Patent Application
20060150379
On the one hand, the invention relates to a yarn guiding device for a weaving machine comprising at least one yarn guide which is provided to be situated at a yarn supply, and an output side which is provided to be connected to a connecting panel by means of a connecting unit. On the other hand, the invention relates to a weaving machine, more specifically an Axminster weaving machine or a tufting machine that is provided with such a yarn guiding device.
With multi-color weaving and tufting, for instance a carpet, most of the time the different pile warp yarns are supplied from a yarn supply, for instance, a bobbin creel, to a device selecting the pile warp yarns in accordance with the pattern desired or bringing the yarns into a position by means of which it will be possible to realize the effect that is desired. With a face-to-face weaving technique the pile warp yarn has to be kept under stress in order to:
However, with Axminster weaving and tufting, this stress is not required and moreover, it is not wanted, enabling more delicate pile warp yarns to be used. With Axminster weaving and tufting, the stress in the pile warp yarn should be kept as low as possible when supplying it to the pattern selection elements. Therefore, with Axminster weaving and tufting, it is known to supply the pile warp yarns to the Axminster weaving and tufting machine, from the yarn supply through a flexible hose or yarn guide (likewise called tubes).
Such yarn guides are described in WO 00/27532 and in GB 2 361 249.
For such yarn guides, synthetic materials are used which, in combination with pile warp yarns, will cause a minimal building up of stress. The use of such yarn guides, in order to guide the pile warp yarns to the area where the fabric is formed has the following functions:
On the side of the machine, the yarn guides are supplied and attached to a perforated plank (connecting panel) in the immediate vicinity of the elements of the machine where the pile warp yarns are selected and supplied. Thus, for instance, a connecting panel (likewise called a collecting panel) is used in an Axminster weaving machine which is installed above the selection elements and where each selector element is containing each type of pile warp yarn, and, by taking up a well defined position, is presenting to the gripper the pile warp yarn determined in accordance with the pattern desired in order to provide this fabric with this pattern. Most of the time, the yarn guides are connected to the connecting panel by making use of an accessory (connecting unit), for instance a ferrule. A ferrule is a ring made of metal, connected to the extremity of the yarn guide. The choice of metal as the material for the ferrule has the advantage that static charges may be conducted away from the yarn guides. One of the conditions here is that the connecting panel is likewise made of steel or of another conductive material.
The dimensions of the yarn guides and the method of connecting them will determine the density of the perforations and the dimensions of the connecting panel. At the transition of the supply, mostly perpendicular, of the yarn guides with the pile warp yarns on the connecting panel towards the position in the selection element, the pile warp yarn may be submitted to a change of direction. For an adequate supply of the pile warp yarns to the selection elements, this angle, at which the direction of the pile warp yarns will change, should not exceed a maximum admissible value. This means that the greater the distance between the perforations in the connecting panel is, the higher the position of the connection panel should be situated, the longer the path will be for the pile warp yarns to cover without any guidance by a yarn guide. Because of this a situation of the connecting panel up to 1.5 m above the working height of the weaver or tufter can occur, thus making it more difficult to pick up a pile warp yarn which has been blown through. Such a height has the additional disadvantage that a large number of pile warp yarns from the bobbin creel has to be guided upwards first, and then be moved downwards again to the selection elements. This has a particularly disadvantageous influence on the building up of any stress in the pile warp yarn. It will cause a high stress in the pile warp yarns, which indeed should be avoided as already explained before.
It is a purpose of the invention is to provide a yarn guiding device in accordance with the preamble of the first claim, wherein the density of the perforations in the connecting panel may be increased, such that the connecting panel may be situated closer to the weaver or tufter.
This purpose of the invention is attained by providing a yarn guiding device for a weaving machine, comprising at least one yarn guide with an input side which is provided to be situated at a yarn supply, and an output side which is provided to be connected to a connecting panel by means of a connecting unit, wherein the connecting unit is provided to connect the output sides of at least two yarn guides to the connecting panel.
In this way, the density of the yarn guides on the connecting panel may be increased. This means that the necessary surface of the connecting panel can be reduced by 15 to 25%. This means small angles of inclination for the changes of direction of the pile warp yarns at the transition from the connecting panel to the selection element. This will enable the connecting panel to be lowered, because of which the weaver or the tufter will benefit from having an easier access to the perforated plank. This will have the additional advantage that fewer pile warp yarns have to be moved upwards before moving them downwards again towards the selection elements and that those pile warp yarns which first have to be moved upwards will have to be moved upwards along a path which is shorter. All this means that less stress will be built up in the pile warp yarns.
In a first preferred embodiment of a yarn guiding device for a weaving machine according to the invention, the connecting panel is situated between the output sides of the yarn guides and the connecting unit.
In a second preferred embodiment of a yarn guiding device for a weaving machine according to the invention, the connecting unit and the output sides of the yarn guides are situated on the same side of the connecting panel.
At the same time, in an advantageous embodiment of a yarn guiding device for a weaving machine according to the invention, the connecting unit is provided to connect separate yarn guides.
