Abstract:
The loom contains a weaving station, at which warp yarns can be interwoven by at least one weft yarn, a device for supplying the warp yarns, and a device for supplying the at least one weft yarn. A shedding device for forming a shed from the warp yarns, and a weft insertion needle for inserting a weft yarn loop into the shed, are also present. The weft yarn loop is tied off with a knitting needle and beaten with a reed. A take-down device serves to draw off the woven fabric that is produced. In order to produce a profiled woven article, the weaving station is assigned a fabric holder with a shaping aperture whose opening cross section corresponds substantially to the cross section of the profiled woven article that is to be produced with a round or polygonal cross section.

Description:
This application claims priority of PCT application PCT/EP2009/004123 having a priority date of Jul. 15, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The invention relates to a weaving machine for producing a fabric having a profiled cross section, in particular a rope. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Ropes are generally produced on laying machines or braiding machines; the disadvantage here is that these machines have limited capacity and enable only ropes of limited length. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,130,636 describes a weaving machine, of the type mentioned initially, for producing a strip, that is a flat structure, the weaving station usually being assigned a cloth holder. The cloth holder serves exclusively for holding the strip fabric, which is already flat per se, and therefore has no influence at all on profile shaping. DE 20000593 describes a device for producing a bent strip, which is connected as an additional assembly downstream of a weaving arrangement. This additional device has two take-up rollers, between which the strip produced can be bent, but the cross section thereof cannot be changed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,838 describes a device which is connected downstream of a weaving machine and produces a three-dimensional hollow body from the strip produced. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to design a weaving machine such that it is suitable for producing a fabric having a profiled cross section, in particular a rope. 
     On account of the fact that, in order to form a profile fabric, the weaving station is assigned a cloth holder having a shaping opening, the opening cross section of which corresponds substantially to the cross section of the profile fabric, having a round or polygonal cross section, the warp threads, on account of the shaping opening, are bundled in the desired form of the profile fabric and fixed in the intended position with the aid of the inserted weft thread loops and the tying off thereof. Thus, profile fabrics, in particular ropes, can be produced easily on a weaving machine at high speed and in great lengths. 
     The expression “warp thread” should in the present case be understood very broadly and includes not only yams, but also any other elongate structure supplied in the manner of a warp thread, which may in turn be profiles or reinforcing inserts, which have been produced as profile structures by weaving, knitting, braiding or the like. 
     The shaping opening of the cloth holder can be substantially circular. However, shaping openings having a substantially oval or elliptical cross section are also conceivable. The cross section of the shaping opening can be in the form of a regular or irregular polygon, in particular a triangle or rectangle. 
     The cloth holder advantageously has an introduction slot, formed over the length of the shaping opening thereof, for introducing the warp threads. The introduction slot is designed here such that the introduced warp threads are prevented from sliding out. For this purpose, the introduction slot preferably has a wavy form. It is also advantageous for the cloth holder to have a split form in the direction of its shaping opening, so that, by removing a part of the cloth holder, the shaping opening is accessible in order to insert the warp threads. 
     It is advantageous that a heddle which is prestressed transversely to the warp thread course is present in the warp thread supply device upstream of the shedding device for each warp thread, in order to equalize alternating tensile stresses or differences of length between adjacent warp threads during weaving. At least one warp thread supply can be designed for a warp thread of relatively large diameter serving as a filler and can have a corresponding tension. Expediently, each heddle or the tensioning roller is connected to a contact piece, in order to trigger an error signal in the event of insufficient warp thread tension. 
     It is particularly advantageous when the weaving machine, has a cloth take-up device having a multiplicity of deflection points, preferably 5 to 15 deflection points, for the profile fabric. This ensures secure driving of the profile fabric at the cloth take-up and prevents deformation of the profile fabric as would occur in the case of conventional cloth take-ups. Stresses in the profile fabric produced can also be reduced by the deflection points. The cloth take-up will preferably have a mechanical or electromechanical drive, it being advantageous when the relationship between the take-up speed and the weaving machine speed can be controlled or regulated—preferably by an adjusting mechanism or an electronic control arrangement. 
