Abstract:
Loom having a reciprocating batten device comprising a reed and a first handle fixed on the batten device for manually reciprocating the batten device. According to the invention the loom is provided with a second handle which is journalled on the batten device and acts on a mechanism comprising a gripping device which during the movement of the second handle engages the stationary part of the loom, and a mechanism which transfers the movement of the second handle to the batten device.

Description:
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 068,247 filed June 17, 1987. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     After a weft thread in a loom has been introduced into a shed, it is brought to its final position by a reed which is mounted on a batten. In order to give the motion of the batten a sufficient pressure towards the cloth, the batten is given a certain weight which by the swinging motion of the batten provides an impact action thus pressing the weft thread into contact with the edge of the cloth. In small looms, the batten often cannot be given a sufficient weight for providing the necessary impact and the batten must be pressed by hand against the edge of the cloth. This results in a reduced beating-up capacity so that certain types of cloths, e.g. carpets, cannot be produced in a small loom. There is a problem in connection with larger looms as well in that the impact of the batten against the edge of the cloth gives a loud thumping sound. This prevents the use of the loom in apartment buildings because the sound is too disturbing to other occupants. Finally, there is a problem in the use of weaving as therapy work because many patients&#39; arms are too weak to adequately impact the batten. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention aims at a solution of these problems by providing the batten with a servo mechanism which, by exerting a small force, gives a high pressure to the reed in the last phase of motion of the reed towards the edge of the cloth. Closer details of the invention appear from the following specification and drawings which disclose an embodiment of the invention. The drawing figures show the following. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of a loom according to the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a top view of the loom in FIG. 1. 
     FIG. 3 is a section of the loom on the line 3--3 in FIG. 1. 
     FIGS. 4-8 are details of the loom in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The loom in FIG. 1 comprises a horizontal frame 10 and a batten carriage comprising a second horizontal frame 11 reciprocally movable on frame 10. Frame 11 carries rigidly connected thereto a vertical frame consisting of vertical bars 12 and an upper transverse horizontal bar 19. The frame 12, 19 is adapted to receive a reed 13. The loom has a warp beam 14 and a cloth beam 15 with a cloth 16 tensioned therebetween over deflector rolls 17. A vertical frame 18 is rigidly mounted on frame 10 and is adapted to carry heddles (not shown). 
     The present invention includes a mechanism which renders it possible to give a greater exertive force to the final beating-up motion. This mechanism will now be described. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, the frame 12, 19 has a second vertical frame pivotally mounted on lugs 22 and having vertical side bars 20 and a horizontal top bar 21. Frame 20, 21 is connected to the special beating-up mechanism shown in FIGS. 4-8 by a link rod 23 which is connected to the frame 20, 21 by a pivot joint 24. At its other end the rod 23 is connected by a second pivot joint 24a to a second lever arm 25, which is rigidly attached to a shaft 26 journalled in the batten carriage 11. The shaft 26 carries at its middle between the sides of the loom a cam disc 30 rigidly connected to the shaft 26. This cam disc cooperates with a gripping device in the form of a locking sleeve 31, which is mounted on a rack bar 32 in such a way that the sleeve can adopt a sliding position or a locked position in relation to the rack 32. The rack is rigidly secured to the loom frame 10 by a projection 32a. FIG. 6 shows the sleeve 31 in section, the left end of the sleeve having a rounded mouth 33, adapted to slide along the rack 32. 
     The positions of the sleeve above mentioned, the sliding position and the locked position, are determined by the position of the right hand end of the sleeve as seen in the figures. The sliding position is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 where the right hand end of the sleeve is lowered so that the projection 40 does not mesh with the teeth 44 of the rack, and the sleeve is free to slide along the rack. The locked position is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, where the right hand end meshes with the teeth 44 of the rack, thus locking the sleeve from sliding along the rack. 
     These two positions of the sleeve are determined by the cam disc 30, the position of which is set by the pivotable frame 20, 21 through the link system consisting of joint 24, rod 23, lever arm 25 and the axis 26. 
     The locking sleeve 31 is provided with a spring 34 acting between the left hand end of the sleeve and a projection 35 on a sleeve 36 rigidly attached to the batten carriage 11 and serving as a support for the rack 32. The spring 34 exerts a bias on the sleeve striving to rotate the right-hand end of the sleeve around the disc 30 as the rotation center. In FIGS. 5 and 6 this rotation is prevented by the disc 30, the position of which in these figures corresponds to the vertical position of the frame 20, 21. 
     When the frame 20, 21 is swung towards the operator along the arrow 27 to the inclined position 20a, 21a drawn with dashed lines in FIG. 4, the disc 30 first takes the position shown in FIG. 7, and during further turning of the disc 30, the lower left corner of the disc 30 exerts pressure on the projection 42 on the sleeve 31. As the sleeve in this position is locked and cannot slide along the rack, the result is that the disc 30 together with axis 26 and the whole batten carriage 11 is pushed to the right as indicated by the arrow 45 in FIG. 8. This motion of the carriage presses the reed against the edge of the weft, thus pressing the last inserted weft thread to the bottom of the shed. 
     In summation, the sleeve 31 can be moved together with the batten carriage 11 or can be locked in an arbitrary position along the path of the carriage. In the locked position, the locking sleeve serves as a support for the servo mechanism which performs the final phase of the movement of the carriage. 
     It is noted that the servo mechanism does not prevent the use of the loom in a conventional way. As long as the frame 20, 21 is held vertical, the servo mechanism including the locking sleeve 31 does not partake in the weaving. 
     OPERATION 
     During the first stage of the beating-up motion, both top bars 19 and 21 are held by hand and the carriage 11 is pulled on guides (not shown) so that the reed 13 is brought into contact with the edge of the cloth. During a second phase, the operator releases the lower top bar 19 and pulls only the upper top bar 21. The lower top bar 21 swings toward the operator around the joint 22 towards the position 20a and 21a as indicated by the arrow 27 and dashed lines in FIG. 4. 
     The first phase motion of the frame 20, 21 causes the sleeve 31 to mesh with the rack 32 thus preventing the sleeve from further sliding along the rack. In the second phase of the motion of frame 20, 21 the cam disc 30 exerts pressure on projection 42 on the locked sleeve thus urging the reed against the edge of the weft.