Shedding motion of loom

A device for producing shedding motion in a loom includes two assembled guides disposed parallel in the loom. Each of the guides includes a shaft to which a plurality of blocks are mounted. The blocks not only cross feed yarn in the loom but transfer the yarn from the block to block during rotation of the shafts to produce a shedding motion for weaving multi-shaft woven fabric.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to a device for producing shedding motion in a loom 
for weaving a multi-shaft woven fabric. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The looms, which have heretofore been known, are ones wherein wefts are 
perpendicularly woven into rectilinearly advancing warps, for weaving a 
so-called two-shaft woven fabric. And, recently, a demand has been voiced 
for multi-dimensional reinforcing ground fabrics for various composite 
materials, i.e. multi-shaft woven fabrics, in a wide range of fields 
including those involved in aerospace applications and applications for 
the motor vehicle industry, the electric and other general industries. 
However, with the existing looms, it is impossible to weave multi-shaft 
woven fabrics, and therefore, it has been strongly desired to develop 
looms capable of weaving multi-shaft woven fabrics. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the present invention is to provide a device which produces 
shedding motion in a loom, wherein, in order to make it possible to weave 
a multi-shaft woven fabric, which has heretofore been considered 
impossible to be produced, cross feed of warps for obliquely feeding the 
warps to the cloth fell, shedding and beating are continuously performed 
at the same time.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the 
accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the 
present invention. 
One end portion of a broader width top portion 4 of a thin rigid metal 
plate 1 having a generally segmental shape is bent along a bending line 2 
to define a generally triangular bent portion 3, and a shaft couple-in 
opening 6 is formed in the center of a portion of the metal plate, close 
to the broader width top portion 4 thereof (refer to FIGS. 1 to 3). As 
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the shaft couple-in opening 6 may be a hole, or, 
as shown in FIG. 3, may be a groove cut out from the side of the broader 
width top portion 4. 
Two single plates 1 and 1 having the above-described arrangement are 
prepared. These two single plates 1 and 1 are superposed on each other 
with a washer 7 clamped therebetween, which washer is smaller in size than 
the single plates. The bent portions 3 and 3 are directed outwardly from 
each other and are disposed symmetrically in the lateral direction. The 
peripheral edge of the thus clamped washer 7 for the single plate, i.e. a 
space formed by the washer 7 between the two single plates 1 and 1 serves 
as a yarn guide 12, and a washer base portion 9 of the washer 7, 
positioned on the side of a single plate base portion 5 serves as a yarn 
pressor. Thus, a block 11 is provided (refer to FIGS. 5 and 6). The washer 
7 has a generally similar configuration to that of the single plate 1. The 
top portion 8 of the washer 7 coincides with the broader width top 
portions 4 and 4 of the single plates 1 and 1, which are superposed on 
each other, and the washer base portion 9 serving as the yarn pressor is 
positioned on the side of the single plate base portion 5 and is clamped 
by the two single plates 1 and 1. 
Furthermore, the washer 7 has an opening 10 formed therein that is aligned 
with the shaft couple-in openings 6 formed in the single plates 1 and 1 
when the washer 7 is clamped by the two single plates 1 and 1. It is 
preferable to integrally fix the two single plates 1 and 1 to the washer 7 
by adhesive bonding, welding or the like when the washer and the two 
single plates 1 and 1 are superposed. 
A plurality of the blocks 11, corresponding to the number of warps, are 
constructed. The plurality of blocks 11 and 11 are disposed against each 
other at the broader width top portions 4 and 4 and, the respective shaft 
couple-in openings 6 and 6 are aligned and the blocks are alternately and 
symmetrically assembled together (refer to FIG. 9). A shaft 17 is inserted 
into the shaft couple-in openings 6 and 6 of the thus assembled guide 16 
(refer to FIGS. 10 and 11). In the thus alternately assembled blocks 11 
and 11 shown in the drawings, the bent portions 3 and 3, which are formed 
at ends on one side of the broader width top portions 4 and 4, 
respectively, are fixed with respect to the shaft 17 in a positional 
relationship with a predetermined distance therebetween. With reference to 
FIG. 11, a first bent portion 3 of a lower single plate 1 of a first block 
11 and a second bent portion 3 of an upper single plate 1 of a second 
block 11 adjacent the first block 11 are opposed to each other across a 
predetermined distance. The first bent portion 3 of the single plate 1 of 
the first block 11 blocks a yarn guide 12 of the second block 11, while 
the second bent portion 3 of the single plate 1 of the second block 11 
blocks a yarn guide 12 of the first block 11. 