     Such a cloth take-up can, consist of two parallel take-up rollers, at least one of which is driven and on which the profile fabric is guided with multiple looping. The take-up rollers have different diameters from one another, this serving to improve the reduction in tension in the profile fabric. It is particularly advantageous when the take-up rollers, has for the final looping a larger diameter than in the remaining region. The take-up properties can be improved by a refinement, in which at least the driven take-up roller has a slip-inhibiting surface. It is particularly expedient when the weaving machine, has deflection points with a accommodating profile which is at least matched to the cross-sectional form of the profile fabric, in order to improve the profile consistency of the profile fabric. 
     It is advantageous when a deflecting roller for partially stretching the profile fabric is arranged between the cloth holder and the cloth take-up device, in order to reduce internal stresses in the profile fabric produced. The deflecting roller is preferably arranged such that the profile fabric is deflected downward, it being necessary to arrange the deflecting roller approximately in the middle between the cloth holder and the cloth take-up. 
     Such a weaving machine is very particularly advantageous when the cloth holder is arranged such that it can pivot through a particular angle about an axis transverse to the weaving direction, that is to say approximately parallel to the weft direction. In particular when weaving ropes, in which a weave repeat is usually provided, where the distribution of the warp threads in the upper shed with respect to the warp threads in the lower shed and vice versa is three quarters to one quarter or even more uneven (e.g. one eighth to seven eighths), geometric problems occur, particularly in needle weaving machines, with enabling the weft needle to pass through freely. Even in the case of sometimes very thick warp threads, e.g. a thick weaving core, which represents an average warp thread, the raising and lowering of the warp threads—in particular including the weaving core—into a region outside the weft region is made easier. The effect achieved in this way is improved even further when, the cloth holder, although having in the front shaping region an opening cross section which corresponds substantially to the cross section of the profile fabric to be produced, is widened in the rear region, that is to say, in the case of a rope to be woven in a circular manner, is widened upwardly and downwardly in an oval manner with approximately straight, parallel sides. This shaping then assists the pivoting movement of the cloth holder. For an explanation, reference is made to the fact that, in the case of a square shaping cross section of the cloth holder, the rear cross section is then preferably rectangular. This embodiment of the invention with a pivotable shaping cloth holder has, in particular, the advantage that, compared with a weaving machine without the pivotability measures, raising and lowering when forming the shed can be reduced with the same rope thickness or weaving core thickness to be achieved, without disrupting the ability of the weft needle—or any other well insertion arrangement—to move freely. Since raising and lowering when forming the shed has a considerable influence on the speed of weaving, a higher speed of weaving can be achieved with the measure mentioned by the reduced necessary raising and lowering when forming the shed. On the other hand, with a given weaving machine—with respect to the formation of the shed—having the measures of this advantageous embodiment, greater profile thicknesses (than e.g. rope thicknesses) can be achieved and thicker weaving cores can be processed. In principle, the pivoting movement can be driven from the outside. In the preferred embodiment, it is, however, free and is performed by the raising and lowering of the warp threads. Furthermore, it is possible to use a pivotable cloth holder even in a conventional weaving machine, in which the cloth holder is designed as a spreader for woven materials woven in the form of a strip. 
     The abovementioned elements and also the elements to be used according to the invention and claimed and described in the following exemplary embodiments are subject to no particular exceptions in terms of their size, shaping, use of material and their technical design, and so the selection criteria known in the respective field of use can be used in an unrestricted manner. 
