GB2210065A

GB2210065A - Improvements in and relating to ribbon-weaving machines

Info

Publication number: GB2210065A
Application number: GB8821730A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Werner Silberbauer
Original assignee: Textilma AG
Current assignee: Textilma AG
Priority date: 1987-09-18
Filing date: 1988-09-16
Publication date: 1989-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 2008-09-16
Also published as: GB2210065B; CH674214A5; IT1226947B; IT8821973A0; ES2010355A6; GB8821730D0; DE3807118A1

Description

1 Y 1 2210065 "Improvements in and relating to ribbon-weaving machines"

The invention relates to a needle for introducing the weft thread in a ribbon-weaving machine and to a needle-ribbon-weaving machine having such a needle for introducing the weft thread.

Weft-thread-introducing needles and needle-ribbonweaving machines are well known, for example, from CH-PS 636 386. In general such a weftthread-intro- ducing needle has an eye at the front through which a thread is taken. When a chance is made from one weaving system to another, complicated and time-consuming readjustment of the weft-thread-introducing needles is required. Even greater difficulties are encountered is when the weaving system along the strip of fabric that is being produced is to be changed during the weaving operation. This can be achieved only using complex thread-laying devices. If a fabric in which two weft threads are introduced simultaneously is to be made, a second weft-thread-introducing needle is required.

Also known, from DE-PS 33 20 925, is a ribbon-weaving machine having a weft-thread-introducing needle which has a longitudinal slot, extending over the entire length of the weft-thread-introducing needle, for accomodating one or more weft threads. On the needle head is a hook, arranged outside the longitudinal slot, into which the weft thread is caused to engage by a thread guide when that thread is to be introduced into the ribbon. This weft-thread-introducing needle can be used to introduce only one weft thread into only one specific position each time.

The invention provides a weft-thread-introducing needle having an eye in its head which eye is in the form of a transverse slot the ends of which are set back from the central portion in the direction opposite the direction in which the weft thread is to be introduced.

The invention also provides a needle ribbonweaving machine having a weftthread-introducing needle according to the invention and at least one weft-thread guide.

Because the eye of the weft-thread-intr.oducing is needle is designed as a vertically-arranged (taking the plane of the machine as horizontal) slot limited to the head of the needle, the ends of which slot are set back from the central portion in the direction opposite the direction in which the weft thread is introduced, the weft thread can lie either in the upper end or in the lower end of the slot, and different weaving conditions can be produced in the two cases. It is also possible to arrange one weft thread in the upper end of the slot in the weft-thread-introducing needle and another weft thread in the lower end of the slot, and the two threads can then be introduced simultaneously. There is therefore no complicated adjustment or changing of the weft-thread-introducing needle and the same weft- V i il is thread-introducing needle can be used to produce different weaving systems, for example, weaving systems 2 and 3 according to MUller and/or new weaving systems.

The slot in the weft-thread-introducing needle can be V-shaped, with the base of the V pointing in the direction of introduction. Especially advantageous, however, is a U-shaped slot, as that on the one hand assists-the change-over of a weft thread from one end of the slot to the other, but on the other hand tends to prevent the thread from sliding across accidentally.

The head of the weft-thread-introducing needle is advantageously generally ellipsoidal, preferably with a point at the front, which makes it easier for it to slide between the warp threads of a shed.

The weft-thread guide can be fixed if weaving in only one weaving system is envisaged. Advantageously, however, the weft-thread guide is so mounted that it can easily be raised above and lowered below the plane of introduction so as to allow the weft thread to be moved from the upper end to the lower end of the slot in the weft-thread-introducing needle and vice versa. For the case where two weft threads are to be introduced simultaneously using one weft-threadintroducing needle an arrangement with two weft-thread guides, one above and one below the plane of weaving, is of advantage.

The weft-thread guide or guides can be arranged on -S a needle-ribbon-weaving machine as additional units. More advantagoeusly however, the or each guide is a heddle eye of a shedding apparatus, since in that case the shedding apparatus can be used to control the thread guide, and it is possible for the guides to be controlled by a control device in the needle-ribbonweaving machine. That allows programmed control of the weft-thread guides, and thus of the weaving system.

Various forms of weft-thread-introducing needle and needle-ribbon-weaving machine constructed in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation view of the head of a first form of weft-thread-introducing needle; Figure 2 is an elevation view of the head of a second form of weft-thread- introducing needle; Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of a first form of needle ribbon- weaving machine in operation; Figure 4 is a schematic sectional view of the first form of needle ribbon- weaving machine, weaving as shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing the same machine weaving according to a different system; Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the same machine weaving according to the system of Figure 5; 1 k Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the second form of needle ribbon-weaving machine in operation; and Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the second form of needle ribbon-weaving machine weaving as shown in Figure 7.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, the head 2 of one form of weftthread-introducing needle contains a vertical slot 4, the ends 6 and 8 of which are set back relative to the central portion 10 in a direction opposite the direction 12 in which the weft thread is. introduced. The slot 4 is in the shape of a U on its side. The outside 14 of the needle head is roughly elliptical in shape and has a point 16 at the front. A second form of needle head 2a, shown in Figure 2, corresponds to the needle head 2 except that the slot 4a is in the shape of a V on its side.

