Claims
- 1. A lifting heddle for a loom comprising:
- a first heddle element;
- a second heddle element interfitted with said first heddle element;
- each said heddle element including a C-shaped end member on opposing ends thereof defining a heddle rod slot for receiving a heddle rod and a shank extending between said C-shaped end members;
- said C-shaped end member being defined by a back web, closed end portions terminating said web and extending outwardly therefrom, opposed fingers extending from said end portions towards one another terminating short of one another to define an open gap area;
- said gap area being open sufficiently to enable said heddle to slide past a heddle rod connecting members when said heddle rod is received in said slot;
- said rod slot including upper and lower slot portions defined on either side of said gap area;
- a first of said C-shaped end members on one end of said first heddle element having one of said fingers thereof being longer than the other said finger, said one finger, said back web, and said end portion thereof defining an extended upper slot portion having a greater depth than the depth of said lower slot portion of said first C-shaped end member;
- said one finger and said back web of said first heddle element including a laterally offset bend in an area of said extended upper slot portion of said first C-shaped end member defining a ledge;
- said shank of said second heddle element including a neck of reduced width adjacent the lower C-shaped end portion;
- a shoulder formed by an upper surface of said lower C-shaped end member of said second heddle element;
- said slot of said second heddle element generally aligning with said slot of said first element with said shoulder of said second heddle element nesting alongside said ledge of said first heddle element;
- said first heddle element including a medial opening formed in said shank for receiving said second heddle element therethrough;
- said neck of said second heddle element fitting within said extended upper slot portion of said slot of said first heddle element whereby said first second and first heddle elements are fitted together as a lifting heddle, and said heddle elements being stamped from high carbon steel into their final shape.
- 2. The heddle of claim 1 wherein said heddle elements are formed from a hardened high carbon material hardened by heat treatment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 06/428,190 (now abandoned) entitled LENO HEDDLE DEVICE filed on Sept. 29, 1982.
The invention relates to a leno heddle device for a leno or doup heddle frame of a loom. Typically, such a heddle device includes a pair of lifting heddles which are interconnected at a medial portion by a doup heddle. The end includes a rod slot for connection to a heddle support rod. The rod slot is customarily formed in an O-shape. In some cases, the lifting heddle included two heddles fitted together. In this case, the rod slot of one of the heddles is enlarged relative to the other and receives a reduced neck of the other heddle in an interlocking manner. A heddle rod is slidably received in the rod slots by which the leno heddle devices are carried on the heddle frame.
The problem exists that the O-shaped rod slots of the prior leno heddles limit the mobility of the heddles on the heddle frame due to the presence of slide hooks which connect the heddle rods to the frame slat on the heddle frame. Due to the closed shape of the O-shaped slot, the heddle devices cannot slide past the slide hook. The heddle devices cannot be moved readily to and fro across the frame and thus become sectionalized on the heddle frame. This creates excessive numbers of heddle devices in certain sections of the heddle frame. This is particularly a problem when using leno heddles on a full width leno frame where up to 500 leno heddles may be carried. More heddles are present than are needed to guide the warp yarn ends in that section of the frame between slide hooks. The loom attendants are reluctant to perform the work required to redistribute heddles and space the used heddles evenly on the frame. Uneven spacing of the warp yarns results in the sections on the heddle frame creating gaps between the individual warp yarn ends which can create streaks in the fabric.
Leno heddle pairs having C-shaped end portions encompassing a slot have been proposed. While technically it is the end portions of the heddles that are C-shaped and O-shaped, it has become customary in the industry to refer to the heddles as having C-shaped slots and O-shaped slots. The open areas of the slot slides past the supporting member on the frame whereby the heddles evenly space themselves on the frame during use. The prior heddle pairs with C-shaped rod slots have been spot welded for interconnection. Separate C-shaped rod slot pieces are spot welded at a medial portion between the opposing ends and opposing rod hook slots. This requires a much more lengthy and costly process for constructing the heddle devices.
Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is to provide a leno heddle device which provides infinite mobility of the lifting heddles on a heddle frame so that the heddles space themselves evenly across the width of the heddle frame eliminating sectionalizing of the heddles.
Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a leno heddle device having interfitting heddle elements with interlocking C-shaped end portions.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide lifting heddles for a leno or doup heddle frame wherein a C-shaped rod slot is provided in one end of a female heddle element which includes an extended slot opening in which a reduced neck of a shank of a male heddle element is received for interconnecting the heddle elements in a lifting heddle.
The above objectives are accomplished according to the present invention by means of a lifting heddle having a pair of interfitting heddle elements. Each heddle element includes a C-shaped end portions at the ends thereof which provides infinite mobility across the heddle rod of the heddle frame. One of the C-shaped end portions in one of the heddle elements has a female slot having an extended slot portion for receiving a neck of the male heddle element which is interlocked therein.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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428190 |
Sep 1982 |
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Patent Grant
4572241