     The person skilled in the art should recognize that on their own the following measures are already advantageous in a rope weaving machine compared with the prior art and even independently of claim  1  are able to form a separate invention: 
     A weaving machine for producing a fabric having a profiled cross section, in particular a rope, having a weaving station, at which warp threads can be woven together by means of at least one weft thread, having a device for supplying the warp threads, having a device for supplying the at least one weft thread, further having a shedding device for forming a shed from the warp threads, furthermore having a weft insertion needle for inserting a weft thread loop into the shed, having a knitting needle for tying off the weft thread loop, having a reed for beating up the weft thread loop, and also having a cloth holder assigned to the weaving station, and having a cloth take-up for taking up the woven cloth, in which the cloth holder has a shaping opening and an introduction slot, formed over the length of the shaping opening, for introducing the warp threads, the introduction slot being designed such that the introduced warp threads are prevented from sliding out. In this case the introduction slot preferably has a wavy form. 
     A weaving machine for producing a fabric having a profiled cross section, in particular a rope, having a weaving station, at which warp threads can be woven together by means of at least one well thread, having a device for supplying the warp threads, having a device for supplying the at least one well thread, further having a shedding device for forming a shed from the warp threads, furthermore having a weft insertion needle for inserting a weft thread loop into the shed, having a knitting needle for tying off the weft thread loop, having a reed for beating up the well thread loop, and also having a cloth holder assigned to the weaving station, and having a cloth take-up for taking up the woven cloth, in which a heddle for equalizing alternating tensile stresses between adjacent warp threads and prestressed transversely to the warp thread course is present in the warp thread supply device upstream of the shedding device for each warp thread, and wherein preferably at least one warp thread supply is designed for a warp thread of relatively large diameter serving as a filler and has a tensioning roller, and wherein furthermore preferably each heddle or the tensioning roller is connected to a contact piece, in order to trigger an error signal in the event of insufficient warp thread tension. 
     A weaving machine for producing a fabric having a profiled cross section, in particular a rope, having a weaving station, at which warp threads can be woven together by means of at least one weft thread, having a device for supplying the warp threads, having a device for supplying the at least one well thread, further having a shedding device for forming a shed from the warp threads, furthermore having a well insertion needle for inserting a well thread loop into the shed, having a knitting needle for tying off the well thread loop, having a reed for beating up the weft thread loop, and also having a cloth holder assigned to the weaving station, and having a cloth take-up for taking up the woven cloth, in which the cloth take-up has a multiplicity of deflection points, preferably 5 to 15 deflection points, for the profile fabric, the cloth take-up has a mechanical or electromechanical drive, and the relationship between the take-up speed and the weaving machine speed can be controlled or regulated, preferably by an adjusting mechanism or an electronic control arrangement, wherein the cloth take-up preferably has two parallel take-up rollers, at least one of which is driven and on which the profile fabric is guided with multiple looping, and the take-up rollers preferably have different diameters from one another. In this case, the take-up rollers preferably have for the final looping a section with a larger diameter than in the remaining region. At least the driven take-up roller preferably has a slip-inhibiting surface. Furthermore, at least a number of the deflection points have a take-up profile which is at least matched to the cross-sectional form of the profile fabric. 
     A weaving machine for producing a fabric having a profiled cross section, in particular a rope, having a weaving station, at which warp threads can be woven together by means of at least one weft thread, having a device for supplying the warp threads, having a device for supplying the at least one weft thread, further having a shedding device for forming a shed from the warp threads, furthermore having a weft insertion needle for inserting a weft thread loop into the shed, having a knitting needle for tying off the weft thread loop, having a reed for beating up the weft thread loop, and also having a cloth holder assigned to the weaving station, and having a cloth take-up for taking up the woven cloth, in which a deflecting roller for partially stretching the profile fabric is arranged between the cloth holder and the cloth take-up. The deflecting roller preferably deflects the profile fabric downward and is arranged approximately in the middle between the cloth holder and the cloth take-up. 
