TRANSPORT DEVICE, DRAWING-IN MACHINE COMPRISING SUCH A TRANSPORT DEVICE AND METHOD FOR TRANSPORTING HARNESS COMPONENTS IN A DRAWING-IN MACHINE

Abstract

 This transport device (12) for a drawing-in machine is configured to move harness components (60), between at least one transport transfer position and several discharge positions, via at least one threading position, the harness components being exclusively heddles or exclusively dropwires. The transport device includes several transport conveyors (300A, 300B, 300C) including at least one carrying member (308) and at least a drive (312A, 312B, 312C, 314A, 314B, 314C). A controller (16) is connected to the drives of the transport conveyors. Several harness component-holding elements (322) are secured to each carrying member (308). Each harness component-holding element (322) is configured to hold a harness component (60). The harness component-holding elements (322) of the several transport conveyors are adjacent to each other and movable along a closed transport path that is common to all transport conveyors and that goes through each transport transfer position, through each threading position and through each discharge position.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention concerns a transport device for a drawing-in machine. The present invention also concerns a drawing-in machine for drawing-in warp threads into harness components of a loom, said drawing-in machine including, amongst others, a transport device. Finally, the present invention concerns a method for transporting harness components in a drawing-in machine.

[0002] The present invention belongs to the technical field of drawing-in warp threads into harness components of a loom.

[0003] In this technical field, a harness component is a part of a loom configured to be crossed by a warp thread when it is used on a loom. A harness component can be a heddle or a dropwire.

BACKGROUP OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is known to use a transport device in order to move harness components between different positions in a drawing-in machine, in particular to bring the harness components to a threading position and to several discharge positions.

[0005] WO92/05303A1 discloses a transport device with holding elements arranged next to one another and moved by a chain. Each holding element is capable of transporting a heddle from a transfer position into a discharge position via a threading position. Movements of the single carrying chain are regular and they cannot be adapted to different yarns without penalizing the movement of the other holding elements. Because of the close arrangement of the holding elements in the discharge zone, entanglement of yarns can occur.

[0006] In the device of EP3754070A1, a transport device comprises a first holding element and a second holding element configured to be moved cyclically and rotatably between a feeding device and a receiving device. The first holding element can move, on a portion of its path, between the feeding device and the receiving device, while the second holding element stays stationary. Two motorized carrying members are provided and each of them carries a single holding element, which must run over a complete closed transport path to get another harness component when necessary. This requires high-speed movements and can make the harness components unstable, in particular when one holding member stops at a threading position or at a discharge position, where stability is essential. Moreover, in this known transport device, the movement of the holding elements is a rotation and the closed path of the holding elements is circular, which is not adapted to straight parallel feeding magazines and straight parallel receiving devices. In addition, the layout of the transport device, with rotating arms, each provided with a holding element at its end, limits the number of possible holding elements usable in the transport device.

[0007] On the other hand, FR2930950A1 discloses a transport device with several holding elements movable between a transfer position, next to a feeding device, and a discharge position, next to a receiving device. Some holding elements are driven on a first portion of the transport device by a constant pitch motor, from the transfer position to a threading position, while at least one of the holding elements is driven on a second portion of the transport device by a non-constant pitch motor between this threading position and a discharge position. This layout needs two types of motors, namely a constant pitch motor and a non-constant pitch motor, and two kinematic chains to generate independent movements of the holding elements.

[0008] WO00/11252A1 discloses a single rotating carousel with several holding elements combined with a discharging belt. The carousel transports some harness components on a first portion of the transport device from a transfer position to a threading position. Then, a discharging belt transports the harness components on a second portion of the transport device between the threading position and one of the discharge positions. Different technologies are needed to transport harness components on their whole path. A switch of harness components must be operated from the carousel to the discharging belt. Each holding element carries pistons able to hold a harness component and moved for loading/unloading a harness component when the holding element is at the transfer position or at the switch position, while the pistons are stationary and firmly hold the harness component when the holding element moves between the transfer and the switch positions.

[0009] In the transport devices of FR2930950A1 and WO00/11252A1, the switch of the harness components between the first and second portions of the transport device reduces the operational speed of the transport device and may cause some jamming of the harness components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The purpose of the present invention is to avoid the drawbacks of the prior art with a new transport device capable of moving each harness component with a differentiated speed profile and without any switch between different portions of the transport device.

[0011] To this end, the invention concerns a transport device for a drawing-in machine, said transport device being configured to move harness components relative to a frame of the transport device, between at least one transport transfer position and several discharge positions, via at least one threading position, where a thread is inserted into a transported harness component, the harness components being exclusively heddles or exclusively dropwires. The transport device includes several transport conveyors, each transport conveyor including at least one carrying member and at least a drive for moving the carrying member relative to the frame separately from any other transport conveyor. A controller is connected to the drives of the several transport conveyors. Each carrying member is configured to transport at least a harness component, which is different from the harness components transported by the other transport conveyors, from the at least one transport transfer position, where a harness component can be loaded onto the carrying member, to one of the several discharge positions, where a harness component can be transferred from the transport conveyor onto a receiving module of the drawing-in machine, via the at least one threading position. According to the invention, several harness component-holding elements are secured to each carrying member, each harness component-holding element is configured to hold a harness component and to move along a closed transport path common to all transport conveyors and going through each transport transfer position, through each threading position and through each discharge position. I harness component-holding elements of the several transport conveyors are adjacent to each other along the closed transport path.

[0012] Thanks to the invention, the several transport conveyors of the transport device can be used in parallel to carry one or several harness components from the transport transfer position, to the threading position and to the discharge positions. The several harness component-holding elements secured to each carrying member of the transport conveyors efficiently hold the harness components during their displacement between the above-mentioned positions. Speed profile of movement of each transport conveyors can be optimized with the discharge positions of each harness component, with the warp thread to drawn in the harness component, with the type of harness component, etc. With optimized speed profiles, harness components remain stable, during transport by the transport device and when they reach the threading and discharge positions. The different conveyors make it possible to optimize the movements according to the time taken by each operation, e.g. feeding, threading and discharging the harness components. These different conveyors also make it possible to carry out certain movements in masked time.

[0013] In the meaning of the present invention, a harness component can be a heddle or a dropwire and, more generally, any element which needs to be equipped with a warp thread prior to being integrated into the harness of a loom.

[0014] For the present invention, a drawing-in draft corresponds to how successive warp threads are to be drawn through the heddles of heddle frames of a loom, in order to produce a fabric with a desired pattern on the loom. A drawing-in draft is, for instance, prepared for all fancy patterns woven on a loom. It can include how warp threads are to be drawn through the dropwires of a loom. The warp threads can come from a warp beam or from a bobbin.

[0015] For the present invention, a heddle sequence is a succession of heddle types among left heddle and right heddle. This heddle sequence can be a regular or irregular alternance of left and right heddles. The heddle sequence can be determined from a drawing-in draft or can be a preset heddle sequence.

[0016] Duplex heddles are heddles for heddle frames and can have any type of end loop and of eyelet.

[0017] According to advantageous but non-compulsory aspects of the invention, such a transport device might incorporate one or several of the following features:

• The same number of harness component-holding elements, preferably three harness component-holding elements, is secured to each carrying member and wherein the harness component-holding elements of the several transport conveyors are arranged alternately along the closed transport path, with the same distribution along the whole closed transport path.
• The carrying members of the several transport conveyors are endless carrying members, preferably endless belts, and at least two carrying members of different transport conveyors are adjacent along a vertical reference axis and arranged on top of each other.
• Each endless carrying member cooperates with wheels rotatably mounted on the frame of the transport device, at each corner of the closed transport path; at least one of the wheels cooperating with one endless carrying member is a driving wheel, rotated by the respective drive of this carrying member; a set of wheels is arranged at each corner of the closed transport path, an endless carrying member of each transport conveyor cooperating with one respective wheel of the set of wheels; the wheels of a set of wheels are rotatably mounted on the frame of the transport device around a common rotation axis; when a set of wheels includes one driving wheel, each other wheel of the same set of wheels is freely rotatable.
• The harness component-holding elements of the transport device are all identical and each harness component-holding element comprises a body with several bores vertically adjacent to one another, the number of bores corresponding to the number of transport conveyors of the transport device, a screw being received in one of these bores to secure the harness component-holding element with one of the carrying members.
• The frame of the transport device is equipped with at least one guiding member for guiding the harness component-holding elements of several transport conveyors along at least a portion of the closed transport path; and each harness component-holding element is provided with at least one guiding part configured to engage a guiding member when the harness component-holding element is moved along the closed transport path.
• The harness component-holding elements secured to a carrying member are regularly distributed along the closed transport path and wherein a distance along the closed transport path between two adjacent harness component-holding elements secured to a carrying member is greater than a length of a discharge zone including the several discharge positions.
• On each carrying member, when one harness component-holding element is at the at least one transport transfer position, another harness component-holding element is at the at least one threading position.
• The transport device further includes at least two pushers configured to push a harness component out of at least one harness component-holding element onto the receiving module at the corresponding discharge position; each pusher is movable on the frame of the transport device so that it constantly extends at the level of several discharge positions along the closed transport path; and each pusher covers at most half of the several discharge positions.
• The transport device includes three transport conveyors.
• The harness components transported by the transport device are exclusively heddles; each transport conveyor includes a first carrying member and a second carrying member, supported by the frame of the transport device; for each transport conveyor, a first heddle-holding element is secured to the first carrying member and a second heddle-holding element is secured to the second carrying member, the first and second heddle-holding elements forming together a pair of heddle-holding elements configured to hold together a single heddle; each transport conveyor comprises several pairs of heddle-holding elements; each transport conveyor includes a first drive for moving the first carrying member and a second drive for moving the second carrying member; and the first and second drives are synchronized by the controller.
• A first carrying member is supported by a first frame of the frame of the transport device and the second carrying member is supported by a second frame of the frame of the transport device and wherein no mechanical part of the transport device connects the first and second frames, nor the first and second carrying members, in a volume defined between the first and second carrying members.

[0018] According to a second aspect, the invention concerns a drawing-in machine for drawing-in warp threads in harness components for a loom. This drawing-in machine comprises a transport device as mentioned here above, a harness components-feeding device where the harness components are provided in the form of at least one stack and a harness component-separating device configured to separate one harness component from the at least one stack. This drawing-in machine also comprises transfer means configured to bring a separated harness component to at least one harness component-holding element located in the transport transfer position, a thread insertion device for inserting a thread through a harness component held by at least one harness component-holding element located in the threading position, a receiving module comprising several support rods, each support rod facing one of the several discharge positions and a discharging device configured to transfer a harness component from the transport conveyor of the transport device to the receiving module of the drawing-in machine, at the discharge position.

[0019] According to a third aspect, the invention concerns a method for transporting harness components in a drawing-in machine, the harness components being exclusively heddles or exclusively dropwires. The method uses a transport device with several transport conveyors, each transport conveyor comprising at least one carrying member to which several harness component-holding elements are secured, each harness component-holding element being configured to hold a harness component. The harness component-holding elements of the several transport conveyors are movable along a closed transport path, common to all transport conveyors. The closed transport path goes through at least one transport transfer position, where a harness component is loaded on a harness component-holding element, at least one threading position, where a thread is inserted into a harness component held by a respective harness component-holding element, and each of several discharge positions, where the harness component held by a respective harness component-holding element is transferred from the respective harness component-holding element onto at least one corresponding support rod of a receiving module of the drawing-in machine. The at least one carrying member of each transport conveyor is driven separately from the other transport conveyors to transport at least a harness component from the transport transfer position to a discharge position, via the threading position.

[0020] Advantageously, when one harness component-holding element moves a harness component from the threading position to a discharge position, another harness component-holding element of the same transport conveyor holds another harness component.

