Title of Invention

A RIBBON NEEDLELOOM

Abstract

The invention relates to a ribbon needleloom, comprising a heald device, forming a shed, which comprises heald frames (30), supporting heddles, at least one weft needle, at least one thread-feed device, a knitting needle, arranged on the side of the shed away from the weft needle and a reed. According to the invention, the heald frame (30) may be improved, by comprising at least one heald frame support (66), with a hollow rod (68) with an upper lateral introduction opening (72) for an upper heald rail (62) and a lower lateral introduction opening (74) for a lower heald rail (64), whereby the upright heald rails (62,64) are connected by means of a pressure rod (76) arranged in the hollow rod (68) and are tensioned against each other by means of a tensioning screw (78), arranged on an end piece of the hollow rod (68) coaxial to the pressure rod (76).

Full Text

Ribbon needleloom Technical field The invention relates to a ribbon needleloom having a shed-forming heddle device according to the preamble of claim 1. Prior art Ribbon needlelooms of the type initially mentioned with a shed-forming heddle device are known in many instances. The heddle device has heddle frames. The latter present the problem that they are no longer sufficiently stable in the case of larger dimensions and/or higher rotational speeds of the ribbon needleloom. The heddle rails are inclined to flection, and sufficient force transmission between the heddle rails is no longer ensured. This may lead to a destruction of the heddle frames. Presentation of the invention The object of the invention is to improve a ribbon needleloom of the type initially mentioned. The set object is achieved by means of the characterizing features of claim 1. Since the heddle frame has at least one heddle support which has a hollow rod with an upper lateral introduction orifice for an upper heddle rail and a lower lateral introduction orifice for a lower heddle rail, such a heddle support can be attached subsequently, for reinforcement, at any desired point on the heddle frame. The heddle rails standing on edge are connected via a pressure rod arranged in the hollow rod and are braced relative to one another by means of a tension screw arranged coaxially with respect to the pressure rod on an end part of the hollow rod. This affords an appreciable stiffening of the heddle frame, so that the latter is suitable for larger dimensions, on the one WO 2005/033389 PCT/CH2004/000557 - 2 - hand, and/or for higher rotational speeds, on the other hand. However, such heddle supports may also be used for the basic construction of the heddle frame, that is to say such heddle supports may also be used at the sides for connecting the upper and the lower heddle rail. Advantageous refinements of the ribbon needleloom are described in claims 2 to 13. The hold of the heddle rails can be improved if, according to claim 2, at least one introduction orifice has a lateral supporting flange pointing in the direction of the hollow rod. The hollow rod may be produced from solid material. The refinement as claimed in claim 3 is more advantageous, however, according to which the hollow rod has, on sides lying opposite one another, clearances distributed over its length and offset relative to one another, thus resulting in an appreciable reduction in the moved mass. The refinement as claimed in claim 4, according to which the hollow rod consists of a slideable plastic reinforced by fibers, also contributes to a saving of mass. Further refinements and advantages of the ribbon needleloom are contained in the following special description of exemplary embodiments. Brief description of the drawings Exemplary embodiments of the ribbon needleloom according to the invention are described in more detail below with reference to the drawings in which: figure 1 shows a ribbon needleloom in a side view; figure 2 shows a heddle device with pneumatic return in a view transverse to the running direction of the rope threads; WO 2005/033389 PCT/CH2004/000557 - 3 - figure 3 shows a heddle frame with a heddle support in the form of a detail and in a vertical section; figure 4 shows a rocker lever of a cam drive of the heddle device in a top view; figure 5 shows a heddle frame with spring return in the form of a detail; figure 6 shows a heddle frame with heddles in a vertical section parallel to the rope threads; figure 7 shows the heddle frame in the section VII-VII of figure 6; figure 8 shows a drive diagram of the ribbon needleloom in a side view; figure 9 shows the drive diagram of figure 8 in horizontal projection; figure 10 shows the weaving region of the ribbon needleloom in a top view; figure 11 shows the weaving region in the section XI-XI of figure 10; figure 12 shows a diagram of a thread feed device of the ribbon needleloom; figure 13 shows the thread feed device in the