Air feed block for a mechanical loom

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a weaving machine air supply block having conduits extending between an inlet and an outlet, and valves switched and/or controlled by valve drives.

2. Description of the Related Art

An air supply block of the initially cited kind is known from the patent document WO 97/29231. This air supply block is mounted between a source of compressed air and a pair of main airjet nozzles which insert a filling into a shed. The known air supply block comprises an inlet connected to the source of compressed air and an outlet connected to the pair of main airjet nozzles. The inlet and outlet are connected by conduits within the air supply block into which are integrated a switched shutoff valve and an adjustable throttling valve. When a weaving machine must process a substantial number of different fillings, a commensurately large number of pairs of main airjets nozzles and furthermore a correspondingly large number of air supply blocks will be required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the present invention is to so design an air supply block of the initially cited kind that feeding comparatively many main air jet nozzles with compressed air is enabled without using a large size compressed-air supply.

This problem is solved by providing two outlets extending along a longitudinal side of a substantially right parallelipipedic housing, each outlet being associated with its own valves.

This invention offers the advantage that using one air supply block, two sets of main air jet nozzles can be supplied with compressed air, as a result of which the required equipment space is relatively small. Such air supply blocks are especially appropriate for airjet weaving machines which process several different fillings.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the said housing is free of inlets, outlets and valve drives on two mutually opposite longitudinal sides. As a result, the air supply blocks can be assembled tightly against each other and compactness is enhanced again.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the inlet(s), the conduits and the outlets are configured substantially in a common longitudinal plane of the said housing. In this manner the width of the housing of the air supply block can be lessened in the transverse direction and consequently a relatively large number of such units can be received within a relative small space.

Further features and advantages of the invention regarding in particular configuring the air supply blocks within a small space are stated in the further sub-claims.

Embodiments of the invention are shown below in relation to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1

is a top view of several juxtaposed air supply blocks,

FIG. 2

is a section along line II—II of

FIG. 1

,

FIG. 3

is a section along line III—III of

FIG. 2

,

FIG. 4

is a section similar to that of

FIG. 2

of another embodiment,

FIG. 5

is a section similar to that of

FIG. 2

of still another embodiment,

FIG. 6

is a section along line VI—VI of

FIG. 5

,

FIG. 7

is a section similar to that of

FIG. 2

of another embodiment,

FIG. 8

is a section similar to that of

FIG. 7

of a further embodiment,

FIG. 9

is a section of still a further embodiment, and

FIG. 10

is a section similar to that of

FIG. 2

of still another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The air supply block

1

shown in

FIGS. 1 through 3

feeding an airjet weaving machine comprises a right-parallelipipedic housing fitted with two compressed-air inlets

2

and

3

located along one longitudinal side

4

. Two compressed-air outlets

5

and

6

are located at the opposite longitudinal side

7

. In the embodiment shown, the particular longitudinal side

4

is the underside and the longitudinal side

7

is the top side of the air supply block

1

. The air supply block

1

contains conduits

8

,

9

and

10

connecting the inlet

2

with the outlet

5

. Correspondingly the conduits

11

,

12

and

13

connect the inlet

3

with the outlet

6

. A switched shutoff valve

14

and an adjustable throttling valve

15

are located between the inlet

2

and the outlet

5

. In a corresponding manner, a switched shutoff valve

16

and an adjustable throttling valve

17

are mounted between the inlet

3

and the outlet

6

.

The two inlets

2

and

3

, the two outlets

5

and

6

, as well as the conduits

8

through

12

are configured substantially in one longitudinal plane

24

(shown in

FIG. 1

) of the air supply block

1

. This longitudinal plane

24

runs perpendicularly to the longitudinal sides

4

and

7

. The two outlets

5

and

6

are mounted closer together than the inlets

2

and

3

. With respect to transverse center plane

25

running perpendicularly to the longitudinal sides

4

,

7

in the longitudinal plane

24

, the inlet

2

, the outlet

5

and the conduits

8

,

9

and

10

are situated in a mirror symmetrical manner relative to the inlet

3

, to the outlet

6

and the ducts

11

,

12

and

13

. Illustratively the conduits

8

through

13

are boreholes in the air supply block

1

.