[0021] A first harness component-holding element of a first transport conveyor is at the threading position; a second harness component-holding element of the first transport conveyor is at the transport transfer position; and one harness component-holding element of a second transport conveyor is in a discharge zone extending along the closed transport path from the first to the last of the several discharge positions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The invention will be better understood, based on the following description, which is given in correspondence with the appended figures and as an illustrative example, without restricting the object of the invention. In the annexed figures:

• Figure 1 is a partial top view of a drawing-in machine according to the invention, this machine incorporating a heddle module according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a partial isometric view of the drawing-in machine of the invention;
• Figure 3 is a partial front view of the drawing-in machine of the invention, it shows the plane I-I along which figure 1 is taken ;
• Figure 4 is an enlarged view of detail IV on figure 1 ;
• Figure 5 is a partial enlarged sectional view along line V-V on figure 4, at the level of an upper conveyor section ;
• Figure 6 is an isometric detail view of the drawing-in machine at two transfer positions;
• Figure 7 is an isometric detail view of the drawing-in machine, with a heddle at a detection position;
• Figure 8 is a perspective view of an endless belt used in a transport device of the drawing-in machine of the invention;
• Figure 9 is a partial enlarged sectional view along line IX-IX on figure 1;
• Figure 10 is a partial enlarged sectional view along line X-X on figure 1;
• Figure 11 is a top view, similar to figure 1, for a transport device and a drawing-in machine according to a second embodiment of the invention;
• Figure 12 is a partial isometric view of the drawing-in machine of the second embodiment;
• Figure 13 is a partial enlarged sectional view along line XIII-XIII on figure 11; and
• Figure 14 is a partial enlarged sectional view along line XIV-XIV on figure 11.

DETAILLED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

[0023] The drawing-in machine 2 schematically represented on figure 1 comprises a heddles-feeding device 4, which includes a stack 6 of duplex heddles 60. The duplex heddles can be of two types, namely left heddles 60L or right heddles 60R.

[0024] A heddle is an example of a harness component usable on a loom.

[0025] The drawing-in machine 2 also includes a heddles-separating device 8, a heddles-sorting device 10, a heddles-transport device 12, a heddles-detection device 14, a controller 16, a thread-insertion device 18, a heddles-receiving module 20, a dropwire module 22, a warp-clamping frame 24 for clamping warp yarns of a non-represented warp beam, a heddles-transfer device 26 and a heddles-discharging device 28.

[0026] The thread-insertion device 18 may be common to heddles and dropwires.

[0027] The heddles-feeding device 4, the heddles-separating device 8, the heddles-sorting device 10, the heddles-transport device 12, the heddles-detection device 14, the controller 16 and the heddles-transfer device 26 belong to a heddle module 30, which is part of the drawing-in machine 2.

[0028] X, Y, Z denote an orthogonal marker of a non-represented frame of the drawing-in machine 2 with reference axes X and Y horizontal and reference axis Z vertical and oriented to the top.

[0029] The heddles-feeding device 4 comprises a single magazine made of two guide rails 42, vertically aligned, which support a single stack 6 of duplex heddles 60. The heddles 60 are supported by their respective end loops 62 and the rails 42 are fixed with regard to a non-represented frame of the drawing-in machine 2. The rails 42 can be inclined relative to a horizontal plane, as considered in WO00/68479A1, or parallel to such a horizontal plane, as considered in WO99/15723A1. In the example of the figures, the guide rails 42 extend parallel to the reference axis Y. In other words, the reference axis Y is a longitudinal axis of the heddles-feeding device 4 and, within the stack 6, the heddles 60 are adjacent to each other along the longitudinal axis Y.

[0030] A60 denotes a longitudinal axis of a heddle 60. This axis A60 extends between the end loops 62 of each heddle 60 and is parallel to their longest dimension. This longitudinal axis A60 is parallel to the reference axis Z when the corresponding heddle is mounted on the heddles-feeding device 4, on the heddles-sorting device 10 and on the heddles-transport device 12.

[0031] In the stack 6, heddles 60 can be of two types, namely left heddle 60L or right heddle 60R. Left heddle 60L and right heddle 60R differ at least in the position, in a direction perpendicular to axis A60, of their intermediate region and of their eyelet 64, with regard to the end loops 62.

[0032] In practice, the heddle stack 6 can be directly extracted from a heddle frame that has been previously used on a loom. Such a stack 6 includes right and left heddles 60L, 60R but their alternation might be altered by heddles added on the frame during its previous period of use on a loom. Thanks to the heddles-sorting device the distribution of heddles 60 in the stack 6 does not have to be precisely known nor controlled in advance

[0033] The heddles-separating device 8 is configured to separate heddle 60 one by one from the stack 6 of heddles 60 borne by the magazine formed by the two guide rails 42 and to transfer each separated heddle one after the other onto the heddles-sorting device 10 at a feeding position P1. On the figures, the heddles-separating device 8 is partially shown. The heddles-separating device 8 can be built as disclosed in WO00/68479A1 or WO99/15723A1 whose contents are included in this description by reference. Alternatively, other types of heddles-separating devices can be used in the heddle module 30.

[0034] The sorting device 10 comprises a sorting conveyor 100 made of an upper sorting conveyor portion 102 and a lower sorting conveyor portion 104 which extend parallel to each other, one above the other.

[0035] Each sorting conveyor portion 102 or 104 includes an endless belt 108, which forms an endless member defining a closed sorting path 106 when it is mounted on a frame 120 of the sorting device 10.

[0036] Each endless belt 108 is equipped with several heddle-support elements 122. By convention, a heddle-support element 122 secured to the endless belt 108 of the upper sorting conveyor portion 102 is an upper heddle-support element and a heddle-support element 122 secured to the endless belt 108 of the lower sorting conveyor portion 102 is a lower heddle-support element. An upper heddle-support element 122 interacts with an upper end loop 62 of a heddle 60 mounted on the sorting device 10, whereas a lower heddle-support element 122 interacts with the lower end loop 62 of the same heddle 60. On each endless belt 108, the heddle-support elements 122 are adjacent to each other along the sorting path 106. In other words, each heddle-support element 122 of each endless belt 108 is shifted along the sorting path 106 with regard to the other heddle-support elements 122 of the same endless belt 108. Each heddle-support element 122 is configured to hold one heddle 60 and the heddle-support elements 122 co-move with the endless belt 108 along the sorting path 106. Alternatively, a steel band or a chain can be used as an endless member, instead of a polymer belt. The endless member can take different shapes when not mounted on the frame.

[0037] The closed sorting path 106 has an elongated or oblong shape with its longest dimension parallel to the reference axis X and perpendicular to the main direction of the guide rails 42. Each endless belt 108 has an elongated or oblong shape that corresponds to the shape of the closed sorting path 106.

[0038] Two servomotors 112, 114 are respectively engaged with gears 116 and drive toothed wheels 118 in meshing engagement with the inner surface of each belt 108. Advantageously, the inner surface of each belt 108 is provided with teeth 109, in order to cooperate with teeth provided on the radial external surface of the respective wheels 118. Each wheel 118 rotates around a rotation axis X118, which is parallel to the reference axis Z.

[0039] The two servomotors 112 and 114 form drives for the sorting conveyor 100, more precisely for the respective endless belts 108 of its upper and lower sorting conveyor portions 102 and 104. The servomotor 112 forms an upper drive for the upper conveyor portion 102 and the servomotor 114 forms a lower drive for the lower conveyor portion 104.

[0040] As shown by double arrow A1, the two servomotors 112 and 114 can drive the endless belts 108, and thus the heddle-support element 122, in two opposite directions along the closed sorting path 106.

[0041] The upper and lower servomotors 112 and 114 are electrically synchronized by the controller 16, preferably with no direct mechanical link between them. Preferably upper and lower sorting conveyor portions 102 and 104 follow the same movement when they are driven by upper and lower servomotors 112 and 114.

[0042] The heddles-sorting device 10 includes the frame 120, which supports the two sorting conveyor portions 102 and 104, in particular the servomotors 112 and 114, the gears 116 and the wheels 118. The endless belts 108 are arranged around this frame 120 and the closed sorting path 106 is defined around this frame.

[0043] As visible on figures 2 and 3, the two servomotors 112 and 114 can be respectively located above and under the upper and lower conveyor portions 102 and 104. It should be noted here that figure 1 is a top view of the drawing-in machine 2, seen from a middle plane I-I, located between the upper conveyor portion 102 and the lower conveyor portion 104, as shown on figure 3.

[0044] The frame 120 is rigidly secured to the non-represented frame of the drawing-in machine 2.

[0045] Advantageously, the upper and lower heddle-support elements 122 are identical, except for their orientation along the reference axis Z.

[0046] The heddles-receiving module 20 includes twenty pairs of support rods 202 arranged parallel to each other and adjacent to each other along a direction parallel to the reference axis X, on a side of the heddles-transport device 12 opposite to the heddles-sorting device 10. These twenty pairs of support rods 202 correspond to twenty discharge positions of the heddles-transport device 12. These pairs of support rods are individually referenced 202_k, with k an integer between 1 and 20.

[0047] Advantageously, the number of heddle-support elements 122 mounted on each endless belt 108 is strictly larger than the number of discharge positions of the heddles-transport device, i.e. the number of pairs of support rods 202 that can be installed in the receiving module 20 of the drawing-in machine 2. In other words, the number of heddle-support elements 122 of the sorting conveyor 100 that can hold different heddles, which is the maximal heddle capacity of the sorting conveyor 100, is strictly larger than the number of discharge positions. In the present example, since there are twenty pairs of support rods 202₁ to 202₂₀, the number of heddle-support elements 122 on each endless belt 108 is larger than or equal to twenty-one, in practice equal to twenty-four as shown, for example, on figure 4.

[0048] Alternatively, a different number of heddle-support elements 122 can be secured to each endless belt 108, this number being strictly larger than the number of discharge positions. Advantageously, the number of heddle-support elements 122 mounted on each endless belt 108 is at least five.

[0049] The heddle-support elements 122 are regularly distributed on the external peripheral surface 108A of each endless belt 108. The two endless belts, that is the endless belt 108 of the upper conveyor portion 102 and the endless belt 108 of the lower conveyor portion 104, are equipped with the same number of heddle-support elements 122. The upper heddle-support elements 122 and the lower heddle-support elements 122 form pairs of heddle-support elements 122. More precisely, two vertically aligned support elements 122, i.e. two heddle-support elements aligned to hold a heddle 60 with its axis A60 parallel to the reference axis Z, form a pair of heddle-support elements configured for holding a heddle 60.

[0050] Each heddle-support elements 122 is secured to the external peripheral surface 108A of one of the belts 108 by a screw 124. This is visible in particular on figure 5, which is a partial cut view taken along a plane radial to the rotation axis X118 of a wheel 118, at the level of the upper conveyor section 102. On figure 4, the line V-V shows the trace of this plane at the level of the lower conveyor section 104.

[0051] Each heddle-support element 122 includes a polymer body 126 fixed to the endless belt 108 by the screw 124 and provided with two guiding parts 128 and 130 that can cooperate with two guiding rails 120A and 120B which belong to the frame 120. The two guiding parts 128 and 130 can be respectively engaged within two guiding slots 132 and 134 formed by the two guiding rails 120A and 120B.

[0052] Alternatively, the body 126 of a heddle-support element 122 can be made of another material, e.g. metal.

[0053] The longest dimension of the closed sorting paths 106 is parallel to the reference axis X and the guiding rails 120A and 120B are parallel to this axis.

[0054] Advantageously, the two rails 120A and 120B, thus the two guiding slots 132 and 134, extend parallel to straight portions of the closed sorting path 106, in particular to two long straight sides of the belt 108 .

[0055] For the sake of clarity, only one rail 120A is represented on figure 2, the other one being omitted in order to show the upper guiding parts 128 of some heddle-support elements 122.

[0056] Advantageously, the external peripheral surface 108A of the endless belts 108 include regularly distributed external protrusions, each equipped with a threaded hole 108B adapted to receive one screw 124 and each body 126 has a recess 126A configured to receive one such external protrusion. In practice, the number of protrusions provided on the external surface 108A of each endless sorting belt 108 equals the number of heddle-support elements 122 mounted on this endless belt.

