[0001] The present invention relates to a device for moving weft insertion band rapiers.
More particularly, the invention relates to a device for moving weft insertion band
rapiers with increased speed and power.
[0002] Devices for moving weft insertion band rapiers, particularly for textile looms, are
known which are composed of a beating body which is capable of oscillating about a
fulcrum and supports a lance which has an alternating rectilinear motion and is adapted
for the insertion of band rapiers between the warp and the weft, so as to lock the
threads that form the fabric.
[0003] More precisely, in these conventional devices, the lance, which is arranged at a
preset distance from the fulcrum of the beating body, is associated with a toothed
belt that is partially wound around a sprocket which is rotated alternately by one
or more motors connected directly to the sprocket proximate to the lance.
[0004] These conventional devices for moving weft insertion band rapiers are not devoid
of drawbacks, which include the fact that they have a high moment of inertia, which
inevitably leads to precision errors in positioning the beating body during its movement.
[0005] This is due substantially to the fact that, as mentioned, the motors in charge of
moving the lance are arranged proximate to said lance and are therefore quite distant
from the fulcrum of the beating body.
[0006] Another drawback of conventional devices for moving weft insertion band rapiers consists
in that the rotating masses lead to inevitable unwanted vibrations and therefore to
inevitable interventions for balancing the moving elements of the loom, with a consequent
cost increase.
[0007] A further drawback of conventional devices for moving weft insertion band rapiers
consists in that they are subject to considerable and frequent machine downtimes,
in case of malfunction of the motors in charge of moving the lance and in case of
a solution with a single motor.
[0008] This last drawback can be observed also in the case of solutions with a plurality
of motors, because since such motors are directly connected to the sprocket associated
with the lance, even with the malfunction of a single motor, although the others are
operational, the textile loom must nonetheless be stopped.
[0009] The aim of the present invention is to provide a device for moving weft insertion
band rapiers that solves the drawbacks and overcomes the limitations of the background
art, reducing inaccuracies in work caused by unwanted vibrations with respect to the
background art.
[0010] Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a device for moving
weft insertion band rapiers that has shorter machine downtimes, in case of malfunctions
and/or maintenance operations, than the background art.
[0011] Another object of the invention is to provide a device for moving weft insertion
band rapiers that is capable of giving the greatest assurances of reliability and
safety in use.
[0012] Another object of the invention is to provide a device for moving weft insertion
band rapiers that is easy to provide and economically competitive if compared to the
background art.
[0013] This aim and these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter
are achieved by a device for moving weft insertion band rapiers, comprising at least
one lance which is associated slidingly with a tilting body along a translational
direction, said tilting body being associable rotatably, about a pivoting axis which
is substantially parallel to said translational direction, with a weaving loom, motor
means being further provided which are associated with said at least one lance and
are supported by said tilting body for the alternating translational motion of said
at least one lance along said translational direction, characterized in that it comprises
mechanical transmission means which are interposed between said motor means and said
at least one lance, said motor means being arranged on said tilting body proximate
to said pivoting axis.
[0014] Further characteristics and advantages will become better apparent from the description
of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an improved device for moving weft
insertion band rapiers, illustrated by way of non limiting example in the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device for moving weft insertion band rapiers
according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a detailed perspective view of some details of the device shown in Figure
1.
[0015] With reference to the figures, the device for moving weft insertion band rapiers,
generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises at least one lance 2 which
is associated slidingly with a tilting body 3, known as beater, along a translation
direction 4.
[0016] More precisely, the lance 2 is accommodated slidingly in a rectilinear guide 5 which
is parallel to the translational direction 4 and is defined by a first end portion
3 a of the tilting body 3.
[0017] The tilting body 3 is rotatably associable, at a second end portion 3b thereof which
is opposite the first end portion 3 a and about a pivoting axis 6 which is substantially
parallel to the translational direction 4, with a weaving loom, which is not shown
in the accompanying figures.
[0018] Moreover, a toothed belt 7 is provided, which is partly accommodated slidingly within
the rectilinear guide 5 and is partly partially wound around a sprocket 8 which is
supported rotatably by the tilting body 3 about a first axis of rotation 9 which is
substantially perpendicular to the translational direction 4.
[0019] More specifically, the sprocket 8 is connected functionally to motor means 10, which
are thus associated with the lance 2 and are supported by the tilting body 3 for the
alternating translational motion of the lance 2 along the translational direction
4.
[0020] In fact, as will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the motor means 10 are
in charge of the alternating rotation of the sprocket 8 about the first rotation axis
9 and the lance 2, being jointly connected for translational motion with the portion
of the toothed belt 7 that is accommodated slidingly in the rectilinear guide 5, is
consequently subjected to an alternating translational motion along the translational
direction 4.