section XIII-XIII of figure 12; figure 14 shows a further thread feed device in a side view; figure 15 shows the thread feed device in the section XV-XV of figure 14; figure 16 shows a first conveyor belt in a side view; figure 17 shows the conveyor belt of figure 16 in cross section; figure 18 shows a second conveyor belt in a side view;and figure 19 shows the conveyor belt of figure 18 in cross section. Ways of implementing the invention WO 2005/033389 PCT/CH2004/000557 - 4 - Figure 1 shows a ribbon needleloom with a machine stand 2 in which is mounted a main driveshaft 4 which drives at least one weft needle 6, not illustrated in any more detail, a reed 7, a cloth take-up 8 and a heddle device 10. The ribbon needleloom has a rope beam stand 12, carrying rope beams 14, from which rope threads 16 are fed to the heddle device 10 which opens the rope threads into a shed 18. By means of a thread feed device 20, a weft thread 24 is fed from a thread reel 22 to the weft needle 6 which introduces a weft thread loop into the shed 18. Successive weft thread loops may be tied off with themselves or by means of a tuck thread 26 which is fed via a further thread feed device 28 to a knitting needle, not illustrated in any more detail here, in order to tie off an inserted weft thread loop and secure it. Figures 2 to 4 show a first heddle device 10, in which heddle frames 30, 30a are in each case connected by means of a link 32, on the one hand, positively to a cam drive 34 and, on the other hand, to a pneumatic return 36. The cam drive 34 has pivoting levers 38, 38a, 38b, 38c, 38d which cooperate at a drive point 40 with cams 42 of a camshaft 44. At the driven point 46, the pivoting levers 38, 38a, 38b, 38c, 38d are articulated on the links 32 via joints 48. The pivot axes defined by the joint 48 run at right angles with respect to the planes spanned by the heddle frames 30, 30a. The distances A of the pivoting levers 38, 38a, 38b, 38c, 38d of the drive points 40, 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d from the respective pivot axes 50, 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d are different between adjacent pivoting levers, while the distances B of the driven points 46, 46a, 46b, 46c, 46d from the pivot axes 50, 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d are also different, the whole such that the heddle frames are displaceable over different extents in order to form a continuously widening and renarrowing shed, as may be gathered from figure 1. The pneumatic return WO 2005/033389 PCT/CH2004/000557 - 5 - 36 is formed by a gas chamber 52 in which a piston 54 is displaceable, which is connected to the link 32, in order to compress the piston positively at the operating frequency of the cam drive 34. A pressure relief valve 56 connected to the gas chamber 52 limits the maximum pressure in the gas chamber. A compressed gas source 60 is connected via a nonreturn valve 58 in order to regulate the gas pressure in the gas chamber 52. The compressed gas source 60 is connected to a control device, not illustrated in any more detail, by means of which the gas pressure in the gas chamber can be set as a function of the operating state of the ribbon needleloom. Figure 5 shows a heddle device 10a in which the pneumatic return 36 is replaced by a spring return 61 which acts on the frame 30, 30a. The heddle frames 30, 30a are formed by upper heddle rails 62 and lower heddle rails 64 which are connected to one another by means of heddle supports 66. The heddle support 66 illustrated in more detail in figure 3 has a hollow rod 68 which is formed from metal or preferably fiber-reinforced plastic. The hollow rod 68 contains, on opposite sides, clearances 7 0 distributed along its length and offset relative to one another. The upper heddle rail 62 is inserted in an upper lateral introduction orifice 72 and the lower heddle rail 64 is inserted in a lower lateral introduction orifice 74. At least one of the introduction orifices 72, 74 has a lateral vertically oriented supporting flange 75. The heddle rails 62, 64 standing on edge are connected to one another by a pressure rod 76. At the upper end of the hollow rod 68, a tension screw 78 is screwed into the hollow rod 68 and presses onto the upper heddle rail 62, consequently prestressing the heddle rails 62, 64 relative to one another, so as to make a secure connection between the upper heddle rail WO 2005/033389 PCT/CH2004/000557 - 6 - 62 and the lower heddle rail 64 via the heddle support 66. As is evident from figure 2, a plurality of heddle supports 66 are arranged so as to be distributed over the length of the heddle frame. Between the upper heddle rail 62 and the lower heddle rail 64, heddles 80 are arranged, which have thread eyes 82 through which a rope thread 16 runs in each case. Figures 6 and 7 show a preferred design of the heddle frame 30, in which heddles 80 are