DEVICE AND METHOD FOR HANDLING WEAVING HARNESS ELEMENTS

Abstract

A device and a method for handling weaving accessories are described herein. The device comprises at least one holding element for a weaving accessory. The at least one holding element comprises a contact surface for a weaving accessory. The greater extension of the contact surface defines the longitudinal direction of the holding element and the lesser extension of the contact surface defines the lateral direction of the holding element. The at least one holding element is arranged pivotably around a first axis, which extends at a right angle to the holding element's longitudinal direction. A weaving accessory at the holding element's contact surface can thus be moved from a pick-up position to a drawing-in position by pivoting the holding element around the first axis.

Claims

1. A device (1) for handling weaving accessories, the device comprising: at least one holding element (2) for a weaving accessory, said at least one holding element (2) comprising a contact surface (3) for a weaving accessory and a greater extension of the contact surface (3) defining a longitudinal direction (L) and a lesser extension of the contact surface (3) defining a lateral direction (B) of the at least one holding element (2); wherein the at least one holding element (2) is disposed pivotably around a first axis (4), which extends orthogonally to the longitudinal direction (L) of the at least one holding element (2), to move a weaving accessory engaged with the contact surface (3) of the at least one holding element (2) from a pick-up position (5) to a drawing-in position (6) by pivoting the at least one holding element (2) around the first axis (4).

2. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one holding element (2) is disposed pivotably around the first axis (4) in such a manner that it is movable from the drawing-in position (6) to a hand-over position (7) and back again to the pick-up position (5).

3. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first axis (4) is spaced apart from the contact surface (3) of the at least one holding element (2) in the longitudinal direction of the at least one holding element (2).

4. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one holding element (2) defines a second axis (8) which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis (L) and is disposed centrally with respect to the lateral direction (B) of the contact surface (3) and above the contact surface (3) and the at least one holding element (2) is pivotable around the second axis (8) for positioning the weaving accessory for drawing-in, pick-up and hand-over.

5. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one holding element (2) comprises a first spring element (9) and a second spring element (10) configured to hold the weaving accessory therebetween in a recess of the weaving accessory and in the longitudinal direction (L) of the at least one holding element (2) under tensile stress.

6. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the contact surface (3) of the at least one holding element (2) comprises an opening (11) configured to allow at least one of: the contact surface (3) of the at least one holding element (2) to be applied to an outermost weaving accessory of a stack (12) of weaving accessories for picking up the outermost weaving accessory from the stack (12) using the pivoting movement; and the holding element (2) with an attached weaving accessory to pivot above a hand-over rail (13) for the weaving accessory.

7. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the at least one holding elements (2) are pivotably disposed about the first axis (4) and staggered in a direction thereof, and one stack (12) of a plurality of stacks (12) of weaving accessories and one hand-over rail (13) of a plurality of hand-over rails (13) corresponds to each of the plurality of holding elements (2).

8. A method for handling weaving accessories, in which at least one holding element (2) for a weaving accessory is applied, said at least one holding element (2) comprising a contact surface (3) for the weaving accessory and a greater extension of the contact surface (3) defining a longitudinal direction (L) and a lesser extension of the contact surface (3) defining a lateral direction (B) of the at least one holding element (2), the method comprising: pivoting the at least one holding element (2) around a first axis (4), which extends orthogonally to the longitudinal direction (L) of the at least one holding element (2), and moving a weaving accessory held by the at least one holding element (2) from a pick-up position (5) to a drawing-in position (6) by the pivoting of the at least one holding element (2) around the first axis (4).

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising pivoting the at least one holding element (2) further around the first axis (4) so that it is moved from the drawing-in position (6) to a hand-over position (7) and, after the weaving accessory has been handed over, moving the at least one holding element (2) back to the pick-up position (5).

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising pivoting the at least one holding element (2) around a second axis (8) simultaneously with the pivoting movement around the first axis (4) from the pick-up position (5) to the drawing-in position (6) and/or from the drawing-in position (6) to a hand-over position (7) for positioning the weaving accessory for drawing-in.

Description

[0018] In order to orientate the weaving accessory for the drawing-in, the first holding element may perform a rotational movement around the second axis simultaneously with the pivoting movement around the first axis from the pick-up position to the drawing-in position and/or from the drawing-in position to the hand-over position.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a symbolic oblique view of the essential components of the device according to the invention.

[0020] FIG. 2 shows the device of FIG. 1 as seen in the direction of the first axis.

[0021] FIG. 3 shows a symbolic top view of the contact surface of a holding element according to FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0022] FIG. 4 shows a symbolic top view of the wide side of an exemplary drop wire.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a symbolic oblique view of the essential components of the device according to the invention. A holding element 2 is shown in three possible positions of its motion sequence. The holding element 2 is shown with an exemplary drop wire 14 for a warp stop motion. In the left-hand part of FIG. 1 the holding element 2 is shown in its pick-up position 5. The holding element is disposed under a stack 12 of drop wires 14, lying against an outermost drop wire. Compared to the other drop wires 14 of the stack 12, the outermost, in FIG. 1 the bottom, drop wire 15 has been displaced towards the first axis 4, in the opposite direction to the arrow indicating the longitudinal direction L of the holding element 2, and is consequently held to the holding element 2.