Another disadvantage of the known Axminster weaving machines or tufting machines is that such a machine may be provided with 20000 pile warp yarns all across its width, each pile warp yarn having to be supplied from the bobbin creel to the machine by means of such a yarn guide. This will require an enormous amount of energy and it will be very expensive to install these yarn guides and to connect them to the connecting panel.
An additional purpose is to provide a yarn guiding device having one or more characteristics of the present invention, but for which the time to install these yarn guides for a weaving machine will be reduced.
This aim is attained by providing a yarn guiding device according to the present invention in which at least two of the yarn guides mentioned are connected to one another.
By directly connecting the yarn guides to one another, only a limited number of operations will be required to install the yarn guides and to connect them to the connecting panel. This means a great advantage by reducing the time needed to install the yarn guides. Moreover, such partly or entirely interconnected yarn guides have the advantage that their stiffness will be increased with respect to separate yarn guides, so that the path each separate yarn will have to follow, will be more the same for all yarns, so that it will be easier to regulate a path for the yarns, because of which strong changes of direction for a short distance will be avoided. Also, in the course of time, the positions of the yarn guides will change less when they have been connected to one another. Therefore it will be possible to maintain the stress, built up in the pile warp yarns, at a low level.
The connecting unit in a yarn guiding device for a weaving machine according to the invention, may be provided to connect the yarn guides by means of a clipping system on the one hand, or on the other hand the connecting unit may be provided with one or several cavities in order to slide in the yarn guides, the cavities being carried out in such a manner that the yarn guides, after they have been inserted, will become fixed in the cavities.
When the yarn guides are directly connected to one another, and moreover will be connected to one another all along their entire length, they will be preferably provided in such a manner that they may be separated for part of their length.
This has the advantage that when installing a number of yarn guides connected to one another, for instance 4 or 8 yarn guides, the bobbin creel will be reached, the separate yarn guides each will be connected to a bobbin situated in the bobbin creel one behind the other. In such a case the advantage will consist in being able to separate yarn guide after the other and possibly to shorten it in order that each yarn guide will end up at the right bobbin.
On the one hand, in an advantageous embodiment of a yarn guiding device for a weaving machine according to the invention, the yarn guides may be connected to one another in one single layer.
On the other hand, in an advantageous embodiment of a yarn guiding device for a weaving machine according to the invention, the yarn guides may be connected to one another in two or more layers.
In a further preferred embodiment of a yarn guiding device for a weaving machine according to the invention, the connecting unit is provided in such a manner that it may be inserted into a cavity of the connecting panel, after which it becomes fixed in this cavity after it has been inserted.
In a further preferred embodiment of a yarn guiding device for a weaving machine according to the invention, the connecting unit is carried out in such a manner that it may be hooked onto the connecting panel by means of a clipping system.
In an advantageous embodiment of a yarn guiding device for a weaving machine according to the invention, the connecting unit is carried out as a set of connecting units which have been provided to connect the output sides of the yarn guides.
This will enable a quick and simple assembling of combined yarn guides and connecting units.
In the following detailed description, the characteristics and advantages of a yarn guiding device for a weaving machine according to the invention and an Axminster weaving machine provided with a yarn guiding device according to the invention, which have been mentioned before, will be further clarified. The intention of this description is only to further explain the general principles of the present invention, therefore nothing in this description may be interpreted as being a restriction of the field of application of the present invention or of the patent rights demanded for in the claims.
In this description, by means of reference numbers, reference will be made to the attached FIGS. 1 up to and including 4 of which:
a is a top view of a common connecting unit which is provided for connecting 4 separate yarn guides, the yarn guides being connected to the connecting unit;
b is a perspective view of a common connecting unit as represented in
As represented in
In a yarn guiding device according to the invention, a connecting unit is provided to connect the output side of at least two yarn guides (2) to the connecting panel (6). The connecting unit may be provided to connect 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 or any other number of yarn guides (2).
There are several possibilities to connect a connecting unit to the connecting panel (6):
As represented in the
In case the yarn guides (2) are directly connected to one another, and moreover, are connected to one another along their entire length, preferable they should be provided in such a manner that they may be separated again for part of their length.
It is possible to connect the yarn guides (2) to one another in one single layer, as represented in the
On the one hand, the connecting unit (11) may be carried out to be inserted into a cavity of the connecting panel (6), and after having been inserted into the cavity, they will become fixed in this cavity. On the other hand, the connecting unit (11) may be carried out such that it may be hooked on to the connecting panel (6) by means of a clipping system (12). Therewith, the connecting panel (6) is provided as a kind of grid into which the common connecting units (11) may be hooked. It is also possible to carry out the connecting panel (6) as a set of connecting units (11) which are provided to connect the output sides (5) of the yarn guides (2).
The connecting units (11) may be carried out in metal, which has the advantage that the static charges of the yarn guides (2) will be conducted away from the yarn guides. A condition being that the connecting panel (6) is made of steel or of another conductive material. However, the connecting units (11) can be made of synthetic material, provided an additive is added to render the connecting units (11) and/or the yarn guides (2) antistatic.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005/0022 | Jan 2005 | BE | national |
