US3837365A

US3837365A - Heddle frame center strut

Info

Publication number: US3837365A
Application number: US00383809A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Filter
Original assignee: Voestalpine AG; Wanderfield and Co
Current assignee: Voestalpine AG; Wanderfield and Co
Priority date: 1973-07-30
Filing date: 1973-07-30
Publication date: 1974-09-24
Anticipated expiration: 1991-09-24

Abstract

A center strut assembly comprises a strut having at each end a recess and a longitudinal duct open into said recess, and two rod-shaped locking members, each of which is slidably mounted in one of said ducts and movable to a locking position, in which said locking member protrudes into the associated recess. Each of said locking members has opposite to the associated recess a resilient angled end portion. The strut is formed with two holes, each of which opens into one of said ducts, which is laterally open at said hole. Each of said angled end portions is arranged to resiliently engage one of said holes when said locking member is in said locking position.

Description

United States Patent 1 Filter HEDDLE FRAME CENTER STRUT [75] Inventor: Walther Filter, Langenhagen,

.Germany [73] Assignees: Vereinigte Osterreichische Eisen-Und Stahlwerke-Alpine Montan Aktiengesellschaft, Vienna, Austria; Etablissement Wanderfield & Co., Schaan, Liechtenstein [22] Filed: July 30, 1973 [21] Appl. N0.: 383,809

[ Sept. 24, 1974 3,370,616 2/1968 Pfarrwaller 139/92 Primary ExaminerHenry S. Jaudon Attorney, Agent, or Firml(arl Kelman [57] ABSTRACT A center strut assembly comprises a strut having at each end a recess and a longitudinal duct open into said recess, and two rod-shaped locking members, each of which is slidably mounted in one of said ducts and movable to a locking position, in which said locking member protrudes into the associated recess. Each of said locking members has opposite to the associated recess a resilient angled end portion. The strut is formedwith two holes, each of which opens into one of said ducts, which is laterally open at said hole. Each of said angled end portions is arranged to resiliently engage one of said holes when said locking member is in said locking position.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 HEDDLE FRAME CENTER STRUT This invention relates to a center strut for a heddle frame which comprises upper and lower shafts and heddle-carrying frames secured to said shafts, which center strut has at each end a recess for receiving the heddlecarrying rail, which is adapted to be locked in the recess of the center strut by a locking member, which is slidable along the center strut and in its locking position overlaps the heddle-carrying rail.

In a known central stiffener (Austrian Patent Specification 258,821 a pivoted locking member is provided for each recess and entirely overlaps the heddlecarrying rail disposed in the recess. To enable a fixation of the pivoted locking members in their locking position, a screw on which the locking member is pivoted must be tightened to clamp the locking member in position. This results in a relatively complicated composite structure and in the further disadvantage that a tool is required to lock and unlock the member, and this oper ation requires a large expenditure of time and labor. Whereas center struts are known which have retaining parts that can be elastically deformed and which can be inserted without need for a tool, these center struts lack the desired stability which is desired to relieve the shafts and heddle-carrying rails, and the retaining parts may become permanently deformed so that the center struts may become loose during the operation of the weaving machine.

Another known center strut for a heddle frame (Austrian Patent Specification 29,014) comprises at each end a recess for receiving the heddle-carrying rail, which can be locked in the recess of the center strut by a sleeve, which is slidable on the center strut and in its locking position overlaps the heddle-carrying frame. Thus, the heddle-carrying rail can be unlocked in that the sleeve is simply shifted so that the center strut can be removed. That known design has the disadvantage,

however, that the sleeve itself cannot be locked so that the sleeve may leave its locking position during the movement of the heddle frame and the locking of the heddle-carrying rail is not ensured. Besides, the sleeve surrounds the center strut so that the space requirement is much increased. It is desired to minimize the has an angled end portion remote from the recess, and in the locking position of the locking member the angled end portion resiliently snaps into a hole in the bottom of the longitudinal duct, which is open in this region. This measure involves only a small space requirement and ensures a reliable locking of the heddlecarrying rail in the recess of the center struts in such a manner that not only the heddle-carrying rail but also the slidable locking member is locked. The center strut can be inserted and removed quickly and in a simple manner and the structure is stable and consists of a minimum number of parts. It will be recommended to provide the center struts at those portions where, e.g., the heddle frame linkage acts on the heddle frame from below because in this case the force need not be transmitted to the center struts by the shafts. In the resulting interference of the center strut with the distribution of the heddles. If the size of the center strut is increased by a sleeve fitted thereon, this necessarily affects the distance to the heddles which are adjacent to the center strut. Besides, the center strut cannot be fixed in position on the heddle-carrying rail; this is a further disadvantage. Whereas center struts are known (U.S. Patent Specification 3,214,575) which have recesses for the heddle-carrying rails and these recesses contain pins which protrude into openings in the heddle-carrying rails, the openings consist of slots to enable a displacement of the heddle-carrying rails.

It is an object of the invention to avoid these disadvantages and to provide a center strut which can be assembled and removed quickly and in a simple manner without need for a tool and which ensures a reliable positioning of the heddle-carrying rail whereas its space requirement is minimized and the center strut can be fixed in position on the heddle-carrying rails.

