US3266528A - Feeder rod drive for shuttleless web loom - Google Patents

Description

W. LIEBCHEN Aug. 16, 1966 FEEDER ROD DRIVE FOR SHUTTLELESS WEB LOOM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 2, 1964 Jnven/ar: waLl nm Lai w. LIEBCHEN 3,266,528

Aug. 16, 1966 FEEDER ROD DRIVE FOR SHUTTLELESS WEB LOOM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 2. 1964 .70 van for wnL um 41 A I eat/ av United States Patent 14 Claims. cl. 139-122 The invention relates to a shuttleless loom, in which the weft threads are introduced into the warp shed by a reciprocating feeder rod which moves in synchronism with the sley and is driven by a cam disc.

It has been known to introduce weft threads in shuttleless web looms by means of feeders which are fastened on feeder rods oscillating in synchronism with the sley.

' Heretofore it was usual to drive the feeder rods by means of cam discs. The disadvantage of this is that the move- \ment of the feeder rods is connected with the movement positions of the discs, so that a very large working angle is necessary for the sley which is driven through a crank in order for the feeder rod to be able to move back and forth into the web shed unhindered. The resultof this 'is that the speed of operation of the loom is limited.

It has also been proposed to drive the feeder rods by "cam discs on which spring-loaded roller levers run, the

movement obtained from which is transmitted to the feeder rod.

In this way the movement of the feeder rod can be better accommodated to the cam-controlled swinging -movement of the sley, but the dynamic requirements allow no substantial increase of the loom speed without 'the danger that lifting of the roller lever off the cam 'disc may result in uncontrolled movement of the feeder rod.

According to the invention these disadvantages, in a shuttleless loom of a known kind, are eliminated by causing the movement of the feeder rod to follow positively the outline of the cam disc and by providing damping means by which the movement of the rod in its end positions can be braked. Thus a substantial increase in loom speed is possible, because the continuous engagement on the cam disc in each case prevents uncontrolled movements of the feeder rod, and the damping means substantially reduce the load on the cam disc and thereby insure quiet operation of the machine.

An especially advantageous modification of the machine provides a web loom in which the motion of the feeder rod is produced by an arm connected to the free rear end of the feeder rod and swingable generally parallel to the plane of the reed. The swinging axis of the arm is positioned below the rock shaft on an extension thereof and is swung together with the sley. The reciprocating movement produced by the cam disc is exerted on the arm at a point parallel with the axis of the rock shaft. The driving force received from the cam disc thus operates at the true center of swinging of the arm and there is a transfer of force to the arm from the force transmitting mechanism which is journalled on the machine, in the direction of the rock shaft without producing transverse forces.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will *appear more fully from the following description particularly, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one end of a shuttleless loom showing the drive for a feeder rod according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a drive for a pair of feeder rods.

The parts in FIG. 2 which do not bear reference characters are the same as shown in FIG. 1.

In the machine frame, the rock shaft 12 is journalled in bearings such as 11. Rock shaft 12 has secured thereon swords 13, only the right hand sword being shown, which carry sley 14 on which reed 15 is fastened. An electric motor 16 stationarily mounted on the frame drives, through pinion 17 and the intermediate gearing 18, 19, the drive pinion 21 of a crank shaft 23 which is journalled in bearing 22 on the frame. The crank pin 24 is drivingly connected, by the connecting rod 25, to sley 14.

At the end of the sley 14, a rod 27 is transversely rnovable in a guide 26 to lay in the weft thread through the shed 31, which in the conventional way carries a receiving gripper 29 at its inner end. In a similar manner there is, at the other end of the sley, a rod with a feeding gripper which carries the weft threads, in the form of loops, up to the middle of the shed 31 formed by the warp threads, where the weft threads are taken over by the receiving gripper and drawn completely through the shed.

Because the arrangement of the gripper rods and their driving means is congruent, the disclosure is limited to the arrangement at one end of the sley.