[0021] Advantageously, the motor means 10 comprise at least two mutually opposite electric
motors 11 which are arranged each proximate to the pivoting axis 6.
[0022] Moreover, the electric motors 11 are fixed to a supporting plate 13 so that their
axes of rotation 12 are substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by the translational
direction 4 and by the pivoting axis 6.
[0023] According to the invention, mechanical transmission means 14 are provided which are
interposed between the motor means 10 and the lance 2 and comprise, for each electric
motor 11, at least a transmission belt 15, which is partially wound around a driving
pulley 16 which is associated with the rotor of the electric motor 11 and on a driven
pulley 17 which is jointly connected for rotation to the sprocket 8 about the first
axis of rotation 9.
[0024] Operation of the device 1 is evident from what has been described.
[0025] In particular, the fact is stressed that by subjecting the electric motors 11 to
an alternating rotation, by way of the transmission means 14, said motors subject
the sprocket 8 to alternating rotation, and consequently the lance 2 is subjected
to an alternating translational motion along the translational direction 4.
[0026] In practice it has been found that the device for moving weft insertion band rapiers
according to the present invention achieves the intended aim and objects, since it
allows to have a synchronized movement between the insertion band rapier and the beater
thanks to the fact that it has a modest moment of inertia, which is due to the placement
of the electric motors proximate to the pivoting axis of the beater which does not
lead to inaccuracies during the movement of said beater.
[0027] Moreover, by having the weft insertion band rapier synchronized with the movement
of the beater improves the quality of the fabric and provides longer times for the
movement of the band rapier and therefore higher speeds of the textile loom with respect
to the background art. In view of the synchronization, the two motions, the oscillating
one of the beater and the alternating motion of the lance, can overlap.
[0028] Another advantage of the device according to the invention consists in that it leads
to an increase in the power and speed of the textile loom, thanks to the possibility
to use a plurality of motors in parallel which are all mutually associated, by way
of a plurality of belt transmissions, with the sprocket that supports the lance.
[0029] A further advantage of the device according to the invention consists in that it
facilitates the operations of disassembly of the weft insertion band rapier with respect
to the background art, since the motors are not connected directly to the sprocket
that supports the lance. Machine downtimes are thus reduced in case of malfunctions
or band rapier replacement.
[0030] Another advantage of the device according to the invention consists in that it is
more reliable and safer than the background art, since the presence of a plurality
of motors allows the operation of the textile loom even in case of malfunction of
one of the motors, without forcing the operator to necessarily stop the machine during
weaving in order to perform the repair.
[0031] The device for moving weft insertion band rapiers thus conceived is susceptible of
numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended
claims.
[0032] All the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
[0033] In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with the specific
use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements.
[0034] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No.
MI2011A000072 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
[0035] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs,
those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility
of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect
on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference
signs.
1. A device (1) for moving weft insertion band rapiers with increased speed and power,
comprising at least one lance (2) which is associated slidingly with a tilting body
(3) along a translational direction (4), said tilting body (3) being associable rotatably,
about a pivoting axis (6) which is substantially parallel to said translational direction
(4), with a weaving loom, motor means (10) being further provided which are associated
with said at least one lance (2) and are supported by said tilting body (3) for the
alternating translational motion of said at least one lance (2) along said translational
direction (4), characterized in that it comprises mechanical transmission means (14) which are interposed between said
motor means (10) and said at least one lance (2), said motor means (10) being arranged
on said tilting body (3) proximate to said pivoting axis (6).
2. The device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one lance (2) is accommodated slidingly in a rectilinear guide (5)
defined by said tilting body (3) parallel to said translational direction (4).
3. The device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a toothed belt (7) which is partly accommodated, so that it can slide,
in said rectilinear guide (5) and is partially wound onto a sprocket (8), which is
supported rotatably by said tilting body (3) about a first rotation axis (9) which
is substantially perpendicular to said translational direction (4), said sprocket
(8) being functionally connected to said motor means (10) for its alternating rotation
about said first rotation axis (9) and said at least one lance (2) being jointly connected
for translational motion with the portion of said toothed belt (7) that is accommodated
slidingly in said rectilinear guide (5) for the alternating translational motion of
said at least one lance (2).
4. The device (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said motor means (10) comprise at least two electric motors (11) which are mutually
opposite and whose rotation axes (12) are substantially perpendicular to the plane
defined by said translational direction (4) and by said pivoting axis (6).
5. The device (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said mechanical transmission means (14) comprise, for each one of said electric motors
(11), at least one transmission belt (15) which is partially wound around a driving
pulley (16) which is associated with the rotor of said electric motor (11) and around
a driven pulley (17) which is jointly connected for rotation to said sprocket (8)
about said first rotation axis (9).