US2392489A - Weaving apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Jam 8 1946. A, MARTIN WEAVING APPARATUS Filed July 26, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Jan. 8, 1946. A. MARTIN WEAVING APPARATUS Filed July 26, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 O B. W q

' J 8, 1946- I V -rm. 2,392,489

WEAVING APPARATUS Filed July 26, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

A. MARTIN 2 392,489

WEAVI NG. APPARATUS Jan 8, 1946.

Fild July 26; 1944 5 Sheets- Sheet s fin Patented Jan. 8, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,392,489 o WEAYING APPARATUS Archworth Martin, Pittsburgh, Pa. 7

Application July 26, 1944, Serial No. 546,665

10 Claims. (01. 139-28) My invention relates to weaving apparatus and more particularly to looms for the forming of wire mesh by the basket weave method.

The invention has for one of its objects, the provision of mechanism by which wire mesh of this type can be woven during continuou travel of the strand or warp wires, instead of an operator being obliged to advance the strand wires intermittently and inserting the fillers during pauses in travel. v

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved mechanism whereby the ends of the cross wires or stays can be conveniently bent around the marginal or selvage wires, at the edges of the fabric.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved means for pushing the stay wires into place in the sheds formedthrough deflections of the strand wires, while the strand wires are traveling.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the loom proper; Fig. 1A shows a continuation or extension of the apparatus of Fig. 1, to which the partially completed fabric passes, for bending of the cross wires at the selvage edges of the fabric; Fig. 2 is a view of one of the bending elements of Fig. 1A, looking endwise of the machine; Fig. 3 is a view showing a modification of two of the bending elements of Fig. 1A; Fig. 4 is a plan view showing certain of the details of the stay-wire forming and feeding mechanisms and showing other portions of the apparatus schematically and with the upper conveyor of Fig. 1 omitted; Fig. 4a is an end view of a stay guide channel of Fig. 4; Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of a portion of the apparatus of Fig, 4; Fig. 6 is a vertical cross sectional view showing certain of the apparatus of Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 shows a portion of completed fabric.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4,'the strand or warp wires ID are drawn from a suitable source such as reels or spools-(not shown) past rollers I l and I2, the ends of whose shafts are journaled in upright frame members l3. The rolls lll2 serve to prevent whipping or too loose movement of the strands and may also serve somewhat as straightening rolls. Guide fingers l4 are mount-' ed upon a cross bar that is carried by bracket arms 15 that are secured on the frame members l3. The guide fingers serve to keep the wires in proper longitudinal alinement with the deflecting frame members 2|, the shaft 20 being also .1our-.

naled in an upright frame member 23 (Figs. 1, 4 and 6). A shaft l8 has its ends journaled in frame members 22 and 24, and a shaft I9 is supported by members 22, 24 and 25, the supporting member 25 being of low height so as not to interfere with the upper run of the pushers for the stays. Sprocket wheels 261are secured to the shaft l1, and a pair of sprocket wheels 28 are secured to the shaft l8, a pair of sprock'et chains 29 passing aroundthese sprocket wheels. The shaft I9 is set slightly lower than the shaft 20, to avoid binding thrusts as between the opposed bending dies as the conveyor bars 38 and the conveyor links rock on the sprocket wheels 28 and 33 when leaving the strands.

Similarly, a pair of sprocket chains 3| pass around pairs of sprocket wheels 32 and 33, comprising a lower conveyor. r

The shaft l9, and hence the lower-conveyor, is driven through a chain and sprocket drive 35, from a motor 36 and reduction gearing in a case 34, while the upper shaft l8 'has a chain and sprocket drive connection 31 with the shaft 19.

The chain links on each of the conveyors 29 and 3| have cross bars 38 that carry stranddeflecting or shed-forming dies or blocks 39 and 40. c As shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 6, on each bar 38 there is a series of deflector blocks 40, alternating with a series of deflector blocks 39. The die blocks 39 on the upper bars 38 are vertically opposite the blocks 40 on the bars 38 carried by the lower conveyor chains and the dies 40 on the upper conveyor are vertically opposite the deflector blocks 33 on the lower conveyor.