     A weaving machine having a weaving station, at which warp threads can be woven together by means of at least one well thread, having a device for supplying the warp threads, having a device for supplying the at least one well thread, further having a shedding device for forming a shed from the warp threads, furthermore having a well insertion needle for inserting a weft thread loop into the shed, having a knitting needle for tying off the well thread loop, having a reed for beating up the well thread loop, and also having a cloth holder or spreader assigned to the weaving station, and having a cloth take-up for taking up the woven cloth, in which the cloth holder is arranged such that it can pivot about an axis transverse to the cloth running direction and preferably its shaping opening has an upwardly and downwardly widened form in the rear region. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1   a  shows a side view of a weaving machine, 
         FIG. 1   b  shows a plan view of the weaving machine in  FIG. 1   a,    
         FIG. 2  shows a cloth holder having a shaping opening with a circular cross section, 
         FIG. 3  shows a cloth holder having a shaping opening with an elliptical cross section, 
         FIG. 4  shows a cloth holder having a shaping opening with a rectangular cross section, 
         FIG. 5  shows a longitudinal section through a cloth holder, 
         FIG. 6  shows a semicircular accommodating profile of a deflection point, 
         FIG. 7  shows a semielliptical accommodating profile of a deflection point, 
         FIG. 8  shows a wedge-shaped accommodating profile of a deflection point, 
         FIG. 9  shows the accommodating profile in  FIG. 8  with a rope inserted, 
         FIG. 10  shows a schematic side view of a further weaving machine, 
         FIG. 11  shows a device for supplying a filler, 
         FIG. 12  shows a weaving machine of a further embodiment of the present invention, having a pivotable cloth holder, the cloth holder being located in the normal or middle position, 
         FIG. 13  shows a weaving machine of a further embodiment of the present invention, having a pivotable cloth holder, the cloth holder being located in a strongly raised position, 
         FIG. 14  shows a weaving machine of a further embodiment of the present invention, having a pivotable cloth holder, the cloth holder being located in a slightly raised position, and 
         FIG. 15  shows a comparison to illustrate the increase in the raising and lowering range of the weaving machine according to  FIG. 12  with respect to a weaving machine without the measures of this further embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b  schematically illustrate a side view and a plan view of a weaving machine, which has a device  2  for supplying warp threads  4 . By means of a shedding device  6 , the warp threads  4  are opened to form a shed  8 , so that a weft thread loop  12  of a weft thread  14  can be inserted into the shed  8  by means of a weft insertion needle  10 . The weft thread loop  12  is tied off on the side facing away from the insertion side by means of a knitting needle  16 . The weft thread loop  12  can be tied off using the weft thread loop which has already been inserted, but tying off preferably takes place with the aid of an auxiliary thread  18 . Tying off advantageously takes place such that the inserted weft thread loops  12  are prevented from rippling. At the weaving station  20 , the inserted and tied off weft thread loop is beaten up by means of a reed  21  and supplied to the cloth holder  22 , which has a shaping opening  24 , the opening cross section of which corresponds substantially to the cross section of the profile fabric  26  to be produced. The warp threads  4  are kept at the weaving station  20 , already in the desired form of the final profile fabric, with the aid of the shaping opening  24  and this form is kept by the inserted and tied off weft thread loops  12 . 
       FIGS. 2 to 4  show cloth holders  22   a ,  22   b  and  22   c  having different shaping openings  24   a ,  24   b  and  24   c  with circular, elliptical and polygonal, such as quadrilateral, cross sections. The cloth holders have a split form along their horizontal mid-plane, so that a part can be removed in order to make it easier to insert the warp threads. However, it is also possible to provide, for example along the mid-plane on one side of the cloth holder, an introduction slot (not shown in more detail) for introducing the warp threads. In order to make it difficult for the warp threads to slide out, the introduction slot can have a wavy form. 
       FIG. 5  shows a longitudinal section through the cloth holder  22 . In order to reduce the frictional resistance of the profile fabric in the shaping opening  24 , the latter can have a slightly widening cross section in the running direction of the profile fabric. The profile fabric  26  emerging from the cloth holder  22  is taken up by means of a cloth take-up  28  at which the profile fabric is guided in multiple looping in order that the profile fabric is taken up securely and that deformation of the profile fabric is prevented. 
