US3908706A

US3908706A - Apparatus for propelling weft thread carriers in a travelling-wave loom

Info

Publication number: US3908706A
Application number: US370055A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eduard Arshakovich Onikov; Alexandr Alexandrovich Zabotin; Valeryan Petrovich Lileev; Zinovy Yakovlevich Rutkevich; Boris Alexandrovich Sakharov; Roman Anatolievich German
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-06-14
Filing date: 1973-06-14
Publication date: 1975-09-30
Anticipated expiration: 1992-09-30

Abstract

An apparatus for propelling weft thread carriers in the shed of a travelling-wave loom, comprising a closed guideway within which there is hidden a chain conveyor propelling the weft thread carriers both within the shed and outside the shed along the side walls of this guideway. Propelling of the carriers outside the shed is effected by retainers held in pins interconnecting adjacent links of the chain, while propelling of the carriers within the shed is effected by rollers mounted in the same links as the abovementioned retainers. The apparatus is of a simple structure and ensures reliable propelling of the weft thread carriers within the shed.

Description

United States Patent 1 Onikov et al.

[ APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING WEF T THREAD CARRIERS IN A TRAVELLING-WAVE LOOM [76] Inventors: Eduard Arshakovich Onikov, ulitsa Panferova, S, korpus 2. kv. 106; Alexandr Alexandrovich Zabotin, Profsojuznaya ulitsa, 96, kv. 85; Valeryan Petrovich Lileev, ulitsa Nagornaya, 46/48, korpus 20, kv. 2; Zinovy Yakovlevich Rutkevich, Medvedkovo, 8 kvartal, korpus l8, kv. 21'; Boris Alexandrovich Sakharov, ulitsa Krzhizhanovskogo 24/35, korpus 6, kv. 404; Roman Anatolievich German, ulitsa Davydkouskaya, 30, kv. 50, all of Moscow, USSR.

[22] Filed: June 14, 1973 211 Appl. No.: 370,055

[52] U.S. Cl. 139/12 [51] Int. CL D03D 47/26 -[58] Field of Search 139/1l,12,13, 15,16

[ 1 Sept. 30, 1975 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,144,947 l/l939 Valentine 139/12 3,729,029 4/1973 Zabrodsky et al. 139/12 Primary E.\'aminerHenry S. Jaudon Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Waters, Schwartz & Nissen [5 7 ABSTRACT An apparatus for propelling weft thread carriers in the shed of a travelling-wave loom, comprising a closed guideway within which there is hidden a chain conveyor propelling the weft thread carriers both within the shed and outside the. shed along the side walls of this guideway.

Propelling of the carriers outside the shed is effected by retainers held in pins interconnecting adjacent links of the chain, while propelling of the carriers within the shed is effected by rollers mounted in the same links as the abovementioned retainers.

The apparatus is of a simple structure and ensures reliable propelling of the weft thread carriers within the shed. t

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Sept. 30,1975 Sheet 1 o fs 3,908,706

Patent Sept. 30,1975 Sheet 2 of 3 3,908,706

APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING THREAD CARRIERS IN A TRAVELLING-WAVE LOOM The invention relates to travelling-wave looms and more particularly it relates to apparatus'for propelling weft thread carriers in the shed of such looms.

At present, there is known an appartus for propelling weft thread carriers in the shed of travelling-wave looms (see, for example, French Pat. No. 1,269,239). This known apparatus includes a closed chain conveyor carrying a plurality of carriages propelling the weft thread carriers. The carriages move along a guideway and are provided with rollers cooperating with other rollers supported by the weft thread carriers.

The rollers mounted on the carriages are operated by gears supported by the latter and meshing with a stationary toothed rack extending parallel to the guideway of the carriages. The weft thread carrier is suspended on an additional guideway made up'of individual plates. The lower portions of the plates are of a circular shape, these portions being received within a coupling arranged on the weft thread carrier. The weft thread carriers being suspended from the guideway, they are kept in balance by means of additional rollers" carried 'thereby and moving along a support surface extending parallel to the guideway' of the carriage.