lined up on the upper heddle rail 62 and the lower heddle rail 64 by means of an upper end eye 84 and a lower end eye 86. The heddle rail 62 which drives in the present example has a thin leg 88 which projects transversely with respect to the heddle rail 62 and which engages with slight play into a catching groove 90 of the associated end eye 84 of the heddle 80. The end eye 84 assigned to the driving heddle rail 62 surrounds the heddle rail 62 completely, a play which amounts to 0.01 to 0.3 mm being present between the leg 88 of the driving heddle rail 62 and the catching groove 90 of the end eye 84. For this purpose, the thickness of the leg 88 and the width of the catching groove 90 are coordinated with one another such that the play between the leg 88 and the catching groove 90 amounts to 0.01 to 0.3 mm. Despite this small play, it is possible for the heddles of preferably lamellar design to spread out at the angle a equal to 15° with respect to the vertical, as may be gathered from figure 7. The lower heddle rail 64 may be configured similarly to the upper heddle rail, a vertical play of 0.5 to 10 mm being possible. In this example, the lower heddle rail 64 does not serve for driving the heddle 80, but for guidance in the heddle frame and for absorbing the transverse forces caused by the moved rope threads 16. By virtue of this configuration of the heddle, the heddle device induces only very little noise and causes minimum wear even in the case of a maximum rotational speed which may WO 2005/033389 PCT/CH2004/000557 - 7 - amount, for example, to 4000 to 6000 revolutions per minute. Figures 8 and 9 show the drive diagram of the ribbon needleloom, the reed drive 92, the weft needle drive 94, the knitting needle drive 96 and, via a single-stage gearwheel mechanism or worm gear, a secondary driveshaft 100 of the cam drive 34 of the heddle device 10 being connected by the main driveshaft 4. For the weft needle drive 94 and the knitting needle drive 96, a common disk 102 with a crank 104 is arranged on the main driveshaft 4, said crank having diametrically opposite crank pins 106, 108 which are guided radially adjustably in grooves 110 of the disk 102 or crank 104, so that their eccentricity can be set. The crank pin 106 assigned to the weft needle drive 94 cooperates via a coupling rod 112 with a rocker lever 114 which is connected in an articulated manner via a further coupling rod 116 to a rocker lever 118. The latter is fastened to a shaft 120 which carries and drives the weft needle 6. The reed drive 92 is connected to the crank pin 108 which is connected via a coupling rod 122 to a rocker lever 124 carrying the reed 7. The knitting needle drive 96 has a cam disk 126 which is arranged on the main driveshaft 4 and on which a dog 128 of a two-armed rocker lever 13 0 engages. The knitting needle 132 is fastened to that end. of the rocker lever 124 which faces away from the dog 128, said knitting needle acting on one side of the ribbon to be produced and serving for tying off the inserted weft thread loop. Figures 10 and 11 show the weaving region of the ribbon needleloom, a guide plate 134 with a guide track 136 being assigned to that side of the knitting needle 132 which faces away from the shed 18, in such a way that the weft thread leg 138, to be grasped by the knitting needle 132, of the weft thread loop 140 lies below or at most level with the head 142 of the knitting needle WO 2005/033389 PCT/CH2004/000557 - 8 - 132 during introduction into the shed 18, so that, when the weft needle 6 is moved out over the knitting needle head 142, the weft thread leg 138 can be introduced into the hook track of the knitting needle 132. This design affords particularly reliable engagement, specifically only of the weft thread leg 138 to be processed, on the knitting needle 132, this taking place within a very small effective range. The strokes of the knitting needle can thereby be kept very low, although a reliable tucking of the weft thread leg by the arm of the knitting needle is ensured. This design makes it possible to have short knitting needles with less susceptibility to flection, vibration and wear. This, in turn, makes it possible for the ribbon needleloom to have a high performance. Figures 12 and 13 show a preferred thread feed device 20 for the weft thread 24. The weft thread 24 taken up from the reel 22 by means of a thread transport device 144 arrives at a pneumatic compensating device 146, in which the weft thread 24 is led transversely through a duct 148 into which a blowing device 150 issues. The weft thread 24 fed at a constant speed by the thread transport device 144 is processed intermittently by the weft needle 6, so that, between two weft insertions, no weft thread is required and over delivery 152 occurs, which is introduced into the duct 148 by the blowing device 150. A guide eye 154 for the weft thread 24 is present