[0057] Each body 126 is provided with three superimposed bores 126B adjacent to one another along the reference axis Z. Only the intermediate bore 126B accommodates a screw 124 when the corresponding heddle-support element 122 is secured to an endless belt 108.

[0058] Each heddle-support element 122 also includes a pin 136, mounted on the body 126 and equipped with a nail 138 configured for penetrating in an end loop 62 of a heddle 60. The pin 136 of a heddle-support element 122 is slidable, with respect to the body of this heddle-support element 122, along an axis, which is vertical when the heddle-support element 122 is mounted in the heddles-sorting device 10.

[0059] Each pin 136 of an upper heddle-support element 122 is loaded upwardly, with respect to its body 126, by a spring 140. Conversely, each pin 136 of a lower heddle-support element 122 is loaded downwardly, with respect to its body 126, by a spring 140. Thus, the pins 136 of the heddle-support elements 122 of one of the upper and lower conveyor portions 102 and 104 are loaded by the springs 140 in a direction away from the other conveyor portion 104 or 102. As a result, the pins 136 of the two heddle-support elements 122 of a pair of heddle-support elements are loaded by their respective springs 140 in opposite directions, away from each other.

[0060] The heddles-sorting device 10 also defines a sorting transfer position P2. When a heddle is in this sorting transfer position P2, it can be moved by the heddles-transfer device 26 into a transport transfer position P3 defined by the heddles-transport device 12.

[0061] The heddles-transfer device 26 includes a pusher 262 housed in the frame 120 of the heddles-sorting device 10 and movable relative to this frame 120 and to the conveyor portions 102 and 104 in a direction parallel to the reference axis Y, between a retracted position represented on figures 1 and 4 and in solid lines on figure 6, on the one hand, and an extended position represented in dotted lines on figure 6, on the other hand. The heddles-transfer device 26 also includes a non-represented drive configured to move the pusher 262 between its retracted and extended positions, and vice-versa.

[0062] In the retracted position of the pusher 262, a heddle 60 is in the sorting transfer position P2, whereas the same heddle has been moved into the transport transfer position P3 when the pusher 262 is in its extended position.

[0063] In practice, the heddles-transfer device 26 can incorporate two pushers 262, one next to each conveyor portions 102 and 104. An upper pusher 262 can be located just below the pin 136 of the upper heddle-support elements 122 and a lower pusher 262 can be located just above the pin 136 of the lower heddle-support elements 122.

[0064] In its retracted position, each pusher 262 does not interfere with the heddles 60 borne by the heddles-sorting device 10 and moving along the closed sorting path 106. In its extended position, each pusher 262 crosses the closed sorting path 106 and pushes the heddle 60 hold by the adjacent pair of heddle-support elements 122 out of the sorting transfer position P2 and towards the transport transfer position P3.

[0065] The feeding position P1 and the sorting transfer position P2 are regularly spaced along the closed sorting path 106. In other words, the distance between the feeding position P1 and the sorting transfer position P2 is the same in both directions A1 along the sorting path 106.

[0066] The heddle-support elements 122, that are adjacent to each other along the closed sorting path 106, are regularly distributed along the closed sorting path 106, in a way which takes into count the repartition of the two positions P1 and P2. More precisely, when a first heddle-support element 122 is at the feeding position P1, a second heddle-support element 122 is at the sorting transfer position P2, and at least one heddle-support element 122 is located between the first and second heddle-support elements, on both sides of the heddle-support element 122 along the closed sorting path 106.

[0067] Advantageously, and as shown on the figures, the two positions P1 and P2 are located on opposite long straight sides of the oblong sorting belt 108 and the distance between the feeding position P1 and the sorting transfer position P2 along the closed sorting path 106 is the same in both directions.

[0068] Preferably, the number of heddle-support elements 122 between the two positions P1 and P2 and along the closed sorting path 106 is the same in both directions.

[0069] In the example of the figures, this number is 10. In a variant, this number can be different. It is preferably chosen larger than or equal to 1.

[0070] Release means 162 are provided at the feeding position P1. When actuated by a dedicated non-represented drive, these release means 162 push the pins 136 of the two heddle-support elements 122 of a pair of heddle-support elements present at the feeding position P1 towards each other, against the action of their respective return springs 140, in two opposite directions parallel to the reference axis Z. In other words, the pin 136 of one upper heddle-support element 122 is pushed downwardly, whereas the pin 136 of the lower heddle-support element 122 of the same pair is pushed upwardly by the release means 162.

[0071] This results in moving the nails 138 of these two heddle-support elements 122 towards each other, which allows each of these nails to engage within a respective end loop 62 of the separated heddle presented by the heddles-separating device 8.

[0072] When the release means 162 are no more actuated or when the heddle-support elements 122 of the pair of heddle-support elements leave the feeding position P1, the pins 136 of the two heddle-support elements of the pair of heddle-support elements 122 present in the feeding position P1 are pushed back by their respective springs 140 into their return positions, which hooks the two nails 138 of the two heddle-support elements 122 present in the feeding position P1 within the two end loops 62 of the heddle 60. This results in tensioning the heddle 60 between the nails 138 of the pair of heddle-support elements.

[0073] As visible on figure 5, the nail 138 of each heddle-support element 122 is not parallel to the horizontal plane defined by axes X and Y but inclined with respect to this plane by a non-zero angle α.

[0074] The nail 138 of an upper heddle-support element 122 diverges upwardly, by an angle α, when going away from the corresponding pin 136, whereas the nail 138 of a heddle-support element 122 of the lower conveyor portion 104 diverges downwardly, by the same angle α, when going away from the corresponding pin 136. Thus, the two nails 138 diverge.

[0075] Advantageously, the angle α is between 0 and 8°, preferably equal to 5°.

[0076] Due to the divergence of the two nails 138, the elastic force exerted by the two springs 140 of a pair of heddle-support elements 122 contributes to hooking a heddle 60 between these two elements. This contributes to keeping a heddle 60 stable on a pair of heddle-support elements 122 when it is moved along the closed sorting path 106 by the sorting conveyor 100.

[0077] Two non-represented sensors are integrated within the sorting device 10 and provide the controller 16 with an information about the position of each endless belt 108 of the upper and lower sorting conveyor portions 102 and 104 relative to the frame 120. This allows the controller 16 to know, at any time, the position of each heddle-support element 122 along the closed sorting path 106.

[0078] The heddles-detection device 14 is configured to detect if a heddle 60 is a left heddle 60L or a right heddle 60R.

[0079] A detection position P4 is defined between the stack 6 of heddles 60 and the feeding position P1.

[0080] Preferably, the heddles-detection device 14 includes a camera 142 mounted on the frame of the drawing-in machine so that its field of view 144 covers a zone around the eyelet of a right heddle 60R located in the detection position P4 and a zone around the eyelet of a left heddle 60L located in the detection position P4.

[0081] The region of a heddle 60 around its eyelet 64 allows differentiating a left heddle 60L from a right heddle 60R. Thus, the camera 142 is configured to detect at least one parameter of a heddle 60 present in the detection position P4, this parameter being different, depending on whether the heddle is a left heddle 60L or a right heddle 60R. This parameter can be given by the geometry of the heddle around its eyelet.

[0082] In practice, the heddles-detection device 14 sends to the controller 16 a signal S14 including the at least one parameter of the heddle, which allows differentiating a left heddle 60L from a right heddle 60R.

[0083] Advantageously, the signal S14 also includes an information as to whether the heddle eyelet 64 is correctly oriented, if it is worn, how much it is worn and at which position the eyelet 64 is located relative to the upper and lower heddle loops 62 of the heddle, depending on some wear within the end loops 62. All this information can be derived from a picture taken by the camera 142 and included within the signal S14 sent to the controller 16.

[0084] Preferably, the detection position P4 is located on the path of a heddle 60 after this heddle has been separated from the stack 6 and before this heddle is transferred onto the heddles-sorting device 10.

[0085] Advantageously, the controller 16 sends a signal to the heddles-detection device 14 in order to take a picture of each separated heddle 60 as soon as it is separated from the stack 6 but still held by the heddles-separating device 8.

[0086] Advantageously, the heddles-detection device 14 can also be used as a separation detection device in order to detect "double heddle separation", i.e. when two heddles are separated from the stack 6 at the same time.

[0087] The heddles-transport device 12 is exclusively dedicated to transporting heddles and includes several transport conveyors.

[0088] In the first embodiment, the heddles-transport device 12 includes three transport conveyors 300A, 300B and 300C. In a variant, the number of transport conveyors can be different, but larger than or equal to two.

[0089] The three conveyors 300A, 300B and 300C are superimposed. More precisely, a first upper conveyor 300A is located above a second intermediate conveyor 300B, which is located above a third lower conveyor 300C along the reference axis Z.

[0090] The first transport conveyor 300A includes an upper conveyor portion 302A and a lower conveyor portion 304A. The second transport conveyor 300B includes an upper conveyor portion 302B and a lower conveyor portion 304B. The third transport conveyor 300C includes an upper conveyor portion 302C and the lower conveyor portion 304C.

[0091] Several heddle-holding elements 322 are secured to, thus co-moved with, each transport conveyor 300A, 300B, 300C along a closed transport path 306 which is common to all transport conveyors 300A, 300B, 300C. Each heddle-holding elements 322 is configured to hold a single harness component, which is, in this first embodiment, a single heddle 60. The harness component-holding elements 322 of the three transport conveyors 300A, 300B and 300C are adjacent to each other along the closed transport path 306. In other words, the harness component-holding elements 322 of each of the transport conveyors 300A, 300B and 300C are shifted along the transport path 306 with regard to the harness component-holding elements 322 of the other transport conveyors 300A, 300B and 300C.

[0092] The several heddle-holding elements 322 of each conveyor portion 302A, 302B, 302C, 304A, 304B or 304C follow the same closed transport path 306 which has, when seen from the top, a polygonal shape, for instance a substantially rectangular shape with four rounded corners, as shown on figure 1.

[0093] Each conveyor portion includes an endless belt 308 forming an endless member and defining the closed transport path 306, when mounted on a frame 320 of the transport device 12. Each endless belt 308 has the same rectangular shape as the closed transport path 306.

[0094] Alternatively, a steel band or a chain can be used as an endless member, instead of a belt. The endless member can take different shapes when not mounted on the frame 320 of the transport device 12.

[0095] The respective endless belts 308 of the three transport conveyors 300A, 300B, 300C are arranged on top of each other. In particular, the upper conveyor portion 302A, the upper conveyor portion 302B and the upper conveyor portion 302C are adjacent along the reference axis Z and the lower conveyor portion 304A, the lower conveyor portion 304B and the lower conveyor portion 304C are adjacent along the reference axis Z. Along this reference axis Z, the distribution of the conveyor portions is as follows, from bottom to top : 304C, 304B, 304A, 302C, 302B, 302A. Each conveyor portion 304C, 304B, 304A, 302C, 302B, 302A extends at one different level along axis Z. The upper conveyor portion 302C and the lower conveyor portion 304A are distant from each other along axis Z, with a distance close to the length of the heddles 60.

[0096] In a non-represented variant of the invention, as the upper and lower heddle-holding elements 322 are identical, the distribution of the conveyor portions around the top frame 320 and around the bottom frame 320 along the reference axis Z axis does not have the same alternation.

[0097] All endless belts 308 are preferably identical and include, on their inner surface, some teeth 309 configured to interact with some wheels 318 provided with external teeth and located at the four corners of the closed transport path 306. As visible on figure 8, each endless belt 308 is also provided, on its external surface, with three protrusions 310, regularly distributed around the periphery of the belt. Each protrusion is equipped with a threaded hole 310B.

[0098] The heddles-transport device 12 also includes the frame 320, which forms guiding rails 320A and 320B. These guiding rails are represented on figure 2 in dotted lines and on figure 9 in solid lines. They extend parallel to the four rectilinear portions of the closed transport path 306 and are interrupted at the level of the 4 corners.