Thus in the known apparatus propelling of the weft thread carriers is effected with the help of a toothed the shed, they enter the narrowing tunnel and are lowered upon their respective propelling links. At this stage the retainers project from the propelling links to move the carriers outside the shed formed by the warp threads. I

As the carriers are propelled further on by the conveyor, they enter the curved portion of the latter, wherein the deflectors press the carriers from above, forcing them to contact the propelling links and thus ensuring stable positioning of the carriers. Upon having passed the curved portion, the carriers are'released by the deflectors, whereafter they are propelled by their respective propelling links toward the other curved portion. At this curved portion the carriers are pressed to their respective propelling links by the device winding the weft thread onto the spool of the weft thread carrier.

It can be seen from the abovedescription that the known apparatus of the last-described type is also of relatively complicated structure, since for normal travel of the carriers along the curved portions it is nec-.

rack extending parallel to three different guideways,

essary to have means for pressing the carriers to the links of the chain, whereas for propelling the cairiers in the shed of a travelling-wave loom, which is of a simple structure and provides for reliable travel of the weft thread carriers along both the straight and the curved I conveyor. portions, without any auxiliary carrier guid- The propelling links are provided with rollers-acting through a protective cloth upon the roller of a weft' one of the arcuately curved portions of the chain conveyor is associated with deflectors pressing the weft thread carriers against the propelling links. The other arcuately curved portion is associated with an apparatus which winds weft. thread onto the spools of the carriers.

Mounted adjacent the shed, at the inlet and outlet thereof, are narrowing tunnels for lowering the Weft thread carriers and pressing them to the propelling links.

There is provided in the bottom portion of each weft thread carrier a longitudinal groove adapted to receive a propelling link, as'the carrier is moved outside the shed. To ensure stablepositioning'of the carrier on a propelling link, the carrier may be provided witha spring-set member projecting into the groove for cooperation with the side surface of the propelling link.

In operation, the chain conveyor propelsthe weft thread carriers in'the shed, the carriers being somewhat raised above the propelling links. As the carriers leave ing means, and which obviates to raise the carriers in the shed.

These and other objects are attained in the inventive apparatus for propelling weft thread carriers in the shed of a travelling-wave loom, which comprises a closed guideway having straight portions and curved portions, there being mounted for motion within the guideway an endless chain conveyor made up of a plurality of links interconnected by pins, at least every second one of the links carrying a retainer movable in a vertical plane and adapted to enter, while outside the which are mounted in the pins of the chain, and which are adapted to enter the openings in the carriers, arranged coaxially with the axis of the spools.

-The carriers bearing upon the guideway and the chain conveyor being positioned below the top plane of this guideway, it is possible to increase-the width of the carrier supporting surfaces along the straight and curved portions; In this way additional means become redundant for directing the carriers in'respect of the chains links. Furthermore, it is no longer necessary to raise the carriers while moving through the shed, since in the proposed apparatus the warp threads would not be contacted by the conveyor, since they run above the 7 top plane of the side walls of the stationary guideway,

on the protective cloth along which the carriers travel, whereby breakage of the warp threads is positively prevented.

The retainer being mounted in the pin interconnecting the adjacent links of the chain, it has become possible to simplify the structure of the links and to secure a reliable orientation of the travelling carriers, at the same time effecting the winding of the weft threads onto the spools of the carriers while the latter move along the curved portions. The last-mentioned feature enables to reduce considerably the overall length of the chain conveyor.

Besides, the opening in the carrier, adapted to receive the abovementioned retainer, being coaxial with the the spool, the latter becomes coaxial with the means winding the weft thread thereupon, which rules out the eventuality of these means being broken in operation.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the retainer has the form of a U-shaped fork, while the opening in the carrier for the retainer is in the form of a pair of passages disposed on both sides of the spool axis, these passages being adapted to receive therein the respective prongs of this fork, whereby rotation of the carrier relative to the retainer is prevented.

The invention is further characterized in that the pin wherein the retainer is mounted is in the form ofa bush rigidly attached to the link of the chain conveyor, carrying the abovementioned supporting member with the roller.

The pin interconnecting the links of the chain being of the abovedescribed structure, it has become possible to reduce the length of each link and, therefore, to reduce the radius of curvature of the curved portions of the conveyor, and to improve the smoothness of the travel of the chain. Moreover, this enables to ensure a permanent position of the carriers in respect of the links of the chain and to eliminate vibration of the carriers together with the respective chain links as the carriers pass from the straight portion of the guideway onto the curved one.

