Method and system for adjusting two different looms for weaving the same cloth type

In a test weaving run on a test loom, a first set of article-specific adjustment data is determined for the optimal adjustment of loom components for weaving a particular woven article. First and second sets of machine-specific data characterizing various machine parameters of the test loom and of a different production loom, respectively, are provided to a computer, which compares these two sets of machine-specific data. Based on the differences therebetween, the computer modifies the first set of article-specific adjustment data determined on the test loom, to prepare a modified second set of article-specific adjustment data suitable for optimally adjusting the production loom for weaving the particular article. From that data, control commands are prepared and provided to actuators of the production loom for automatically adjusting the components thereof to the optimal positions for weaving the article.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS AND OF THE BEST MODE OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 schematically shows three looms 1 , X 1 and X 2 of a weaving loom system including several looms. In other words, the overall loom system may include two or three or more looms, but FIG. 1 simply shows three looms as a representative example. The loom 1 includes a control arrangement 2 that comprises a program-controlled computer or central processing unit (CPU), while the looms X 1 and X 2 similarly each respectively include a control arrangement 3 comprising a program-controlled computer or CPU. The control arrangements 2 and 3 of the several looms 1 , X 1 and X 2 are electrically interconnected or networked with each other by a network or control conductor system 4 . In practice, a larger number of looms Xn may be connected to the network or control conductor system 4 , whereby these looms may respectively be of considerably different construction type and/or size. For example, the several looms can include air jet looms, gripper (tape-driven or rapier) looms, and other types of looms, including looms having respective different weaving widths. In the system shown in FIG. 1 , the loom 1 is a test or sample pattern loom that is used to carry out test runs for weaving a new woven cloth type or article, before the full production weaving of this new woven cloth type or article. During the test runs on this test loom, the optimum adjustment is determined for various loom components and assemblies that are essential for the weaving process, in order to thereby achieve and ensure an optimal machine operation, high efficiency and utilization effectiveness, and a fault-free or defect-free final appearance and quality of the woven web being produced on the loom. The other looms X, X 2 , . . . Xn are called production looms herein, which will be used for carrying out the production weaving of the given woven cloth type or article. It should be understood that the test loom can also be used for the production weaving, and the designation “test loom” simply means that this loom 1 was selected for carrying out the above mentioned test weaving runs for determining the initial set of optimal adjustment data. These optimal adjustment data relate to the respective required adjustment settings of various adjustable loom components and assemblies that participate in the weaving process on the test loom 1 . These data are cloth-specific or article-specific to the particular woven cloth type or article to be produced. These article-specific adjustment data determined for the test loom are then used to determine a related second set of cloth- or article-specific data that will be used to adjust the other production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn so that they all may similarly weave the same article (i.e. equivalent articles of the same type) with optimal quality and under optimal operating conditions. This process of adjusting the second or production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn based on the data determined initially from the first test loom 1 will be described in detail below. An example of the principle adjustable loom components and assemblies that participate in the weaving process of the looms is schematically shown in FIG. 2 . The mechanical and positional adjustment of these loom components and assemblies is determinative of the loom shed geometry, among other things, and thereby is of considerable importance for the proper weaving process and operation of the loom. As shown in FIG. 2, a warp 6 of warp threads is supplied from a rotatably supported warp beam 5 over a backrest beam 7 , which deflects the warp threads of the warp 6 approximately into a horizontal plane, on which the woven web or cloth 8 will ultimately be produced. The warp threads, or upper and lower sheets of warp threads 6 A and 6 B of the warp 6 extend respectively from the backrest beam 7 through healds or heddles of heald shafts (or i.e. heald frames or heddle harnesses 9 ), which serve to separate and shed the warp threads 6 A and 6 B into an upper shed and a lower shed extending to the interlacing point 10 , in any conventional manner, for forming successive open sheds to allow the weft insertion therethrough. A reed 11 beats up the successive weft threads against the beat-up and interlacing point 10 in any conventionally known manner. Note that the weft insertion elements and the weft threads are not shown. The woven web or cloth 8 being produced is drawn off over a breast beam 12 and a fluted or grooved roller 13 to a cloth beam 14 on which the cloth is then rolled