Method of automatically mending warp yarn and a device for carrying out the same

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of automatically mending warp yarn and a device for carrying out the same comprising the steps of selecting broken warp yarns (2a, 2b) among the group of the warp yarns (2) at the time of breakage of the warp yarn (2), enlarging the intervals of reed wires of a reed (8) through which the broken warp yarn (2b) is passed or the intervals of the adjoining reed wires, positioning a yarn passing member (110) at the reed wires through which the broken warp yarn (2b) is passed on the basis of the position of the reed wires having large intervals, inserting the yarn passing member (110) into space of the reed wires through which the broken warp yarn (2b) is passed, passing and guiding a mending yarn (23) tied to the broken warp yarn (2b) into corresponding reed wires by the yarn passing member (110). In such a manner, it makes possible to set the loom to be re-started.

Description: The present invention relates to a method of automatically mending warp yarn and a device for automatically mending warp yarn, in which a mending yarn is tied to a broken warp yarn, and the mending yarn is passed through a heddle and a reed. When a broken warp yarn is automatically mended, it is necessary to tie an end of a mending yarn to the broken warp yarn at the dropper side and thereafter insert the other end of the mending yarn into a heddle and a reed dent interval successively by a yarn threading device. At the time of passing the broken warp yarn, the yarn threading device has to be correctly positioned relative to the reed dent interval through which the broken warp yarn is passed. EP-A Publication 0 259 915 discloses a method of repairing a broken warp yarn on weaving machines comprising the steps of specifying the broken warp yarn by the position of a fallen drop wire, pushing aside the groups of warp yarns adjacent to the broken warp yarn on both sides thereof by way of a dividing mechanism, whereby the reed dent interval is enlarged to be detected by a detector so as to locate the reed dent interval through which the mended warp yarn should be passed. The prior art set forth above has a drawback that the dividing mechanism is indispensable and it is too complicated to be incorporated in a loom with ease. In the known device a warp yarn adjacent to the broken warp yarn is widened in the width direction of the loom. Now, if two warp yarns are passed through the space of one reed wire, there are generated two reed wire dimensions greater than a normal dimension. Accordingly, there occurs a troublesome problem in deciding which of the two reed wires the broken warp yarn is passed through. Such complicated deciding method should be avoided. Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide the method and apparatus capable of detecting the broken warp yarn in the width direction of the loom with ease and high accuracy by detecting the position of the reed dent interval through which the broken warp yarn is passed. The above object is achieved by a method as claimed in claim 1 and a device as claimed in claim 2. According to the present invention, the reed dent interval is enlarged by moving the broken warp yarn in the width direction of the loom, and the varied interval is detected by the position of the sensor whereby the broken warp yarn processing member such as the yarn threading device is positioned with high accuracy at the reed position. The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a front elevational view showing an automatic warp yarn mending device according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the automatic warp yarn mending device of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevational view showing a heddle selecting device; Fig. 4 is a side elevational view showing a main portion of the heddle selecting device; Figs. 5 and 6 are cross sectional views of suction members; Fig. 7 is a plan view of a sensor driving means; Fig. 8 is a block diagram of assistance in explaining a control device; Fig. 9 is a block diagram of assistance in explaining connecting relation between a control device and other operation members; Fig. 10 is a flow chart showing a series of processes for automatically mending warp yarn; Fig. 11 is a plan view of assistance in explaining an operation for selecting the heddle; and Figs. 12 and 13 are side elevational views showing engaging members. A method of automatically mending warp yarn and a device for carrying out the same according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 13. Figs. 1 and 2 show an overall arrangement of an automatic warp yarn mending device 1. The automatic warp yarn mending device 1 is positioned over sheet-shaped warp yarns 2 and provided with a broken warp yarn moving device 70 and a detecting device 80 as illustrated in Fig. 7. A plurality of warp yarns 2 contact the let-off tension roller 4, the guide bar 6 of the dropper device 5, pass through the heddle 7, reed wires of the reed 8, cross the weft yarns to be formed as the woven fabric 9, and reach the take-up roller 10. The droppers 11 of the dropper device 5 are supported by the warp yarns 2 at the portion of the through hole 12 and cross the electrode bar 14 at the portion of the holding hole 13. The broken warp yarn moving device 70 is incorporated in the bracket 3. The bracket 3 is positioned between a left frame 15 and a right frame 15 