CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE RECTILINEAR VERTICAL RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT OF THE NEEDLE-HOLDER BEAM IN A NEEDLING MACHINE

Abstract: The rectilinear vertical reciprocating movement is transmitted to the needle-holder beam (2) of the needling machine by means of a crank mechanism preferably made up of two connecting rods (3, 3') hinged to the support (1) of said beam. According to the invention two further horizontal connecting rods or auxiliary connecting rods (7, 7'), mounted in the two sides of the needle-holder beam support and each having an end hinged to the related main connecting rod (3, 3') and the other end being joined to the structure of machine by means of a sliding block (9, 9') and a couple of conjugate profiles (10, 10'; 11, 11'), one of which being fixed and the other one being mobile are used. The profiles form a rolling coupling so that each sliding block, that is hinged to the related ancillary connecting rod, slides during the crank mechanism running between two extreme axial positions and contemporaneously each profile (10, 10') of the ancillary connecting rod rolls on the fixed conjugate profile (11, 11') for remaining constantly in contact therewith along lines that are always located on the horizontal plane passing by the contact line and by the centre of main connecting rod small end.

Description: DESCRIPTION OF THE PATENT APPLICATION ENTITLED: "CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE RECTILINEAR VERTICAL RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT OF THE NEEDLE-HOLDER BEAM IN A NEEDLING MACHINE" ***************************** The present invention refers to a control system for the rectilinear vertical reciprocating movement of the needle-holder beam in a needling machine of the type specified in the preamble of the first claim. It is known the running of needLing machines for manufacturing non-weaved fabrics, and in particular the running of the needle- holder beam driven in vertical reciprocating movement, that is transmitted to said beam by a crank mechanism, usually formed by two main counter-rotating connecting rods- Owing to evident technical reasons the movement of said beam must occur in vertical direction as the needles it supports must enter the material to be processed with as minumum inclination as possible, in limit condition equal to zero. Actually various systems are used for getting the control of the vertical movement of the needle-holder beam. For example, guides installed on a side of the needle-holder beam support or systems of adjustable slide gibs were used. Nevertheless in both cases it exists the danger of seizing owing to the wide sliding surface and further when slide gibs are used it is very difficult to adjust the related clearances and further it is possible to have lubricant losses with following damage of the product submitted to process. Further guide sliding blocks in oil bath or mechanisms derived from Watt's paraLielogram were proposed. But also these last systems are not exempt from drawbacks as in the case of sliding blocks it still exists the danger to loss oil and then to damage the product, while in the case of Watt's parallelogram the capacity of reaching very high running speeds is scarce and in any case the solution is complex under the construction point of view and cumbersome in the axial development direction. The present invention has the aim to provide a new control system for the needle-holder beam that can avoid aLl drawbacks of the known systems and in the same time assure the perfect vertical movement of the needle-holder-beam/support unit. According to the invention the new system is characterized in that it uses, in combination with the transmission crank mechanism of the reciprocating movement, at least two further horizontal connecting rods (auxiliary connecting rods) mounted respectively at the two sides of the needle-holder beam support and each connecting rod having an end hinged to the main connecting rod small end and the other end coupled to the machine structure by means of a sliding block running horizontally and a mobile profile cooperating with a fixed conjugate profile of the structure. Each sliding block is hinged at the end of the related auxiliary connecting rod for allowing said connecting rod to oscillate angulary in the vertical plane during the crank mechanism running and each couple of conjugate profiles to make a rolling coupling so that during said running each sliding block slides between two extreme axial positions and contemporaneously each profile of auxiliary connecting rod rolls on the related conjugate profile for remaining constantly in contact therewith along contact lines that are always on the horizontal plane passing by the axle of the main connecting rod small end. According to a simple embodiment the profile at the end of each auxiliary connecting rod is a circular profile with bending radius determined by the distance between the centre of the connecting rod small end and the centre of the hinging pin of the auxiliary connecting rod to the sliding block, while the conjugate profile of the structure is a flat profile. