Patent GB-1292970-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to weaving
IPC: D03D3/00
Filed: 1969-12-30
Abstract: 1292970 Circular looms MONSANTO CO 30 Dec 1969 [31 Dec 1968] 63315/69 Headings D1E and D1K Fabric construction. A shaped thick-walled (i.e. multi-ply) fabric is woven about a mandrel 81 (see also Figs. 24-28 (not shown)) and comprises warp yarns 298-310, Fig. 38, arranged in planes radial to the mandrel axis and continuous helical filling yarns 284.. 295 arranged in a plurality of annular, parallel planes or decks 296 at right angles to the mandrel axis, some of the warp yarns, e.g. 298 and 310 following a sinuous path between the yarn decks to hold the fabric together. Loom arrangement. The fabric is formed on a circular loom having, as shown, five Jacquard heads controlling the shedding of the warps in sectors, the filling yarns being laid in by four inserters which are driven around a circular track 170 by gears 164 on shafts 162 which are driven by a common ring gear 155. A motor 82 drives a shaft 166 to drive gear 155 and also drive a screw 94 which raises the mandrel 81 at a rate corresponding to the rate of completion of the filling yarn decks in the fabric. The upper end of the mandrel is guided by a spider 124 whose arms travel on pillars 121. A second motor 96 can be clutched to the screw 94 to provide for quick initial positioning of the mandrel 81. Warp arrangement and shedding mechanism. The warp is supplied from bobbins 105, Fig. 31, arrange on spindles 115 of a plurality of creels (100), Fig. 1 (not shown) each bobbin having therein a spring 108 providing friction opposing the bobbin rotation to provide a predetermined tension in the warp. The warp threads are fed radially through eyeboards 116, Fig. 2, and are laced under and connected to a plurality of ring members held above the weaving position 139 by spiders 138 supported by solenoid releasable catches 131 on a ring support 130. At the start of weaving the smallest diameter ring 140 is released to fall to the weaving point to place the warps connected thereto into operation, the remaining warps being held out of operation. As weaving continues and the diameter of the fabric on the conical mandrel then increases, the rings 139 are released in succession to bring additional warps into action to keep the density of the fabric constant. The Jacquard heads have conventional knives, gratings, and hooks controlled in conventional manner by pattern and programme card chains 27, 31, Fig. 35. The hooks associated with the warps which are introduced into the shed as weaving proceeds are initially raised and held in an inoperative position by a bar 47. As the rings 139 are released to bring additional warps into action, a slide bar 48 is simultaneously moved to release the inoperative hooks from the bar 47. Weft inserters. The weft insertion device 180, Fig. 14, comprises a needle 181 carried by a carriage 199 which moves over a segmented circular rail 170. The needle 181 is slidably attached to a member 191 which is slidably attached to the carriage 199 and is moved inwards or outwards as weaving progresses to lay the weft into the appropriate position in a layer in the fabric. Member 191 is moved inwards and outwards by a sever 209, the motion being transmitted and amplified by cables 196, 188 interconnecting the slidable parts. The sever 209 is actuated by a cable 206 rotated to steps of a quarter revolution by a star wheel device: 205, the direction of rotation of which is controlled by pins 175, 176 actuated by levers 178, 179 controlled by solenoids 704, 618. The weft is supplied to needle 181 from a spool 228 on the carriage 199 and passes through a tensioning means 232 and a yarn break detector 239 comprising an arm 243 resting on the weft and carrying a magnet which, when the yarn breaks, moves the arm 243 downwards into a position in which, as the carriage rotates, it influences a reed switch to stop rotation of the apparatus. The fabric is compacted by a vaned wheel 260, Fig. 12, carried by an arm 250 attached to the gear wheel 155. Loom opeartion. The operation of the loom is controlled by an electrical circuit controlling hydraulic operating means, the sequence of operations being controlled by reed switches on the stationary part of the loom actuated by a magnet (700), Fig. 18 (not shown) carried by each weft inserter. The radial movement inwards and outwards of the weft inserters is also controlled by a reed switch actuated by a magnet on the main drive gear. The pulses from the switch being registered in counters so that at a preselected count the solenoids 704, 618, are energised to move the weft inserter the desired amount. The number of picks may be registered in an electronic counter.