and supported by a slider 17 movably in the direction of the width relative to the two guide rails 16 which extend widthwise of the loom in parallel with each other in order to hold the suction pipe 21 as the extraction member. The bracket 3 is connected to a part of an endless drive belt 18. The endless drive belt 18 is entrained around a pair of pulleys 19 which are supported by the left and the right side frames 15, 15 and capable of being driven by a position control motor 20. The guide rails 16, the slider 17, the drive belt 18 and the motor 20 constitute a drive means of the suction pipe 21. The suction pipe 21 is pipe-shaped and attached to the bracket 3 at the position higher than the droppers 11. The suction pipe 21 has an opening opened downward and the yarn sensor 29 of the light emitting and receiving type and a pair of clampers 25, 26 respectively provided at the opening thereof. As illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, one clamper 25 is retractably supported by a spring 27 and the other clamper 26 is supported to be movable toward and away from the clamper 25. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate an arrangement of a heddle selecting device 50. The heddle selecting device 50 is positioned between the heddle 7 and the dropper device 5 under the warp yarn 2 and movable in the direction of the warp yarn 2 and width direction of the loom and incorporated in a bracket 51. The bracket 51 is supported on an endless belt 53 and movable in the width direction of the loom by a pair of pulleys 52 supported by brackets 90, the endless belt 53 entrained around the pulleys 52, and a drive motor 54 for rotating the pulley 52 at the drive side. The bracket 51 has horizontal pneumatic cylinders 55, 56 at both ends of the widthwise direction of the loom which respectively hold holders 57, 58 at the tip ends thereof movable in the widthwise direction of the loom. The holders 57, 58 are guided by guide rods 61, 62 attached to the bracket 51 and supported so that the holders 57, 58 are not rotatable about the cylinder rods of the pneumatic cylinders 55, 56. The holders 57, 58 hold the selecting members 63, 64 which are vertically movable by the piston rods of vertically arranged pneumatic cylinders 59, 60. The bracket 90 is movable in the direction of the warp yarn 2 by left and right wheels 91 which are movable on rails 92 attached to the frames 15, a motor 93 attached to the bracket 90, a pinion 94 to be driven by the motor 93, and a rack 95 attached to the frames 15. Fig. 7 shows an arrangement of the detecting device 80. The detecting device 80 is supported to be movable in the direction of the width of the loom by a belt 112 entrained around a pair of pulleys 111 which are rotatably attached to the frames 15 in the same manner as the heddle selecting device 50. The detecting device 80 is moved for a predetermined interval by the rotation of the motor 113 and is stopped upon reception of a signal issued by the sensor 118 indicative of the reed wires having long intervals and opposed to the reed 8. The motor 113 is controlled by a control device 120 and a speed of rotation of the motor 113 is detected by an encoder 121. The belt 112, the motor 113 and the control device 120, etc. constitute a drive means of the sensor 118. Fig. 8 shows an arrangement of the control device 120. The control device 120 comprises a let-off control member 130, a pulse generator 132, a first counter 134, a gate circuit 136, a second counter 140, a comparator 142 and a setting means 144. The control device 120 is connected to the sensor 118 at the gate circuit 136 via a control unit 170 and to the motor 113 and the encoder 121 at the input and output side of the let-off control member 130. Fig. 9 shows a block diagram of assistance in explaining an electric connecting relation between the control unit 170 and other operation members. The control unit 170 is provided with a program to carry out the predetermined operation according to the present invention. The control unit 170 is connected to the dropper device 5, the yarn sensors 29, 118 at the input side thereof, and to control members 171, 172, 174, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 188, 189 for controlling the position control motor 20, the suction member 21, the solenoid 28, the pneumatic cylinders 55, 56, 59, 60, the motors 93, 113 at the output side thereof. The control members 171, 172, 174, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 188, 189 are assembled, depending on the object to be controlled, as members to control the speed of rotation of the motors, turn on or off a source of the air under pressure or switches thereof or turn on or off the solenoid. Fig. 10 shows a series of control procedures to be executed by the control unit 170. When the warp yarn 2 is broken during the weaving operation, the dropper 11 at the position corresponding to the broken warp yarn ends 2a, 2b are dropped and contact the electrode 14 whereby the dropper device 5 issues an electric warp yarn stop signal and supplies the warp yarn stop signal to the control system of the loom and at the same time issues a position signal of the broken warp yarn ends 2a, 2b in the width direction of the loom and supplies the position signal to the control unit 170. When the loom is stopped to rotate, an automatic warp yarn end picking device as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 62-69851 automatically detects the position of the dropper 