Abstract:
A loom reed including upper and lower bars which support reed dents and extend along the length of the reed is provided with a connecting device for connecting a brace to the upper bar to restrict longitudinal movement of the reed during loom operation.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/701,580, filed Dec. 11, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,412, which is a national stage filing under 35 U.S.C. 371 of PCT/EP99/03686 filed May 28, 1999 designating the United States and Published by the International Bureau in a language other than English on Dec. 16, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a device for securing a weaving reed, hereafter reed, to the batten beam of a weaving machine, the reed comprising an upper profiled bar, in particular an upper U-channel, a lower profiled bar, in particular a lower U-channel, to be secured to the batten beam, and reed dents mounted in-between the channels. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     It is known to affix the lower U-channel profiled bar of a reed by a clamp, for instance by a key, to a batten beam. However it has been observed that at high weaving rates, i.e. of the order of 1,000 or more filling insertions per minute, that the reed dents may break in the vicinity of the lower U-channel profiled bar. 
     It is known to reinforce one or both ends of the reed with solid steel bars which are mounted between the upper and lower U-channels in relation to the reed dents and parallel to them. Such a reinforcing bar may be straight or be bent several times. When such a reinforcing bar is situated on the filling insertion side of the reed, difficulties are encountered in locating the main air jet nozzles and a cutter for the fillings, which should be located directly at the fabric selvage or at the reed. If such a reinforcing bar is mounted on the opposite reed side, then it will hamper the installation of a filling detector or of a filling stretcher, which also should be mounted directly at the fabric&#39;s side selvage or at the reed. In many cases this leads to a fabric having relatively wide waste edges. Moreover there may be streaks at the fabric edge in the zone of a solid-steel reinforcing bar. Regardless, at high weaving rates, such a reinforcing bar may fail to prevent the reed dents from breaking at the lower U-channel. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The objective of the invention is to create a device of the initially cited kind to substantially reduce the danger of the reed dents breaking. 
     This problem is solved in that the upper profiled bar of the reed is secured, at least in its end region, to the batten beam by a connecting brace element running substantially in the reed&#39;s longitudinal direction, against displacements in said longitudinal direction relative to the beam. 
     The invention offers the feature that the reed, in particular the upper profiled bar, and the reed dents shall not oscillate in the longitudinal direction of the reed. As a result the danger of reed dent rupture in the vicinity of the lower profiled bar already is substantially reduced. 
     In a further embodiment of the invention, the connection element shall be flexible transversely of the reed. Consequently the connection brace element will not restrict the reed dent deformation transversely to the reed&#39;s longitudinal direction at beat up against the fabric&#39;s edge, and thereby the reed dents are able to deform uniformly at beatup. This feature generally precludes fabric streaks. Also the danger of reed dent rupture in the vicinity of the lower profiled bar caused by beatup stresses is substantially reduced. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the connecting brace element is a metal blade affixed both to the upper profiled bar of the reed and at a distance from the end of the reed to the batten beam. In an advantageous design, the blade is made of steel and its thickness transversely to the reed is about 2 mm, its height parallel to the reed is about 15 mm and its length is approximately 100 to 200 mm. Such a blade will not bend at the stresses encountered, and longitudinal reed displacements are substantially prevented. Transverse displacements however are allowed and as a result the danger of forming streaks in the fabric is reduced. 
     In a further embodiment of the invention, a support holding the connecting brace element is mounted on the batten beam in a direction along an extension of the reed. As a result the connecting element is connected in simple manner to the batten beam while spaced from the reed. As regards an airjet loom, at least one main jet nozzle shall be mounted appropriately on this support. When the connecting element is mounted opposite the insertion side, then appropriately a filling detector and/or a filling stretcher shall be mounted on the said support. As a result, this support also can be used to mount operationally required components and the total number of additional parts is very low. 
     The invention also contemplates a method for bracing a reed against longitudinal movement at its upper end. 