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention shall appear better from the following description and annexed drawings that, for sole exemple aims, are referred to its preferred but - - not Limiting embodiment. In drawings: - Figure 1 shows, in front view, the general structure of the needling machine provided with a crank mechanism for the movement transmission to two main counter-rotating connecting rods and two ancillary connecting rods used to control the vertical traverse of the needle-holder beam, in conformity to the invention; the different parts are shown in intermediate or central running position; - Figure 2 shows, in enlarged scale, the view of the left end of the auxiliary connecting rod of the machine of Figure 1, the view of the other end being identical; - Figure 3 is the horizontal section, following the line III-III, of the connecting rod end of Figure 2, the section of the other connecting rod end being identical; - Figure 4 shows, in enlarged scale, a detail of the section of Figure 3; - Figure 5 is the horizontal section, in enlarged scale, following the axle V-V, of the small end of Left main connecting rod, turned by 90°, of Figure 1, the section of small end of the other connecting rod being identical, and finally; - Figure 6 shows the half left side of the machine of Figure 1 with the different parts in the configuration of top and bottom dead center, the other;, half side being specular. As shown in Figure 1, the needling machine is made-up substantially of two identical and specular mechanisms, joined to the support (or yoke) 1 of the needle-holder beam 2. Therefore the corresponding parts of the two mechanisms shall be indicated in the following description with the same reference symbols but with an additional apex (') for the parts of one of mechanisms. With reference to said figure it appears that the vertical reciprocating movement is transmitted to the yoke 1 by means of a crank mechanism including two vertical counter-rotating connecting rods 3, 3', driven by the cranks -._. 4' and joined with the small ends 5, 5' in the two sides of the yoke 1 by means of the rotation pivots 6, 6'. According to the invention two auxiliary connecting rods 7, 7' orthogonal to the main connecting rods 3, 3' are installed at the two sides of the yoke 1, on which they are hinged in one end by means of the same rotation pivots 6, 6' of the main connecting rods 3, 3'. The other end of each auxiliary connecting rod is joined to the machine structure 8 by means of a sliding block 9, 9', sliding horizontally, and by means of a circular profile 10, 10' that co-operates in contact with a flat conjugate profile 11, 11' of the structure. For the reason that, as said, the machine is made-up of two specular mechanisms, the following description shall be made with sole reference to one thereof, but it is obvious that what said -for one mechanism is valid also for the other one. With particular reference to Figures 2, 3 and 4, the sliding block 9 is hinged to an axial appendix 12 of the connecting rod end 7 by means of a rotation pivot 13, that crosses freely said appendix and is parallel to the rotation pivot 6 of the main connecting rod 3. The shown solution has the sliding block 9 formed in two parts that are mounted at the protruding ends of the pivot 13 by means of bearings and Locked with one another by means of a clamp 14. The circular profile 10 has a bending radius equal to the distance between the axle of rotation pivot 13 of the ancillary connecting rod 7 and the axle of the rotation pivot 6 of the main connecting rod 3. A simple embodiment foresees that this profile is made-up by means of a circular sector surface, that is used in a body 15 fixed to the end of the connecting rod 7 by means of horizontal screws 16, while the conjugated flat profile 11 is made-up by means of a flat surface, perpendicular to the axle of the connecting rod 3, used in a body 17 fixed to an arm 18 of the structure by means of horizontal screws 19 and 20. Other vertical screws 21 allow the arm 18 to be fixed to the structure 8. The body 17 is supplied with a cavity 22, in which the sliding block 9 can slide between two guide walLε, a superior wall 23 and the other lower wall 24 of the same body. During the crank mechanism running the sliding block 9 slides in said cavity between two extreme axial positions, while the circular profile 10 rolls onto the flat profile 11 that is fixed and contemporaneously the auxiliary connecting rod 7 makes angular oscillations in a vertical plane, turning around the rotation pivot 13. The contact between the conjugated profiles 10, 11 occurs following contact lines (generatrixes) that are always in the horizontal plane passing by the contact line in different vertical positions on the fixed surface 11 and by the axle, also this being in different vertical positions, of the rotation pivot 4 of the main connecting rod 3. In detail, when the sliding block 9 reaches the extreme internal position, the main connecting rod and the auxiliary connecting rod are in central or intermediate position, while