DEVICE AND METHOD FOR HANDLING HARNESS ELEMENTS

Abstract

A device and a method for handling weaving accessories is described herein. A first holding element is provided for being moved cyclically between a supply device and a receiving device. The first holding element is disposed at a carrier means. A push-off element for pushing a weaving accessory off the holding element and onto a component of the receiving device is also disposed at the carrier means. The first holding element is preferably provided for performing its cyclic movement in a plane with an axis running at right angles thereto.

Claims

1. A device (1) for handling weaving accessories, the device comprising: a first holding element (2), wherein the first holding element (2) is configured to be moved cyclically between a supply device (4) and a receiving device (5) and wherein the first holding element (2) is operably connected to a carrier means (6, 7), wherein the carrier means (6, 7) is configured to initiate the movement of the first holding element (2) by being operatively connected to an actuator; and a push-off element (8, 9) operably connected to the carrier means (6, 7) for pushing a weaving accessory off the first holding element (2) and onto a component (51, 52, 53, 54) of the receiving device (5).

2. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first holding element (2) follows a circular path about a vertical axis (14).

3. The device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the push-off element (8, 9) is movable relative to the carrier means (6, 7) via a mechanical actuator operably connected to the carrier means (6, 7).

4. The device (1) according to claim 3, wherein the push-off element (8, 9) comprises a pretensioning element (15), wherein the pretensioning element (15) is configured to allow the push-off element (8, 9) to be moved by a stationary device element (10) into a retracted position relative to the carrier means (6, 7) when the carrier means (6, 7) is moved past the stationary device element (10) in order to build up a mechanical stress in the mechanical actuator.

5. The device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the push-off element (8) is configured to be temporarily fixed in the retracted position.

6. The device (1) according to claim 5, wherein the carrier means (6, 7) comprises a release element (11) configured to be displaced relative to the carrier means (6, 7) for releasing the push-off element (8, 9) from the fixed, retracted position to allow the push-off element to perform a push-off movement driven by the mechanical actuator.

7. The device (1) according to claim 6, further comprising a releaser element (12) moveable relative to the carrier means (6, 7) along an axis (14) about which the first holding element (2) is movable, the releaser element (12) configured to displace of the release element (11) of the carrier means (6, 7) when the release element (11) positioned at an arbitrary component (51, 52, 53, 54) of the receiving device.

8. The device (1) according to claim 1, further comprising a detent of the carrier means (6, 7) which is configured to oppose the push-off movement of the push-off element (8, 9) when the push-off element (8, 9) is in an extended position to force the push-off element (8, 9) back from the extended position.

9. The device (1) according to claim 1, further comprising a complementary holding element (3) corresponding to the first holding element (2) and spaced therefrom along an axis (14) about which the first holding element (2) is movable, wherein the first holding element (2) and/or the complementary holding element (3) is movable relative to the carrier means (6, 7) to allow a weaving accessory to be held under tensile stress between the first holding element (2) and the complementary holding element (3).

10. The device (1) according to claim 9, wherein a distance between the first holding element (2) and the complementary holding element (3) along the axis (14) is adjustable.

11. The device (1) according to claim 9, wherein the complementary holding element (3) is configured to be displaced by at least one detensioner element (16), which is movable in a direction of the axis (14), when the carrier means (6, 7) is located at a component (41, 42, 43, 44, 51, 52, 53, 54) of the supply device (4) or of the receiving device (5).

12. The device (1) according to claim 1 wherein the carrier means (6) of the first holding element (2) is operably connected to a shaft that extends along an axis (14) about which the first holding element (2) is movable.

13. A method for the handling of weaving accessories, the method comprising: cyclically moving a first holding element (2) between a supply device (4) and a receiving device (5) along a plane having an axis (14) extending orthogonally thereto, wherein the first holding element (2) is operably connected to a carrier means (6, 7) that initiates the movement of the first holding element (2) by being operatively connected to an actuator; and pushing off a weaving accessory held on the first holding element (2) onto a component (51, 52, 53, 54) of the receiving device (5) with a push-off element (8, 9) that is operably connected to the carrier means (6,7).

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first holding element (2) moves along a circular path about the axis (14).

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising moving the carrier means (6, 7) of the first holding element (2) past a stationary device element (10) in order to displace the push-off element (8, 9) relative to the carrier means (6, 7).

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: moving a releaser element (12) along a direction of the axis (14) relative to the carrier means (6, 7) when the carrier means (6, 7) is positioned at a component (51, 52, 53, 54) of the receiving device (5); and displacing a release element (11) which is operably connected to the carrier means (6, 7), relative to the carrier means (6, 7) so that the push-off element (8, 9) pushes off a weaving accessory held on the first holding element (2, 3) onto the component (51, 52, 53, 54) of the receiving device (5).

Description

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a symbolic oblique view of essential components of the device according to the invention.

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a symbolic front view of an alternative carrier means for a complementary holding element, with partially portrayed obscured edges and a cutting line D:D.

[0027] FIG. 3 shows the D:D section through FIG. 2.

[0028] FIG. 4 shows the symbolic view from FIG. 2 with a cutting line B:B but without the obscured edges.

