US3707171A

US3707171A - Needle loom for pile fabrics

Info

Publication number: US3707171A
Application number: US151092A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jakob Muller
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-06-09
Filing date: 1971-06-08
Publication date: 1972-12-26
Anticipated expiration: 1989-12-26
Also published as: GB1355261A; DE2127487C3; DE2127487A1; AT313214B; BE768021A; DE2127487B2

Abstract

The tying needle of a needle loom producing a pile fabric by beating into the fell of the fabric groups of weft threads inserted into warp sheds including tight warp threads and loose pile warp threads, is reciprocated conforming to reciprocating movements of the reed. A stripper for the tying needle is operated in the same manner, and an arresting needle is provided for holding the first inserted weft thread of a group, releasing the same before the reed beats the group of weft threads into the fell of the fabric.

Description

United States Patent Muller [54] NEEDLE LOOM FOR PILE FABRICS [72] inventor: Jakob Muller, 5262 Frick, Switzerland [22] Filed: June 8, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 151,092

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data [58] Field of Search ..l39/25, 26,l16,122,123, 139/127, 195, 124 R, 124 A 51 Dec. 26, 1972 12/1963 White ..139/195 4/1969 Gotzetal. ..139/25 Primary Examiner-Henry S. Jaudon Attarney-Michael S. Striker 57 ABSTRACT The tying needle of a needle loom producing a pile fabric by beating into the fell of thefabric groups of weft threads inserted into warp sheds including tight warp threads and loose pile warp threads, is reciprocated conforming to reciprocating movements of the reed. A stripper for the tying needle is operated in the same manner, and an arresting needle is provided for holding the first inserted weft thread of a group, releasing the same before the reed beats the group of weft threads into the fell of the fabric.

[56] Rem-ewes Cited 10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS a r 3,079,955 3/1963 Moberg 139/25 q '16 8 g o SHEET 2 [IF 3 Fig. 2

PATENTEDnEcs m2 SHEEI 3 (IF 3 NEEDLE LOOM FOR PILE FABRICS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known that pile fabrics can be woven on full width looms as well as on manual looms in the following manner: at least two warp parts are used of which one is a tight base warp part, and the other is a loose pile warp, or a pile warp part which can be loosened. The weft thread is inserted in groups of at least two weft threads at a predetermined distance from the preceding inserted groups of weft threads, and from the fell of the fabric, respectively. When the last thread of each group is inserted into the warp shed, the reed makes a larger stroke toward the fell of the fabric so that the last inserted group of wefts is firmly pushed against the fabric. Since the base warp part is tightly tensioned, it does not yield, and the inserted weft threads slide over the base warp part toward the fell of the fabric. The pile warp part, however, is taken along by the displaced group of weft threads, due to the lower or temporarily reduced tension of the pile warp, and forms a plurality of loops which are anchored by the firmly beaten groups of weft threads. See U. S. Pat. No. 3,079,955.

This method of making woven pile fabrics can only be applied in shuttle looms. If an attempt is made to make pile fabric on a needle loom, and particularly on a ribbon loom, no uniform and properly formed loops are formed in the region of the edge of the woven fabric where the tying needle ties the inserted weft threads.

Since the pile warp threads closest to the tied edge, are not properly anchored, loops are not properly developed owing to the small distance of the weft threads.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the invention to provide a needle loom, and particularly a needle loom for narrow fabrics, such as ribbons, which is capable of making a pile fabric. Another object of the invention is to improve a needle loom so that the pile warp threads adjacent the tied fabric edge are pushed out in the same manner and to the same degree as required for forming pile loops corresponding to those formed by the other pile warp threads.

In accordance with the invention, means are provided for regulating the amplitude of the reciprocating movement of a tying needle toward and away from the fell of the fabric, in at least one direction of reciprocation so that the movement of the tying needle conforms to the movement of the reed. It is preferred to select the amplitudes of the reciprocation of the tying needle so that the end of the tying needle is moved during the insertion of the first weft threads of a group of weft threads, substantially to the place where the reed beats the respective first weft threads, while during the last beating movement of the reed, by which the entire group of inserted weft threads is moved into abutment with the fell of the fabric, the end of the tying needle is moved to the fell of the fabric.