Provided between and coupled with the blocks 11 and 11, is a washer 13 
mounted to shaft 17 for setting an interval between the blocks 11 and 11. 
An opening 15 to be received by the shaft 17 is formed in the central 
portion of this washer 13, and the top portions 14 formed on the opposite 
sides of the washer 13 coincide with the broader width top portions 4 and 
4 of the single plates 1 and 1 of the block 11 (refer to FIGS. 7 and 8). 
Two sets 16a and 16b of the assembled guides 16 thus constructed are 
prepared. The two sets of assembled guides 16a and 16b are provided in 
parallel in the loom, not shown, in a positional relationship in which 
blocks 11a and 11b of the assembled guides 16a and 16b are brought into 
meshing engagement and are rotated with shafts 17a and 17b about the 
rotational axes thereof, respectively. The respective assembled guides 16a 
and 16b are rotated with the shafts 17a and 17b in directions opposed to 
each other (directions indicated by arrows D) in the drawings and at equal 
speeds, thus producing the shedding motion 24 according to the present 
invention. 
The function of the assembled guide 16 will hereunder be described in more 
detail with reference to FIG. 11. 
As described above, the assembled guide 16 is of such an arrangement that 
the plurality of blocks 11, corresponding to the number of warps, are 
mounted on and fixed to the shaft 17 alternately and symmetrically with 
respect to the lateral direction. FIG. 11 partially shows the assembled 
guide 16. 
First, when a warp 18 is guided around the yarn guide 12 of the block 
11(1), tensioning the warp 19 to the extent that the warp 19 is brought 
into pressing contact with the peripheral edge of the washer 7, and when 
the shaft 17 is rotated in a direction indicated by arrow A, the warp 19 
is guided and transferred along the yarn guide 12 in the chain line 
direction indicated by arrow B. More specifically, the warp 19 transferred 
along the yarn guide 12 of the block 11(1) is engaged with and guided by a 
bent portion 3 of the upper single plate 1 of a downwardly adjacent block 
11(2), which bent portion 3 blocks the yarn guide 12 of the block 11(1) 
and transfers warp 19 to a yarn guide 12 of the block 11(2). Accordingly, 
when the shaft 17 is rotated in the direction indicated by arrow A, the 
warp 19 is guided around the yarn guide 12 of the block 11(1) in a 
predetermined direction under a predetermined tension. During a first 1/4 
turn of the shaft 17, the bent portion 3 at the top of the block 11(2) 
engages the warp 19 being guided by the yarn guide 12 of the block 11(1) 
and guides the same to the yarn guide 12 of the block 11(2), and, by 1/2 a 
turn, the block 11(2) is rotated and transferred to a position indicated 
by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 11, whereby the warp 19 is cross-fed 
over one block. Furthermore, by 3/4 of a turn, the warp 19, which has been 
transferred to the yarn guide 12 of the block 11(2), engages the bent 
portion, not shown, of an upper single plate 1 of the subsequent block 
11(3) and is guided to a yarn guide 12 of the block 11(3), and, by one 
full turn, the warp 19 is transferred to the yarn guide 12 of the block 
11(3). In other words, by one full turn of the shaft 17, the warp 19 is 
transferred and cross-fed over two blocks. Consequently, the warps 19 are 
respectively guided by the multiplicity of blocks 11, whereby, during 
turning of the shaft 17, the threads of warps 19 are simultaneously 
cross-fed over one block, so that the warps 19 can be obliquely fed to the 
cloth fell. 
The two sets of assembled guides 16a and 16b performing the above-described 
function are provided in parallel in the loom in a positional relationship 
in which the blocks 11a and 11b of the assembled guides 16a and 16b are 
brought into meshing engagement and are rotated with the shafts 17a and 
17b about the rotational axes thereof, respectively, in directions opposed 
to each other and at equal speeds, thus providing the shedding motion 24 
according to the present invention. The above-described shedding motion 24 
will hereunder be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 12 and 
13. 