[0029] FIG. 5 shows the B:B section through FIG. 4.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a symbolic oblique view of major components of the device 1 according to the invention. Along the axis 14, in an upper area of the device 1, the holding element 2 is shown in two different positions. In a lower area of the device 1, the complementary holding element 3 is shown in two different positions. The holding elements 2 and 3 are provided for transporting non-portrayed weaving accessories from a supply device 4 on the left in FIG. 1 to a receiving device 5 on the right in FIG. 1. The supply device 4 comprises two components 41 and 42 in the upper area, which are shown as rails. The portrayed supply device 4 comprises two components or rails 43 and 44 in the lower area, on which weaving accessories may be provided in readiness and picked up by the holding element 3. The portrayed receiving device 5 comprises two components or rails 51 and 52 in the upper area and, in the lower area, two rails 53 and 54 onto which the drawn-in weaving accessories can be transferred. In all conceivable embodiments, both the supply device 4 and the receiving device 5 can comprise, independently of each other, a different number of rails or components in general, whose number can range from 1 up to 20, for example.

[0031] The first holding element 2 is disposed at a carrier means 6. The complementary holding element 3 is disposed at a carrier means 7. The carrier means 6 and 7 are disposed rotatably around the axis 14. The first holding element 2 and the complementary holding element 3 can transport a pretensioned heald at its end loops from the supply device 4 to the receiving device 5. For this purpose, the holding element 3 is disposed movably at the carrier means 7, as is indicated by the bearing axes 17. In order to detension the healds, the holding element 3 can be moved upwards, as per FIG. 1, with the detensioner elements 16. The detensioner element 16 shown on the right in FIG. 1 is configured integrally with a releaser element 12. In this way, a tension-free heald can be transferred by the push-off element 9 of the carrier means 6 and 7 onto a rail 52 and 54 of the receiving device. The push-off elements 9 are shown appropriately in the extended state. The push-off elements 8 are shown in the tensioned, retracted state. In the embodiment shown, the carrier means 6 and 7 first of all rotate from the rails 52 and 54 further to the rails 51 and 53. The carrier means 6 and 7 then pass the stationary device elements 10, which come into engagement with the pretensioning elements 15 and thereby move the push-off elements 9 from the extended state (shown as push-off elements 9) into the tensioned, retracted state (shown as push-off elements 8), as shown in the case of the carrier means 6 and 7 in the left-hand part of FIG. 1.

[0032] The releaser elements 12 interact with release elements 11 in order to unlock the push-off elements 8 and thus to allow them to move from the tensioned state (shown as push-off elements 8) into the extended state (shown as push-off elements 9). For this purpose, the releaser elements 12 perform a movement parallel to the axis 14. Each carrier means 6 and 7 is shown with two release elements 11. In other embodiments, the carrier means 6 or 7 may only comprise one release element 11.

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a symbolic front view of an alternative carrier means 7 for a complementary holding element 3. Obscured edges are portrayed in part by broken lines, and a cutting line D:D is shown. The push-off element 8 is shown in the tensioned state. The push-off element is shown to have two lateral guide protrusions 19, which serve to guide the push-off element 8 longitudinally. If appropriately positioned relative to a surrounding groove 18 of the release element 11, the guide protrusions 19 may additionally be used, in combination with the groove, to create a form fit for locking the push-off element 8. The groove 18 of the release element 11 is shown in FIG. 3.

[0034] FIG. 3 shows the D:D section through FIG. 2. The holding element 3 is disposed movably at the carrier means 7 by means of a bearing axis 17, as shown in FIG. 3. The push-off element 8 is shown in its retracted and tensioned position, into which it was brought with the aid of the pretensioning element 15. FIG. 3 also shows a detensioning pressure element 13, which is arranged at the holding element 3. The release element 11 may be tensioned against the carrier means 7 by a non-depicted spring, so that on retraction of the push-off element 8 a form fit with the release element 11 is created automatically.

[0035] FIG. 4 shows the same elements as FIG. 2 except for the broken lines showing obscured edges in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 additionally shows cutting lines B:B. The section through B:B is shown in FIG. 5. In addition to the holding means 3 and the push-off element 8, the carrier means 7 is seen to have a through hole 20. A non-depicted spring may be disposed between the through hole 20 and the pin 21, which is visible in FIG. 4, in order to clamp down the holding element in FIG. 5. In this way, a tensile stress may be applied to a non-depicted weaving accessory if the weaving accessory is additionally arranged at a holding element 2, which is not shown in FIG. 5, above the holding element 3. At one end of the push-off element, a passage 22 is visible. A non-depicted spring may be disposed at the passage 22, and its other end fixed to a securing element 23, in order to trigger a push-off movement of the push-off element 8. The securing element 23 is disposed immovably at the carrier means 7.

[0036] Attention is drawn specifically to the fact that, in other embodiments, individual features described above, or all of them, may be solved differently and independently of each other. For example, a form fit between push-off element 8 and release element 11 may be created independently of guide protrusions 19. A different form of longitudinal guiding may also be used, independently of the other features. In particular, any other solution for attaching the springs may be used, as long as the necessary forces and directions of force are ensured.

TABLE-US-00001 List of reference numerals 1 Device 2 First holding element 3 Complementary m holding element 4 Supply device 5 Receiving device 6 Carrier means for the first holding element 2 7 Carrier means for the complementary holding element 3 8 Tensioned push-off element 9 Extended push-off element 10 Stationary device element 11 Release element 12 Releaser element 13 Detensioning pressure element 14 Axis 15 Pretensioning element 16 Detensioner element 17 Bearing axis of holding element 18 Groove of release element 11 19 Guide protrusion of push-off element 8 20 Through hole 21 Pin 22 Passage 23 Securing element 41 Component of supply device 4 42 Component of supply device 4 43 Component of supply device 4 44 Component of supply device 4 51 Component of receiving device 5 52 Component of receiving device 5 53 Component of receiving device 5 54 Component of receiving device 5