11 which is dropped while it is moved, thereafter advances and retracts the dropper 11 in the widthwise direction of the loom while it is gripped. Then, the device displaces the normal warp yarn 2 adjacent to the broken warp yarn ends 2a, 2b in the direction of the picking end side for thereby forming spaces at the portions of the broken warp yarn ends 2a, 2b and sets the broken warp yarn 2 in order to be extracted with ease. At the time when the control unit 170 receives the setting completion signal, the control unit 170 operates the drive motor 54 by the control member 182 to thereby move the heddle selecting device 50 to the position of the dropper 11 at the dropping state. Thereafter, the selecting members 63, 64 are raised between the two warp yarns adjoining the left and the right of the broken warp yarn ends 2a, 2b by the operations of control members 185, 186 and the pneumatic cylinders 59, 60. Inasmuch as two warp yarns 2 adjoining at the right and left sides of the previously broken warp yarn ends 2a, 2b are moved away from each other and displaced, the selecting members 63, 64 can be inserted between the two broken warp yarn ends 2a, 2b and between the right and left adjoining warp yarns 2. After completion of the raising operation, the selecting members 63, 64 at the raising state are moved away from each other by control members 183, 184 and the pneumatic cylinders 55, 56. After completion of the selecting operation, the control unit 170 rotates the pinion 94 by the control member 188 and the drive motor 93 to thereby advance the heddle selecting device 50 toward the take-up side whereby the dropper 11, the heddle 7 inserting the normal warp yarns 2 are moved away from the broken warp yarn ends 2a, 2b as illustrated in Fig. 11 and form spaces so that the end of the broken warp yarn 2b is extracted with ease. Thereafter, the control member 171 operates the motor 20 for controlling the speed of rotation thereof for thereby moving the bracket 3 from the stand-by position at the picking end side to the position of the widthwise direction of the loom corresponding to the droppers 11 at the dropping state whereby the opening of the suction pipe 21 faces the end of the broken warp yarn 2b at the portion adjacent to the heddle 7. Thereafter, the control member 172 is turned on to generate the air current inside the suction pipe 21 so that the suction pipe 21 carries out the drawing operation. The leading end of the broken warp yarn 2b is inserted into the suction pipe 21 by a drawing operation and detected by the yarn sensor 29 which is given to the control unit 170 as the signal to proceed to the next step. At this time, the control unit 170 retracts the selecting members 63, 64 in the direction of the width of the loom by operating the control members 183, 184 and the pneumatic cylinders 55, 56 and thereafter lowers selecting members 63, 64 by operating the control members 185, 186 and the pneumatic cylinders 59, 60. Furthermore, the solenoid 28 is operated by the control member 174 for clamping and holding the broken warp yarn 2b between the pair of clampers 25, 26 as illustrated in Fig. 6. After the lapse of appropriate time of interval, the control unit 170 stops the drawing operation by the suction pipe 21, then rotates the motor 20 in the predetermined rotary direction and the speed of rotation thereof for moving the suction pipe 21 in the direction of the width of the loom whereby the tension of the broken warp yarn is increased and the interval between the reed wires of the reed 8 through which the broken warp yarn 2b is passed. The control unit 170, upon completion of the moving operation of the suction pipe 21, gives a start instruction to the control device 120. The control device 120, upon receipt of the start instruction, at first turns on the motor 113 to thereby move the detecting device 80 from the reference position to the widthwise direction at relatively high speed. At this time, the control member 130 successively receives the pulse signal indicative of the speed of the rotation of the motor 113 issued by the pulse generator 132 through the first counter 134. When the value counted by the first counter 134 reaches the predetermined value corresponding to the position slightly before the broken warp yarn position, the let-off control member 130 issues the "H" level signal to the gate circuit 136 for thereby setting the motor 113 to rotate at low speed. Thereafter, the gate circuit 136 is turned on at the trailing edge of the detected signal issued when the sensor 118 passes through the first reed and turned off at the leading edge of the detected signal issued when the sensor 118 comes to the adjoining reed wires whereby the reference pulse issued by the pulse generator 132 is supplied to the second counter 140 during the period. Thereafter the second counter 140 counts the number of the pulses of the reference pulse to thereby measure the intervals of the reed wires and issues the measured value to the comparator 142. Then, the second counter 140 measures successively the intervals of the adjoining reed wires each time the sensor 118 passes through the reed wires and issues the measured value to the comparator 142. Hence, the comparator 142 compares the measured value with the reference value set by the setting means 144 each time the comparator 142 receives the measured value. When the measured value exceeds the reference value, the comparator 142 issues the "H" level signal to the