This invention relates to a rapier weaving machine, comprising an insert rapier head, for inserting a weft yam into a fabric, a receiver rapier head for receiving the weft yam from the insert rapier head, holding the weft yam, and subsequently pulling the weft yam out of the fabric in a movement direction, an opening element, for opening the receiver rapier head to release the weft yam, and a guiding device, positioned on the side of the receiver rapier head opposite of the side where the opening element is positioned, for restraining the receiver rapier head when opening this receiver rapier head, wherein this guiding device comprises a guiding block, for adjusting the movement direction of the receiver rapier head.

Rapier weaving machines comprise one or more rapiers for inserting weft yams into a shed between warp yams to form a fabric. A weft yam inserted by means of one or more rapiers is beaten against the already formed fabric by means of a reed. This is repeated in successive weft insertion cycles in order to form the fabric.

In rapier weaving machines with double rapiers, a weft yam is brought halfway through the shed by means of an insert rapier head, and a receiver rapier head then takes over this weft yam in order to hold the weft yam and pull it out of the fabric. In order to hold the weft yam , the receiver rapier head typically comprises a clamping element for clamping the weft yam . When the weft yam is pulled out of the fabric, the opening element opens the receiver rapier head in order to release the weft yam. Examples of such an opening element are described and illustrated in US 5,271,434 A and in EP 0971 059 Al, for instance.

For the successive weft insertion cycles, accurate positioning of the rapier heads is of great importance. For this purpose, the rapier heads are mounted on rigid rapier rods, such that the rapier heads and the rapier rods jointly form the rapiers. By means of these rapier rods, the rapier heads in the rapier weaving machine are moved through the shed. In order to guarantee the position of the rapier heads as much as possible, it is intended that in the rapier weaving machines to which this invention is related the rapier rods move against the reed. This way, the lateral position of the rapier heads is largely guaranteed. The movement direction of the rapier rods is forced in the direction of the reed, and their forward movement is not entirely straight. When the receiver rapier head is pulled out of the fabric, the movement direction of the receiver rapier head is adjusted by means of a guiding block. In these rapier weaving machines, this guiding block is positioned on the side of the receiver rapier head opposite from the side where the opening element is positioned, such that this guiding block also serves to restrain the receiver rapier head when this receiver rapier head is opened by means of the opening element. As a result, this guiding block is subject to strong wear and tear. A rapier weaving machine rapier with a guiding device with such a guiding block is described and illustrated, for instance, in EP 3486318 Al.

The object of this invention is to limit the wear and tear of this guiding block.

This object of the invention is achieved by providing such a rapier weaving machine, in which the guiding device comprises a guiding block for adjusting the movement direction of the receiver rapier head, and a guiding wheel, positioned rotatably in the guiding device, for restraining the receiver rapier head by means of this guiding wheel when it is opened.

For the adjustment of the movement direction of the receiver rapier head, such a guiding wheel is less suited than the used guiding block. In order to adjust this movement direction, a guiding block is maintained, such that this function is optimally maintained in the new guiding device.

The guiding wheel only guides the receiver rapier head when the opening element opens the receiver rapier head. Even though it is intended that the receiver rapier head does not move a lot at the moment that the opening element opens the receiver rapier head, in practice, there is often a small movement, which was the primary cause of the aforementioned wear and tear. By combining a guiding block in the guiding device according to this invention with a guiding wheel, wear and tear of the guiding block can be significantly reduced. The guiding wheel only makes contact with the receiver rapier head, and more specifically, only with the receiver rapier head, when the receiver rapier head is at the level of the opening element. Therefore, this guiding wheel only serves to absorb the impact of the opening element on the receiver rapier head, and this at relatively low speeds, since the speed of the receiver rapier head is already greatly reduced when it is pulled out of the fabric.

Such a rapier weaving machine may also comprise more receiver rapier heads. Per receiver rapier head, preferably, an aforementioned guiding block and an aforementioned guiding wheel are provided. Per receiver rapier head, this guiding block and this guiding wheel may be part of a separate guiding device according to this invention. Alternatively, it is also possible that the guiding blocks and the guiding wheels for the different receiver rapier heads are included in a single guiding device according to this invention.

The object of this invention is furthermore also achieved with the same advantages, by providing a method for converting a rapier weaving machine comprising an insert rapier head for inserting a weft yam into a fabric, a receiver rapier head for receiving the weft yam from the insert rapier head, holding the weft yam , and subsequently pulling the weft yam out of the fabric in a movement direction, an opening element for opening the receiver rapier head to release the weft yam, and a guiding device, positioned on the side of the receiver rapier head opposite of the side where the opening element is positioned, for restraining the receiver rapier head when opening this receiver rapier head, and comprising a guiding block for adjusting the movement direction of the receiver rapier head.

In a first embodiment of a method according to this invention, the guiding device of the rapier weaving machine is replaced by an above described guiding device according to this invention.

In a second embodiment of a method according to this invention, the guiding device is converted to an above described guiding device according to this invention. This may be accomplished, for instance, by adding to this guiding device a guiding wheel, provided rotatably in this guiding device.

In each of the embodiments of a method according to this invention, an above described rapier weaving machine according to this invention is formed.

This invention is now explained in further detail based on the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of a rapier weaving machine and of a method according to this invention. The purpose of this description is exclusively to provide clarifying examples and to indicate further advantages and particularities of the invention, and it can therefore not be interpreted as a limitation of the field of application of the invention or of the patent rights claimed in the patent claims.