[0099] For the upper conveyor portions 302A, 302B and 302C, three wheels 318 are located at each corner of the closed transport path 306 and rotate around a common axis Z318 parallel to the reference axis Z. The wheels 318 are rotatably mounted on the frame 320 of the heddles-transport device 12. In particular, the corresponding rotation axes Z318 of the wheels are defined by the frame 320, in the four corners of the closed transport path 306.

[0100] In a first corner, a first servomotor 312A is connected via a first gear 316A to a driving wheel 318A which is in meshing engagement with the endless belt 308 of the upper conveyor portion 302A. The two other wheels 318 located in the first corner, below the first driving wheel 318A, freely rotate around the corresponding common axis Z318. In other words, the freely rotatable wheels are not directly connected to a servomotor and their rotation is driven by the movement of the corresponding endless belt 308.

[0101] In a second corner of the closed transport path 306, a second servomotor 312B drives, via a second gear 316B, a second driving wheel 318B in meshing engagement with the endless belt 308 of the second conveyor portion 302B. The two other wheels 318 located in the second corner, above and below the second driving wheel 318B, freely rotate around the corresponding axis Z318, as the two wheels located below the first driving wheel 318A in the first corner.

[0102] In a third corner of the closed transport path 306, a third servomotor 312C drives, via a third gear 316C, a third driving wheel 318C in meshing engagement with the endless belt 308 of the third upper conveyor portion 302C. The other two wheels 318 located in the third corner, above the third driving wheel 318C, freely rotate around the corresponding axis Z318, as the two wheels located below the first driving wheel 318A in the first corner.

[0103] As visible on figure 10, a shaft 319 defines the axis Z318 in the third corner and connects in rotation the third gear 316C and the third driving wheel 318C, through the other two wheels 318. Grabbing means 319A and 319B are provided at both ends of the shaft 319, for connection to the third gear 316C and to the third driving wheel 318C respectively. The same approach is used in the first and second corners.

[0104] In the fourth corner of the transport path 318, three wheels 318 freely rotate around a corresponding axis Z318, as the two wheels located below the first driving wheel 318A in the first corner.

[0105] The same approach is implemented at the level of the lower conveyor portions 304A, 304B and 304C where three servomotors 314A, 314B and 314C are used, respectively in the same corners as servomotors 312A, 312B and 312C and drive non-represented driving wheels. The servomotors 312A, 312B, 312C, 314A, 314B and 314C are mounted on the frame 320. The servomotors 312A, 312B, 312C, 314A, 314B and 314C are separately driven. The servomotors 312A, 312B, 312C are electrically synchronized by the controller 16 respectively with the servomotors 314A, 314B, 314C, preferably with no direct mechanical link between them. Preferably the upper conveyor portions 302A, 302B, 302C respectively follow the same movement as the lower conveyor portions 304A, 304B, 304C.

[0106] The wheels 318 arranged in a corner of the closed transport path 306 define, at the level of the upper conveyor portions 302A, 302B, 302C, a first set of wheels rotatable with respect to the frame 320 of the heddles-transport device 12 around a common axis Z318 and, at the level of the lower conveyor portions 304A, 304B, 304C, a second set of wheels rotatable around the same common axis Z318. Each wheel of a set of wheels cooperates with a different endless belt 308. The number of wheels 318 in each set of wheels equals the number of transport conveyors of the heddles-transport device 12. In other words, a set of wheels cooperates with one endless belt 308 of all transport conveyors 300A, 300B and 300C. In the embodiment of figures 1 to 10, this number is three.

[0107] At the level of the upper conveyor portions 302A, 302B, 302C three sets of wheels 318 includes a driving wheel 318A, 318B or 318C and two freely rotatable wheels. The fourth set of wheels includes three freely rotatable wheels 318. The same applies at the level of the lower conveyor portions 304A, 304B, 304C.

[0108] The servomotors 312A, 312B, 312C, 314A, 314B and 314C form respective drives for the first, second and third transport conveyors 300A, 300B and 300C.

[0109] Several heddle-holding elements 322 are secured to the endless belt 308 of each conveyor portion 302A, 302B, 302C, 304A, 304B, 304C of each conveyor 300A, 300B, 300C. By convention, a heddle-holding element 322 secured to the endless belt 308 of an upper conveyor portion 302A, 302B, 302C is an upper heddle-holding element and a heddle-holding element 322 secured to the endless belt 308 of a lower conveyor portion 304A, 304B, 304C is a lower heddle-holding element. The number of upper heddle-holding elements 322 of a conveyor is the same as the number of lower heddle-holding elements 322 of the same conveyor. All the transport conveyors 300A, 300B, 300C have the same number of heddle-holding elements 322.

[0110] Advantageously, the upper and lower heddle-holding elements 322 are identical, except for their orientation along the reference Z axis. Advantageously, the heddle-holding elements 322 are identical to heddle-support elements 122.

[0111] All heddle-holding elements 322 are movable along the same closed transport path 306 and are mounted on the corresponding endless belt 308 by a respective screw 324. More precisely, each heddle-holding element 322 is mounted on a protrusion 310, by a screw 324 threaded in the corresponding threaded hole 310B of the protrusion 310. On each corresponding endless belt 308, the number of protrusions 310 equals the number of heddle-holding elements 322.

[0112] As for the heddle-support elements 122 of the heddles-sorting device 10, the heddle-holding elements 322 work by pairs, a pair of heddle-holding elements 322 being formed by an upper heddle-holding element 322 and a lower heddle-holding element 322 aligned on a same axis parallel to the reference axis Z and configured for holding together a single heddle 60 with its axis A60 parallel to the reference axis Z.

[0113] By construction, the endless belts 308 of one transport conveyor are configured to transport individual heddles different from the individual heddles transported by endless belts of the other two transport conveyors. By "different", it is meant that the heddles transported by the endless belts 308 of a transport conveyor are not transported by the endless belts of the other transport conveyors, even if all heddles are of the same type.

[0114] Preferably, the heddle-support elements 122 and heddle-holding elements 322 are identical. They only differ by the part of the heddle module they belong to, i.e. the heddles-sorting device 10 for the heddle-support elements 122 and the heddles-transport device 12 for the heddle-holding elements 322.

[0115] In the following description, a part of a heddle-holding element 322 identical to a part of a heddle-support element 122 is designated by the same reference plus 200.

[0116] In particular, each heddle-holding elements 322 includes a polymer body 326, which forms upper and lower guiding parts 328 and 330 configured to slide within slots 332 and 334 respectively defined by the guiding rails 320A and 320B.

[0117] Alternatively, the body 326 of a heddle-holding element 322 can be made of another material, e.g. metal.

[0118] Each heddle-holding element 322 also includes a pin 336 equipped with a nail 338 and loaded by a spring 340 towards a return position. The springs 340 of the upper heddle-holding elements 322 urge the corresponding pins 336 upwardly, whereas the springs 340 of the lower heddle-support elements 322 urge the corresponding pins 336 downwardly.

[0119] Each body 326 is provided with three superimposed bores 326B adjacent to one another along the reference axis Z, one screw 324 being received in one of these bores, depending on which belt 308 the heddle-holding element 322 is secured. More precisely, a screw 324 crosses the upper bore 326 of a first heddle-holding element 322 secured to the endless belt 308 of the first conveyor 300A, a screw 324 crosses the intermediate bore 326 of a second heddle-holding element 322 secured to the endless belt 308 of the second conveyor 300B and a screw 324 crosses the lower bore 326 of a third heddle-holding element 322 secured to the endless belt 308 of the third conveyor 300C.

[0120] An internal surface 326C forming an end of a recess 326A of each heddle-holding element 322 thus faces three belts 308, namely one belt 308 of each transport conveyor.

[0121] The pins 336 work as the pins 136 of the heddle-support elements 122 for loading and unloading a heddle on or from the heddles-transport device 12 and at the transport transfer position P3, they are piloted by release means 362 similar to the release means 162.

[0122] In particular, the heddle-holding elements 322 are grouped by pairs of two vertically aligned heddle-holding elements 322, i.e. two heddle-holding elements aligned to hold a heddle 60 with its axis A60 parallel to the reference axis Z. The two heddle-holding elements 322 of a pair are respectively secured to the endless belts 308 of the top and bottom portions of a conveyor 300A, 300B, and 300C.

[0123] When a heddle must be moved from the sorting transfer position P2 to the transport transfer position P3, the release means 362 actuate the pins 336 of the pair of heddle-holding elements 322 located at the transport transfer position P3. In this configuration the release means 362 pushes the pins 336 against their spring 340. The nails 138 of the pair of heddle-support elements 122 in the sorting transfer position P2 overlap the nails 338 of the pair of heddle-holding elements 322 in the transport transfer position P3. The nails 138 and 338 are located at different heights along the reference axis Z and aligned along the longitudinal axis A60 of a heddle transferred between the positions P2 and P3.

[0124] Advantageously, three heddle-holding elements 322 are secured to each endless belt 308. Thus, three pairs of upper and lower heddle-holding elements 322 are secured to each conveyor 300A, 300B and 300C.

[0125] In a non-represented variant of the invention, the number of heddle-holding elements per endless belt 308 can be larger than or equal to three.

[0126] More precisely, three upper heddle-holding elements 322A1, 322A2 and 322A3 are secured to the endless belt 308 of the first upper conveyor portion 302A, three upper heddle-holding elements 322B1, 322B2 and 322B3 are secured to the endless belt 308 of the second upper conveyor portion 302B and three other heddle-holding elements 322C1, 322C2 and 322C3 are secured to the endless belt 308 of the third upper conveyor portion 302C.

[0127] Advantageously, the heddle-holding elements 322Aj, 322Bj and 322Cj are arranged alternately along the closed transport path 306 with the same distribution along the whole transport path, with j equal to 1, 2 or 3. In other words, each heddle-holding element of a first conveyor is adjacent along the closed transport path 306 with a heddle-holding element of a second conveyor and with a heddle-holding element of a third conveyor.

[0128] The pairs of heddle-holding elements 322 are configured to be successively loaded with one heddle at the transport transfer position P3.

[0129] Preferably, the heddle-holding elements 322Aj, 302Bj and 302Cj are regularly distributed along the closed transport path 306. In other words, the heddle-holding elements 322Aj, 302Bj and 302Cj are regularly distributed along their corresponding belt 308.

[0130] A similar distribution of lower heddle-holding elements 322 is used at the level of the lower conveyor portions 304A, 304B, 304C.

[0131] Thus, at the level of the upper conveyor portions 302A, 302B, 302C and at the level of the lower conveyor portions 304A, 304B, 304C, each heddle-holding element 322 secured to one endless belt 308 is located, along the closed transport path 306, between two other heddle-holding elements 322 secured to the two other endless belts and the pairs of heddle-holding elements 322 are alternately distributed along the whole closed transport path 306 with the same distribution. An upper heddle-holding element 322 is aligned along the reference axis Z with a lower heddle-holding element 322 of the same transport conveyor so that their nails 338 are aligned along the reference axis Z.
d322 denotes a distance, along the closed transport path 306, between two adjacent harness-holding elements 322 secured to a given endless belt 308.

[0132] The heddles-transport device 12 is configured to carry a heddle 60 loaded at the transport transfer position P3, where a heddle 60 has been loaded onto the heddle-transport device 12, to a threading position P5, where a yarn from the warp-clamping frame 24 is inserted into the eyelet 64 of this heddle by the thread-insertion device 18. The thread-insertion device 18 is typically a gripper having a reciprocate linear movement along a threading path passing through the heddle eyelet 64 of a heddle 60 held by a heddle-holding element 322 at the threading position P5, catching a warp yarn of the warp-clamping frame 24 and moving back with the warp yarn through the heddle 60.

[0133] The spacing between two heddle-holding elements 322 carried by the same endless belt 308 is equal to the distance, measured along the closed transport path 306, between the transport transfer position P3 and the threading position P5. Thus, two pairs of such heddle-holding elements 322 carried by the same transport conveyor can be located at the same time in these two positions, like the pairs including heddle-holding elements 322B1 and 322B2 in the configuration of figures 1 to 3.