     The cloth take-up  28  has two rollers  30 ,  32 , which are spaced apart from one another, and of which the roller  30  facing the cloth holder  22  has a smaller diameter and the roller  32  facing away from the cloth holder  22  has a larger diameter. For the last turn, the roller  32  has a section  34  having an even larger diameter, in order to enable satisfactory discharging of the profile fabric  26 . A running roller  36  having a relatively small diameter forms the run-in to the cloth take-up  28 . In order to supply the profile fabric  26  to the final section  34  on the roller  32 , a securing device  38  is additionally provided, in order that the profile fabric  26  is driven securely at the section  34  and that an alarm signal is triggered in the event of a malfunction. The rollers  30  and  32  can be provided with a slip-free coating and/or have accommodating profiles  40 , which are matched to the cross section of the profile fabric  26  produced, as can be gathered from  FIGS. 6 to 8 . Particularly advantageous is the refinement according to  FIG. 9 , in which the accommodating profile  40  is designed such that the chord of the profile fabric lies at the level of the lateral surface  42  of the roller, so that the tensile force acts as far as possible in the central axis, that is the neutral fiber of the profile fabric. 
       FIG. 10  shows further refinements of a weaving machine in  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b . The device  2  for supplying warp threads  4  comprises for each warp thread a thread cone  42 , from which the warp thread  4  is supplied, via a thread brake  44 , to rollers  46 ,  48 . From there, the warp thread  4  runs via two guide rods  50 ,  52  to the shedding device  6 . The roller  48  is prestressed against the warp thread  4  by means of a spring  54 . Between the guide rods  50 ,  52  there is provided for each warp thread a lifting heddle  56 , in which the warp thread  4  is guided through an eyelet  58 . The lifting heddle  56  is prestressed downwardly by means of a spring  60 , in order to equalize fluctuations, which occur during weaving, between adjacent warp threads. At the upper end of the lifting heddle there is positioned a contact rail  62  of a warp stop motion  64 , which is activated if a warp thread breaks or the warp thread sags impermissibly. It should be noted that the illustration of the warp thread course via the guide rails  50 ,  52  in relation to the contact rail  62  of the warp stop motion is not true to scale, but rather is schematic. 
     Between the cloth holder  22  and the cloth take-up  28 , a guide roller  66  and a stretching roller  68  are arranged such that the profile fabric  26  is deflected slightly downward between the cloth holder  22  and the guide roller  66 . This deflection has the purpose of stretching the profile at the cloth holder  22  and at the guide roller  66  in the upper region and in the region of the stretching roller  68  in the lower region. This has a positive influence on the warp thread tension of the profile fabric produced. A container  70  for accommodating the finished profile fabric  26  is assigned to the cloth take-up  28 . 
       FIG. 11  shows a device  72  for supplying a filler  74  at the weaving machine. A filler of this kind can have properties and dimensions which are very different from the rest of the warp threads. Thus, the filler can consist of plastic material, steel wire or steel cable or have a cross section which is substantially larger than that of the warp threads. Thus, the filler can, for example, be a tubular structure. Since it is more difficult to handle the filler  74  than the rest of the warp threads, special measures are require for supplying it. The supply device  72  for the filler  74  comprises firstly a filler bobbin  76 , which is connected to a braking device  78 . The filler  74  taken up from the filler bobbin  76  is guided over various guides  80 ,  82 ,  84  to the shedding device  6 . Between the guides  80  and  84  there is provided a tensioning device  86 , which has a rocker arm  88 , secured to which is a clamping roller  90  which is prestressed against the filler  74  by means of a spring  92 . Assigned to the rocker arm  88  is a contact point  94 , which the rocker arm  88  strikes if the filler  74  is broken or the prestress of the filler is not strong enough. 
     A wide variety of profile fabrics can be produced by means of the weaving machine, in particular ropes having a wide variety of structures. The weaving machine enables higher production speeds than braiding machines and enables ropes having great lengths to be produced. 