At the end 32 of the rock shaft 12 which extends beyond the arm 13, there is fastened a hub 33, on which mounts on its lower side a supporting arm 34 which slants outwardly from the axis of the shaft 12. On the forked end of the arm 34, by means of a bolt 35, a hub 36 is turnably mounted, which carries an outwardly directed arm member 37. The upper end of the arm member 37 is connected by a movable link 38 with the outer end of the gripper rod 27.

From the gear 19 of the gear set 18, 19 a gear 38 is driven which meshes with driving gear 39 secured to cam shaft 42 mounted by bearing 41 in the machine frame. The pinions 19, 21 and 39 are so selected that the shafts 23 and 42 turn at the same speed.

On each end of the cam shaft 42 is a cam arrangement 43, which includes a plane plate part 44, reinforced in the center by a hub and carrying on its periphery a flange 45 having a selected control curvature. Such cam de vices are well known. The cam shaft 42 extends beyond the plate 44 and carries, at a distance from the hub shaped reinforcement, a securing ring 46, which with the hub shaped reinforcement of the plate 44 constitutes a guide for the slide rod 48 which by means of a longitudinal slot 47 is transversely displaceable with respect to the cam shaft. A further guide is formed by the groove 49 in the hub 33, in which the forked lower ends of the slide rod 48 are guided. Between the slot 47 and the forked ends 51 the slide rod 48 carries two spaced guide rolls '52, 53. Roll 52 lies against the inside surfaces and roll 53 against the outside surface of the flange 45 of the cam disc 44 with as little play as possible. This constitutes a positive drive cam arrangement. The forked lower ends 51 of the slide rod 48 are connected by a coupling 54 formed of two parallel links, directed generally perpendicular to the shaft axis, with one arm, directed generally perpendicular to the links, of a bell-crank lever 56 journalled at 55 on the frame of the machine.

The other outwardly directed arm of the bell-crank lever 56 carries a bolt 57 which extends from both ends of the spaced arms of the lever and carries between them a spacing sleeve 58. On the outwarly extending end of the bolt 57 engage the eyes of two connecting rods 59. The eyes at the other ends of rods 59 embrace an axle 61, which at 62, at a point substantially coincident with arm 37 substantially in the axial plane of the rod 61 while transmitting to it back and forth motion imparted by the rods 59.

The arrangement so described operates as follows:

The electric motor through the gears 17, 18, 19, 21 drives the crank shaft 23. The turning of the crank shaft 23 is converted by the crank pin 24 and the connecting link 25 into the oscillating swinging movement of the sley 14 about the axis of the crankshaft 12. The reed 15 and the gripper rod 27 will swing with the sley 14. Because the sword 13 is fixed on the crankshaft 12, carrier arm 34 also undergoes a swinging movement in the opposite direction. Because of this, arm 37 rocks with the crankshaft with its true rocking axis lying parallel with the axis of the rock shaft, which is where the axle 61 is fastened to the arm 37 by the bearing 62.

Through the gears 38 and 39 the cam shaft 42 is driven with the crank shaft 23 and turns the cam 43.

The flange 45 with its varying distances from the cam shaft 42 runs between the guide rollers 52, 53 and moves the slide 48 which is guided on the shaft 42 and the hub 33 up and down. This movement is transmitted by the links 54 and bell-crank lever 56 and from these in a generally horizontal direction by the connecting rods 59 to the axis 61 and thus to the arm 37, which transmits its swinging movement through the link 38 to the gripper rod 27 and moves this back and forth into and out of the shed.

The arm 37 then undergoes a compulsory swinging movement in two planes, one of which is about bolt 35 and the other the rock shaft 12. Because the two are not coincident but cross each other with a substantial distance therebetween, and the drive for the swinging movement about axis 35 is transmitted through connecting rods by bearing 62 which is in the projection of the rock shaft 12, any one-sided exertion of force in the two swinging movements is excluded, and especially transverse forces produced by the transmission of power will be avoided.

The arms of lever 56 are spaced far enough apart to allow the rocking movement of extension 34 between them.

A transverse rod 63 extends through the hub 33 of the carrying arm 34 in a direction parallel to the axle 61. Between the ends of the cross rod 63 and the ends of the axle 61, air cushions composed of cylinders 64 are tion in this part of the piston stroke.