The invention is also characterized in that the side walls of the guideway have on the internal sides thereof two additional guiding surfaces disposed below the chain conveyor, preferably over the entire length of the side walls, one of these guiding surfaces being adapted to displace the retainer in a vertical plane, while the other one is adapted to lower the supporting member with the roller below the side walls of the guideway as the roller is approaching the selvage of the protective cloth, and thereafter to raise this same roller upon its having passed this selvage. of the protective cloth.

The provision of these two additional guiding surfaces, extending the entire length of the chain conveyor, ensures dependable retention of both the retainer and the roller in desired positions, and that without any additional means.

The roller of the conveyor being lowered prior to engaging the protective cloth, it permits eliminating unwanted wear and tear of the selvage of this cloth, as well as any jerking of the carrier in the longitudinal direction as the carrier is entering and leaving the weaving. zone.

The invention is further characterized in that the additional guiding surfaces may be made in the form of projections, while the bottom portions of the retainer and of the supporting member of the roller may have recesses adapted to'receive these projections therein.

The invention is still further characterized in that the chain conveyor is driven by U-shaped teeth of a rotary disc engaging the pins of the conveyor, and the disc is mounted at one of the curved portions of the guideway to provide forengagement of the U-shaped teeth with the conveyor. The side wall of the guideway, which is the internal one at this curved portion, has a height smaller than the height thereof along the straight portions. To keep the carriers in balance along this curved portion of the guideway, the rotary disc is provided, above the U-shaped teeth thereof, with a supporting surface arranged as a continuation of the straight side wall of the guideway.

It can be seen that the herein disclosed apparatus for propelling weft thread carriers is of a simple structure requires minimal maintenance, eliminates the causes of eventual malfunctioning, such as when the carriers enter and leave the weaving zone, and improves the stability of the weft thread carriers along the curved portions of the conveyor. All this provides for stepping up the productivity of the loom and minimizes the risk of faulty operation.

The invention will be further described in connection with a particular, preferred illustrative apparatus for propelling weft thread carriers in the shed of a travelling-wave loom, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly broken away in the area of a rotary disc, of an apparatus for propelling Weft thread carriers, together with these carriers;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line II-II of FIG. 1, also showing a guiding surface for cooperation with a retainer;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along line III-III of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line IVIV of FIG. I; and

FIG. 5 shows one of the embodiments of the retainer.

Referring now to the appended drawings, the apparatus for propelling weft thread carriers in the shed of a travelling-wave loom comprises a closed guideway 1 (FIG. 1) arranged in a horizontal plane and having straight portions A and B and arcuately curved portions C and D, the guideway housing therein an endless chain conveyor 2.

The guideway 1 and the chain conveyor 2 are disposed so that the curved portions C and D of the guide way are located at the opposite lateral sides of the associated loom, the straight portion B is located above an already woven cloth E, and the portion A underlies; warp threads 3 forming the shed.

The chain conveyor is a commonly known link-androller chain including

interconnected links

4 and 5.

The links 5 are connecting links, each of them including two plates 6 (FIG. 2) spaced so as to accommodate therebetween sleeves 7 and 8 and horizontal rollers 9 and 10, respectively.

The links 4 are intended to propel weft thread carriers 11 and include each two plates 12 overlapping exteriorly the plates 6. The

links

4 and 5 have equal length; and are interconnected bypins 13 and 14, the links 4 being spaced apartin the chain so as to correspond to the capacity of the associated loom and to the required spacing of the weft thread carriers, which means that each adjacent pair of the links 4 may have interposed therebetween either one or two or three connecting links 5.

The guideway 1 (FIGS. 3 and 4) is U-shaped in its cross-section and is rigidly attached to a framework of the loom. The straight portion A of the guideway l underlying, as it has been already stated, the warp threads 3 and contacting them, the top plane of the guideway, as well as the bottom plane of the carriers moving through the shed should be parallel to the warp threads forming the lower plane of the shed. Therefore, the carriers 11 are triangular in cross-section, while the

vertical side walls

16 and 17 of the guideway l are of different heights. The side wall 16 that forms the internal side of the guideway 1 has a height 'h which is greater than the height h, of the wall 17 that forms the external side of the guideway l.

The conveyor 2 is hidden within the guideway 1 so that the carriers 11 bear upon the side walls 16 and 17 v of the guideway throughout the length of this guideway. To retain the conveyor 2 at a permanent level within the guideway 1, grooves 18 are cut in the internal sides of the

walls

16 and 17, in which grooves the horizontal rollers 9 and 10 of the

pins

13 and 14 travel in operation.