       FIGS. 12 to 15  show a weaving machine in a further improved embodiment of the present invention, having a pivotable cloth holder  22   d . In  FIG. 12 , the cloth holder is located in the normal or middle position, and the warp threads are neither raised nor lowered. In  FIG. 13 , the cloth holder is in a position, in this weaving machine, which corresponds to a “strongly raised” position. Here, “strongly raised” means that most warp threads  4 , typically more than 75%, are raised, while fewer than 25% of the warp threads  4  are lowered, or wherein, if a thicker and harder weaving core  96  is used, this weaving core  96  is raised. In this case, the distribution of the further, thinner warp threads  4  is less important. In  FIG. 14 , the cloth holder  22   d  is in a position, in this weaving machine, which corresponds to a “slightly raised” position. Here, “slightly raised” means that most warp threads  4 , typically more than 75%, are lowered, while fewer than 25% of the warp threads  4  are raised or wherein, if a thicker and harder weaving core is used, this weaving core  96  is lowered. In this case, the distribution of the further, thinner warp threads  4  is again less important.  FIG. 15  shows a comparison to illustrate the increase in the raising and lowering range of the weaving machine according to  FIG. 12  with respect to a weaving machine without the measures of this improved embodiment. The effect achieved thereby is further improved in the present exemplary embodiment, in that, although the cloth holder  22   d  in the front shaping region has the circular opening cross section  24   d , which corresponds to the cross section of the rope in the example of a round rope, in the rear region it is widened. The cross section of the rear opening is in this case widened upwardly and downwardly in an oval manner, the widening being formed by straight, parallel sides. The widening is linear within the cloth holder  22   d , i.e. the straight, parallel side lengths forming the widening increase in the exemplary embodiment shown here from zero (at the front) to the full side length (at the rear). This shaping assists the pivoting movement of the cloth holder  22   d . In the exemplary embodiment shown here, the pivotable cloth holder  22   d  can pivot freely above the shaping opening  24   d  about an axis  100  transversely to the weaving direction, the pivotability being limited by the shaping and by the cloth (rope) being guided through. Of course, the pivotable, shaping cloth holder  22   d  is positioned such that in all pivoting states the reed  21  stops in front of the cloth holder  22   d —in each of its pivoting positions—without touching it. For an explanation, reference is made to the fact that, in the case of a square shaping cross section of the pivotable cloth holder—i.e. when a square rope is intended to be woven—the rear cross section is then preferably rectangular. 
     LIST OF REFERENCES 
     
         
           2  Supply device for warp thread 
           4  Warp thread 
           6  Shedding device 
           8  Shed 
           10  Weft insertion needle 
           12  Weft thread loop 
           14  Weft thread 
           16  Knitting needle 
           18  Auxiliary thread 
           20  Weaving station 
           21  Reed 
           22 , a,b,c,d  Cloth holder 
           24 , a,b,c,d  Shaping opening 
           26  Profile fabric 
           28  Cloth take-up 
           30  Roller 
           32  Roller 
           34  Section 
           36  Running roller 
           38  Securing device 
           40  Accommodating profile 
           42  Thread cone 
           44  Thread brake 
           46  Roller 
           48  Roller 
           50  Guide rod 
           52  Guide rod 
           54  Spring 
           56  Lifting heddle 
           58  Eyelet 
           60  Spring 
           62  Contact rail 
           64  Warp stop motion 
           66  Guide roller 
           68  Stretching roller 
           70  Container 
           72  Supply device 
           74  Filler 
           76  Filler bobbin 
           78  Braking device 
           80  Guide 
           82  Guide 
           84  Guide 
           86  Tensioning device 
           88  Rocker arm 
           90  Tensioning roller 
           92  Spring 
           94  Contact point 
           96  Weaving core 
           98  Neutral axis 
           100  Pivot axis of the cloth holder