In order to prevent that loops accumulate on the tying needle during the insertion of the first weft threads of each group of inserted weft threads, which may cause disturbances in the cycle of operations, it is advantageous to provide a stripper, for example in the form of a metal strip, which strips the newly formed loop off the tying needle during each rearward movement of the tying needle, and preferably moves in accordance with the movement of the reed.

In order to assure that at the edge of the fabric remote from the tied edge, the formation of pile loops takes properly place, the preferred embodiment of the invention provides an arresting needle on the respective other side of the fabric and warp sheds, which during the insertion of the first weft thread of each group, moves to an operative position so that the inserted thread is laid about the arresting needle, and the inserted weft threads are held at the respective edge of the fabric at the desired distance from the fell of the fabric, so that the loop formation of the pile warp threads is facilitated.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary schematic side view illustrating the foremost position of a tying needle in a needle loom at the beginning of the insertion of the weft threads of a group;

FIG. la is a side view illustrating the foremost position of a tying needle at the end of the insertion of the group of weft threads;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary schematic side view corresponding to FIG. 1, but illustrating the foremost position of the typing needle while the reed moves a group of inserted weft threads to the fell of the fabric;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view illustrating on an enlarged scale, an arresting needle and a stripper in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view corresponding to FIG. 3, but illustrating a different operational position; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary schematic plan view of a needle loom provided with a stripper and arresting needle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIGS. 1, 1a, and 2, a fabric 1 has a fell 2 at which warp part 3 and 3' are formed into warp sheds. A reed 4 is provided for reciprocation toward and away from the fell 2 of the fabric 1. The tying needle 5 is provided for reciprocation in warp direction toward and away from the fell of the fabric, and is mounted on a double armed lever 6 which is angularly movable about a pivot 7, and has one end 8 connected with a linkage 9 which includes a toggle lever pair 10, 10' pivotally connected at 12 for movement between the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Toggle lever 10 is connected with a cam follower lever 11 whose roller 17 is urged by a spring into engagement with the rotary cam 16 while cam follower lever 11 turns about a stationary pivot means 15. The joint 12 between toggle levers l0 and 10' is connected by link 13 with a cam follower lever 14 connected to a stationary pivot 18 and carrying a roller 20 cooperating with a

control cam Means

15, 16, 27, 11 are drive means connected by the toggle levers 10, 10' and lever 6 with the tying needle 5.

Levers

6, 10, 10' are part of control means which include cam 19 and cam follower means 14, 20, 13.

The drive means including cam 16 effect reciprocation of the tying needle, and the control means, including control cam 19, effect a regulation of the amplitude of reciprocation of tying needle 5.

During the insertion of the weft threads of each group of weft threads by the weft inserting needle, which reciprocates across the warps in a warp shed, the reed 4.performs a partial beat-up or only moves to a point or line which is spaced a predetermined distance from the fell 2 of the fabric, and at the same time, the tying needle is only moved to the positions shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. la in which position the hook-shaped end of the tying needle 5 is substantially aligned with the simultaneously inserted weft thread. This is accomplished by the control means including control cam 19,

cam follower

14, 20, link 13 and toggle lever 10, since cam follower means 14, is in the lowest position together with joint 12 and toggle levers 10 and 10 which are aligned with each other. The drive cam 16 and follower lever 11 are at the beginning of the weft insertion in the right position shown in FIG. 1, and at the end of the weft insertion in the left position shown in FIG. la so that, when the toggle levers 10, 10 are aligned, the tying needle 5 is prevented by lever 6 to move to the fell of the fabric.

In the position shown in FIG. 2, in which the reed performs a partial beat-up or is moved far enough to slide the just inserted group of weft threads to the fell 2 of the fabric, the tying needle 5 has moved a conforming increased distance. This is accomplished, although drive cam 16 and cam follower means 11, 17 remain in the same position, by turning of the control cam 19 and angle of 180 so that the cam follower means 14, 20 are raised and displace the joint 12 of the toggle levers 10, 10' upward whereby the toggle levers assume an angular position in which the ends of the toggle levers approach each other causing a larger angular movement of double armed lever 6 than in the position of FIG. 1 whereby the tying needle 5 is moved so far rearward to the left that its hook-shaped end is located in close proximity to the fell 2 of the fabric.