The valve drives

20

of the two switched shutoff valves

14

and

16

are located on the longitudinal side

4

of the block between the inlets

2

and

3

. These drives also are located in the above-mentioned longitudinal plane

24

and are mounted in mirror-symmetrical manner to the transverse center plane

25

.

One valve seat

26

is associated with each switched shutoff valve

14

,

16

and is part of the conduit

9

and

12

respectively. A valve rod

18

is urged by a spring

19

against the valve seat

26

in order to interrupt communication between an inlet

2

or

3

and an outlet

5

or

6

. An electromagnet associated with the valve rod

18

acts as the valve drive

20

and lifts said rod off the valve seat

26

in order to open the valve. The valve rods

18

of the shutoff valves

14

and

16

each are situated along a line extending from the associated outlet

5

and

6

and are configured parallel with each other.

The adjustable throttling valves

15

and

17

each are fitted with a spindle

21

which is axially displaceable by a linear motor

22

. The end

23

of the spindle

21

enters the associated conduit

10

and

13

. By adjusting the position of the spindle

21

in the conduit

10

and

13

, the compressed air flowing from the inlet

2

to the outlet

5

, or from the inlet

3

to the outlet

6

, will be throttled by changing the flow cross-section of the particular conduit

10

or

13

in the manner described in the patent document WO 97/29231. The throttling valves

15

and

17

and in particular the spindles

21

also are located in the above-mentioned longitudinal plane

24

and also are arrayed in mirror-symmetrical manner relative to the transverse center plane

25

.

An electrical hookup

31

is mounted on the housing of the linear motor

22

of the throttling valve

17

. Electric conductors

32

,

33

,

34

,

35

run from the hookup

31

to the shutoff valves

14

,

16

and to the throttling valves

15

,

17

. A cable (not shown) is connected to the hookup

31

and extends to a weaving machine central control unit. Using only one hookup

31

for both shutoff valves

14

,

16

and for both throttling valves

15

,

17

is advantageous in assembling the air supply block

1

jointly with the associated parts on a weaving machine and for the various required electrical connections. The electric conductors

32

,

33

, and

34

are placed in a longitudinal channel

38

in the longitudinal side

7

constituting the top side. The conductors

32

and

33

each run through a borehole

36

and

37

of the air supply block to the valve drives

20

of the switching valves

14

,

16

.

As shown in

FIG. 1

, several air supply blocks

1

each are affixed by screws

28

to one compressed-air container

27

. The compressed-air container

27

is fitted at its middle with a trough-shaped recess into which the valve drives

20

of the switching valves

14

and

16

extend. To the side of this trough-shaped recess, the compressed-air container

27

is fitted with several outlets

29

,

30

adjoining the inlets

2

,

3

of an air supply block

1

. In the illustrated embodiment, four air supply blocks

1

are mounted on the compressed-air container

27

. No air supply block

1

is present in the vicinity of the outlets

29

and

30

which are sealed by stoppers

43

.

Seals (not shown) for the shutoff valves

14

,

16

and for the throttling valves

15

,

17

prevent compressed air from leaking out of the air supply block

1

into this region. Screws

66

affix the valve drives

20

to the air supply block

1

. Stoppers

39

,

40

are present in the borehole-conduits

8

and

11

at the unused ends. The outlets

5

,

6

are fitted with only schematically indicated hookups

41

,

42

illustratively connected to the air supply block

1

. These hookups

41

,

42

connect conduits extending to one or a pair of consecutive main air jet nozzles. In one embodiment of the invention, hookups

41

,

42

are screwed at their threaded segments into corresponding threads of the outlets

5

,

6

.

An air supply block

1

may be made having a small width B (shown in

FIG. 1

) in the transverse direction by means of the shown embodiment wherein the inlets

2

,

3

, the outlets

5

,

6

, the conduits

8

through

13

and the valves

14

through

17

are mounted substantially in the same longitudinal plane

24

, and as a result several such air supply blocks

1

can be configured compactly. Using conventional valves and diameters, an air supply block

1

having a width B about 30 mm can be made.

The air supply blocks

1

comprising two outlets

5

,

6

and their associated valves are especially appropriate for airjet weaving machines. Advantageously, the main jet nozzles are used in even numbers in such airjet weaving machines because the same type of filling is fed for instance from two bobbins and insertion into a shed is implemented from two main air jet nozzles or two pairs of main jet nozzles in series in the manner of the disclosure of WO 97/28231. If nevertheless an odd number of outlets is desired, one of the outlets

5

or

6

can easily be stoppered. Obviously as well, the control may be carried out in such a manner that the associated shutoff valve

14

or

16

can remain permanently closed.