The air cushions absorb some of the kinetic energy of the gripper rod and arm 37 by braking the movement in the end positions, so that the disadvantages of the ordinary drive arrangement are avoided, making possible a susbtantial increase in the work load.

The arrangement according to FIG. 2 is a warp machine for the manufacture of a pile warp fabric and corresponds except for what is described below to the arrangement in FIG. 1. Because in the manufacture of some types of fabrics two ways each having sheds 31a, 31b lying one above the other are desirable, into each of which weft threads must be brought at the same time, there are mounted on the same side of the sley two gripper rods 27a, 27b. For driving these gripper rods there is a common arm 37 at each side of the web sley, to which the gripper rods are connected by separate connecting links 38, 38a.

While I have described herein some embodiments of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself except within the scope of the claims hereto or hereinafter appended.

I claim:

1. In a loom, a thread gripper, means mounting said gripper for reciprocatory movement back and forth into and out of a shed formed by the loom, means to impart such movement to the thread gripper comprising a positive drive cam arrangement and means connecting the cam arrangement to the thread gripper, and means connected to the movement imparting means to damp the movements thereof in the end portions of its reciprocatory movement, said loom having a reed, a rock shaft, means to oscillate the rock shaft and reed, means mounting the reed on the rock shaft with the plane of the reed parallel with the axis of the rock shaft, said carrier mounting means being mounted for movement with the reed, said connecting means including a member and means mounting the member on the rock shaft to oscillate therewith, and to rock with respect thereto in a plane substantially coincident with the plane of the reed, and said connecting means further including motion transmitting means connected to the cam arrangement and connected to the member at a point substantially located in a prolongation of the axis of the rock shaft.

2. In 'a loom as claimed in claim 1, said mounting means mounting said member on said rock shaft to turn about an axis transverse to the axis of the rock shaft and spaced a substantial distance therefrom on the side of the rock shaft axis opposite from the reed.

3. In a loom as claimed in claim 1, said damping means being located outside the end of the rock shaft and means connecting the damping means to the member at substantially the same point as the motion transmitting means.

4. In a loom, a thread gripper, means mounting said gripper for reciprocatory movement back and forth into and out of a shed formed by the loom, means to impart such movement to the thread gripper comprising a positive drive carn arrangement and means connecting the cam arrangement to the thread gripper, and means connected to the movement imparting means to damp the movements thereof in the end portions of its reciprocatory movement, said loom having a rock shaft, a camdisc shaft parallel to the rock shaft said positive drive c am arrangement including a cam-disc member carried by said cam-disc shaft and a reciprocable slide member having means positively engaging the cam-disc member to be moved by rotation thereof.

5. In a loom as claimed in claim 4, said cam-disc member comprising a disc mounted on the cam-disc shaft having an axially directed continuous flange portions of which are located at different distances from the shaft axis, said slide having rollers thereon engaging the inner and outer sides of said flange.

6. In a loom, a pair of thread grippers, means mounting said grippers for reciprocatory movement back and forth into and out of a shed formed by the loom, means to impart such movement to the thread grippers comprising a positive drive cam arrangement and means connecting the cam arrangement to the thread gripper, and means connected to the movement imparting means to damp the movements thereof in the end portions of its movement, said connecting means including a member and means mounting to swing in a plane parallel to the direction of movement of the grippers, and separate links connecting said member to each of said thread grippers.

7. In a loom, a thread gripper, means mounting said gripper for reciprocatory movement back and forth into and out of a shed formed by the loom, means to impart such movement to the thread gripper comprising a positive drive cam arrangement and meansconnecting the cam arrangement to the thread gripper, and means connected to the movement imparting means to'damp the movements thereof in the end portions of its reciproca tory movement, said loom having a rock shaft, said connecting means including a member and means mounting the member on the rock shaft to oscillate therewith, and to rock with respect thereto in a plane substantially coincident with the axis of the rock shaft, and means connecting said damping means to said member at a point substantially located in the prolongation of the axis 0 the rock shaft.