First, a group of warps to be fed is divided into two subgroups 19a and 
19b. One of the subgroups of the warps 19a is guided to the assembled 
guide 16a in a direction indicated by arrow C and is separated into 
respective yarns, and each yarn is passed through a yarn guide 12a of each 
of the blocks 11a to become a cloth fell warp 25a. Furthermore, the other 
of the subgroups 19b of the warps is guided to the assembled guide 16b in 
a direction indicated by arrow C, and similarly, is separated into 
respective yarns, and each yarn becomes a cloth fell warp 25b. In this 
state, when the shafts 17a and 17b are rotated in the directions opposed 
to each other (directions indicated by arrows D) and at equal speeds, as 
shown in FIG. 12, first, the guided warps 19a and 19b to be fed are pushed 
out in directions opposed to each other by washer base portions 9a and 9b 
of washers 7a and 7b serving as yarn pressors and between which yarn 
guides 12a and 12b of the block 11a and 11b are defined, the warps 19a and 
19 b being fed across each other, thereby bringing about a shed state. 
At maximum shedding between the warp 19a and 19b to be red, a weft 26 is 
woven into the shedding between the cloth fell warps 25a and 25b. FIG. 13 
shows a state from which the first 1/4 turn is made. Again, with reference 
to FIG. 11, the warps 19a and 19b guided by the block 11a and 11b are 
simultaneously cross-fed by one block, respectively, by bent portions 3a 
and 3b of adjoining blocks 11(2)a and 11(2)b, the cloth fell warps 25a and 
25b are obliquely crossingly fed relative to a direction of gray cloth. 
Simultaneously, the weft 26 woven into a shedding formed between the cloth 
fell warps 25a and 25b is urged toward a woven fabric 27 by single plate 
base portions 5a and 5b of single plates 1a and 1b of the rotating blocks 
11a and 11b, namely, is subjected to beating. Furthermore, when a 1/4 turn 
of the shafts is made from this state, the state shown in FIG. 12 is 
brought about, namely, one in which the cloth fell warps 25a and 25b have 
formed a shedding into which the weft 26 has been woven. When the shafts 
17a and 17b make one turn in the manner described above, the warps 17a and 
19b are cross-fed over two blocks, and the weft 26 is woven into the 
shedding twice. 
Designated by reference numerals 22a and 22b are warp feeding guide rolls, 
which are provided with helical grooves corresponding to the number of 
warps 19a and 19b, respectively. Reference numerals 23a and 23b designate 
pressor bars for pressing the warps 19a and 19b into the grooves formed on 
the warp feeding guide rolls 22a and 22b. 
As described above, the shedding motion is produced in the loom by the 
present invention in which parallel assembled guides are rotated in 
direction opposed to each other, cross feed of the warps, shedding 
operation of the warps and beating are continuously performed at the same 
time, the cross-fed cloth fell warps are obliquely and crossingly fed 
relative to the direction of gray cloth and shed, and the weft is woven 
into the shedding in this shed state, whereby multi-shaft woven fabric, 
which has heretofore been considered impossible to produce, can be readily 
woven. Furthermore, the shedding motion is produced by the present 
invention which, has a simple construction and is easy to manufacture, and 
moreover, is mountable on a conventional loom whereby the present 
invention has inexpensive installation costs so that producing the 
multi-shaft woven fabric is economical. Additionally, the shedding motion 
is produced by the present invention which comprises a novel mechanism 
entirely different from a conventional shedding and beating mechanism not 
only with respect to the function of cross-feeding of the warps but also 
with respect to the performance of the shedding operation and the beating. 
In the shedding motion produced by the present invention, no warp is 
damaged and no noises peculiar to the beating occur and the shedding 
motion produced by the present invention is preferable with regard to 
material quality and the protection of the environment. Furthermore, if 
the warp cross feed mechanism is omitted, then the shedding motion 
produced by the present invention can be advantageously utilized for 
weaving of conventional two-shaft woven fabrics. It may be said that the 
shedding motion produced by the present invention can be used for many 
purposes.