let-off control member 130. The let-off control member 130, upon reception of the "H" level signal from the comparator 142, stores the value counted by the first counter 134, namely, the speed of rotation of the motor 113 for thereby stopping the motor 113. Thereafter, the let-off control member 130 transfers the counted value, namely, data of the speed of rotation of the motor 113 to the control unit 170. The control device 120 thus detects the reed wires having the large intervals to thereby identify the reed wires through which the broken warp yarn ends 2a, 2b passed with high speed and high accuracy. The control device 120, upon completion of the identification of the position, sends the position detection completion signal back to the control unit 170. The control unit 170 then returns all the operation members at the stand-by position and completes a series of operations. Although the detecting device directly measures the intervals between the reed wires to thereby detect the reed wires having large intervals, it is not limited thereto. For example, it is possible to detect the reed wires having large intervals and opposing the light emitting member to the light receiving member with intervening the reed 8, moves both the light emitting member and the light receiving member in the direction of the width of the loom while detecting the amount of light passed through the reed wires, and thereafter successively compares to determine as to whether the amount of light exceeds the predetermined value. Although the reference value is set previously by the setting means 144, the reference value may be the value obtained by measuring the intervals of the normal reed wires before passing the reed wires having large intervals. The arrangement of the embodiment is structured to detect the reed wires of the reed 8 having large interval but it may detect the intervals of the reed wires of the reed 8 having small intervals. For example, the broken warp yarn 2b is moved in the leftward in Fig. 7 and thereafter the sensor 118 is moved from the right end of the same figure to the leftward. Then the motor 113 is stopped to rotate upon detection of the reed wires having small intervals. The value deducting the reference value from the detected speed of the rotation of the motor 113 corresponds to the position of the reed wires through which the broken warp yarn is passed. On the other hand, in the case where the broken warp yarn 2b is moved to the rightward in the same figure, the value adding the reference value to the detected speed of rotation of the motor 113 corresponds to the speed of rotation corresponding to the position of the reed wires through which the broken warp yarn 2b is passed. That is, it is judged to add the reference value to or deduct the reference value from the detected speed of rotation relative to the moving direction of the broken warp yarn. The member for moving the broken warp yarn comprises, according to the embodiment, the pair of the clampers 25, 26 and the motor 20 for moving the entire suction pipe 21, but it may comprise an engaging member 40 provided on the suction pipe 21 which is driven to displace the broken warp yarn 2b. The engaging member 40 comprises a motor 41 and a lever 42. As illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13, there is provided the motor 41 at the front portion of the take-up side of the suction pipe 21 and the lever 42 on the rotary shaft of the motor 41. The hook 44 is formed at the middle portion of the lever 42. When the broken warp yarn 2b is extracted and held by the pair of clampers 25, 26 , the motor 41 is operated to move the lever 42 at the stand-by position as illustrated in Fig. 12. The lever 42 engages the broken warp yarn 2b between the suction pipe 21 and the heddle 7 with the movement thereof and displaces the broken warp yarn 2b to the position as illustrated in Fig. 13 while the broken warp yarn 2b is hooked by the hook 44. With such an operation of the engaging member 40, the intervals of the reed wires through which the broken warp yarn 2b is passed are enlarged. The suction pipe 21 is provided between the dropper device 5 and the heddle 7 , but it may be provided between the heddle 7 and the reed 8. Furthermore, when the warp yarn 2 is broken between the reed 8 and the cloth fell, the broken warp yarn 2b passed through the reed 8 at the front of the reed, namely, at the take-up side is extracted and moved. Thereafter, the yarn passing device 110 which is stand-by at the reference position is moved in response to the data issued by the let-off control member 130 whereby the yarn passing device 110 is correctly positioned between the reed wires through which the broken warp yarn ends 2a, 2b are passed, and thereafter carries out the yarn passing operation. The arrangement of the device for automatically mending the warp yarn is structured to extract the leading end of the broken warp yarn passed through the reed, to move the extracted broken warp yarn in the direction of width of the loom while it is held whereby the interval between the reed wires through which the broken warp yarn is passed is enlarged, which is detected by the sensor. Accordingly, it is possible to automatize the detection of the broken warp yarn in the direction of the width of the loom with ease and high accuracy. Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that many variations and changes are possible in the invention without departing from the scope thereof.

