Patent TW-536568-B (TW)
Title: Loom having magnetic levitation type shuttle
Inventor: LIOU YUNG-HE
IPC: D03J5/02
Filed: 2001-09-14
Granted: 2003-06-11
Abstract: This invention is a second additional application of patent application No. 90109860, and relates to a loom having magnetic levitation type shuttle, especially a magnetic levitation type shuttle design, into which four breakthroughs are made in (1) rack: the flat bed configuration is changed to a vertical configuration to have warps forming a V-shaped yarn channel, two movable plate (frame) bodies of identical width are arranged outside the channel and comprise three rows of permanent magnets close to a warp plane, opposite ends of lower edges thereof being connected by pivot shaft with an elongate slot formed therebetween, upper edges being pivoted to two links, the links being connected to links extending from steel reed by pivot pin, (2) shuttle: the shuttle has a ship board configuration similar to the V-shape of the previously mentioned plate (frame) bodies, three rows of magnets are attached to outside of the V-shaped board of which the upper and lower rows comprise permanent magnets, while the intermediate row comprises electromagnets, powered by a battery set inside the ship for excite a high temperature super-conduction coil, the coil being operated in a liquid nitrogen environment, spatial distance among the three magnet rows is corresponding to the movable plate (frame) bodies, a swing piece which can automatically adjust the swinging direction along with thrust of airflow is provided on opposite sides of the top edge of the shuttle whereby when the shuttle is moved toward different directions while reciprocating, the two swinging pieces illustrate specific different swinging angles and airflow entering the space below the swing pieces induces pressure on the rear side of the shuttle that moves the shuttle forward in a horizontal direction, (3) stopping/starting device: a seat is disposed on each end of the previously mentioned V-shaped yarn channel, having an interior forming a V-shaped space, three rows of magnets are arranged on inclined surfaces of the V-shape of which the spatial relationship is arranged to be the same as that of the previously mentioned movable plate (frame) bodies, the magnets is powered by a computer control box (battery) to brake and thus stop the shuttle when the shuttle enters therein and when the steel reed reaches an upper dead center, the seat functions as a base for the shuttle to rush into the yarn channel, and (4) signal commanding system: to complete one movement of knitting operation, the shuttle, the steel reed and the frame must have a reasonable spatial and timing relationship and the present invention employs optic signals to communicate among all devices during the reciprocation of the shuttle, wherein (1) opposite ends of the upper dead center of the steel reed are provided with triggering switches and optic signal generators respectively facing corresponding stopping/starting device at an angle of 120 degrees to transmit different signals, based on which the shuttle identifies directions, and supplying electrical current to the electromagnets arranged inside the shuttle to drive the shuttle into the yarn channel, (2) an infrared distance detector is arranged at each end of the shuttle, having two functions in which when it is approaching a target, a comparison circuit provides an indication on which end is the front end for the activation of a signal transmitter in the front end, the other function is to automatically regulate speed in accordance with the distance to handle air resistance, inertia, acceleration at different distances and locking effect when the magnetic poles pass each other, (3) computer control box and stopping/starting device: at the same time when the steel reed is at the upper dead center and signal is transmitted to the shuttle, the stopping/starting device also receives the signal (because the shuttle is staying within the seat) and immediately forwards the signal to the computer control box via cables. The computer control box activates levitation electromagnets inside the starting device to levitate the shuttle and also supplies electrical current to the driving electromagnets to drive the shuttle into the V-shaped warp channel. A rubber layer is provided on the inclined surfaces of the V-shaped channel and cavities are formed on magnet surfaces to prevent abrasion between the shuttle and the stopping/starting device. The thickness of the rubber layer is such as not to effect attraction, repulsion, distance and dimension.