The outlets

5

and

6

are spaced by a distance which, for instance, corresponds to the distance between the inlets and the main jet nozzles, for instance in the manner of the Belgian patent application (not prepublished) No. 97 00 645 corresponding to WO 98/54 385 of the applicant. In this way the air supply blocks

1

are especially well suited for main jet nozzles such as are disclosed in said Belgian or International Patent Application.

In the embodiment of

FIG. 4

, the outlets

5

,

6

are connected to boreholes

44

,

45

which in turn are connected to boreholes

46

,

47

running toward the longitudinal side

7

. Relative to the transverse center plane

25

, the boreholes

44

and

46

are configured in mirror-symmetrical manner to the boreholes

45

and

47

. The unused ends of the boreholes

44

and

45

are sealed by stoppers

48

,

49

. The boreholes

44

through

47

also run substantially in the longitudinal plane

24

of the air supply block

1

. The boreholes

46

,

47

are fitted with hookups

50

,

51

for conduits (not shown) illustratively connected to the air supply block

1

. Relatively low-pressure compressed air can be supplied through the boreholes

46

and

47

, said air then flowing through the boreholes

44

or

45

to the outlet

5

or

6

. Similarly, in the embodiment of

FIG. 8

, a pressure sensor (not shown) may also be provided at the boreholes

46

or

47

to measure the pressure of the compressed air flowing out of the air supply block

1

.

Another embodiment similar to that of

FIG. 4

is shown in

FIGS. 5 and 6

wherein boreholes

52

,

53

and

54

extend to the outlet

5

, the boreholes

52

and

53

being sealed at their unused ends by stoppers

55

,

56

. The boreholes

52

,

53

,

54

are somewhat outside the above mentioned longitudinal plane

24

. Since the boreholes

52

,

53

,

54

are relatively small, they hardly affect the total width B of the air supply block

1

. This width is substantially determined by the valve drives

14

,

16

and/or the seats

26

of the shutoff valves.

FIG. 7

shows an embodiment wherein the air supply block

1

comprises two inlets

2

and

3

and two outlets

5

and

6

which are respectively communicating through ducts

62

,

63

and

64

,

65

. These ducts all are situated in the same longitudinal plane

24

of the air supply block

1

and are configured in mirror-symmetrical manner relative to the transverse center plane

25

. One valve seat

59

for a valve spindle

61

is mounted in each duct

62

,

64

, the seats

59

and spindles

61

jointly with valve drives

60

in the form of linear motors constituting throttling valves

57

,

58

. These throttling valves

57

,

58

illustratively are the kind described in WO 96/08668.

The air supply block

1

of

FIG. 7

is mounted in the manner of the embodiment of

FIG. 1

on a compressed-air container

27

. The outlets

5

and

6

are each fitted with a hookup

41

,

42

connected to conduits (not shown). Illustratively such a conduit can be connected to a hookup

50

or

51

of the air supply block

1

of

FIG. 4

in order to convey compressed air, which is at a low pressure throttled by the throttling valve

57

or

58

, through said conduits and through the boreholes

44

,

46

or

45

,

47

to the outlets

5

or

6

of the air supply block

1

of FIG.

4

.

In one embodiment, the air supply block

1

of

FIG. 7

is mounted on the compressed-air container

27

onto which one or more air supply blocks such as shown in

FIG. 4

may also be mounted. In another variation, the air supply block(s) of

FIG. 7

are mounted on their own compressed-air container, so as to allow for the predetermining of appropriate air pressures already in the air-feed containers to be used.

FIG. 8

shows an embodiment wherein the air supply block

1

includes boreholes

44

through

47

in the manner of the embodiment of

FIG. 4. A

schematically illustrated pressure pickup

67

is connected to each of the boreholes

46

and

47

. Preferably this pressure pickup is connected by electrical conductors (not shown) connected to the electrical hookup

31

to allow transmitting the measurements to the main control unit of the weaving machine.