between the compensating device 146 and the weft needle 6. Instead of the blowing device 150, a suction device may alternately or even additionally be connected to the duct 148. Figure 13 shows the thread transport device 144 in the section XIII-XIII of figure 12, which makes it possible to set the transport speed for the weft thread. The thread transport device 144 contains a transport roller 158 arranged on a shaft 156 and having a frictional WO 2005/033389 PCT/CH2004/000557 - 9 - surface 160. The frictional surface is radially expandable by means of an actuating device 162, with the result that the circumferential speed of the transport roller 158 can be set. The actuating device 162 has an actuating block 164 which is arranged on a shaft 156 and consists of an incompressible, but elastomeric material and which is arranged between a stop disk 166 and an actuating disk 168 and can be compressed by means of an actuating nut 17 0 capable of being screwed on the shaft 156. With increasing compression, the casing 172 of the transport roller 158 is expanded, with the result that its diameter D and consequently its circumferential speed change. The weft thread 24 to be transported is pressed against the transport roller 158 by means of a pressure roll 174 and is thereby transported. Figures 14 to 19 show a further thread transport device 175, in which a rotating conveyor belt 176 transporting the thread 24 is guided between two conical regulating disks 180, 182 arranged on a driveshaft 178. The axial distance between the regulating disks can be set. For this purpose, the regulating disks are prestressed relative to one another by means of a spring 184. The conveyor belt 17 6 is guided via a further deflecting roll 186, of which the distance from the regulating disks can be set by means of a regulating device 188. The conveyor belt shown in figures 16 and 17 has a continuous part 190 which possesses a thickness d. On the under side of the continuous part, transverse ribs 192 are integrally formed, the height h of which is greater than the thickness d of the continuous part 190. The continuous part 190 is provided with a reinforcing insert 194. Figures 18 and 19 show a further design of the conveyor belt 17 6a which is additionally also provided with transverse ribs 196 on the top side. WO 2005/033389 PCT/CH2004/000557 - 10 - As may be gathered, further, from figures 14 and 15, the thread transport device is provided with a further pressure roll 198 between the regulating disks 180, 182 and the deflecting roll 186, so that the conveyor belt is guided in a meander-shaped manner. The thread 24 to be transported is received and discharged in the region of the meander-shaped guide. The thread transport device is suitable particularly for weft threads, and, in the case of multiple ribbon needlelooms which therefore produce a plurality of ribbons next to one another simultaneously, a plurality of such transport devices are arranged next to one another on a common driveshaft 17 8 and on a common pivoting shaft and preferably can be set by means of a common regulating device 188. Reference symbols2 Machine stand 64 Lower heddle rail 4 Main driveshaft 66 Heddle support 6 Weft needle 68 Hollow rod 7 Reed 70 Clearance 8 Cloth take-up 72 Introduction 10 Heddle device orifice 10a Heddle device 74 Introduction 12 Rope beam stand orifice 14 Rope beam 75 Supporting flange 16 Rope thread 76 Pressure rod 18 Shed 78 Tension screw 2 0 Thread feed device 80 Heddle 22 Thread reel 82 Thread eye 24 Weft thread 84 End eye 26 Tuck thread 86 End eye 28 Thread feed device 88 Leg 30 Heddle frame 90 Catching element 30a Heddle frame 92 Reed drive 32 Link 94 Weft needle drive 34 Cam drive 96 Knitting needle 36 Pneumatic return drive 38, a-d Pivoting lever 98 Gearwheel 40, a-d Drive part mechanism/worm gear 42 Cam 100 Secondary drive 44 Camshaft shaft 46, a-d Drive point 102 Disk 48 Joint 104 Crank 50, a-d Pivot axis 106 Crank pin 52 Gas chamber 108 Crank pin 54 Piston 110 Groove 56 Pressure relief 112 Coupling rod valve 114 Rocker lever 58 Nonreturn valve 116 Coupling rod 60 Pressure source 118 Rocker lever 61 Spring return 120 Shaft 62 Upper heddle rail 122 Coupling rod

Documents:

1142-CHENP-2006 ABSTRACT.pdf

1142-CHENP-2006 CLAIMS GRANTED.pdf

1142-CHENP-2006 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS.pdf

1142-CHENP-2006 CORRESPONDENCE PO.pdf

1142-CHENP-2006 FORM-18.pdf

1142-chenp-2006 abstract-duplicate.pdf

1142-chenp-2006 claims-duplicate.pdf

1142-chenp-2006 description (complete)-duplicate.pdf

1142-chenp-2006 drawings-duplicate.pdf

1142-chenp-2006- form 1.pdf

1142-chenp-2006- form 3.pdf

1142-chenp-2006- form 5.pdf

1142-chenp-2006-abstract.pdf

1142-chenp-2006-claims.pdf

1142-chenp-2006-correspondence-others.pdf

1142-chenp-2006-description(complete).pdf

1142-chenp-2006-drawings.pdf

1142-chenp-2006-form 26.pdf

1142-chenp-2006-pct.pdf