when the sliding block is in its extreme external position said connecting rods are in top dead center or bottom dead center positions. The extreme position assumed by the connecting rods 3 and 7 when the sliding block 9 is in the extreme external position are shown in the Figure 6, where A indicates the configuration of top dead center and B indicates the configuration of bottom dead center. Further the same figure shows by LC, LS, LI the outlines of the three parallel planes on which there are located the contact Lines between the conjugate profiles 10, 11 respectively in central position, in top dead center and in bottom dead center of connecting rods 3 and 7. The rolling coupling of conjugated profiles 10, 11 forms a main feature of the invention as owing to the constant distance between the contact points of said profiles and the centre of connecting rod 3 small end, the small end 5 of said connecting rod must necessarily move along a vertical line assuring in this manner- the perfect vertical direction of the reciprocating movement of the yoke 1/needle-holder beam 2 unit. Naturally this perfect running is obtained by means of other construction sagacities suggested by the invention and particularly the use of a sole rotation pivot 6 for the connection of the ends of connecting rods 3 and 7 and of the yoke 1, as shown in Figure 5. In fact this figure shows that the pivot 6 is joined both to the smaLL end 5 of the main connecting rod 3 (shown turned by 90°) by means of a locking clamp 25, and to the support (or yoke) 1 of the needle-hoLder beam, .and further to the end of the auxiliary connecting rod 7 through the related bearings 26 and 27. In deta l, the connecting rod 7 is joined to the pivot 6 by means of one fork end 28. The bearings are locked on the pivot 6 by means of the screws 33 and 34. The two ends of the pivot are closed by two protection covers 29 that are fixed to the fork 28 by the screws 30. The covers are provided with Lubricators or unions 31 for the introduction of the lubrication grease in its inside. Turning now to bodies 15 and 17, it must be noticed that the same bodies are made-up of materials of high mechanical strength for reducing its wear, although this is very limited, as the friction between conjugated profiles 10, 11, that are in rolling contact, is of rolling type, while the friction between the sliding block 9 and guide surfaces 23 and 24 is of sliding type, but it has a minimum value as the sliding between the parts occurs along a short path, in the order of one-two millimeters. Nevertheless for allowing the quick and easy replacement of these bodies with other new parts, its connection to the connecting rod and structure is made, as said, respectively by means of the screws 16 and 19 that, being foreseen as detachable fastening means, have also the function of adjustment means for the position of said bodies. Also the other screws 20 and 21 allow the fastening of parts and further the necessary adjustment operations. For keeping the end of the connecting rod 7 and the grease introduced in the inside of the body 17 with the aim of lubricating the profiles and the sliding block and then avoid the grease output with possible damages of the material submitted to process, a cylindrical protection binding 32 made-up by means of a bellow fixed to its two sides at the outside of the same parts is provided around said parts. The selection of the bellow solution allows the connecting rod εmaLL end to make little traverses causes by the rolling of the circular profile 10 on the flat profile 11. Further the belLow guarantees also a protection against the dust. From what said above it is evident that the control device according to the invention eliminates all drawbacks suffered by known systems. In fact the adjustments are made very simply owing to the presence of the screws; the rotation speed of the mechanism can be high as the mobile surfaces in contact are reduced to a minimum and the angular oscillations of auxialiary connecting rods are of few degrees, in the order of 4-5°. Further the Losses of lubricant cannot occur as it is used exclusively the grease that, further, is kept in the inside by means of the protection bellow. Finally owing to optimal Lubrication that is got in this manner, the jams between the various parts are avoided. The invention * was shown with reference to a crank mechanism with two counter-rotating connecting rods, but what said for this solution is also valid in the case of crank mechanism with one connecting rod with the sole difference that the auxiliary connecting rods shall be two in number (and not one in number) for each side of the support 1. In this case an auxiliary connecting rod of each couple shall be again hinged to the main connecting rod small end, while the other auxiliary connecting rod shall be simply hinged to the support 1. Both connecting rods shall be coupled by its second ends to the structure in the manner described above. The above described control system can be submitted to numerous modifications and changes, all of them being included within the scope of the inventive concept.