Claims: A method of automatically mending warp yarn in a loom comprising the steps of separating warp yarns adjacent to a broken warp yarn (2) by a fallen dropper (11) when the broken warp yarn is detected by the fall of the dropper (11); picking up an end (2a) of the broken warp yarn (2) which is continuous to a warp yarn beam and connecting mending yarn (23) to the end (2a) of the broken warp yarn (2); detecting position of a space between adjacent reed wires (8) of a reed through which the broken warp yarn (2) was previously passed; passing the mending yarn (23) through the detected space between adjacent reed wires (8) of the reed by means of a yarn passing device; wherein said step of detecting position of a space between adjacent reed wires (8) of the reed through which the broken warp yarn (2) was previously passed, is characterized in comprising the steps of: drawing and clamping another end (2b) of the broken warp yarn (2) which is continuous to a woven fabric (9) and passes through the reed at the side of the heddle (7) after the space between adjacent warp yarns (2) which are separated by the dropper (11) is further enlarged; displacing the warp yarn end (2b) in the width direction of the loom by a predetermined amount, thereby increasing the interval between the reed wires (8) through which the yarn end (2b) passes; and sequentially scanning the magnitude of each space between adjacent reed wires of the reed at the state where the clamped other end (2b) of the broken warp yarn (2) is displaced in the width direction of the loom ; and comparing each measured value with a reference value and locating the position of the space between adjacent reed wires (8) of the reed through which the broken warp yarn (2) was previously passed, based on the position of the space between adjacent reed wires of the reed having the magnitude which is greater than or less than the reference value. A device for automatically mending warp yarn in a loom comprising means for separating warp yarns adjacent to a broken warp yarn (2) by a fallen dropper (11) following detection of the broken warp yarn due to the drop of the dropper (11), means for picking up an end (2a) of the broken warp yarn (2) which is continuous to a warp yarn beam and connecting a mending yarn (23) to the end (2a) of the broken warp yarn (2), and a yarn passing device for rethreading the mending yarn through a heddle (7) and a reed wire (8) through which the broken warp yarn (2) had been passed before the same was broken, said device further comprising: a heddle selecting device (50) for further enlarging a space between ajoining warp yarns which are separated by the dropper (11), a broken warp yarn displacing device (70) composed of a suction pipe (21) which is disposed at the side close to the heddle (7) rather than the reed wire (8) for drawing another end (2b) of the broken warp yarn (2) which is continuous to a woven fabric (9), after the space between ajoining warp yarns is enlarged by the heddle selecting member (50), clamping means (25, 26) for clamping the thus drawn other end (2b), and driving means (18, 19, 20, 41, 42) for displacing the thus clamped another end (2b) of the broken warp yarn (2) in the width direction of the loom by a predetermined interval; and a detecting device (80) composed of a sensor (118) for detecting the magnitude of the space between the adjacent reed wires (8), a driving means for moving the sensor (118) along the reed wires (8) after the broken warp yarn displacing device (70) displaced the drawn broken warp yarn (2) in the width direction of the loom by a predetermined intervall, and a controller (120) for comparing a value detected by the sensor (118) with a reference value for specifying the magnitude of the space between adjacent reed wires (8) which is greater than or less than the reference value as a space between the adjacent reed wires (8) through which the broken warp yarn (2) was passed.

Inventors: NAKAI SOUICHI, TAKEGAWA YUJIRO, NAKAI, SOUICHI, TAKEGAWA, YUJIRO
Applicants: TSUDAKOMA IND CO LTD, TSUDAKOMA CORPORATION
Application year: 1990
Main classification: D03J1
IPC codes: D03J1