up. All of the components and assemblies schematically shown in FIG. 2 can have any conventionally known structure and arrangement. As can be clearly recognized in FIG. 2 , the angles that the warp threads 6 A and 6 B of the upper shed and the lower shed form with respect to each other and with respect to the horizontal plane are dependent on the position of the backrest beam 7 as well as the vertical stroke of the heald shafts 9 . Therefore, depending on the particular characteristics and quality of the woven web or cloth 8 that is to be produced, the backrest beam 7 must be adjusted to a respective optimal adjustment setting. For this purpose, any conventionally known actuators are allocated to and connected to the backrest beam 7 in the areas of its bearing supports, whereby these actuators are able to adjust the position of the backrest beam 7 in the horizontal direction 15 and the vertical direction 16 as schematically indicated in FIG. 2 . Thus, the backrest beam 7 and its associated adjusting means or actuators form one of the adjustable loom components or assemblies that participates in the weaving process. Close to the backrest beam 7 there is arranged a warp stop motion device 17 , which extends over the weaving width of the loom and monitors the warp threads 6 A and 6 B of the warp 6 for warp thread breaks in the area between the backrest beam 7 and the heald shafts 9 . In the event of the occurrence of a warp thread break, the warp stop motion device 17 stops the operation of the loom. Since the warp stop motion device 17 must be arranged at a predetermined position relative to the warp threads 6 A and 6 B, it is generally necessary to correspondingly adjust the warp stop motion device 17 in correlation with an adjustment or repositioning of the backrest beam 7 . For this purpose, the warp stop motion device 17 is associated with adjusting means or actuators that act on the warp stop motion device 17 at the areas of its bearings or mounting connections on the machine frame, for example as shown in detail in FIG. 4 , and discussed further below. Thus, the warp stop motion device 17 and its associated adjusting means or actuators form another one of the adjustable loom components or assemblies that participate in the weaving process. Among further adjustable loom components and assemblies that participate in the weaving process, the drive and support arrangement of the reed 11 forms a third such loom assembly. Particularly, the drive and support arrangement of the reed 11 is adjustable in a cloth-specific or article-specific manner to achieve an optimal weft thread beat-up for the particular cloth or article being woven. A further adjustable loom component or assembly that participates in the weaving process is formed by the heald shafts 9 with their associated drive and support arrangements, which are similarly adjustable in a cloth-specific manner in order to optimize the shed geometry for the respective particular article or cloth being woven. Still further loom components or assemblies that participate in the weaving process and that may be adjustable in a cloth-specific manner in particular cases, include the breast beam 12 and the fluted or grooved roller 13 , as well as the drive arrangement for the cloth beam 14 , in certain cases, as well as other devices for controlling the warp thread tension. The bearings or support arrangements as well as the adjusting means or actuators for these further loom components or assemblies that participate in the weaving process are not particularly shown in FIG. 2 , but they may be embodied in any conventionally known manner. A representative example of the technical embodiment of the support and adjusting means of the adjustable loom components that participate in the weaving process are shown schematically in FIGS. 3 and 4 in connection with examples represented by the loom assemblies comprising the backrest beam 7 and the warp stop motion device 17 respectively. As shown in FIG. 3 , on both sides of the machine, the backrest beam 7 is basically respectively pivotally supported on a respective strap bracket 18 to be pivotable about a horizontal shaft 19 , which in turn is supported at its ends in suitable bearing or support members which are embodied as horizontally movable carriages 20 that are supported so as to be movable in the horizontal direction 15 respectively on vertical carriages 21 , which in turn are movable in the vertical direction 16 . More particularly, on each side of the machine, i.e. the loom, the vertical carriage 21 is vertically movably guided on the machine frame side wall 22 , which is merely partially schematically shown. A warp tension compensating device 24 is additionally schematically indicated. The above described horizontal and vertical carriages 20 and 21 form a portion of the adjusting means for the backrest beam 7 . For their adjustability, the carriages 20 and 21 are respectively drivable or movable by means of respective threaded spindle drive transmissions driving respective threaded spindles 25 and 26 in the horizontal and vertical directions 15 and 16 . The two threaded spindles 25 and 26 , which are respectively allocated to the adjustment of the backrest beam 7 in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction, are each respectively operated by means of a respective actuator 30 , which comprises an electric motor drive, for example. A respective sensor 31 is allocated to each of the actuators 30 , and serves to sense the respective existing actual position of the associated carriage 20 or 21 , and to generate and output a corresponding characteristic position signal. The actuators 