By this arrangement, each strand is deflected alternately in opposite vertical directions. For example, alternate strands are deflected as shown in full lines in Fig. 1 while the intermediate strands are oppositely deflected, as shown the dash lines. Sheds or spaces are thus provided transversely of the series of strand wires III to permit insertion of stay wires or fillers 42 that are inserted by'the mechanisms to be hereinafter described. Antifriction rollers 43 are provided on the chain pintles for antifriction engagement with back-up'plates 44 and 45 that maintain the upper and lower deflecting dies in snug engagement with one another during movement of the conveyor.

While the conveyors are constantly driven by the motor 36 and hence exert some advancing pull on the strands, it is desirable to employdriven pinch rolls 46 and 41 that will not only pull the strand wires along but will tension them and stretch them into snug engagement with the are driven by sprocket chain drives 48 and 49 from a motor 59 and a gear reduction unit This motor may suitably be of the low voltage type-and has such normal rate of speed as will tend to produce a slightly faster peripheral movement of the pinch rolls 46-41 than the rate at which the conveyor chains 29-3l are moved.-

The pressure of the pinch rolls may desirably be suflicient to cause slight bends or crimps in the 1 stay wires 42, particularly when the stay wires are of slightly softer metal and the strand wires, 1 1 as is commonly the case.

The stay wires 42 project laterally past the marginal strand wires a distance of approximately A5 or slightly more,'and these ends are As the fabric leaves the pinch rolls, it moves between plungers or hammers 53 and 54, a pair of these plungers being positioned at each edge 3 of the fabric, to bend the stay wires. The plungers are slidable in housings 55 and 56 respectively j bent around the edge or selvage wires, by the I apparatus shown in Fig. 1A.

and are normally held out of the path of travel of the mesh by cushioning and retracting springs 51 and 58 respectively. Power springs 59 and 69 respectively are utilized to move the plungers toward the plate of the mesh, with suflicient force 1 to bend the projecting ends of the stay wires 42 to positions perpendicular to the plane of the fabric.

The plungers are drawn away from the plane ofthe fabric, to compress the power springs, by cam-like tensioning members 62 and 63, these members being driven through sprocket and chain drives 64 and 65 from the motor 36 and the gearthe end of the plunger stroke, but primarily 9 serves the purpose of withdrawing the plunger out of the path of a succeeding stay wires, after complete expansion of the power spring. The other stay wire ends are bent upwardly in a similar manner, by the plunger 54; Idler wheels 68 and 69 are secured to shafts 19 and H that are mounted in suitable fixed bearings.

68 braces the marginal strand wire l9 against downward deflection during the bending of the alternate stay wires upwardly and has teeth 12 The wheel that prevent this marginal strand wire l9 from being deflected inwardly during this operation. Similarly, the wheels 69 and their teeth support the marginal strand wires against deflection during upward bending of stay ends.

Where an even number of strand wires l9 are employed, the plunger devices will be so arranged that one end' of a stay will be bent downwardly by a plunger 53, and its opposite end bent upwardly at the other edge of the mesh, as in Fig. '1, by a plunger'54 that is transversely opposite to I the plunger 53. Where, however, an odd number of strand wires areemployed, the plungers will be soarranged that both ends of alternate stay wires will be bent downwardly simultaneously,

by transversely-alined plungers 53 at opposite edges of the mesh, and the other stays will have their ends bent upwardly by a pair of transversely-alined plungers 54, at opposite edges of the fabric.

In order to bend the perpendicular ends of the stay wires into approximate parallelism with the plane of the mesh, I provide a bending roll 14 at each edge of the mesh. These rolls are suitably journaled in fixed supports and may have merely idling movement. During travel of the mesh, the truncated conical surfaces of the rolls will bend the projecting ends of the stays backwardly.

"As an alternative to the use of the bending rolls 14, I show in Fig. 3 truncated conical rolls 16 and 11 that are driven at high speed and which have longitudinally extending ribs that will bend the ends of the stays into parallelism with the plane of. the fabric during travel of the fabric.