[0134] The heddles-transport device 12 is also configured to carry each heddle 60 from the threading position P5 to one of several discharge positions P6, a discharge position being defined in front of each support rod 202 along direction Y.

[0135] The transport transfer position P3, the threading position P5 and each discharge position P6 are distributed on different straight portions of the polygonal closed transport path 306. The closed transport path 306 goes successively through the transport transfer position P3, through the threading position P5 and through the discharge positions P6.

[0136] As shown by the single arrow A2 on figure 1, the servomotors 312A, 312B, 312C, 314A, 314B and 314C can drive the endless belts 308, and thus the heddle-holding elements 322 , in one direction only, along the closed transport path 306, namely from the transport transfer position P3 to the threading position P5 and then to the discharge positions P6, then to the transport transfer position P3 without passing again at the threading position P5.

[0137] In the direction of movement along the closed transport path 306, represented by the arrow A2, the distribution of heddle-holding elements 322 is as follows: 322C1, 322B1, 322A1, 322C2, 322B2, 322A2, 322C3, 322B3, 322A3.

[0138] Several zones can be defined along the closed transport path 306.

[0139] A first waiting zone is defined along the closed transport path 306, between the transport transfer position P3 and the threading position P5.

[0140] A discharge zone DZ is defined along axis X, along the closed transport path 306, between the first discharge position P6 aligned with the first support rod 202, and the last discharge position P6 aligned with the twentieth support rod 202₂₀. The first discharge position is the discharge position P6 that a heddle-holding element 322 reaches first when moving, from the threading position P5, in the direction of the arrow A2. The last discharge position is the discharge position P6 that a heddle-holding element 322 reaches at the latest when moving, from the threading position P5, in the direction of the arrow A2. In other terms, the discharge zone DZ extends from the first discharge position P6 to the last discharge position P6. In particular, a first discharge subzone DZ1 is defined between the first discharge position P6 aligned with the first support rod 202, and the tenth discharge position P6 aligned with the tenth support rod 202₁₀. A second discharge subzone DZ2 is defined between the eleventh discharge position P6 aligned with the first support rod 202₁₁ and the twentieth discharge position P6 aligned with the tenth support rod 202₂₀.

[0141] LDZ denotes the length of the discharge zone DZ, which is its dimension along the closed path 306.

[0142] The distance d322 along the closed transport path 306 between two adjacent harness component-holding elements 322 secured to a given endless belt 308 is greater than the length LDZ of the discharge zone DZ along the closed transport path 306.

[0143] A second waiting zone is defined between the last discharge position P6 and the transport transfer position P3.

[0144] In the configuration of figures 1 to 3, the heddle-holding elements 322A2 and 322C3 are each in a discharge position P6, respectively a first discharge position corresponding to the first support rod 202, and located in the first discharge subzone DZ1 and a second discharge position corresponding to the twentieth support rod 202₂₀ and located in the second discharge subzone DZ2.

[0145] The heddles-discharging device 28 includes two pushers 282 and 284, each pusher being movable relative to the frame 320 parallel to the reference axis Y between a retracted position represented in solid lines on figure 1 and an extended position represented in dotted line in the lower portion of figure 1, for the pusher 282. Each pusher moves independently of the endless belts 308. In other words, the pushers are not co-moved with the heddle-holding elements 322 along the transport path 306.

[0146] Each pusher 282, 284 is constantly aligned, along a direction parallel to the reference axis Y, with at most half of the several discharge positions P6, that is ten of the twenty discharge positions P6 represented by the twenty support rods 202_k in the current embodiment. In the example of the figures, each pusher 282, 284 is constantly aligned with ten adjacent discharge positions P6 which belong either to the first discharge subzone DZ1 or to the second discharge subzone DZ2. Each pusher 282, 284 is configured to push a heddle from a heddle-holding element 322 located at one of the ten discharge positions P6 onto one of the ten support rods 202_k in one of the two discharge subzones. In other words, each pusher 282 or 284 constantly extends at the level of several discharge positions and covers at most half of the discharge positions P6.

[0147] In practice, each pusher 282, 284 can be made of a pair of two pusher-elements, aligned along a direction parallel to the reference axis Z, as shown with top pusher-element 282T and bottom pusher element 282B of pusher 282 on figure 3. The other pusher 284 as the same structure with a pair of non-represented top and bottom pusher elements. Thus, a group of top pusher elements, 282T and equivalent, is located next to the upper conveyor portions 302A, 302B and 302C and another group of pusher elements, 282B and equivalent, is located next to the lower conveyor portions 304A, 304B and 304C.

[0148] Three sensors 352A, 352B and 352C are integrated within the heddles-transport device 12 and allow knowing the position of each endless belt 308 of the upper conveyor portions 302A, 302B and 302C relative to the frame 320, i.e. knowing, at any time, the position of each upper heddle-holding element 322 along the closed transport path 306. Similarly, three sensors 354A, 354B and 354C are integrated within the heddles-transport device 12 and allow knowing the position of each endless belt 308 of the lower conveyor portions 304A, 304B and 304C relative to the frame 320, i.e. knowing, at any time, the position of each lower heddle-holding element 322 along the closed transport path 306.

[0149] The sensors 352A, 352B, 352C, 354A, 354B and 354C are preferably encoders associated to the drives of the transport conveyors 300A, 300B and 300C.

[0150] The controller 16 is connected to the heddles-detection device 14 and receives the signal S14.

[0151] The controller 16 is also connected to the sensors 352A, 352B, 352C, 354A, 354B and 354C and receives from these sensors six control signals S352A, S352B, S352C, S354A, S354B and S354C.

[0152] The controller 16 is also connected to the drives 112, 114, 312A, 312B, 312C, 314A, 314B and 314C, so that it can pilot the movement of the endless belts 108 and 308 respectively along the closed sorting path 106 and along the closed transport path 306. The controller 16 also controls the drives of the heddles-transfer device 26 and of the heddles-discharging device 28.

[0153] The controller 16 includes a processor 16A configured to process information coming from the heddles-detection device 14 so that it can determine the heddle type, among left heddle and right heddle, from the parameter detected for each heddle by the heddles-detection device 14. The processor 16A can also determine a heddle sequence, that is a succession of heddle types among left heddle and right heddle, from a drawing-in draft. The processor 16Acan also process information from the encoders of the heddles-sorting device 10 and is configured to control the movements of the heddles-sorting conveyor 100 according to the heddle sequence, in such a way that it automatically feeds a correct heddle, namely a left heddle 60L or a right heddle 60R, at the sorting transfer position P2, ready to be transferred to the transport transfer position P3. The controller 16 also includes a memory 16B where a heddle sequence and the configuration of each pair of heddle-support elements 122 are stored.

[0154] A configuration of a pair of heddle-support elements 122 is representative of whether this pair is free, i.e. does not support a heddle 60, whether this pair supports a left heddle 60L or whether this pair supports a right heddle 60R.

[0155] The drawing-in draft defines the heddle sequence with which the heddles shall be brought to the threading position P5 and, from there, to the heddles-receiving module 20. Since duplex heddles 60 are used, the heddle sequence consists of a sequence of left heddles 60L and right heddles 60R, because each support rod 202_k shall be fed with a regular alternation of left and right heddles.

[0156] When a heddle 60 is separated from the heddle stack 6 by the heddles-separating device 8, the controller 16 controls the heddles-sorting device 10 in order to bring a free pair of heddle-support elements 122 into the feeding position P1. A free pair of heddle-support elements 122 is a pair which does not support a heddle. It may also be called an empty pair of heddle-support element. It is devoid of a heddle 60.

[0157] The actual configuration of the pair of heddle-support elements 122, i.e. the fact that it is free or not, is controlled by a non-represented inductive sensor, which senses the position of at least one of the pins 136 of this pair. The position of the pin 136 depends on whether its nail 138 abuts against the end loop 62 of a heddle 60 or against the body 126 of this heddle-support element. This position can be detected by the inductive sensor and the corresponding information also provided to the controller 16.

[0158] At the beginning of the drawing-in process, the default setting for the configuration of the pair of heddle-support elements 122 is equal to "free".

[0159] When a heddle 60 is separated from the stack 6, it is detected by the heddles-detection device 14, which sends to the controller 16 an information, for instance a partial picture of this heddle, included in the signal S14. The controller 16 processes this information in order to determine at least the left or right geometry of this heddle 60.

[0160] When the separated heddle is loaded on the pair of heddle-support elements 122 present at the feeding position P1, the information relating to the fact that this heddle is a left heddle 60L or a right heddle 60R is associated to the location of the pair of support elements 122 along the two belts 108. This information is stored in the memory 16B.

[0161] Therefore, at all time, the controller 16 knows which pairs of heddle-support elements 122 are free, which pairs heddle-support elements 122 support a left heddle 60L and which pairs heddle-support elements 122 support a right heddle 60R. Moreover, the controller 16 knows the position of each pair of heddle-support elements 122 along the sorting path 108.

[0162] During a drawing-in process, the heddles-sorting device 10 is loaded with heddles. In practice, heddles 60 are separated, one by one, from the stack 6 and placed, one by one, in the detection position P4. For each separated heddle 60, a signal S14 is sent to the processor 16A of the controller and the memory 16B is updated with the information contained in, or derived from, the signal S14 about the left or right geometry of this heddle in association with the pair SEi of heddle support-elements 122, with i an integer between 1 and 24, that will be loaded with this heddle : for this pair SEi of heddle support-elements 122, the free configuration is replaced by right heddle 60R or by left heddle 60L. When the heddle is loaded onto the pair SEi of heddle support-elements 122, release means 162 are activated for this pair SEi of heddle support-elements 122.

[0163] As an example, one considers a heddle sequence, starting at a 15^th heddle and where the heddles-transport device 12 must provide left and right heddles on different support rods 202₁, 202₂, 202₃ and 202₄ of the heddles-receiving module 20 as specified here below: ............ 15th heddle : right heddle 60R - support rod 2023 16th heddle : right heddle 60R - support rod 2021 17th heddle : right heddle 60R - support rod 2022 18th heddle : left heddle 60L - support rod 2021 19th heddle : left heddle 60L - support rod 2023 20th heddle : right heddle 60R - support rod 2024 21th heddle : right heddle 60R - support rod 2021 22th heddle : left heddle 60L - support rod 2022 23 ...

[0164] When the 15^th heddle is to be loaded on the heddles-transport device 12, the heddles-sorting device 10 is already loaded with a number of heddles, as shown in table 1 here below where "SE1" to "SE24" represent the twenty four pairs of heddle-support elements (SE) on the sorting conveyor 100, "60L" represents a left heddle, "60R" represents a right heddle and "FREE" means that no heddle is supported by the corresponding pair SEi of heddle-support elements 122, with i an integer between 1 and 24.

[0165] In this table 1, which corresponds to the information memorized in memory 16B, line P1 identifies a pair SEi of heddle-support elements in the feeding position P1 and line P2 identifies another pair of heddle-support elements 122 in the sorting transfer position P2. In this example, for these positions of the sorting belts 108 on the sorting path 106, these two pairs are respectively SE1 and SE13.

[0166] Starting from the configuration shown here above of the sorting device 10, the following sequence is implemented.

[0167] For the 16^th heddle, since a right heddle 60R is needed at the transfer position, SE10 which supports the closest right heddle 60R is brought into the sorting transfer position P2, which brings SE22, which is free, in the feeding position P1, ready for feeding the next heddle onto the sorting device 10. A left heddle 60L is loaded on SE22. The right heddle 60R of SE10 is transferred by the pusher 262 onto the heddle-holding element which is at the transport-transfer position P3. For this transfer, the release means 362 are activated. SE10 is now in free configuration. This is shown in the second and third columns of table 2 here below. The memory 16B is updated for SE10 and SE22.

[0168] This goes on for the next heddles, with the same approach.