The movement of the reed 4 is controlled in a similar I manner by two

cams

32 and 36. The reed 4 swings angularly about a fixed shaft which is connected by the joint 26 with a pair of toggle levers 27, 27 whose toggle joint 28 is connected by a link 29 with a control lever 30 which is mounted on a fixed pivot 31 and has a follower roller 33 in contact with the cam track of cam 32.

Toggle levers 27, 27 are designed for a linear movement. For this purpose, toggle lever 27' is mounted in a turnable guide body 34, and has a follower roller 35 in rolling contact with the cam track of-cam 36.

The control mechanism for the reed 4 operates in the following manner: During the insertion of the weft threads of each group, cam 32 points downward so that control rod 30 moves the toggle joint 26 upward by means of line 29 so that the toggle levers 27, 27 are shortened. Due to the rotation of cam 36, reed 4 swings from the position of FIG. 1a to the partial beat-up position of FIG. 1, and does not reach the fell 2 of the fabric.

If an inserted group of weft threads is to be pushed to the fell 2, cam 32 turns to the position shown in FlG. 2 so that toggle joint 28 is moved downward and toggle levers 27, 27 spread to a greater length so that reed4 moves with the group of weft threads to a full beat-up position at the fell 2.

FIGS. 3 to 5 illustrate a stripper 24 located on the same side of the fabric as the tying needle 5 between the same and the warp sheds, and an arresting needle 21 located on the other side of the fabric 1 and the warp shed. Arresting needle 21 has a transversely bent point at one end, and a bushing 22 at the other end which is supported on a shaft 23 for angular movement so that the point of arresting needle 21 moves between the inoperative position shown in FIG. 4 and the operative position shown in FIG. 3. Stripper 24 is connected to an eccentric pivot 37a on another bushing 37 on shaft 23, so that reciprocation of bushing 37 effects a movement of stripper 24 in the direction of the arrows x and y.

Shaft 23 of the arresting needle 21 carries a lever 37 with a roller 38 rolling on the cam track of a cam 39. When cam 39 turns, arresting needle 21 moves from the position of FIG. 3 to the position of FIG. 4.

Lever 37 is connected by a link 40 with a double armed lever 41 which swings about a shaft 42 to operate an angular link 43 secured to stripper 24 and operating the same.

During insertion of the first weft thread of a group of weft threads by the weft inserting needle 50, see FIG. 5, the arresting needle 21 moves to the operative position shown in FIG. 3 due to the turning of cam 39 to the position of FIG. 3 so that the inserted weft thread 44 is laid by weft inserting needle 50 about the pointed end of the arresting needle 21 when the weft inserting needle 50 moves out of the warp shed. Since the first inserted weft threads are held by the arresting needle 21, the entire group of inserted weft threads cannot be displaced. When the last weft thread of the group has been inserted, and directly before the reed 4 move through a full beat-up stroke to move entire group into the fell of the fabric 2, the arresting needle 21 moves, due to further moves turning of cam 39, from the fabric to the inoperative position shown in FIG. 4, releasing the weft thread, so that the reed 4 can push the group of inserted weft threads into the fell 2 over the entire width of the fabric, so that uniform pile loops are formed of the pile warp thread up to the edges of the woven fabric.

The stripper 24 which is preferably a narrow metal sheet strip, is in the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 during the insertion of the first weft threads of the group into the warp sheds. During the rearward reciprocating stroke of the tying needle, stripper 24 strips the newly formed loop. After the last weft thread of a group has been inserted, stripper 24 is moved in the direction of the arrow following the corresponding rearward stroke of the tying needle 5, to the position shown in FIG. 4. Since the tying needle 5 performs a larger stroke after the insertion of the last weft thread of the group, than during the insertion of the proceding weft threads of the group, the stripper 24 operates, after insertion of the last weft thread of a group of weft threads, in the same manner as after the insertion of the preceding weft threads of the group, and obtains a reliable stripping of the respective loop from the tying needle in the rearward position.

The drive means for operating the

bushings

22 and 37 of the arresting needle 21 and of the stripper 24, for reed 4, and for tying needle 5 may be differently con structed, and mechanism for reciprocating an element is well known. However, the drive means and control means illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 may be modified, and the toggle lever means and control cam means 19, 20, could be replaced by a crank drive or the like.

