 5-5 to one of the ends of a spring 56 the other end of which is fastened by a bolt 57 and a connecting part 58 to the control lever 46 of the drop box near the driving axis 47 of said lever. Each of the cams 28-29-30 is kept into permanent contact with a roller 59-60-61 respectively, bearing upon one of the three above mentioned levers 24-25-26 respectively.

Upon the free end of each of these three levers, is fastened one of the ends of a cable 62-63-64 guided by pairs of pulleys 65-66-67 and 68-69-70 respectively to be projected by upright sections 71-72-73 respectively facing the cut-out 9 provided in shuttle track 7, these cables being, on the other hand, connected to a stationary portion 74 of the loom frame through resilient elements 75-76-77 respectively.

Each of the said upright sections 71-72-73 of the said cables has an eyelet 78-79-80 respectively traversed by one of the deformable thread-like supports 10-11-12 respectively. As shown in FIGURE 9, the said eyelets 78-79-80 may be formed by folding in hair-pin two slightly overlapping cable sections 81-82 to outline such eyelet 83. Of course, this eyelet may be made in another manner, either by forming a special knot, by interposing a small ring, by clamping an insert and the like. Near their rear end, the said levers 24-25-26 are linked upon the common axis 27. The cams 28-29-30 have a profile with a progessively increasing passage so that, for a given angular rotation, the said levers 24-25-26 are actuated in accordance with the cam profiles 28-29-30 respectively.

The operation of this mechanism is similar to that described in the more diagrammatic embodiment of FIG- URE 2. In fact, under the influence of lever 46 and chain 51, the cams 28-29-30 are angularly shifted in accordance with each of the successive positions of the drop box. Thus, any position of the latter corresponds to a characteristic position of the said earns, the corresponding levers 24-25-26 and, consequently also the deformable thread-like supports 10-11-12, as previously described with more details. Of course, the invention is not limited to this embodiment since the angular shiftings of the deformable threadlike supports may be induced by essentially varying mechanisms which are themselves controlled directly or indirectly by the drop box.

The invention relates to this weft thread dividing device per se as a novel industrial product and it covers any loom or loom portion using such dividing device.

What I claim is:

1. A weft thread dividing device for a cloth-making loom having a drop box and a shuttle track, said shuttle track having a cut-out formed therein, said device comprising thread-like supports extending transversely to the shuttle track between the drop box and the cloth, rods having ends connected with said supports, levers connected with other ends of said rods, means actuating said levers for moving said supports from a lower position in which they extend through said cut-out to an upper position in which they extend above said cut-out and vice versa, and a blower located above the shuttle track between the drop box and the supports and directed obliquely toward the shuttle track.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said supports consist of wires and resilient elements connected to opposite ends of each wire.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 147,238 2/ 1874 Clegg 139-93 179,567 7/1876 Kane 139-95 861,668 7/1907 Myers 139-1707 2,084,140 6/1937 Hetherington 139-1701 2,268,307 12/1941 Schofield et al 139-1706 2,333,846 11/1943 Dawkins 139-1707 2,919,723 1/1960 Brandon 139-1703 2,991,811 7/1961 McDearis 139-170.;

FOREIGN PATENTS 832,491 7/ 1938 France.

1,317,301 1/1963 France.

JAMES KEE CHI, Primary Examiner

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