30 are respectively connected by means of control lines 33 or respectively a bus, with the respective control arrangement 2 or 3 of the respective associated loom 1 , X 1 , X 2 , whereby the control arrangement 2 or 3 transmits and provides the data regarding the actual position of the carriage 20 or 21 . The control arrangement 2 or 3 then compares these actual position data with respective desired nominal or rated position data that are input by the loom operating personnel, or are transmitted and provided via a data network. Dependent on the result of this comparison, an adjusting signal or actuating signal is generated and transmitted to the actuators 30 , which responsively thereto move the backrest beam 7 to the proper desired nominal or rated position by appropriately moving the carriages 20 and/or 21 . FIG. 4 illustrates the adjustment of the warp stop motion device 17 that is carried out by means of suitable adjusting means or actuators. These adjusting means are, in principle, embodied and constructed in a manner similar to the adjusting means already described above in connection with FIG. 3 . Therefore, similar components are identified by the same reference numbers, and will not be described again here. The warp stop motion device 17 comprises individual lamellae or drop wires 35 that respectively “feel” and thus sense and monitor the individual warp threads of the warp 6 , and that are movably guided up and down along rails 36 and are arranged on a pivot table 37 , which is pivotable about a horizontal axis 380 on the horizontal carriage 20 of the adjusting means. A rotary drive unit connected with the respective horizontal carriage 20 forms an actuator or adjusting device 38 , which can pivot the pivot table 37 about the horizontal axis 380 . Just like the actuators 30 allocated to the horizontal and vertical adjusting motions, the actuator 38 also receives control signals, which cause it to position the pivot table 37 in such a manner, so that the lamellae 35 of the warp stop motion device 17 take up the correct position relative to the warp threads 6 A, 6 B of the warp 6 being monitored by these lamellae. Moreover, sensors 31 are allocated to the actuators 30 and 38 for determining the actual position of the elements that are adjusted or actuated by these actuators 30 , 38 . These sensors 31 then generate and provide corresponding signals to the control arrangement 2 or 3 , where these signals are compared with input cloth-specific desired nominal or rated adjustment data. From this comparison, the adjustment data for the actuators 30 , 38 are derived or determined, in any conventionally known manner. As mentioned above, the test loom 1 and the production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn in this example are respectively of a different construction type or size or the like. In any event, the production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn have some difference relative to the test loom 1 that makes the adjustment data for the proper adjustment of the test loom 1 unsuitable for the proper adjustment of the production looms. For example, in comparison to and relative to the test loom 1 , the production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn, have a different position of the beat-up and interlacing point 10 ( FIG. 2 ), a different position of the first or last heald shaft 9 with its heddles, a different depth of the machine frame side wall 22 ( FIG. 3 ) on which the backrest beam 7 and the warp stop motion device 17 are secured, a different backrest beam diameter, a different arrangement and structural embodiment of the backrest beam assembly, a different arrangement and structural embodiment of the assembly including the breast beam 12 , and a different support and drive of the heald shafts 9 and of the reed 11 . Particularly, at least one of the production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn has at least one and possibly all of the just-mentioned differences relative to the test loom 1 . Moreover, any one of the production looms might have such differences relative to other ones of the production looms. Due to these differences among the looms, the optimal cloth or article-specific adjustment data determined on the test loom 1 for a particular woven cloth type or article cannot be directly utilized to correspondingly adjust the production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn, which are networked together with the test loom 1 , in a cloth or article-specific manner, so that they can similarly optimally weave the same cloth type or article. For example, if the backrest beam diameter of the test loom 1 differs from that of a production loom X 1 that is to be adjusted, then an article-specific adjustment value for the backrest beam height that was determined on the test loom 1 cannot be directly used for adjusting the backrest beam of the production loom X 1 , because such a corresponding adjustment would not achieve the desired optimal shed geometry due to the different backrest beam diameter. Therefore, it would be necessary to modify or offset the determined adjustment value for the backrest beam height to compensate for the different backrest beam diameter, whereupon the resulting revised or derived second adjustment value for the backrest beam height can then be used for adjusting the height of the backrest beam of the production loom X 1 . In order to make it easy to adjust the several production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn in an article-specific manner, independent of the above described differences in the construction, type, size or the like of the individual