The fabric is moved forwardly past the bending dies just described, by a pair of pinch rollers 19 and 89that are driven from an electrical motor or fluid drive device 8|, by belts 82 and 83,'these The wires for the stays 42 are drawn front suitable spools (not shown), past straightening dies 85 and shears 86. These straightening dies and shears may be of well known forms and require no detailed description. 7 of straightening dies and shears will be provided as ,is required to supply the cut stays 42 fast enough to meet the requirement of speed at which the conveyors 29-3l travel.

The cut stay wires are dropped upon a table 81 that has slots 88 through which pawls or dogs 89 are carried by conveyor chains 99. The shaft of the sprockets 9| that drive the chains 99 has a sprocket chain connection 92 with the shaft 29; The dogs 89 advance the stays 42 along the table to chutes at 93, the staysbeing' guided by edge plates 94. on the .table and by channels 95 that engage the ends of the stays, to line them up and maintain them in alinement. The lower ends of thechutes or guide strips 93 are bent to lip form and the stays yieldably maintained therein by spring-pressed fingers 96 until they are picked off as hereinafter described.

The pivoted dogs 89 have yieldable engagemen with the stays and move them to the discharge chute. When the stays accumulate to a greater extent than required, the dogs will simply swing clockwise on their pivot pins, against the tension of the springs 91 and pass beneath the stays. If a sufficient number of straighteners are provided, the chute will be kept filledwith stay wires.

Conveyor chains 98 are provided, carried on sprocket wheels such as the sprocket wheels 99, mounted on the front and rear shafts I9 and 29. The links of the conveyor chains 98 have slotted cross bars I99 equal in number to the number of cross bars 38 of the conveyors that carry the deflecting dies. Each cross bar 199 carries a pair of teeth or fingers i9l which move upwardly between the channels 95 and the slideways 93 to pick off the stay wires 42 one-b'y-one, the wires being snapped past the springs 96 and the remaining wires in the chute or slideway will move down to be picked off in succession by succeeding fingers.

A spring arm 19-2 is provided to yieldably hold the stay wires in position against the fingers l9| As many sets until the stays have been partly pushed into-the sheds as hereinafter described.

When the stay wires have been v upper horizontal run of the conveyor, each is pushed into a shed by a pusherarm I04 that has a depending leg extendingthrough afslotI05 in the bar I00, it being und'erstoodthat-there is a pusher mounted on each bar. f 'As each bar I reachestheupper' horizontal run, a cam roller I05, carried by the depending portion I010! the pusher arm I 04, will engage a stationary cam rail I08 angularly disposed as shown more clearly in Fig. 4, so that "the pusher arm will be slid'longitudinallyof its associated bar I00 and push the stay wire into the shed formed by deflecting dies of Figs. 1 and 6. By the time the pusher arm reaches the presser finger I02, it will have been advanced by the conveyor to a substantial distance forwardly of the finger. It will be seen that each pusher is operated in succession after it picks up a stay and six or seven pushers will be operated simultaneously. In order to prevent tilting or canting of the pusher arm through the thrust of the cam rail I08, I provide a guide rail I09 that is engaged by a roller I In on the leg I01 of the pusher. At the end of the feed travel of each bar I00, a stay will have been completely inserted.

During rearward travel of the bars along the lower run of the conveyor, the'rollers I06 will be engaged by a stationary cam rail II2 to cause the pusher arms to be returned to their retracted positions ready for another operation. At this time, a cam rail II3 will be engaged by the rollers IIO to stabilize the pusher arms.

The apparatus is particularly suitable for the weaving of the heavier gages .of wire (8 to 10 gage) that are used in fencing, field mats, highway guards, etc., but can also be used on lighter gages, where the stays are of suilicient stillness to permit of pushing them into place between the strands. The apparatus as shown may conveniently permit the movement of the fabric through the loom at from twenty feet to thirty feet per minute, where there is two-inch or less spacing of the stays. For wider spacing of the stays the travel can be faster.

The loom apparatus of Fig. 1 is of utility independently of the other parts of the apparatus, since it discloses an improved manner of form- ,ing sheds into which stays can rapidly be pushed by hand, by one or more workmen.