[0169] For the 17^th heddle, since a right heddle 60R is needed, SE7 could be brought into the sorting transfer position P2 but this would bring SE19 into the feeding position P1, whereas SE19 already supports a right heddle 60R. Alternatively, the controller 16 could select SE17, which supports the second closest right heddle 60R and bring it into the sorting transfer position P2 but this would bring SE5 into the feeding position P1, whereas SE5 already carries a left heddle 60L. Then, the controller 16 selects a third option, where SE4, which supports the third closest right heddle 60R is brought into the sorting transfer position P2 whereas SE16, which is free, is brought into the feeding position P1. This is shown in the fourth and fifth columns of table 2 here below.

[0170] For the 18^th heddle, the same strategy is applied. A rotation bringing SE5 into the transfer position could not work since SE17 is already loaded with a right heddle 60R. Then, the controller 16 selects another approach where SE1 is brought into the sorting transfer position P2 and SE13, which is free, is brought into the feeding position P1. This is shown in the sixth and seventh columns of table 2 here below.

[0171] This is summarized in the table 2 here below, which also covers the 19th heddle, in its eighth and ninth columns.

[0172] This goes on for the next heddles, with the same approach.

[0173] With this process, the heddle-transport device 12 has been successively loaded and has fed the receiving module 20 with the predetermined heddle sequence.

[0174] Refering to the example given above, the 15^th right heddle 60R has been transported by a pair of heddle-holding elements 322 onto the threading position P5, drawn-in with a warp yarn when at the threading position P5, and then transported onto the discharge position P6 corresponding to the support rod 202₃ in which the pusher 282 has pushed the 15^th right heddle onto the support rod 202₃. The 16^th right heddle 60R has been has been transported by another pair of heddle-holding elements 322, which was adjacent to the pair which has transported the 15^th heddle, onto the threading position P5, drawn-in with a warp yarn when at the threading position P5, and then transported onto the discharge position P6 corresponding to the support rod 202, in which the pusher 282 has pushed the 16^th right heddle onto the support rod 202₁

[0175] This shows that the controller 16 can apply a strategy in order to selectively bring one pair SEi of heddle-support element 122 at the sorting transfer position P2, while making sure that the opposite pair of heddle-support elements, SEi+12 or SEi-12, is free, so that it can be brought to the feeding position P1 to be loaded with a heddle 60.

[0176] As a summary, the heddle sequence states the type of the next heddle needed at the sorting transfer position P2 and the controller 16 synchronically drives the sorting belts 108 in order to move into the sorting transfer position P2 the heddle with the correct heddle type, i.e. a left or right heddle, which is the closest from the transfer position along the closed sorting path 106, regardless of the direction A1 of movement along the sorting path 106, at the condition that this movement of the sorting conveyor 100 also brings a free pair of heddle-support elements 122 at the feeding position P1. If not, the controller 16 controls the heddles-sorting device 10 to move the second closest heddle of the right type into the sorting transfer position P2, at the condition that this also brings a free pair of heddle-support elements 122 at the feeding position P1. This can be iterated until a correct configuration of the sorting conveyor 100 is reached. In other words, if, from the configuration of the heddles 60 on the heddle-support elements 122 of the heddle sorting device 10, at least two different movements of the sorting conveyor 100 are possible to place a free heddle-support element 122 in the feeding position P1, and, at the same time, a heddle-support element 122, supporting a heddle whose detected parameter corresponds to the predetermined heddle type depending on the heddle sequence in the sorting transfer position P2, then the controller 16 controls movement of the sorting conveyor 100 to place, at the sorting transfer position P2, the heddle-support element 122 holding a heddle whose detected parameter corresponds to the type of heddle needed by the heddle sequence and being the closest to the sorting transfer position P2.If two movements of same amplitude are possible, i.e. if two equal displacements of two heddles 60L or 60R of the selected type are possible, a main direction of displacement can be selected by the controller 16.

[0177] If the movement of any correct heddle present on the sorting device 10 into the sorting transfer position P2 doesn't bring a free pair of heddle-support elements 122 at the feeding position P1, the controller 16 synchronically drives the sorting belts 108 in order to move the correct heddle which is the closest from the transfer position along the closed sorting path 106 and during transfer of this heddle onto the transport device 12, no heddle is loaded onto the sorting device at the feeding position P1.

[0178] This optimization of the movements of the pairs SEi of heddle-support elements 122 is possible because the controller 16 knows from its memory 16B and in real time for each pair SEi of heddle-support elements 122 where this pair SEi is along the path, if it is free, if it supports a left heddle 60L or if it supports a right heddle 60R and because movements of the sorting conveyor 100 in both directions is possible, as shown by arrow A1.

[0179] As a summary, the method explained here above includes at least the following steps consisting in:

a) moving the heddle-support elements 122 of the sorting device 10 along the sorting path 106 up to placing a free heddle-support element at a feeding position P1;

b) separating a heddle 60 from the at least one stack 6;

c) detecting a parameter representative of the geometry of the heddle, the parameter differing depending on whether the heddle is a left heddle or a right heddle;

d) feeding the free heddle-support element 122 located at the feeding position P1 with the heddle, at the feeding position P1;

e) moving the heddle-support elements 122 of the heddles-sorting device along the sorting path 106 in order to place, in the sorting transfer position P2, a heddle-support element holding a heddle whose detected parameter corresponds to a predetermined value, the predetermined value depending on the heddle sequence; and

f) moving the heddle out of the heddle-support element 122 located at the sorting transfer position P2 onto a heddle-holding element 322 of the heddles-transport device 12 located at a transport transfer position P3.

[0180] The order of the steps a) to f) is not imperative. For instance, step b) and/or c) can occur before step a). For instance, step c) can occur before or after step b). Preferably the end of step a) occurs at the same moment as the end of step e).In other words, steps a) and e) end at the same moment.

[0181] In the present description, HEAi, designate pairs of heddle-holding elements (HE) of the first conveyor 300A, HEBi, designate pairs of heddle-holding elements of the second conveyor 300B and HECi designate pairs of heddle-holding elements of the third conveyor 300A, with i an integer between 1 and 3. A pair HEAi includes the upper heddle-holding element 322Ai, a pair HEBi includes the upper heddle-holding element 322Bi and a pair HECi includes the upper heddle-holding element 322Ci, with i an integer between 1 and 3.

[0182] When a pair HEAi of heddle-holding elements 322 has been loaded with a heddle 60 in the transport transfer position P3, then it can be moved by the two belts of the first conveyor 300A into a waiting position located in the first waiting zone, as shown on figure 1 for the pair HEA1 including the upper heddle-holding element 322A1.

[0183] This waiting position is determined in view of the discharge position P6 chosen for another pair of holding elements moved by the same conveyor 300A, namely the pair HEA2 including the upper heddle-holding element 322A2, which is in the first discharge position P6, aligned with the first support rod 202₁.

[0184] On the other hand, from the first waiting zone, all pairs HEAi, HEBi and HECi of heddle-holding elements 322 are successively moved to the threading position P5. As mentioned here-above, when one such pair is in this position, another pair moved by the same conveyor is in the transport transfer position P3, ready to be loaded with a heddle 60.

[0185] After a heddle 60 carried by one pair of heddle-holding elements 322 has be threaded at the threading position P5, it is moved in one of the discharge positions P6, depending on the drawing-in draft.

[0186] Then, one of the two pushers 282 and 284 is used to push the heddle out of the pair of heddle-holding elements 322 onto one of the support rods 202 aligned with the discharge position P6 where this pair of heddle-holding elements has been stopped.

[0187] Once it has been discharged from its heddle 60, each pair HEAi, HEBi or HECi of heddle-holding elements 322 moves into the second waiting zone. From the second waiting zone, it is brought back into the transport transfer position P3, when a new heddle 60 must be transferred on this pair of heddle-holding elements.

[0188] The respective movements and stops of the pairs HEAi, HEBi or HECi of heddle-holding elements 322 along the closed transport path 306 is controlled by the controller 16 which commands the drives 312A, 312B, 312C, 314A, 314B, 314C. For each transport conveyor 300A, 300B or 300C, these movements between two stops along the closed transport path 306 can vary in amplitude, acceleration and speed.

[0189] Advantageously, these drives are actuated at the same time, so that all endless belts 308 are moved at the same time. Thus, the transport conveyors 300A, 300B and 300C move and stop at the same time, which reduces the risks of collision between the different pairs of heddle-holding elements.

[0190] The amplitude and speed of the movements of each pair of endless belts 308 of a same transport conveyor 300A, 300B or 300C depend on the position of each belt along the closed transport path 306. For instance, a longer movement is needed if a heddle 60 needs to be brought in front of the last discharge position P6 than if it needs to be brought in front of the first discharge position. At any time, the movements of the transport conveyors 300A, 300B and 300C may have different speeds and accelerations.

[0191] Advantageously, to reduce the amplitude of the accelerations of each belt, after a heddle 60 carried by one pair of heddle-holding elements 322 has be threaded at the threading position P5, depending on the drawing-in draft and the discharge position of this heddle 60, it is moved in one of the discharge positions P6 of the first discharge subzone DZ1, where it is unloaded by the pusher 282, or at the tenth discharge position P6, where it waits for further movement before unloading. This pair of heddle-holding elements 322 is then respectively moved at the twentieth discharge position P6, where it waits for further movement, or in one of the discharge positions P6 of the second discharge subzone DZ2, where it is unloaded by the pusher 284. Thus, a pair of heddle-holding elements 322 can be at one of the discharge positions P6 without activation of the pusher 282 corresponding to this discharge positions P6.

[0192] Since a pair of heddle-holding elements 322 is present at the transport transfer position P3 when another pair of heddle-holding elements is present at the threading position P5, threading and transfer occur substantially at the same time for two pairs of heddle-holding elements carried by the same conveyor.

[0193] Because of the alternation of the pairs of heddle-holding elements along the closed transport path 306, even if the endless belts of the respective transport conveyors 300A, 300B and 300C can be separately driven, their movement must take into consideration the position of the other endless belts, more particularly of the pairs of heddle-holding elements 322 carried by these other belts.

[0194] In view of the distribution of the positions P3, P5 and P6 along the closed transport path 306, each pair of endless belts 308 of one conveyor can carry two heddles 60 at the same time, one of these heddles being loaded on the pair of heddle-holding elements located at the transport transfer position P3 or waiting in the first waiting zone, whereas the second heddle is carried by the pair of heddle-holding elements located at the threading position P5 or ready to discharge in one of the discharge positions P6.

[0195] According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the distance between the endless belts 108 of the upper sorting conveyor portion 102 and the lower sorting conveyor portion 104 along the reference axis Z is adjustable in order to adapt to different heddle lengths. With this respect, no part of the frame 120 of the heddles-sorting device 10 is located between these upper and lower sorting conveyor portions 102 and 104, so that nothing hinders a vertical relative movement between these portions. In particular, an upper frame of the heddles-sorting device 10, which is a part of the frame 120 supporting the upper sorting conveyor portion 102, and a lower frame of the sorting device 10, which is also a part of same the frame 120 supporting the lower sorting conveyor portion 104, are not connected by mechanical links within the volume located between the upper sorting conveyor portion 102 and the lower sorting conveyor portion 104.

[0196] According to another advantageous aspect of the invention, the distance between the endless belts 308 of the upper conveyor portion 302A, 302B and 302C, on the one hand, and the endless belts 308 of the lower conveyor portion 304A, 304B and 304C, along the reference axis Z is also adjustable in order to adapt to different heddle lengths. With this respect, no part of the frame 320 of the heddles-transport device 12 is located between these upper and lower portions 302A, 302B, 302C, 304A, 304B and 304C, so that nothing hinders a vertical relative movement between these portions. In particular, an upper frame of the heddles-transport device 12, which is a part of the frame 320 supporting the upper conveyor portions 302A, 302B and 302C, and a lower frame of the sorting device 10, which is also a part of the same frame 320 supporting the lower conveyor portions 304A, 304B and 304C, are not connected by mechanical links within the volume located between the upper conveyor portion 302A, 302B and 302C and the lower conveyor portion 304A, 304B and 304C.