In a center strut of the kind defined first hereinbefore, this object is accomplished according to the invention in that the slidable rod-shaped locking member is mounted in a longitudinal duct of the center strut and structure the slidable locking member is fixed in its locking position and nevertheless can easily be gripped and operated.

To prevent a lateral shifting of the center strut on the heddle-carrying rails, i.e., to fix the center strut in position in the heddle-frame, it is a feature of the invention to provide in each recess in known manner a pin, which is in backlashfree engagement with an associated bore in the heddle-carrying rail.

An embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example on the accompanying drawing, in which FIGS. 1 and 2 are, respectively, a transverse sectional view and an elevation showing part of a heddle frame, and 1 FIGS. 3 and 4 are, respectively, a side elevation and end elevation showing the lower portion of a center strut together with a heddle-carrying rail.

The heddle frame comprises an upper shaft 1 and a lower shaft 2, which are connected by side struts 3 to form a frame. l-Ieddle-carrying

rails

4, 5 are riveted to the shafts l, 2. Center struts 6 are secured to the heddle-carrying rails, on which the heddles, not shown, are aligned, which control the warp threads.

Each center strut is formed at each end with a recess 7, which receives the

corresponding carrying rail

4 or 5. Associated with each recess 7 is a slidable locking member 9, which is mounted in a longitudinal duct 8 and which in its locking position, shown on the drawing, overlaps the edge of the heddle-carrying

rail

4 or 5. Remote from the recess 7, the slidable locking member 9 has an angled end portion 10. When the locking member is in its locking position said end portion is engaged with a hole 11 at the bottom of the longitudinal duct 8, which is open in this region. A centering pin 12 is provided in each recess and engages an associated bore in the heddle-carrying rail.

It is apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2 that the center strut 6 is provided at the very location at which the linkage for operating the heddle frame acts on the latter from below sothat a desirable transmission of force results.

What is claimed is:

1. In a heddle frame, a center strut assembly comprising a strut having at each end a recess and a longitudinal duct having a base portion and opening into said recess, and

two rod-shaped locking members, each of which is slidably mounted in one of said ducts and movable to a locking position in which said locking member protrudes into the associated recess,

each of said locking members having opposite to the associated recess a resilient angled end portion,

said strut being formed with two holes, each of which opens into the base portion of a respective one of said ducts, which is laterally open at said hole, and

each of said angled end portions being arranged to engage a respective one of said holes when said angled end portion is in resilient engagement with the base portion of the duct and said locking member is in said locking position.

2. A center strut assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said strut carries two pins, each of which protrudes into one of said recesses.

3. A heddle frame, which comprises upper and lower shafts,

two heddle-carrying rails, each of which is secured to one of said shafts, and

a center strut assembly which comprises a strut having at each end a recess for receiving one of said rails and a longitudinal duct having a base portion and opening into said recess, and

two rod-shaped locking members, each of which is slidably mounted in one of said ducts and protrudes into said recess and overlaps said rail,

said strut being formed with two holes, each of which opens into the base portion of a respective one of said ducts, which is laterally open adjacent to said hole, and

each of said angled end portions being in engagement with a respective one of said holes when said angled end portion is in resilient engagement with the base portion of the duct.

4. A heddle frame as set forth in claim 3, in which each of said rails is formed at the center with a bore facing the associated recess in said strut and said strut carries two pins, each of which protrudes into one of said recesses and is in backlash-free engagement with one of said bores.

' I It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent UNITED STATES FATE 1 CERTIFICATE I i i Patent No. 3,837,365

Invent Wa'H'hQr F'i'H-e-r and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading, between coded lines [217 and 5?, insert::-

[5 97 Forein Alication Priot Da Aug. 8, 1972 Austria .MM ohm 0 0M. A 6850/72 Signed and sealed this 11th day of February 1975.

(SEAL) Attest: C. MARSHALL DANN RUTH C. MASON Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer and Trademarks USCOMM-DC 80876-P09 w: u.s eovsnumzm' PRINTING OFFICE: 1ND o-aes-J,

FORM PO-1050(10-69)

Claims

1. In a heddle frame, a center strut assembly comprising a strut having at each end a recess and a longitudinal duct having a base portion and opening into said recess, and two rod-shaped locking members, each of which is slidably mounted in one of said ducts and movable to a locking position in which said locking member protrudes iNto the associated recess, each of said locking members having opposite to the associated recess a resilient angled end portion, said strut being formed with two holes, each of which opens into the base portion of a respective one of said ducts, which is laterally open at said hole, and each of said angled end portions being arranged to engage a respective one of said holes when said angled end portion is in resilient engagement with the base portion of the duct and said locking member is in said locking position.

3. A heddle frame, which comprises upper and lower shafts, two heddle-carrying rails, each of which is secured to one of said shafts, and a center strut assembly which comprises a strut having at each end a recess for receiving one of said rails and a longitudinal duct having a base portion and opening into said recess, and two rod-shaped locking members, each of which is slidably mounted in one of said ducts and protrudes into said recess and overlaps said rail, each of said locking members having opposite to the associated recess a resilient angled end portion, said strut being formed with two holes, each of which opens into the base portion of a respective one of said ducts, which is laterally open adjacent to said hole, and each of said angled end portions being in engagement with a respective one of said holes when said angled end portion is in resilient engagement with the base portion of the duct.