Figures 3 and 4 show the use of a weft-threadintroducing needle having a head as shown in Figure 1 in the manufacture of a ribbon fabric 18 according to weaving system 2 (according to Maller), that is to say, a single weft thread 20 is introduced using the weftthreadintroducing needle and is tied off using an auxiliary thread 22. For this purpose the weft thread 20 is at the lower end 8 of the slot 4 with the result that when a knitting needle, which is a latch needle 24, is inserted into the weftthread loop the knitting needle is able to pick up the auxiliary thread 22 alone and to draw it through the weft-thread loop. This low position of the weft thread 20 is attained using a weftthread guide 26 which is located below the plane 28 in which the thread is introduced and holds the weft thread 20 at the lower end 8 of the slot 4. The weftthread guide 26 is arranged as an eye 30 in a heddle wire 32 belonging to a shedding apparatus indicated generally by the reference number 34. In the present example the shedding apparatus 34 has a shaft frame 36 in which the heddle 32 is braced.

Figures 5 and 6 show a weaving machine like that shown in Figures 3 and 4, but with the weft-thread guide 6 in a position above the plane 28 of introduction, with the result that the weft thread 20 is held in the upper end 6 of the slot 4. As a result, when the knitting needle 24 is introduced the weft thread 20 is engaged by the hook of the knitting needle and is tied off in weaving system 3 (according to MC1ler), that is to say, the weft thread and the auxiliary thread are tied off together in one operation.

Referring to Figures 7 and 8, a second form of weaving machine is substantially the same as the first, except that two thread guides 40 and 42 are arranged above and below the plane 28 of introduction, respectively, by way of each of which guides a weft thread 44 or 46, respectively, is supplied to the needle head 2. The upper weft thread 44 is held in the upper end 6 of

1 the slot 4 of the needle head 2, and is engaged by the hook of the knitting needle 24. The lower weft thread 46 is held in the lower end 8 of the slot 4 and is not engaged by the knitting needle. In this arrangement the upper weft thread 44 is tied off according to weaving system 3 and the lower weft thread according to weaving system 2, that is to say the knitting needle 24 picks up the upper weft thread 44 and the auxiliary thread 22 and ties these off together in one operation, the lower weft thread 46 being tied off by means of only the other threads. A ribbon fabric 38 formed by a new weaving system results which, in particular, allows weft threads 46 of especial stiffness, for example monofilament threads of especial thickness, to be woven in. The weft-thread guides 40 and 42 can be in fixed positions or can be movable up and down, individually.

It will be appreciated that with a suitable arrangement of two or more thread guides the ribbonweaving machine shown in Figures 3 to 6 can be th, e same machine as that shown in Figures 7 and 8.

Claims

What we claim is:-

1. A weft-thread-introducing needle having an eye for a thread in its head, which eye is in the form of a transverse slot the ends of which are set back from the central portion in the direction opposite the direction in which the weft thread is to be introduced.

2. A weft-thread-introducing needle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slot is V-shaped.

3. A weft-thread-introducing needle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slot is U-shaped.

4. A weft-thread-introducing needle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the shape of the outside of the needle head is generally elli. psoid, preferably with a point at the front.

5. A weft-thread-introducing needle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

6. A needle-ribbon-weaving machine having a weft-thread-introducing needle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 and having at least one weft-thread guide.

7. A needle-ribbon-weaving machine as claimed in claim 6, which has weft-thread guides, each for one weft thread, arranged above and below the plane of introduction.

8. A needle-ribbon-weaving machine as claimed in 1.

Q S claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the weft-thread guide, or at least one or each of the weft thread guides, can be selectively moved upwards and downwards between a position above and a position below the plane of introduction of the weft-thread-introducing needle.

9. A needle-ribbon-weaving machine as claimed i any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the or each weft-thread guide is in the form of a heddle eye of a shedding apparatus, and the heddle is preferably arranged in a shaft frame.

10. A needle-ribbon-weaving machine as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9, which comprises a knitting needle for tying off the weft threads, which is so arranged that in operation a hook of the knitting is needle engages a weft thread held in one end of the eye of the weft- thread-introducing needle but does not engage a weft thread held in the other end of the eye.

11. A needle-ribbon-weaving machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, Figures 3 to 6 and/or Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A needle-ribbon-weaving machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein the weft-introducing-needle is as claimed in claim 5.

Pubiie,ed 1958 at The Patent 0,,.ce State Ecuse 6671 H.C'. London WC1R 4Tr- ririic: cc:p'es inay be obt-ned L-c.-, The Patent Wice.

SaJes Branch, St Mary Cray, orpLr4tcr.. Kent BR5 3RD printed by Multiplex techniques lid, St Ma-7 C.-ky. Kent Con. 1.87