[0197] In the second embodiment of the invention represented on figures 11 to 14, elements of the transport device 12 and of the drawing-in machine 2 of the invention similar to the ones of the first embodiment bear the same references. If a reference is mentioned in this description with respect to the second embodiment without being shown on figures 11 to 14 or if a reference is shown on these figures without being mentioned in the description for the second embodiment, it corresponds to the element with the same reference for the first embodiment.

[0198] Hereafter, one lists mainly the differences between the first and second embodiments.

[0199] In the second embodiment, the heddles-receiving module 20 includes six support rods 202₁ to 202₆ arranged parallel to each other and to the reference axis X. A discharge zone DZ is defined along axis X, along the closed transport path 306, between the first discharge position P6 aligned with the first support rod 202, and the last discharge position P6 aligned with the sixth support rod 202₆. LDZ denotes the length of the discharge zone DZ, which is its dimension along the closed path 306.

[0200] In the second embodiment, the drawing-in machine 2 handles dropwires 60 and includes no sorting device comparable to the sorting device 10 of the first embodiment to feed a dropwire to the transport device 12 dedicated to exclusively transport dropwires.

[0201] Instead, the separating device 8 directly brings a separated dropwire 60 into the transport transfer position P3 defined by the transport device 12. In other words, the harness component-separating device 8 is also used to bring a separated dropwire to a holding element 322 in the transport transfer position P3 defined by the transport device 12.

[0202] Moreover, the transport device 12 includes two transport conveyors, instead of three, namely an upper conveyor 300A and a lower conveyor 300B. Each transport conveyor includes a single belt 308. The belt 308 of the first transport conveyor 300A and the belt 308 of the second transport conveyor 300B are adjacent to one another along the reference axis Z. The endless belt 308 of the upper conveyor 300A is configured to transport some individual dropwires 60 and the endless belt 308 of the lower conveyor 300B is configured to transport some other individual dropwires. Thus, the dropwires transported by the two endless belts 308 are different. This does not prevent the dropwires to be identical, but means that they are subdivided in two different groups, respectively transported by the upper conveyor 300A and by the lower conveyor 300B.

[0203] In this drawing-in machine, dropwires 60 are provided in the form of a stack 6 in a dropwire-feeding device 4. The dropwire-feeding device 4 includes a support rail 42, which forms a magazine for the stack 6.

[0204] Each endless belt 308 follows the same closed transport path 306, which is polygonal, in particular rectangular with rounded corners, as shown on figures 11 and 12.

[0205] Each endless belt 308 is equipped with three dropwire-holding elements 322. More precisely, three dropwire-holding elements 322A1, 322A2 and 322A3 are secured to the endless belt 308 of the upper conveyor 300A and three other dropwire-holding elements 322B1, 322B2 and 322B3 are secured to the endless belt 308 of the lower conveyor 300B. The dropwire-holding elements 322 are arranged alternately along the closed transport path 306, with the same distribution along the whole closed transport path 306. Along the transport path 306, the distribution of dropwire-holding elements 322 is as follows: 322A1, 322B1, 322A3, 322B3, 322A2, 322B2. In other terms, each dropwire-holding element 322 of a first transport conveyor 308 is adjacent to two dropwire-holding elements 322 of a second transport conveyor 308 along the closed transport path 306.

[0206] The holding element 322A2 is located in the transport transfer position and mostly hidden by other parts of the drawing-in machine 2.
d322 denotes a distance, along the closed transport path 306, between two adjacent harness-holding elements 322 secured to a given endless belt 308. This distance d322 is greater than the length LDZ of the discharge zone DZ along the closed transport path 306.

[0207] A single dropwire 60 mounted on a dropwire-holding element 322 hangs down from this element.

[0208] In order to guide the dropwires 60 during their movement along the closed transport path 306, the frame 320 is provided with guiding rails 320A which are placed between the two adjacent belts 308 and which protrude from the external surface of the belts 308 when the belts are arranged on the frame 320. A guiding part 328, which is a recess, is provided on the internal face of each dropwire-holding element 322 and is configured to cooperate with a guiding rail 320A when the harness component-holding element 322 is moved along the closed transport path 306.

[0209] In order to limit vibrations and deformations of the dropwires 60 during their movement along the closed transport path 306, guiding walls 370 are provided below the transport conveyors 300A and 300B and defines in-between a guiding slot for the lower ends 66 of the dropwires 60. The guiding walls 370 extend along the portion of the closed transport path 306 defined between the transport transfer position P3 and the threading position P5, in which the thread-insertion device 18 inserts a warp yarn through an eyelet 64 of the dropwire 60 held by a dropwire-holding element 322 at the threading position P5. Usually the thread-insertion device 18 inserts a warp yarn through a dropwire and a heddle in the same movement along the threading path. In particular, these guiding walls 370 cover the two rounded corners of this path 306 located between the two positions P3 and P5 and the straight portion between these two corners. This corresponds to the portions of the closed transport path 306 where the dropwire-holding elements 322 are normally loaded with dropwires, thus to the portions of the closed transport path 306 where dropwires need to be stabilized.

[0210] As in the first embodiment, each dropwire-holding element 322 includes a body 326, a pin 336, a nail 338 and a spring 340, which urges the pin 326 upwardly with respect to the body 326. In addition, a second nail 339 is fixed with respect to the body 326 of each dropwire-holding element 322. Here the nails 338 and 339 are preferably horizontal.

[0211] The two nails 338 and 339 are configured to be engaged within the same loop 62 of a dropwire 60 mounted on the dropwire-holding element 322.

[0212] First release means 362, supported by a frame 320 of the transport device 12, are movable between the configuration represented in solid lines and the configuration represented in dotted lines on figures 12 and 14. When they are activated, that is when they come to the position represented in dotted lines, the first release means 362 move the pin 336 of a dropwire-holding element 322 present in transport transfer position P3 against the elastic action of the spring 340, in a downwardly oriented direction, which brings the two nails 338 and 339 closer, to help loading the dropwire 60 onto the dropwire-holding element 322.

[0213] A discharging device 28, similar to the discharging device 28 of the first embodiment, is used in the second embodiment to transfer the dropwire from the dropwire-holding element 322 at a corresponding discharge positions P6 onto one of the support rods 202. The discharging device 28 is mobile, along a direction parallel to the reference axis Y, between the two configurations respectively represented in solid lines and dotted lines on figure 11. For the sake of clarity, the discharging device 28 is schematically represented, on figure 11 only.

[0214] Second release means 362 are located next to the discharge positions P6 and include several fingers 364 configured to push downwardly the pin 336 of any dropwire-holding element 322 present in one of the discharge positions P6 to help unloading the dropwire 60 from the dropwire-holding element 322. Discharging device 28 here comprises a single pusher which is movable relative to the frame 320 parallel to the reference axis Y between a retracted position represented in solid lines on figure 11 and an extended position represented in dotted line in the lower portion of figure 11. In this second embodiment, the single pusher of the discharging device 28 constantly extends at the level of, and covers, all discharge positions P6 along the closed transport path 306, i.e. all of the six discharge positions P6.

[0215] For each endless belt 308, the closed transport path 306 is defined by four toothed wheels 318 in meshing engagement with teeth 309 provided in the inner surface of each endless belt 308.

[0216] As visible on figure 13, the two wheels mounted in one corner of the closed transport path 306 rotate around the same axis Z318 which is parallel to the reference axis Z and defined by the frame 320 of the transport device 12. One wheel of the two wheels cooperates with transport conveyor 300A, the other wheel of the two wheels cooperates with transport conveyor 300B.

[0217] The body 326 of a dropwire-holding element 322 includes two recesses 326A and each belt 308 is provided, on its external surface, with three protrusions 310, regularly distributed around the periphery of the belt. Each protrusion is equipped with a threaded hole 310B and a screw 324 is used to secure each dropwire-holding element 322 to one of the protrusions 310 of one of the two endless belts 308.

[0218] Each endless belt 308 is controlled by the controller 16 to move in both directions along the closed transport path 306, as shown by arrow A2 on figure 11.

[0219] Along this path 306, in addition to the transport transfer position P3, to the threading position P5 and to the discharge position P6, an ejection position P7 is located between the two positions P3 and P5. A non-represented ejection pusher, that can be similar to pusher 262 of the sorting device of the first embodiment, is located next to the ejection position P7 and used to push out an improper dropwire when it is detected, in particular by a non-represented dropwire-detection device, which can be similar to the heddles-detection device 14 of the first embodiment, or different.

[0220] Release means 362 are provided at ejection position P7 and can be the same as the one driving the first release means 362 at the transport transfer position P3. When a dropwire-holding element 322 is brought at the ejection position P7 and ejected, the release means 362 shall not eject the dropwire mounted on a dropwire-holding element 322 present at the transport transfer position P3. This is why sufficient space is provided on the closed transport path 306 between the transport transfer position P3 and the ejection position P7. Advantageously, there is enough space for at least one dropwire-holding element 322 in this part of the closed transport path 306.

[0221] A guiding rail 320A is provided on the frame 320 between the two adjacent belts 308 and cooperates with a recess of the body 326 of the dropwire-holding element 322 for guiding the dropwire-holding element 322 along a portion of the the transport part 306.

[0222] With the dropwire transport device 12 of the second embodiment, a separated dropwire 60 is successively loaded onto a dropwire-holding element 322 at the transport transfer position P3, transported by the corresponding belt 308 into the threading position P5, where it is drawn-in with a warp yarn by the thread-insertion device 18, and then transported to one of the several discharge positions P6 corresponding to the support rod 202i, according to the drawing-in draft, where the dropwire 60 is loaded onto the support rod 202i.

[0223] This goes on for the next dropwires, with the same process.

[0224] According to an aspect of the invention applicable to the first and second embodiments, since the movement of each endless belt 308 is driven, by a dedicated servomotor, separately from the other transport conveyors, the movement of one endless belt 308 of a transport conveyor can start and stop separately from the movement of the endless belts of the other transport conveyors. In any case, the movements of each endless belt 308 along the closed transport path 306 are limited by the position of the holding elements 322 secured to the other endless belts of the other transport conveyors as the holding elements 322 cannot pass the other holding elements 322 along the transport path.

[0225] In a variant of the first embodiment, several magazines can be used in the heddle feeding device 4 and the heddle transport device 12 is directly fed by the magazines, without sorting device. In a variant of the second embodiment, several magazines can be used in the dropwire feeding device 4. In such cases, several feeding positions are provided on the closed transport path 306 and several separating devices are used. This brings the advantage that feeding of the transport device 12 is not interrupted when the operator supplies a new stack 6 of harness components 60 to one magazine. The two stacks may provide different types of harness components, for instance one stack for left heddles and one stack for right heddles or one stack for dropwires for thin yarns and one stack for dropwires for coarse yarns. This configuration can also be used to simultaneously feed two harness components to two different transport transfer positions or to feed one harness component at a time, at one of the two transport transfer positions.

[0226] In another non-represented variant of the invention, the closed transport path 306 includes several threading positions P5, each harness component being threaded once, at one only of these several threading positions P5.

[0227] In another non-represented variant of the invention, the heddles-discharging device 28 is not designed as pusher but as a rotative comb which drags at least one harness component from the transport device onto the receiving module.

[0228] Irrespective of the embodiment or variant of the invention, the harness components transported by the transport device 12 are either exclusively heddles or exclusively dropwires.

[0229] As a summary, a method can be implemented with the transport conveyor 12 of the two embodiments of the invention, where:

• each transport conveyor 300A, 300B and possibly 300C is driven separately to transport a harness component 60 from the transport transfer position P3 to a discharge position P6, via the threading position P5; and
• when one holding element 322 moves a harness component 60 between the threading position P5 and a discharge position P6, another holding element of the same transport conveyor holds another harness component 60.

[0230] In all embodiments, the number of support rods 202 or pairs of support rods 202 equipping the receiving module 20 depends on the configuration of the heddles-receiving module 20 and of the pattern for the fabric to be woven on the loom. For instance, the heddles-receiving module 20 can be equipped with less than twenty pairs of support rods 202, for instance sixteen or twelve twenty pairs of support rods 202.