looms, the invention provides the special measures that are most clearly shown in FIG. 5 or 6 . Before carrying out the production of a new woven cloth type, i.e. a particular woven article, first the adjustable loom components and assemblies of the test loom 1 , which participate in the weaving process, as described above, are adjusted in an article-specific manner for the production of this particular woven article. This is achieved, as also mentioned above, by carrying out one or more test weaving runs on the basis of characteristic data that characterize properties of the woven article and that have been previously input into the control arrangement 2 of the test loom 1 . By observing and evaluating the operation of the test loom and the appearance and quality of the article being woven on the test loom during the test run, if necessary, an operator of the loom is able to make fine-tuning readjustments of the positions of the several loom components and assemblies that are pertinent for the optimal weaving process. Thereby, the optimal article-specific adjustment data for the loom components and assemblies of the test loom 1 can be determined, and are stored in a corresponding program in the control arrangement 2 of the test loom 1 . Additionally, by means of a suitable program, the machine-specific data characterizing certain machine parameters of the loom components and assemblies, which participate in the weaving process, of the test loom 1 are determined and similarly provided to and stored in the control arrangement 2 . These machine-specific data of the test loom 1 , for example, especially include the location, e.g. the coordinates, of the position of the beat-up and interlacing point 10 ( FIG. 2 ), the position of the heald shafts 9 relative to the interlacing point 10 , the position of the warp stop motion device 17 relative to the interlacing point 10 , the position of the backrest beam 7 relative to the interlacing point 10 , and the diameter of the backrest beam 7 . These data can be input by an operator of the loom, provided by a previously stored or programmed data set that characterizes the parameters of the loom, and/or determined by sensors and the like on the loom. Depending on the type of the article to be produced as well as the structural type and other characteristics of the test loom 1 , additional machine-specific data that are characteristic of the machine configuration of the test loom 1 might also be significant, and are thus, if necessary, also determined and provided and input into the corresponding computer program of the control arrangement 2 . For example, these additional machine-specific data may include the stroke height of the heald shafts 9 , the position of the breast beam 12 relative to the backrest beam 7 and relative to the interlacing point 10 , the parameters of the weft thread insertion control, the parameters of the weft thread beat-up, and the like. Furthermore, the corresponding machine-specific data characterizing the same parameters as mentioned above, for the adjustable loom components, which participate in the weaving process, of the production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn are similarly determined and provided or input into a corresponding computer program of their respective control arrangements 3 , where these machine-specific data of the production loom are then stored. In the example embodiment shown in FIG. 5 , the control arrangement 2 of the test loom 1 includes a computer, to which the stored machine-specific data of the test loom 1 and of the production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn are provided, via the interconnect or coupling lines 40 which are merely schematically indicated. Additionally, the computer of the control arrangement 2 of the test loom 1 receives the article-specific adjustment data of the adjustable loom components, which participate in the weaving process, of the test loom 1 , that have been determined and stored previously in the above described manner. Using a suitable computer program, the computer of the control arrangement 2 of the test loom 1 compares the machine-specific adjustment data of the pertinent loom components and assemblies of the test loom 1 with the corresponding machine-specific data for the corresponding loom components and assemblies of the respective production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn. Based on the differences between the respective corresponding machine-specific data of each production loom relative to the corresponding data of the test loom, as determined by the above mentioned comparison (for example the difference of the backrest beam diameter of the production loom X 1 relative to the backrest beam diameter of the test loom 1 ), the computer of the control arrangement 2 of the test loom 1 then calculates the necessary modifications that must be applied to the article-specific adjustment data determined on the test loom 1 in order to prepare a modified second set of adjustment data that is suitable for achieving the corresponding optimal adjustment of the respective associated loom components or assemblies of the respective production looms X 1 or X 2 or . . . Xn that are to be adjusted for weaving this same type of article. In other words, dependent on the result of the comparison of the machine-specific data of the test loom 1 with the machine-specific data of the production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn, the computer of the test loom 1 modifies the stored article-specific adjustment data that have been determined on the test loom 1 , in such a manner so as to derive