Claims: CLAIMS 1) A control system for the rectilinear vertical reciprocating movement of the needle-holder beam (2) in a needling machine in which the movement of said beam is transmitted from a motor through a crank mechanism with one or more connecting rods hinged by the small end to the support (1) of the needle-holder beam, characterized in that it uses at Least two further horizontal connecting rods (7, 7') or auxiliary connecting rods, joined respectively in the two sides of the needle-holder beam support and each auxiliary connecting rod having an end hinged to the small end (5, 5') of a main connecting rod (3, 3') and the other end joined to the structure (8) of the machine by means of a sliding block (9, 9') running horizontally and a profile (10, 10') cooperating with a conjugate profile (11, 11') of the structure; each sliding block (9, 9') being hinged to the end of the related auxiliary connecting rod for allowing the said connecting rod to make angular oscillations in the vertical plane during the crank mechanism running arid each coupLe of conjugated profiles (10, 10 τ ; 11, IT) making a rolling coupling so that, during said running, each sliding block slides between two extreme axial positions and contemporaneously each profile (10, 10') of the auxiliary connecting rod rolls on the related conjugate profile (11, 11') for staying constantly in contact therewith along contact lines that are always in the horizontal plane passing by the axle of the main connecting rod (3, 3') small end. 2) The device according to claim 1, characterized in that each sliding block is hinged to an axial appendix (12) of the corresponding end of the auxiliary connecting rod (7) by means of a rotation pivot (13) parallel to the rotation pivot (6) of the small end (5) of the corresponding main connecting rod (3). 3) The device according to claim 2, characterized in that each sliding block is joined to the related axial appendix of the auxiliary connecting rod end by means of a clamp (14). 4) The device according to claims 1, 2 and 3, characterized in that the profile (10) of the end of each auxiliary connecting rod is a circular profile with bending radius equal to the distance between the rotation axle of the small end (5) of the main connecting rod and the axle of the rotation pivot (13) of the auxiliary connecting rod end, while the conjugate profile (11) of the structure is a flat profile. 5) The device according to cLaim 4, characterized in that the circular profile of the end of each auxiliary connecting rod is made by means of a circular sector surface made-up of a body (15) fixed to the end of the connecting rod by means of screws (16) having also the function of adjustment means of the position of said body, while the flat conjugate profile is made-up of a flat surface shown by a body (17) fixed to an arm (18) of the structure (8) of the machine by means of further screws (19) and (20) having also the function of adjustment means of the position of said body; the body (17) fixed to the arm (18) establishing in its inside a cavity (22) in which the sliding block (9) slides between two guide walls (23, 24) of said body (17). 6) The control device according to claim 5, characterized in that the arm supporting the body (17) showing the flat surface (11) is joined to the machine structure by means of screws (21) having also the function of adjustment means of the position of said arm. 7) The control device according to preceding claims, characterized in that the bodies (15, 15'; 17, 17') provided with conjugated profiles (10, 10 1 ; 11, 11') externally show a protection bellow (32) protecting against the dust and lubricant losses. 8) The control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the small end of each main connecting rod, the corresponding hinged end of the auxiliary connecting rod and the support (1) of the needle-holder beam are rotatably joined by means of a sole rotation pivot (6). " 9) The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the end of each auxiliary connecting rod is rotatably engaged with the rotation pivot (6) of the main connecting rod by means of a terminal fork (28). 10) The device according to claims 8 and 9, characterized in that the smalL end of each main connecting rod is joined to the rotation pivot by means of a clamp (25). 11) The device according to claims 8, 9 and 10, characterized in that the ends of the rotation pivot of the main connecting rod are protected by two covers (29) through which the lubrication grease is introduced. 12) The control device according to preceding claims, in which the transmission crank mechanism of the movement includes two main counter-rotating connecting rods (3, 3'), characterized in that the small ends (5, 5') of said connecting rods are hinged respectively to the two sides of the support (1) of the needle- holder beam (28) and to the end of the related auxiliary connecting rod. 13) The control device according to claims from 1 to 11, in which the transmission crank mechanism of the movement includes a main connecting rod, characterized in that the small end of said connecting rod is hinged to an intermediate point of the support (1) of the needle-holder beam and in that the auxiliary connecting rods are two in number for each side of the support and installed onto one another, and that only one auxiliary connecting rod of each couple is hinged to the rotation pivot (6) of the main connecting rod, while the other one is hinged to the support of the needle-holder beam; the other end of each couple being coupled to the structure (8) by means of a sliding block running horizontally and a circular profile rolling on a flat profile fixed to the structure.

Inventors: NENCINI ANTONIO, NENCINI GRAZIANO, NENCINI MASSIMO, SANTI CARLO, VEZZOSI RAFFAELE, NENCINI, ANTONIO, NENCINI, GRAZIANO, NENCINI, MASSIMO, SANTI, CARLO, VEZZOSI, RAFFAELE
Applicants: NENCINI ANTONIO, NENCINI GRAZIANO, NENCINI MASSIMO, SANTI CARLO, VEZZOSI RAFFAELE, NENCINI, ANTONIO, NENCINI, MASSIMO
Application year: 1993
Main classification: D04H18
IPC codes: D04H18, F16C11