Textiles: weaving – Weft manipulation – Weaving with stationary weft supply
Utility Patent
1996-04-26
2001-01-02
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3741)
Textiles: weaving
Weft manipulation
Weaving with stationary weft supply
C139S448000, C139S449000, C139S196200, C139S438000
Utility Patent
active
06167918
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a gripper system for a gripper loom including a rapier of synthetic material which contains reinforcing fibers and which can be fitted with a gripper at its front end.
2. Description of Related Art
In gripper looms, weft yarns are inserted by grippers into the shed, the grippers being affixed to a flexible rapier. The rapier is driven by a drive wheel and is made to move through guides both within and outside the shed. To achieve a stable, straight gripper motion in the shed, the rapier of synthetic material of the state of the art is fiber-reinforced (RESEARCH DISCLOSURE, November 1980, pp 480, 481). To increase the rigidity of the rapier, comparatively strong reinforcing fibers are used in the rapier, for instance fibers made of carbon or kevlar.
Such a gripper system operates very satisfactorily in practice. One drawback, however, is the relatively high wear not only of the rapier, but also of the guides, especially those displaceable into the shed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is an objective of the invention to provide a gripper system of the type having a rapier of synthetic material for moving a gripper into and out of the shed of a weaving machine, and in which wear of the rapier and guides therefor is reduced.
This objective is achieved by providing a rapier having reinforcing fibers situated a predetermined distance away from the front end of the rapier.
The invention is based on the insight that abrasion of the guides resulting from rapier wear, especially in the vicinity of this rapiers's front end, which has not yet led to inoperability of the gripper system, nevertheless will lay bare the reinforcing fibers in the vicinity of the front end of the rapier. The wear at the front end of the gripper system to which the gripper is affixed is caused by misalignment of the guides inserted into the shed, because the front rapier end first makes contact with these guides. The reinforcing fibers bared by such wear, especially in the zone of the rapier front end, act in a highly degrading manner on the guides, causing abrasion of the guides. AS a result, guidance of the rapier within the shed no longer is optimal, and moreover the danger increases of damaging or rupturing one or more warp yarns coming into contact with the guide elements. Also, the partly abraded guides in turn cause marked wear of the rapier, especially at its front end, as a result of which interaction takes place that increases even further the wear/abrasion of the rapier assembly.
The present invention thus offers the advantage that the guide elements are now subjected to less degradation and, as a side effect, the front rapier end in turn is also less worn because, even after some initial wear, the degrading reinforcing fibers do not reach the surface of the rapier.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing fibers are mounted in one or several layers inside the rapier.
In addition, the invention provides that a stiffening rib be affixable behind the front end zone of the gripper system. This stiffening rib runs at least approximately as far as the gripper and offers the advantage that this portion of the rapier, which is less rigid because of the lack of reinforcing fibers, is reinforced adequately by the stiffening rib in order to move the gripper in a problem-free manner through a shed.
In another embodiment of the invention, the rapier is fitted, at least in an end zone of the stiffening rib situated away from the gripper, with at least one additional layer of reinforcing fibers. As a result, the junction zone between the rapier and the stiffening rib is additionally rigidified.
In a further embodiment of the invention, an exchangeable sole is mounted before the rapier front end and under the gripper, the cross-section of the sole substantially corresponding to that of the rapier. This sole forms a wearable part which can be exchanged by itself without having to exchange the rapier.
Further features and advantages of the invention are elucidated in the description below of the illustrative embodiments shown in the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4100941 (1978-07-01), Ainsworth et al.
patent: 4357964 (1982-11-01), Kohler
patent: 4690177 (1987-09-01), Gehring et al.
patent: 5097873 (1992-03-01), Muller et al.
patent: 5441086 (1995-08-01), Nanni
Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Calvert John J.
Moromoto, Jr. Robert H.
Picanol N.V.
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