To effect propelling of the carriers 11, the links 4 of the conveyor are each provided with a retainer 19 FIG.

I 2 movable in avertical plane and adapted to propel the respective carrier along the guideway 1 outside the shed, and each with a supporting member 20 mounting a vertical roller 21 adapted to propel the respective carrier 11 in the shed.

The carriers 11 (FIG. 5), carrying spools 22 with a supply of the weft, thread are propelled outside the shed by the respective retainers 19 made in the form of flat studs whose upper end portions are receivable in openings 23 provided in the carriers 11, each opening 23 being coaxial with the axis 24 of the respective spool 22.

Alternatively, the upper portions of the retainers 19 (FIGS. 3 and 4) may be made in the form ofa U-shaped fork 25, the openings 23 of the carriers 11 having in this case the form of a pair of passages 26 positioned on both sides of the axis 24 of the spool 22, the passages be'ing adapted to receive therein respective prongs 27 of the fork to prevent-rotation of the carriers in respect of the retainers.

For the carriers 11 (FIG. 2) to be propelledthrough the shed by the rollers 21 on the links 4, there is made a recess 28 in the lower portion of the body of each carrier, adapted to receive therein these rollers 21. It is possible, in order to reduce the wear of the body of each carrier 11 and to ensure reliable propelling through the shed, to mount another roller (not shown) in thisrecess 28 of the carrier, or else to arrange in this recess 28 an insert 29 made of a wear-resistant material, e.g. hardened steel. To prevent dusting of the chain conveyor 2, as well as breakages of the warp threads 3, there is a protective cloth 30 positioned under these threads on the guideway 1.

To reduce the length of the

links

4 and 5 and to ensure dependable and proper orientation of the carriers 1 1 being propelled, each retainer 19 is positioned in the pin 14 interconnecting the

links

4 and 5, this pin 14 having the form of a bush secured in the plates 12 of the link 4. a

The

side walls

16 and 17 of the guideway 1 are provided on their internal sides, respectively, with additional guiding surfaces 31 and 32. These surfaces are displaced in height relative to each other, one of them, viz. the surface 31, guiding the movement of or displace the retainers 19 in a vertical plane, while the other guiding surface 32 is meant to lower the rollers 21 below the

side walls

16 and 17 as the rollers approach the selvage of the protective cloth 30, and then to raise the rollers 21 upon their having passed this selvage of the protective cloth 30. These two additional guiding

surface

31 and 32 are made in the form of projections, whereas the bottom portions, respectively, of the retainers 19 and of the supporting members 20 of the rollers 21 have respectiverecesses 33 (FIG. 5) and 34 adapted to receive these projections.

Alternatively, the guiding surfaces 31 and 32 may be in the form of recesses (not shown in the drawings) provided in the

side walls

16 and 17 of the guideway 1, and in this case the bottom portions of the retainers 19 and of the supporting members 20 have projections adapted to be received in these'recesses.

With the retainers 19 (FIG. 2) propelling the carriers 11 along the guideway 1 outside the shed, and the rollers 21 propelling the carriers through the shed, it is essential that the retainers 19 be lowered at the moment when the carriers encounterrthe protective cloth 30, and clear completely the holes 23 of the respective carriers. To attain this, a portion F of the guiding surface 31 at the area of location of the protective cloth 3 0'is lowered by a distance h relative to the rest of this guiding surface 31.

To protect the selvage of the protective cloth 30 from The chain conveyor 2 (FIG. 1) is driven within the guideway 1 by a rotary disc 36' mounted at the curved portion D. The rotary disc 36 has U-shaped teeth 37 engaging the pins 13 interconnecting the

links

4 and 5 of the conveyor 2, in which way the driving of the con veyor is effected. For the U-shaped teeth 37 to be able to enter the guideway 1 and to engage the pins of the chain to drive the latter, the internal side wall 16 of the guideway within one curved portion, D, has a height that is smaller than the earlier mentioned height hot this same side wall 16 along the straight portions A and B and along the other curved portion, C.

Furthermore, to keep the carriers 11 in balance, the disc 36 is provided with a supporting surface 38 (FIG. 4) in the form of a shoulder. Thissurface 38 is arranged above its U-shaped teeth 37 and forms a continuation of the side wall 16 of the straight portions A and B, so that their respective top planes are at the same level. The disc 36 receives rotation from the main shaft of the loom (not shown), whereby the motion of the conveyor 2 is timed with the operation of the other mechanisms of the loom.