In this detailed description, reference numbers refer to the enclosed drawings, in which, in

Figure 1, in a part of a rapier weaving machine according to this invention, the guiding device is shown in a top view;

Figure 2, in a part of the rapier weaving machine of Figure 1, guiding devices are shown in perspective;

Figure 3, in a part of the rapier weaving machine of Figure 1, guiding devices are shown in a side view.

The illustrated rapier weaving machine according to this invention comprise three insert rapier heads, not shown here, each of which is provided for inserting a weft yam from a first side of the machine into a shed formed between warp yams in this machine.

The three illustrated receiver rapier heads (2) are each provided in order to receive a weft yam halfway through the shed from a corresponding insert rapier head, to hold it, and to pull it out of the shed on a second side of the machine, opposite from the first side. For these purposes, each receiver rapier head (2) is attached to a rapier rod (6), and is movable in the movement direction (A) by means of this rapier rod (6). Each receiver rapier head (2) and its corresponding rapier rod (6) jointly form a receiver rapier. In order to be able to receive a weft yam and hold it, each receiver rapier head (2) comprises a fixed leg (8) and a movable leg (9), which has a hinged connection with the fixed leg (8) by means of a pivot pin (10). The legs (8, 9) jointly form a gripping element (clamping element) for gripping (clamping) the weft yam.

On the second side of the machine, for each receiver rapier head, a depicted opening element (3) is positioned, which is movable to this receiver rapier head (2) and away from this receiver rapier head (2). When the receiver rapier head (2) moves out of the shed and arrives at the level of this opening element (3), the opening element (3) moves in the movement direction (B) towards the receiver rapier head (2) and engages the movable leg (9) in order to pivot this movable leg (9) relative to the fixed leg (8) in order to open the receiver rapier head (2). The weft yam is thereby released.

A weft yam inserted by means of an insert rapier head and a corresponding receiver rapier head is beaten against the already formed fabric by the reed of the rapier weaving machine in order to form the desired fabric.

The opening elements (3) are located on the second side of the machine, preferably as close as possible to the edge of the fabric, in order to keep the loose ends of the weft yam as short as possible.

Each illustrated opening element (3) is provided with a rotatably positioned engaging wheel (7) in order to engage the movable leg (9) of the corresponding receiver rapier head (2) by means of this engaging wheel (7).

When a receiver rapier head (2) must be opened, the opening element (3), and therefore its engaging wheel (7) as well, move in the movement direction (B) toward the receiver rapier head (2) in order to push against the movable leg (9) of the receiver rapier head (2) and thus to open the receiver rapier head (2).

For these purposes, the opening elements (3) are controlled independently of each other by way of a servomechanism.

On the side of each receiver rapier head (2) opposite of the side on which the corresponding opening element (3) is positioned, a guiding device (1) according to this invention is positioned.

In order to adjust the movement direction (A) of a receiver rapier head (2) when this receiver rapier head (2) leaves the shed, each guiding device (1) is provided with a guiding block (4) with an engagement surface (11). Viewed in the movement direction (A) of the receiver rapier head (2), the engagement surface (11) is positioned obliquely toward the opening element (3). When leaving the fabric, the corresponding receiver rapier head (2) is pushed against the movement direction (B) of the opening element (3) by this engagement surface (11). When in use, the guiding block (4) is fixed positioned in the rapier weaving machine, whereby the position of this guiding block (4) is adjustable.

Viewed in the movement direction (A) of the receiver rapier head (2), a guiding wheel (5) is positioned is after the engagement surface (11) of each guiding device (1). This guiding wheel (5) is rotatably attached to the guiding block (4) and protrudes toward the opening element (3) relative to the engagement surface (11). The guiding wheel (5) guides the corresponding receiver rapier head (2) when the corresponding opening element (3) opens the receiver rapier head (2), thereby restraining the receiver rapier head (2). The guiding wheel (5) absorbs the impact of the opening element (3) on the receiver rapier head (2).

In order to limit the torsional load, this guiding wheel guide (5) is preferably positioned as close as possible to the point where the corresponding opening element (3) engages the receiver rapier head (2) in order to open the receiver rapier head (2).

In order to limit the friction between a receiver rapier and the corresponding guiding device (1) as much as possible when they contact each other, each receiver rapier is provided with a wear part (12) made from a material with a greater resistance to wear than the rest of the receiver rapier. This wear part (12) is attached above the connection of the receiver rapier head (2) to the rapier rod (6) of the receiver rapier. In order to limit the torsional load, this wear part (12) is preferably positioned as close as possible to the point at which the corresponding opening element (3) engages the receiver rapier head (2) in order to open the receiver rapier head (2).

An existing rapier weaving machine, comprising: at least one insert rapier head for inserting a weft yam into a fabric; at least one receiver rapier head (2) for receiving the weft yam from the insert rapier head, holding the weft yam, and subsequently pulling the weft yam out of the fabric in a movement direction (A); at least one opening element (3) for opening the receiver rapier head (2) to release the weft yam; and at least one guiding device (1), positioned on the side of the receiver rapier head (2) opposite of the side where the opening element (3) is positioned, for restraining the receiver rapier head (2) when opening this receiver rapier head (2), wherein this guiding device comprises a guiding block (4) for adjusting the movement direction (A) of the receiver rapier head (2); can be converted into a rapier weaving machine according to this invention by providing each guiding block (4) with a rotatable guiding wheel (5) for restraining the corresponding receiver rapier head (2) when opening this receiver rapier head (2). Alternatively, this rapier weaving machine can also be converted into a rapier weaving machine according to this invention by replacing each of the aforementioned guiding device of this rapier weaving machine by a guiding device (1) that comprises such a guiding block (4) as well as such a such rotatable guiding wheel (5).