[0024] In the middle part of FIG. 1 the holding element 2 is shown in the drawing-in position 6. In this position, the lateral direction B of the holding element 2 is indicated with an arrow. It is evident from the symbolic, three-dimensional view shown in FIG. 1 that the holding element 2 with the drop wire 14 has been pivoted not only around the first axis 4 but also around the second axis 8. The first axis 4 and the second axis 8 are shown as broken lines.

[0025] In the right-hand part of FIG. 1 the same holding element 2 is shown in a third position, in the hand-over position 7. It is again evident that compared to the drawing-in position 6, the holding element has been pivoted again around the first axis 4 and the second axis 8. The hand-over rail 13 reaches through openings in the drop wire 14 and the contact surface 3 of the holding element. When the drop wire 14 in the hand-over position 7 is released by a non-portrayed device element, the drop wire is able to slide off on the incline of the hand-over rail 13. Thereafter, the holding element 2 can be swung back to the pick-up position 5 to pick up the next drop wire. The pivoting movement from the hand-over position 7 back to the pick-up position 5 may be effected on the same path as the swinging movement from the pick-up position 5 to the hand-over position 7.

[0026] FIG. 2, exactly like FIG. 1, shows the same single holding element 2 in the same three positions 5, 6 and 7 of its motion sequence. A portrayal has been selected in which the first axis 4 is aligned in the plane of the drawing, as shown by the symbol with a dot in a circle. This view is intended to complement FIG. 1 and to make the three-dimensional arrangement of the exemplary device 1 clearer. In this top view, only a narrow side of the drop wire 14 and of the outermost drop wire 15 are recognizable when the holding element 2 is in the pick-up position 5 and the hand-over position 7 respectively. By contrast, with the drop wire in the drawing-in position 6, the wide side of the drop wire 14 is visible. A thread can thus be drawn, in known manner, through the thread eye 16 of the drop wire in the direction of the first axis.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a symbolic top view of the contact surface 3 of a holding element 2 according to FIGS. 1 and 2. The contact surface 3 has an opening 11, which can be swung into position above a hand-over rail 13. It is also possible, however, to swing the opening 11 into position above elements of a stack 12 that hold the drop wires 14 in an opening of the drop wire 14. A drop wire 14 can initially be positioned above the contact surface 3 of the holding element 2 when the latter is swung into position. By means of displacement in the longitudinal direction L, a drop wire 4 can be pushed under the first spring element 9 and simultaneously, with a second internal edge 19 of a recess 17, push the second spring element 10 upwards, thereby pretensioning it. The first spring element 9 is disposed movably, in an elevational direction H at right angles to the longitudinal direction L and to the lateral direction B, at the holding element 2. The spring force of the first spring element 9 acts in the elevational direction H. The first spring element 9 is disposed at the holding element 2 in such a manner that it can be pushed by a drop wire 14, which is resting on the contact surface 3 and is pushed in the longitudinal direction L against the first spring element 9, against the spring force in the elevational direction H, so that the drop wire 14 can be pushed through between the contact surface 3 and the first spring element 9. If the first spring element 9 engages in a recess 17 of the drop wire 14, the first spring element 9 will then reliably safeguard the drop wire 14 from being pulled back. The first spring element 9 will then move in the elevational direction H on account of the spring force and can thereby create a form fit with a first inner edge 18 of the recess 17 in the drop wire 14. The second spring element 10 is disposed at the holding element 2 in such a manner that it only penetrates through the contact surface 3 in a central portion thereof in the lateral direction B. A drop wire 14, whose recess 17 is above the second spring element 10, will be pushed with the inner edge 19 of the recess 17 against the second spring element 10 and can then displace the second spring element 10, in longitudinal direction L, towards the first spring element 9. The drop wire 14 is thus held under tension in the longitudinal direction L, between the first spring element 9 and the second spring element 10, to the holding element 2.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows a symbolic top view of the wide side of an exemplary drop wire 14. The drop wire 14 has a recess 17, which is limited in the longitudinal direction L of the drop wire 14 by a first inner edge 18 and a second inner edge 19. The first inner edge 18 is located near to an end of the drop wire 14 in its longitudinal direction L. The drop wire 14 has a thread eye 16 through which a thread is drawn during the drawing-in process.

TABLE-US-00001 List of reference numerals 1. Device 2. Holding element 3. Contact surface of the holding element (2) 4. First axis 5. Pick-up position 6. Drawing-in position 7. Hand-over position 8. Second axis 9. First spring element 10. Second spring element 11. Opening in the holding element (2) 12. Stack 13. Hand-over rail 14. Drop wire 15. Outermost drop wire of the stack (12) 16. Thread eye of the drop wire 14 17. Recess in the drop wire (14) 18. First inner edge of the recess 17 in the drop wire 14 19. Second inner edge of the recess 17 in the drop wire 14 L Longitudinal direction of the holding element (2) B Lteral direction of the holding element (2) H Elevational direction of the holding element (2)