     Further features and advantages of the invention will be evident from the description of the embodiments shown in the drawing and in the sub-claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective of a device of the invention to affix a reed to a batten beam, 
     FIG. 2 is a section along the plane II of FIG. 1, 
     FIG. 3 is a section along plane III of FIG. 1, 
     FIG. 4 is a section along plane IV of FIG. 1, and 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective of another embodiment of a device of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The reed  1  shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is fitted with a plurality of sequentially mounted reed dents  2 . A U-shaped recess is present approximately centrally in the reed dents  2  which together constitute a guide duct  3  for a filling. The reed dents  2  are affixed in a cross-sectionally profiled upper and a lower bar, namely in an upper U-channel  4  and in a lower U-channel  5 . In both the upper U-channel  4  and in the lower U-channel  5 , the reed dents  2  are kept apart from each other a predetermined distance by so-called connecting spirals  7 ,  8 . Together with one connecting spiral  7  and  8  and retention bars  9  and  10 , the reed dents  2  are bonded into the upper and lower U-channels  4  and  5  respectively. The lower U-channel  5  is affixed by a key  11  and screws  13  to a batten beam  12 . The batten beam  12  is affixed in known manner by batten arms (not shown) to a batten shaft (not shown) extending parallel to the batten beam  12 . 
     In addition, an elongated connecting blade or brace element  14  is mounted on the reed  1  and extends substantially in the longitudinal direction A of this reed  1  and because it is longitudinally inextensible and resists bending under longitudinal compression it prevents said reed from moving in said direction A relative to beam  12 . In this embodiment the connecting blade  14  is mounted on the filling insertion side of the reed  1 . The connecting blade  14  is made of steel for instance and its thickness in the transverse direction B is roughly 2 mm. Its height is about 15 mm. The connecting blade&#39;s length is about 100 to 200 mm. 
     The end  15  of the connecting blade  14  is connected to the batten beam  12  and is spaced from the reed  1 . A fastener  17  is mounted on the end  15  and is affixed by a screw  16  to a support  18  which in turn is affixed to the batten beam  12 . This connection is carried out in relation to the connection of the lower U-channel  5 , that is using a key  19  and screws  20 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. 
     The support  18  is formed in the shape of a bent metal plate which, in the case of an airjet loom, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, also supports one or more main jet nozzles  21 ,  22 . For that purpose a retention device  23  of the main airjet nozzles  21 ,  22  is fastened by screws  24  to the support  18 . The ends of the jet tubes  25 ,  26  of the main airjet nozzles  21 ,  22  are also fastened by a further retention element or means  27  and a screw  28  to the support  18 . 
     The end  29  of the connection blade  14  which is directed to the reed  1  is mounted to the upper U-channel  4  of said reed. For that purpose a strip  30  is inserted into that space between the section of the legs of the upper U-channel  4  which overhang and extend beyond the reed dents  2 . The width of this strip  30  is about the same as the width of the upper zones of the dents  2  of the reed  1  which are bonded into the zone subtended between the legs of the upper U-channel  4 . Accordingly the strip  30  can be housed in said leg space of the upper U-channel  4  similar to the reed dents  2 . The strip  30  adjoins the first dent  2 A of the reed  1  and the end of the connecting spiral  7 . The retention bars  9  run over a given length beyond the first reed dent  2 A and the end of the connecting spiral  7 . Together with the retention bars  9 , the strip  30  is bonded to the upper U-channel  4 . Moreover the retention bars  9  may be welded onto the strip  30 . A strong connection is required between the strip  30  and the upper U-channel  4  because it must absorb comparatively high stresses. The shown embodiment also includes a retention strip  32  which is bonded to the back side of the upper U-channel  4  of the reed  1 . The connecting blade  14  is mounted between the strip  30  and the retention strip  32  and is affixed by a screw connector  31  that extends through suitable aligned connector receiving feature or apertures in blade  14  and strips  30 , 32  (see FIG.  4 ). Preferably the strip  30  is made of steel because such a selection is advantageous when affixing the connecting blade  14  using a screw  31 . The thickness of the connecting blade  14  of this embodiment substantially corresponds to the thickness of the rear leg  33  (FIG. 2) of the upper U-channel  4 . In this case, after the screw  31  has been tightened, the strip  30  and the retention strip  32  remain substantially mutually parallel. This design is especially appropriate for reeds wherein the upper U-channel  4  is made of aluminum or another relatively lightweight metal which per se would offer only modest mechanical strength. 