FIG. 9

shows an embodiment similar to that of

FIG. 7

, wherein the components corresponding to those of

FIG. 7

have the same reference numerals. The air supply block

1

comprises only one compressed-air inlet

70

situated in the longitudinal plane

24

at the middle plane

25

. An outlet

69

of a compressed-air container

71

is situated in that zone. A duct

68

branches off the inlet

70

toward both sides and through a conduit

63

communicates with the outlet

5

, and through a conduit

65

with the outlet

6

. Valve seats

59

are mounted in the conduit

68

and are associated with the valve spindles

61

of the linear motors

60

of the two throttling valves

57

,

58

.

FIG. 10

shows an embodiment substantially corresponding to that of FIG.

2

and accordingly the same components shall be denoted by the same reference numbers. However the air supply block

1

includes only one compressed-air inlet

72

which is situated in the longitudinal plane

24

of the air supply block

1

. This inlet

72

is connected to an outlet

76

which is located in a side wall of the trough-shaped recess in the compressed-air container

73

. The inlet

72

communicates through ducts

74

,

8

,

9

and

10

with the outlet

5

and through ducts

74

,

8

,

9

,

75

,

12

and

13

with the outlet

6

. The duct

75

connects the through ducts

9

and

12

. The duct

74

connects the inlet

72

to the duct

8

. The end of the duct

74

is sealed by a stopper

77

.

The invention is not restricted to the above shown embodiments. A person skilled in the art recognizes at once that modifications and in particular combinations among the embodiments are feasible without thereby exceeding the scope of the invention defined in the attached claims.

Claims

1. A weaving machine air supply block comprising conduits (8, 9, 10; 11, 12, 13; 62, 63; 64, 65; 68; 74, 75) located between an inlet (2, 3; 70; 72) and an outlet (5, 6), and valves (14, 15; 16, 17; 57, 58) which are switched and/or adjusted by valve drives,characterized in that two outlets (5, 6) are configured at a longitudinal side (7) of a substantially right parallelipipedic housing and said outlets are associated with their own specific valves (14, 15; 16, 17; 57, 58).
2. The air supply block as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the housing is free of inlets, outlets and valve drives on two mutually opposite longitudinal sides.
3. The air supply block as claimed in either of claim 1 characterized in that the valve drives (20, 22, 60) are of such dimensions that they are configured to extend only within the periphery of the surface of the housing from which they project.
4. The air supply block as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the housing is fitted with two sets of outlets (5, 6), of the conduits and of the valves (14, 16; 15, 17).
5. The air supply block as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the inlet is plural in number, the inlets (2, 3) and the outlets (5, 6) are mounted on mutually opposite longitudinal sides (4, 7) of the air supply block.
6. The air supply block as claimed in one of claim 1, characterized in that the outlets (5, 6), the associated conduits and the associated valves (14, 15; 16, 17) are configured in substantial mirror symmetry relative to a center plane (25) of the housing.
7. The air supply block as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the inlet is plural in number, the inlets (2, 3; 70, 72), the conduits (8, 9, 10; 11, 12, 13; 62, 63; 64, 65; 68; 74, 75) and the outlets (5, 6) are located in a substantially common longitudinal plane (24) of the housing.
8. The air supply block as claimed in one of claim 1, characterized in that the housing comprises at least one recess (38) for receiving electrical conductors (32 through 34).
9. The air supply block as claimed in claim 1, further characterized by a compressed-air container (27) fitted with prefabricated hookups (29, 30) for mounting several air supply blocks (1).
10. The air supply block as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the compressed-air container (27) comprises a trough-like recess and prefabricated hookups (29, 30) on each side of said recess.

Priority Claims (1)

Number	Date	Country	Kind
9800447	Jun 1998	BE

PCT Information

Filing Document	Filing Date	Country	Kind	102e Date	371c Date
PCT/EP99/03687		WO	00	12/11/2000	12/11/2000

Publishing Document	Publishing Date	Country	Kind
WO99/64651	12/16/1999	WO	A

US Referenced Citations (3)

Number	Name	Date
4850398	Van Bogaert	Jul 1989
5417250	Markey	May 1995
6109309	Dornier et al.	Aug 2000

Air feed block for a mechanical loom

Information

Patent Number

Date Filed

Date Issued

Inventors

Original Assignees

Examiners

Agents

CPC

US Classifications

Field of Search

US

International Classifications

Abstract

Description

Claims

Priority Claims (1)

PCT Information

US Referenced Citations (3)