It will be understood that while wire strands and stays are described, the apparatus, with ob-- vious modifications could be used in the forming of fencing, for example, and wooden pickets inserted, instead of the wire stays. Also the strands need not necessarily be of wire, but can be in the form of ribbons and of materials other than metal.

I claim as my invention:

1. A fabric-weaving machine, comprising means for continuously advancing a series of strands and simultaneously deflecting them to form sheds for the reception of stay wires, a conveyor alongside of and movable with the strands, for carrying stay wires, and means associated with the conveyor for pushing the stay wires into place in the sheds, during travel of the strands.

2. A fabric-weaving machine, comprising means for continuously advancing a series of -strands and simultaneously deflecting them to form sheds for the reception of stay wires, a conveyor alongside of and movable with the strands for carrying stay wires, means. for depositing stay carriedft'o the wires one-by-one on the ---'conveyor,- and a plurality otme'mbers successivelyoperable to move the stay to'the sheds; during travel of. the

=3. Afab'rlc-wa means" for" progressively deflecting the strands to form: sheds fo fthe'reception-of stay wires and for maintaining thesheds throughout a predetermined distance of the path oftravel; and

mea'nsfpiintroducing stay wires' i'nto the sheds,

one-by one, for "pushing them fully into po sition in the fabric, "travel of the strands saidprfietrmined distance. 4. A fabric weaving machine'c'omprising means for continuously advancing a, series of strands, means for progressively deflecting the strands to form sheds for the reception of stay wires and for maintaining the sheds throughout a, prezo determined distance of the path of travel, means for introducing stay wires into the sheds, oneby-one, and for pushing them fully into position in the fabric, during travel of the strands said predetermined distance, means associated with the conveyor for pushing the stays into place, and meahs i for bending the ends of the stay wires around the marginal strands during travel of the strands.

5. Fabric-weaving apparatus comprising a pair or conveyors each having a straight-away run mounted in opposed relation to a straight-away run of the other conveyor, means for advancing a series of strands between said runs, and shedforming dies on the conveyors," positioned to defleet the strands while between said runs and maintain sheds therein for the reception of stay wires, during travel of the strands along said run. 6. Fabric-weaving apparatus comprising a pair of conveyors each having a straight-away run unmounted in opposed relation to a straight-away run of the other conveyor, means for advancing a series of strands between said runs, shed-forming dies on the conveyors, positioned to deflect the strands while between said runs and maintain ing travel of the strands along said run, a conveyor alongside said runs, for carrying stay wires, and pusher devices for moving the stays into the sheds, during travel of the conveyors.

7. Fabric-weaving apparatus comprising a pair of conveyors each having one run mounted in 0pposed relation to a run of the other conveyor, means for moving a series of strands between the opposed conveyor runs, shed-forming dies on the conveyors, arranged in series, the dies of each series being disposed in alined relation transversely of the conveyor, and arranged to form sheds in the strand wires, a third conveyor dispo'sed alongside of one of the other conveyors and in transversely-spaced relation thereto, cross bars on the third conveyor, each alined with one series of dies, means for depositing stay wires on the cross bars, and pusher devices movable along the cross bars, for pushing the stays successively into place in the said various series of dies.

8. Fabric-weaving apparatus comprising a pair of chain type conveyors each having one run mounted in opposed relation to a run of the other conveyor, means for moving a series of strands between the opposed conveyor runs, shed-forming dies on the conveyors, arranged in series, the dies of each series being disposed in alined relation transversely of the conveyor, and arranged to form sheds in the strand wires, a third conn I g machine-c'omprising means for continuously advancing a seriesof" strands,

sheds therein for the reception of stay wires, dur-' veyor disposed alongside of one or the other conveyors in transversely spaced relation thereto,

cross bars on the third conveyor, each alined; with one series or dies, means for depositing stay wiresonthe cross bars, pusher devicesmovable along the cross bars, and cam devices for recipro! pusher devices longitudinally of the eating the cross bars, for pushing successive stay wires into place in the sheds duringtraveling movement of the conveyors.

9. The method of weavin which comprisescontinuously advancing a series of strands, deflecting the strands to form successive sheds that respectively extend transversely of the path of advancing movement, maintaining said sheds for 15 ARCHWOR'IH MARTIN.

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