8. In a loom, a thread gripper, means mounting said carrier for reciprocatory movement back and forth into and out of a shed formed by the loom, means to impart such movement to the thread gripper comprising a positive drive oam arrangement and means connecting the cam arrangement to the thread gripper, and means connected to the movement imparting means to damp the movement thereof in the end portions of its reciprocatory movement, said loom having a rock shaft, said connecting means including a member and means mounting the member on the rock shaft to oscillate therewith, and to rock with respect thereto in a plane substantially coincident with the plane of the reed, and said connecting means further including motion transmitting means connected to the cam arrangement and connected to the member at a point substantially located in a prolongation of the axis of the rock shaft.

9. In a loom as claimed in claim 8, means connecting said damping means to said member at a point substantially located in the prolongation of the axis of the rock shaft.

10. In a loom, a thread gripper, means mounting said gripper for reciprocatory movement back and forth into and out of a shed formed by the loom, means to impart such movement to the thread gripper, said loom having a reed and a rock shaft, means to oscillate the rock shaft and reed, means mounting the reed on the rock shaft with its plane parallel with the axis of the rock shaft, said carrier mounting means being mounted for movement with the reed, said movement imparting means including a member mounted on the rock shaft to oscillate therewith, and to rock with respect thereto in a plane substantially coincident with the plane of the reed, said movement imparting means further including motion transmitting means connected to the member at a point substantially located in a prolongation of the axis of the rock shaft.

11. In a loom as claimed in claim 10, said mounting means mounting said member on said rock shaft to turn about an axis transverse to the axis of the rock shaft and spaced a substantial distance therefrom on the side of the rock shaft opposite from the reed.

12. In a loom as claimed in claim 10, said movement imparting means including a cam-disc shaft parallel to the rock shaft, a cam-disc member carried by said camdisc shaft and a reciprocable slide member having means positively engaging the cam disc member to be moved by rotation thereof.

13. In a loom as claimed in claim 12, said cam-disc member comprising a disc mounted on the cam-disc shaft having an axially directed continuous flange portions of which are located at different distances from the shaft axis, said slide having rollers thereon engaging the inner and outer sides of said flange.

14. In a loom, a thread gripper, means mounting said gripper for reciprocatory movement back and forth into and out of a shed formed by the loom, means to impart such movement to the thread gripper comprising a positive drive cam arrangement, said loom having a rock shaft, said positive drive cam arrangement including a cam-disc shaft parallel to the rock shaft, a cam-disc member carried by said cam-disc shaft and a reciprocable slide member having means positively engaging the cam-disc member to be moved by rotation thereof, said cam-disc member comprising a disc mounted on the cam-disc shaft having an axially directed continuous flange portions of which are located at different distances from the shaft axis, said slide having rollers thereon engaging the inner and outer sides of said flange, and means connecting said slide to said gripper.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,762,377 6/1930 Ashton 139-122 1,957,024 5/1934 Klemm 139-123 2,621,680 12/ 1952 Vincent et al 139147 2,943,646 7/ 1960 Thatcher 139-151 OTHER REFERENCES Tuppack German application No. 1,050,280, February 1959.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner. H. S. IAUDON, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A LOOM, A THREAD GRIPPER, MEANS MOUNTING SAID GRIPPER FOR RECIPROCATORY MOVEMENT BACK AND FORTH INTO AND OUT OF A SHED FORMED BY THE LOOM, MEANS TO IMPART SUCH MOVEMENT TO THE THREAD GRIPPER COMPRISING A POSITIVE DRIVE CAM ARRANGEMENT AND MEANS CONNECTING THE CAM ARRANGEMENT TO THE THREAD GRIPPER, AND MEANS CONNECTED TO THE MOVEMENT IMPARTING MEANS TO DAMP THE MOVEMENTS THEREOF IN THE END PORTIONS OF ITS RECIPROCATORY MOVEMENT, SAID LOOM HAVING A REED, A ROCK SHAFT, MEANS TO OSCILLATE THE ROCK SHAFT AND REED, MEANS MOUNTING THE REED ON THE ROCK SHAFT WITH THE PLANE OF THE REED PARALLEL WITH THE AXIS OF THE ROCK SHAFT, SAID CARRIER MOUNT-

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