Patent Publication Number: US-11047070-B2

Title: Clamping apparatus for a releasable connection of a harness cord to a lifting heddle of a leno weave apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of German Utility model DE 20 2018 103 292.5 filed Jun. 12, 2018. 
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a clamping apparatus for a releasable connection of a harness cord to a lifting heddle of a leno weave apparatus, wherein the releasable connection is configured as a clamping connection. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A leno weave apparatus is also sufficiently known from the prior art for Jacquard machines. Such a leno weave apparatus for a Jacquard machine is described, for example, in EP 2 236 655 that comprises two lifting heddles and a half-heddle alternately taken along by said lifting heddles. A fastening of the harness cord at the lifting heddles can also be recognized from this citation, namely of the kind that the lifting heddles have an eyelet at their upper ends, with the harness cords being connected to the eyelet by a conventional square knot. 
     A clamping apparatus of the initially named kind is known from EP 0 915 195 B1 in which the harness cord is guided in the form of a loop through an upper clamping opening of an elastic coupling member, with the coupling member being part of the lifting heddle. The two ends having the loop of the harness cord are threaded through a metal sleeve that is pushed over the coupling member to maintain a clamping connection. The regulation of the length of the harness cord takes place by releasing the clamping effect on the coupling member effected by the metal sleeve. 
     The assembly of the harness cord in the prior art as presented above is slightly complex in design due to the guidance of the loop-like end of the harness cord, which increases the assembly time. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The underlying object of the invention accordingly comprises providing a remedy in this respect. 
     It is proposed in accordance with the invention to achieve this object that the clamping apparatus has a clamping wedge and a wedge receiver device arranged at the end of the lifting heddle, wherein the wedge receiver device displaceably receives the clamping wedge in the longitudinal direction of the lifting heddle, wherein the harness cord is clampingly gripped between the wedge receiver device and the clamping wedge, and wherein means for fixing the clamping wedge in the wedge receiver device are provided. 
     It becomes clear from this that, between the clamping wedge on the one hand, and the wedge receiver device, on the other hand, in dependence on the position of the clamping wedge in the wedge receiver device, a spacing is formed between the clamping wedge, on the one hand, and the wedge receiver device, on the other hand, in which the harness cord runs. The harness cord can now be clampingly gripped between the clamping wedge, on the one hand, and the wedge receiver device, on the other hand, by displacing the clamping wedge relative to the wedge receiver device. To ensure that the clamping connection is maintained, means are provided that fix the clamping wedge in the wedge receiver device in the clamping position. 
     Advantageous features and embodiments of the invention result from further aspects discussed herein. 
     Provision is thus in particular made that the clamping wedge has a first contact surface for the harness cord that is advantageously toothed. The first contact surface for the harness cord advantageously extends at an angle a, for example between 10° and 20°, to the perpendicular, that is, to the longitudinal axis of the leno weave apparatus. Corresponding to this, the wedge receiver device has a second contact surface extending approximately in parallel with the first contact surface so that the harness cord is clampingly gripped on the displacement of the clamping wedge while tapering the spacing between the first and second contact surfaces. 
     It has already been presented at another point that means are provided for fixing the clamping wedge in the wedge receiver device. The means advantageously comprise a spring that acts on the clamping wedge. This means that the clamping wedge is under the load of a spring. The force of the spring thus acts on the clamping wedge in the longitudinal direction of the lifting heddle such that the clamping connection for the harness cord is maintained. However, this also means that the force of the spring is decisive for the clamping force. In this respect, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, the spring can be configured as a compression spring and particularly advantageously as a spiral spring. In fact, however, self-locking also occurs with respect to the harness cord; this is the case when the harness cord lies at the first and second contact surfaces and the harness cord is tensioned in the upward direction. 
     It is, however, also conceivable for the fixing of the clamping wedge in the part receiver device to provide the clamping wedge with a series of bores arranged above one another to guide a pin through the last visible bore after clamping the clamping wedge in the clamp receiver device for fixing the harness cord to thus effect a mechanical fixing of the position of the clamping wedge relative to the clamp receiver device. 
     Provision is advantageously made to ensure a defined movement of the clamping wedge in the wedge receiver device that the clamping wedge is guided in the wedge receiver device by a guidance device in the longitudinal direction of the leno weave apparatus. The guidance device here comprises at least one rail-like nose that is guided in a correspondingly formed groove. The rail-like nose can here be arranged at the clamping wedge, with a groove formed correspondingly thereto being let into the wedge receiver device. The converse case is also possible. 
     The wedge receiver device comprises a leg that serves for the connection to the lifting heddle. The leg has a guide for the spring, with the guide advantageously being configured as a guide bore. The guide bore advantageously has a longitudinally extending window through which the spring is accessible to be able to compress the spring on the insertion of the clamping wedge. The leg can be a separate element that is connected to the lifting heddle e.g. by adhesive bonding; it can, however, also be produced in one part together with the lifting heddle. 
     A subject matter of the invention is also a Jacquard machine having an apparatus in accordance with one or more of claims  1  to  12 . 