therefrom a modified second set of article-specific adjustment data that are appropriate for adjusting the production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn. Then, from the thusly calculated or determined modified second set of article-specific adjustment data for each respective one of the production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn that are to be adjusted, the computer of the control arrangement 2 of the test loom 1 generates control commands for the respective associated actuators, such as actuators 30 and 38 (shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 ) of the production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn for adjusting the respective associated loom components or assemblies of these looms to the optimal positions for weaving the specified article or woven cloth type. These control commands are then provided to the control arrangements 3 of the respective production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn that are to be adjusted, for example via the coupling or interconnect lines 41 that are schematically shown in FIG. 5 . Responsive to the control commands, the control arrangements 3 actuate and control the corresponding actuators of the production loom components and assemblies so as to carry out the optimal article-specific adjustment of these loom components and assemblies. Note that the coupling or interconnect lines 40 and 41 are components of the overall network or conductor system 4 shown in FIG. 1 . In the event one or more of the production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn is not equipped with corresponding automatic actuators 30 , 38 for adjusting one or more of the loom components or assemblies that need to be adjusted, or if one or more of the production looms X 1 , X 2 . . . Xn are not connected to the overall system network 4 , 40 , 41 , then the above mentioned control commands or corresponding indicia are displayed or otherwise indicated in a suitable manner, e.g. on a monitor display screen, or on a print-out tape or the like, so that the loom operating personnel can use these control commands or corresponding adjustment data indicia to carry out a manual adjustment of the respective associated loom components or assemblies, which participate in the weaving process, of the respective loom that is to be adjusted. The example embodiment according to FIG. 6 differs from that of FIG. 5 with respect to the interconnection of the control arrangement 2 of the test loom 1 and the control arrangements 3 of the production looms X 1 , X 2 and X 3 that are to be adjusted. Namely, on the one hand, in the loom system according to FIG. 5 , the computer that compares the machine-specific data of the test loom 1 and the machine-specific data of the production looms X 1 , X 2 with each other and then calculates or derives the article-specific adjustment data for the production looms X 1 , X 2 , is a part of the control arrangement 2 of the test loom 1 , as described above. On the other hand, in the loom system according to FIG. 6, a central computer 42 is provided as a separate unit, i.e. a computer unit that is separate from the test loom 1 as well as from the production looms X 1 , X 2 and X 3 that are to be adjusted. The machine-specific data relating to the test loom 1 are provided from the control arrangement 2 to the central computer 42 , while the machine-specific data relating to each respective one of the production looms X 1 , X 2 , X 3 are provided from the respective control arrangements 3 to the central computer 42 . Furthermore, the control arrangement 2 of the test loom 1 provides to the central computer 42 , the article-specific adjustment data that were determined in the test weaving runs for the optimal adjustments of the loom components and assemblies, which participate in the weaving process, of the test loom 1 . Then, in the above described manner, the central computer 42 compares the two sets of machine-specific data and, based on the result of this comparison, manipulates or modifies the first set of article-specific adjustment data to calculate or prepare a second modified set of article-specific adjustment data for the required adjustments of the loom components and assemblies of each one of the respective production looms X 1 , X 2 , X 3 , . . . Xn for weaving the same woven cloth type or article. Then, these second article-specific adjustment data for the respective production looms X 1 , X 2 , . . . Xn are processed to prepare corresponding control commands, which are provided via control signal interconnect lines 41 from the central computer 42 to the respective control arrangements 3 of the respective production looms. From there, the control commands are provided to the respective associated adjustment means or actuators, e.g. 30 , 38 ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ), of the loom components and assemblies of the respective production looms. Alternatively, the central computer 42 may simply provide the modified second set of article-specific adjustment data to the control arrangements 3 of the respective production looms, which then in turn prepare the appropriate control commands from these adjustment data to be provided to the actuators 30 , 38 , etc. in each one of the production looms respectively. Although the invention has been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be appreciated that it is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the appended claims. It should also be understood that the present disclosure includes all possible combinations of any individual features recited in any of the appended claims.