Due to the operation of the tying needle in accordance with the invention, it becomes possible to make on a needle loom, pile fabrics which have uniform pile loops. The quality of the pile fabric is further improved if the above-described arresting needle and stripper are also provided.

It will be understood 'that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of needle looms for pile fabrics differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a tying needle reciprocating conforming to the reciprocation of the reed, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

1 claim:

1. Needle loom for pile fabrics, comprising a weft inserting needle on one side of said loom reciprocable into and out of warp sheds formed by tight warp threads and by loose warp threads, for inserting groups of weft threads; reed means reciprocable in warp direction between a full beat up position for beating said groups of weft threads into the fell of the woven fabric and a partial beat-up position which leaves the first inserted weft threads of said group spaced from said fell of the fabric; a tying needle located at said one side of said warp sheds; drive means for reciprocating said tying needle in said warp direction; and control means connecting said drive means with said tying needle for varying the magnitude of the amplitude of reciprocation of said tying needle at least in one direction to conform to the positions of said reed means so that said tying needle has a first position substantially aligned with a weft thread in the partially beaten-up position, and a second position substantially aligned with the fell of the fabric.

2. Needle loom as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control means vary the amplitude of reciprocation of said tying needle so that the end of said t ing needle moves during the insertion of the first weft reads of a group to the line along which said reed means beats said first weft threads, said line being spaced from the fell of the fabric, while during beating of the last weft thread of said group and of the entire group into the fell of the fabric, said end of said tying needle moves at least substantially to said fell of said fabric.

3. Needle loom as claimed in claim 1 wherein said drive means include rotary cam means, and linkage means including cam follower means cooperating with said rotary cam means; and wherein said control means include a pivotally mounted support lever fixedly connected with said tying needle for reciprocation, toggle lever means connecting said linkage with said support lever, control cam means driven in timed relation with said reed means, and control cam follower means cooperating with said control cam means and connected with said toggle lever means for varying the amplitude of reciproaction of said support lever with said tying needle.

4. Needle loom as claimed in claim 1 comprising stripper means for stripping the newly formed loop from said tying needle during movement of the latter in said warp direction, toward the fell of the fabric.

5. Needle loom as claimed in claim 4 wherein said stripper means includes a metal strip located between said tying needle and said one side of said warp sheds.

6. Needle loom as claimed in claim 4 including first operating means for reciprocating said stripper means to follow the movements of said tying needle. 7. Needle loom as claimed in claim 6 wherein the reciprocating movement of said stripper means is controlled by said operating means to conform to the movements of said reed means.

8. Needle loom as claimed in claim 6 and comprising an arresting needle on the other side of said warp sheds; and second operating means for reciprocating said arresting needle between an operative position located in the reversing loop of the first inserted weft thread of a group of weft threads, and an inoperative position retracted from said reversing loop, said arresting needle being moved to said inoperative position before said reed means beats the respective group into the fell of the fabric.

9. Needle loom as claimed in claim 8 and including a shaft extending across said warp sheds, and first and second turnable bushings on said shaft supporting said stripper means and said arresting needle on said shaft for angular movement; and wherein said first and second operating means are connected with said first and second bushings, respectively.

10. Needle loom as claimed in claim 1 and comprising an arresting needle on the other side of said warp sheds; and operating means for reciprocating said arresting needle between an operative position located in the reversing loop of the first inserted weft thread of a group of weft threads, and an inoperative position retracted from said reversing loop, said arresting needle being moved to said inoperative position before said reed means beats the respective group into the fell of the fabric.

Claims

2. Needle loom as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control means vary the amplitude of reciprocation of said tying needle so that the end of said tying needle moves during the insertion of the first weft threads of a group to the line along which said reed means beats said first weft threads, said line being spaced from the fell of the fabric, while during beating of the last weft thread of said group and of the entire group into the fell of the fabric, said end of said tying needle moves at least substantially to said fell of said fabric.

6. Needle loom as claimed in claim 4 including first operating means for reciprocating said stripper means to follow the movements of said tying needle.

7. Needle loom as claimed in claim 6 wherein the reciprocating movement of said stripper means is controlled by said operating means to conform to the movements of said reed means.