     The invention will be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows the leno weave apparatus in a perspective representation with a clamping apparatus arranged at the upper end of the lifting heddles; 
         FIG. 2  shows the clamping apparatus in accordance with  FIG. 1  in an enlarged representation, likewise in a perspective view; 
         FIG. 3  shows a view of the narrow side of the clamping apparatus; 
         FIG. 4  shows a view in accordance with the section IV-IV of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  shows a side view of the clamping apparatus; 
         FIG. 6  shows the clamping apparatus in a position in which the harness cord is threadable into the clamping apparatus; 
         FIG. 7  shows a view from above of the clamping apparatus in the position of the clamping wedge in accordance with  FIG. 6 ; and 
         FIG. 8  shows an exploded representation of the clamping apparatus including the spring acting on the clamping wedge. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The leno weave apparatus  1  comprises the two lifting heddles  3  and  5  that each alternately entrain the lifting heddle  7  to form a leno weave. The principle is known, with reference being made in this respect, for example, to EP 2 236 655 B1. A subject matter of the invention is now the connection of the harness cord  10  to the respective lifting heddle  3 ,  5 . The clamping apparatus  20  is provided for this purpose, with the clamping apparatus  20  comprising the wedge receiver device  22  and the clamping wedge  24  received by the wedge receiver device  22 . 
       FIG. 2  shows the clamping apparatus in an enlarged representation; it can already be recognized here that the clamping wedge has a first contact surface  28  that shows a toothed arrangement  29 . It can also be recognized that the harness cord  10  contacts the first contact surface  28 . The configuration of the clamping apparatus  20  now results in detail from  FIG. 3  to  FIG. 7 . It can thus in particular be recognized from  FIG. 4  that, corresponding to the first contact surface  28  of the clamping wedge  24  that advantageously extends at an angle of approximately 10° to 20° to the perpendicular, the wedge receiver device  22  has a corresponding second contact surface  30 , with there being a spacing between the first contact surface  28  and the second surface  30  in which the harness cord  10  runs. The leg  26  is likewise recognizable as a part of the clamping apparatus  20 . The leg  26  has a guide bore  34  for receiving the compression spring  32 . The compression spring  32  in the leg  26  in the figurative representation acts on the clamping wedge from below so that the clamping wedge  24  endeavors under the load of the spring  32  to minimize the spacing between the first and second contact surfaces  28 ,  30  to thus establish the clamping connection for the harness cord  10 . The guide bore  34  has an elongate window  35  through which the spring  32  is accessible to a pointed article. This is the case to be able to compress the spring  32 . 
       FIG. 6  in detail shows the position of the clamping wedge  24  in the wedge receiver device  22  for threading the harness core in accordance with the arrow  42 . This means that in this case the spring  32  is compressed in the guide bore  34  of the leg  26 .  FIG. 7  shows a view from above of the clamping apparatus  20  in accordance with  FIG. 6 ; it can be recognized here that the clamping wedge  24  is guided in the wedge receiver device  22  by a guidance device  36 . The guidance device  36  in detail comprises a rail-like nose  38  that is arranged at both sides of the clamping wedge and that runs in a corresponding groove  40  in the wedge receiver device  22 . The guide bore  34  for the spring  32  is likewise recognizable in the leg  26 . The toothed first contact surface  28  of the clamping wedge  24  is likewise recognizable. 
       FIG. 8  shows the clamping apparatus  20  in an exploded representation; the leg of the clamping apparatus  20  can again in particular be recognized here that is connected at the lower end to the respective lifting heddle  3 ,  5 , for example by adhesive bonding. 
     The assembly of the clamping apparatus  20  is now such that the clamping wedge  24  is pushed into the wedge receiver device  22  from below, with the spring previously having been introduced into the guide bore  34 . The guide bore  34  has the window  35 , with the spring being able to be compressed through the window  35 , for example by means of a screwdriver, during the introduction of the clamping wedge. To thread the harness cord  10 , the clamping wedge  24  is now pushed so far downward in the wedge receiver device  22  until, for instance, the upper side of the clamping wedge  24  terminates with, for example, the upper side of the wedge receiver device  22 . The harness cord is then threaded in from above in accordance with the arrow  42  of  FIG. 6 . If the clamping wedge is relieved of the force applied from above, it springs upward due to the force of the spring  32  and to this extent effects the clamping connection for the harness cord  10 . 
     As will be clear to those of skill in the art, the herein described embodiments of the present invention may be altered in various ways without departing from the scope of the invention. The invention is defined by the claims. 
     REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST 
     
         
           1  leno weave apparatus 
           3  lifting heddle 
           5  lifting heddle 
           7  semi-heddle 
           10  harness cord 
           20  clamping apparatus 
           22  wedge receiver device 
           24  clamping wedge 
           26  leg 
           28  first contact surface 
           29  toothed arrangement of the first contact surface 
           30  second contact surface 
           32  spring 
           34  guide bore 
           35  window in the guide bore 
           36  guide device 
           38  rail-like nose 
           40  groove for the nose 
           42  arrow 
         α angle of the first and second contact surfaces to the perpendicular