[0231] In all embodiments of the invention, the time period during which each holding element 322 stays at the threading position P5 can be adapted to the warp thread to be inserted into the harness component held by the holding element. For instance, the insertion can take longer for a coarse warp yarn than for a thin warp yarn. The succession of left and right heddles at the threading position P5 during a drawing-in process corresponds to the heddle sequence.

[0232] In all embodiments, the heddles are preferably transported at substantially the same height level along the reference axis Z, when they are on the sorting device 10, and at substantially the same height level along the reference axis Z, when they are on the transport device 12. The dropwires are preferably transported at substantially the same height level along the reference axis Z, when they are on the transport device 12.

[0233] In all embodiments, some additional sensors, for example proximity switches or cameras, may be used to check the presence or absence of harness components on the harness component-holding elements or of heddles on the heddle-support elements.

[0234] Reducing the interspace between the holding elements 322 in the waiting zone between the transport transfer position P3 and the threading position P5 allows a quick movement of the holding elements between these positions, thus a longer time can be spent at the threading position P5, for this threading operation.

[0235] Alternatively, the waiting zones for the holding elements 322 can be provided just after the transport transfer position P3, and not just before, and after the threading position P5, and not before.

[0236] The transport device of the first embodiment, configured to transport exclusively heddles, can be combined with transport device of the second embodiment, configured to transport exclusively dropwires, in the same drawing-in machine.

[0237] The warp threads that are drawn-in through the heddles and/or through the dropwires can come from a warp beam or from a bobbin.

[0238] The above-mentioned embodiments and variants of the invention can be combined within the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.

[0239] Irrespective of the embodiment or variant of the invention, the invention brings at least the following advantages:

• The structure of the transport device 12 allows having a low number of harness component-holding element 322 in the discharge zone. This avoids the risk of yarn entanglement during a discharging operation. Moreover, the discharging means can be simplified.
• As the transport conveyors 300A, 300B and possibly 300C are separately driven, the variable discharging positions for a transport conveyor does not impact the transfer or the threading operations performed by another transport conveyor.
• The layout of several transport conveyors 300A, 300B and 300C, having each several harness component-holding elements 322, allows transporting several harness components 60 per transport conveyor. This increases the number of harness components transported per minute. Alternatively, this allows reducing the accelerations applied to the harness components 60, which improves their stability during transport and when they reach the threading position P5 or one of the discharge positions P6.
• The endless belts 308, bands or chains used in the conveyors of the invention are easy to implement for moving several holding elements 322 along the same closed transport path 306.
• The polygonal shape of the closed transport path 306 induces that straight portions of these paths can extend perpendicularly to one or several straight magazines of the harness components-feeding device 4 and/or several support rods 202 of the receiving module 20.
• The same pair HEAi, HEBi, HECi of harness component-holding elements 322 carry the same heddle 60 or the same dropwire 60 from the transport transfer position P3 to a discharge position P6, without the need of transferring this harness component between two conveyors. This improves the reliability of the transport device 12 of the invention and allows optimization of the movements of each holding element 322 between the transport transfer P3 and the threading position P5.
• Using three harness component-holding elements 322 per conveyor 300A, 300B and possibly 300C, provides a good compromise with regards to the three main positions P3, P5 and P6 of the closed transport path 306. This also allows limiting the amplitude of movement of each belt 308 between two stops.
• The regular distribution of the heddle or dropwire-holding elements 322 on the endless belts 308 provide regular movements of the heddles 60 or dropwires 60 along the closed transport path 306. The protrusion 310 helps accurately securing the heddle or dropwire-holding elements 322 on the endless belts 308 in relation to each other.

Claims

1. A transport device (12) for a drawing-in machine (2), said transport device being configured to move harness components (60) relative to a frame (320) of the transport device (12), between at least one transport transfer position (P3) and several discharge positions (P6), via at least one threading position (P5), where a thread is inserted into a transported harness component, the harness components being exclusively heddles or exclusively dropwires, the transport device including

∘ several transport conveyors (300A, 300B, 300C), each transport conveyor including at least one carrying member (308) and at least a drive (312A, 312B, 312C, 314A, 314B, 314C) for moving the carrying member relative to the frame (320) separately from any other transport conveyor;

∘ a controller (16) connected to the drives of the several transport conveyors;

each carrying member being configured to transport at least a harness component (60), which is different from the harness components transported by the other transport conveyors, from the at least one transport transfer position (P3), where a harness component can be loaded onto the carrying member, to one of the several discharge positions (P6), where a harness component can be transferred from the transport conveyor (300A, 300B, 300C) onto a receiving module (20) of the drawing-in machine, via the at least one threading position (P5), the transport device being characterized

- in that several harness component-holding elements (322) are secured to each carrying member (308);

- in that each harness component-holding element (322) is configured to hold a harness component (60) and to move along a closed transport path (306) common to all transport conveyors (300A, 300B, 300C) and going through each transport transfer position (P3), through each threading position (P5), and through each discharge position (P6); and

- in that the harness component-holding elements (322) of the several transport conveyors are adjacent to each other along the closed transport path (306).

2. The transport device of claim 1, wherein the same number of harness component-holding elements (322), preferably three harness component-holding elements, is secured to each carrying member (308) and wherein the harness component-holding elements of the several transport conveyors are arranged alternately along the closed transport path (306), with the same distribution along the whole closed transport path.

3. The transport device of one of the preceding claims, wherein the carrying members of the several transport conveyors (300A, 300B, 300C) are endless carrying members (308), preferably endless belts, and wherein at least two carrying members (308) of different transport conveyors are adjacent along a vertical reference axis (Z) and arranged on top of each other.

4. The transport device of claim 3, wherein

- each endless carrying member (308) cooperates with wheels (318) rotatably mounted on the frame (320) of the transport device (12), at each corner of the closed transport path;

- at least one of the wheels (318A, 318B, 318C) cooperating with one endless carrying member is a driving wheel, rotated by the respective drive (312A, 312B, 312C, 314A, 314B, 314C) of this carrying member;

- a set of wheels (318) is arranged at each corner of the closed transport path (306), an endless carrying member of each transport conveyor cooperating with one respective wheel of the set of wheels;

- the wheels (318) of a set of wheels are rotatably mounted on the frame (320) of the transport device (12) around a common rotation axis (Z318);

- when a set of wheels (318) includes one driving wheel (318A, 318B, 318C), each other wheel (318) of the same set of wheels is freely rotatable.

5. The transport device of one of the preceding claims, wherein the harness component-holding elements (322) of the transport device (12) are all identical and each harness component-holding element (322) comprises a body (326) with several bores (326B) vertically adjacent to one another, the number of bores (326B) corresponding to the number of transport conveyors (300A, 300B, 300C) of the transport device, a screw (324) being received in one of these bores (326B) to secure the harness component-holding element (322) with one of the carrying members.

6. The transport device of one of the preceding claims, wherein

- the frame (320) of the transport device (12) is equipped with at least one guiding member (320A, 320B) for guiding the harness component-holding elements (322) of several transport conveyors (300A, 300B, 300C) along at least a portion of the closed transport path (306); and

- each harness component-holding element (322) is provided with at least one guiding part (328, 330) configured to engage a guiding member when the harness component-holding element is moved along the closed transport path (306).

7. The transport device of one of the preceding claims, wherein the harness component-holding elements (322) secured to a carrying member (308) are regularly distributed along the closed transport path (306) and wherein a distance (d322) along the closed transport path (306) between two adjacent harness component-holding elements (322) secured to a carrying member (308) is greater than a length (LDZ) of a discharge zone (DZ) including the several discharge positions (P6).

8. The transport device of one of the preceding claims, wherein, on each carrying member (308), when one harness component-holding element (322) is at the at least one transport transfer position (P3), another harness component-holding element (322) is at the at least one threading position (P5).

9. The transport device of one of the preceding claims, wherein

- it further includes at least two pushers (282, 284) configured to push a harness component (60) out of at least one harness component-holding element (322) onto the receiving module (20) at the corresponding discharge position (P6);

- each pusher is movable on the frame (320) of the transport device so that it constantly extends at the level of several discharge positions (P6) along the closed transport path (306); and

- each pusher covers at most half of the several discharge positions (P6).

10. The transport device of one of the preceding claims, wherein the transport device includes three transport conveyors (300A, 300B, 300C).

11. The transport device of one of the preceding claims, wherein

- the harness components transported by the transport device are exclusively heddles (60);

- each transport conveyor (300A, 300B, 300C) includes a first carrying member (308) and a second carrying member (308), supported by the frame (320) of the transport device;

- for each transport conveyor, a first heddle-holding element (322) is secured to the first carrying member (308) and a second heddle-holding element (322) is secured to the second carrying member (308), the first and second heddle-holding elements forming together a pair (HEAi, HEBi, HECi) of heddle-holding elements configured to hold together a single heddle (60) ;

- each transport conveyor comprises several pairs of heddle-holding elements ;

- each transport conveyor (300A, 300B, 300C) includes a first drive (312A, 312B, 312C) for moving the first carrying member and a second drive (314A, 314B, 314C) for moving the second carrying member; and

- the first and second drives (312A, 314A, 312B, 314B, 312C, 314C) are synchronized by the controller (16).

12. A drawing-in machine (2) for drawing-in warp threads in harness components (60) for a loom, wherein said drawing-in machine comprises

- a transport device (12) according to any preceding claim;

- a harness components-feeding device (4) where the harness components are provided in the form of at least one stack (6);

- a harness component-separating device (8) configured to separate one harness component from the at least one stack;

- transfer means (10; 8) configured to bring a separated harness component (60) to at least one harness component-holding element (322) located in the transport transfer position (P3) ;

- a thread insertion device (18) for inserting a thread through a harness component (60) held by at least one harness component-holding element (322) located in the threading position (P5);

- a receiving module (20) comprising several support rods (202), each support rod facing one of the several discharge positions (P6); and

- a discharging device (28) configured to transfer a harness component from the transport conveyor of the transport device (12) to the receiving module (20) of the drawing-in machine, at the discharge position (P6).

13. A method for transporting harness components (60) in a drawing-in machine (2), the harness components being exclusively heddles or exclusively dropwires, wherein

- the method uses a transport device (12) with several transport conveyors (300A, 300B, 300C), each transport conveyor comprising at least one carrying member (308) to which several harness component-holding elements (322) are secured, each harness component-holding element being configured to hold a harness component (60);

- the harness component-holding elements (322) of the several transport conveyors (300A, 300B, 300C) are movable along a closed transport path (306), common to all transport conveyors;

- the closed transport path goes through

∘ at least one transport transfer position (P3), where a harness component (60) is loaded on a harness component-holding element (322);

∘ at least one threading position (P5), where a thread is inserted into a harness component held by a respective harness component-holding element (322); and

∘ each of several discharge positions (P6), where the harness component held by a respective harness component-holding element (322) is transferred from the respective harness component-holding element (322) onto at least one corresponding support rod (202) of a receiving module (20) of the drawing-in machine;

- the at least one carrying member of each transport conveyor (300A, 300B, 300C) is driven separately from the other transport conveyors to transport at least a harness component (60) from the transport transfer position (P3) to a discharge position (P6), via the threading position (P5).

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, when one harness component-holding element (322) moves a harness component (60) from the threading position (P5) to a discharge position (P6), another harness component-holding element (322) of the same transport conveyor (300A, 300B, 300C) holds another harness component (60).

15. The method of one of claims 13 and 14, wherein, at the same time,

- a first harness component-holding element (322B2; 322A1) of a first transport conveyor (300B; 300A) is at the threading position (P5);

- a second harness component-holding element (322B1; 322A2) of the first transport conveyor is at the transport transfer position (P3); and

- one harness component-holding element (322A2, 322C3; 322B1) of a second transport conveyor (300A, 300C; 300B) is in a discharge zone (DZ) extending along the closed transport path (306) from the first to the last of the several discharge positions (P6).

Drawing