     In one embodiment variation, the connecting blade  14  is directly affixed by a screw to the upper U-channel  4  of the reed  1 . This design is advantageous for instance when the upper U-channel  4  of the reed  1  is made of steel or another metal of comparatively high mechanical strength. 
     FIG. 5 shows an embodiment which again offers the above described advantages, but wherein a connecting blade  34  is mounted on the opposite side of the reed  1 , that is, at the side which is opposite the filling insertion side. The connecting blade  34  is connected in the manner of the embodiment of FIG. 1 by one end  39  to the upper U-channel  4  of the reed  1  and by its end  40  to a support  35 . A filling detector  36  and/or a filling stretcher  37  is/are mounted on the support  35  which again is a bent metal plate and therefore are mounted directly next to the reed  1 . The filling detector  36  and the stretcher  37  each are affixed by a screw  41  and  42  to the support  35 . 
     In a further embodiment not shown, a connecting blade  14  is mounted at the filling insertion side of the reed  1  corresponding to FIG. 1 as well as a connecting blade  34  at the opposite side corresponding to FIG.  5 . 
     By introducing one or both elongated connecting blades  14 ,  34 , the reed  1  and in particular the upper U-channel  4  and the reed dents  2  shall be prevented from oscillating in the longitudinal direction A during weaving operation. The connecting blades  14  and/or  34  absorb both tensile and compressive forces, which prevent a displacement of the upper U-channel  4  toward the filling insertion side and in the opposite direction. The connecting blades  14  and  34  are dimensioned in such manner that they shall be strong enough not to bend when subjected to compression. Calculation shows that a connecting blade  14  or  34  about 2 mm thick and about 15 mm high is adequately resistant to bending when forces that arise at a weaving rate of 1,200 filling insertions a minute and with as many corresponding beatups. 
     The elongated connecting blades  14  and/or  34  at worst will slightly degrade the displacement in the transverse direction B of the end zone  6  of the reed  1  in the vicinity of the main airjet nozzles  21 ,  22  and/or of the end zone  38  of the reed  1  in the vicinity of the filling detector  36  or the stretcher  37 . The displaceability of the reed  1  in these zones  6  and  38  is not restricted with respect to the middle zone. Such a feature is attained by the connecting blades  14  and/or  34  being comparatively long and consequently will not unduly oppose bending in the transverse direction B. As a result, any differential in the displaceability of the reed  1  in the transverse direction B is prevented that produces streaks or other irregularities in the vicinity of the selvages. On the other hand, because displacements and oscillations of the upper U-channel  4  are substantially suppressed in the longitudinal direction A, the dents  2  of the reed  1  are stressed less in the vicinity of the lower U-channel  5 , and consequently the danger that the reed dents  2  should break in this region is considerably reduced. 
     The elongated connecting blade or brace elements  14  or  34  need not necessarily be in the shape of a blade or the like. Illustratively they may be in the form of round or polygonal bars of arbitrary cross-sections, which however should be designed in such a way that while substantially suppressing a displacement of the reed in the longitudinal direction A, they shall allow the displacement of the reed  1  in the transverse direction B. If called for, the connecting elements also may be wires, especially steel wires, or also plastic cords. 
     The invention is not restricted to the above described and illustrated embodiments. The scope of the invention is defined by the attached claims and allows changes and/or other combinations.