To ensure still more reliable propelling of the carriers in the shed by the roller 21, there is a strip 39 arranged above the protective cloth 30 against which strip the carriers 11 are urged as they are propelled by the respective rollers 21.

The weft thread carriers are propelled in the inventive apparatus as follows. When the drive of the loom (not shown) is energized, its rotation is transmitted to the disc 36. The disc 36 (FIG. 1) starts rotating, its U- shaped teeth 37 engaging the pins 13 of the links of the chain and thus driving the latter. The chain conveyor 2 being hidden within the guideway l, the carriers 11 are propelled by the retainers (FIG. 2) along the

side walls

16 and 17 of this guideway. The chain conveyor 2 is retained at a permanent level within the guideway 1 because the horizontal rollers 9 and travel within the grooves 18. The respective retainer 19 is in its raised position and enters the opening 23 of the respective carrier, while the roller 21 is also in its raised position and enters the recess 28 (it should be remembered that in order to propel the carriers outside the shed it makes no difference whether the respective roller 21 enters the recess 28 of the carrier or not, since the roller plays absolutely no part in the propelling of the carrier outside the shed).

As a carrier 11 approaches the selvage of the protective cloth 30, the supporting member 20 of the roller 21, which is guided by the surface 32, drops into the recess 35 of this surface, whereby the roller 21 passes below this selvage, whereafter it is lifted once agian and enters the recess 28 of the carrier, engaging its insert 29 through the protective cloth 30. At the same moment the retainer 19 which is guided by the guiding surface 31 passes onto the lowered portion F thereof and leaves the opening 23 of the carrier, dropping below the selvage of the cloth 30. Thus, as each carrier enters the shed, there takes place a changeover of its propelling means, i.e. the retainer 19 is replaced by the roller 21.

it should be underlined that this changeover of the propelling means takes place without the carriers 11 leaving for any instance, however brief, the guideway 1 along which these carriers are propelled, and in the shed the carriers travel over the warp threads 3 overlying the protective cloth under which the guideway 1 lies.

After each carrier 1 1 has passed the zone of the warp threads 3 andthe protective cloth 30, the retainer 19 is raised to enter the opening 23 in the carrier. Thereafter the carrier 11 is propelled along the guideway l by this retainer 19 up to the point where the carrier reenters the zone of the warp threads.

While passing the portion D, the carriers 11 slide along the side wall 17 of the guideway 1 and are supported by the surface 38 of the disc 36.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for propelling weft thread carriers across the warp and through successive travelling sheds of a travelling-wave loom, comprising, in combination: a closed guideway including straight portions, curved portions and side walls; an endless chain conveyor made up of a plurality of links and of interconnecting pins, disposed within said guideway for propelling therealong a plurality of said carriers, each having a spool rotatable about an axis; said conveyor being hidden within said guideway so that said carriers bear with their bottom surfaces upon said side walls; means for driving said conveyor; at least every second one of said pins, that interconnects the links, being made in the form of a bush with a retainer movable therein, for propelling by this retainer said carriers outside said sheds along said side walls, and with a supporting member carrying thereon a vertically arranged roller for propelling said carriers in said sheds; an opening provided in each of said carriers coaxially with the axis of rotation of said spool, for receiving therein said retainers as said carriers are propelled outside said sheds; a protective cloth having a selvage portion and disposed under said sheds on said guideway adjacent to and across said warp, said rollers being adapted to engage said carriers through said cloth as said carriers are propelled within said sheds'across said warp.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said pins are made in the form of bushes rigidly secured in said links, for carrying said supporting members.

3. An apparatus for propelling weft thread carriers across the warp and through successive travelling sheds of a travelling-wave loom, comprising, in combination: a closed guideway including straight portions, curved portions and side walls; an endless chain conveyor made up of a plurality of links and of interconnecting pins, disposed within said guideway for propelling therealong a plurality of said carriers, each having a spool rotatable about an axis; said conveyor being hidden within said guideway so that said carriers bear upon said side walls; means for driving said conveyor; at least every second one of said links being provided with a retainer for propelling respective ones of said carriers outside said sheds, along said side walls, and with a supporting member carrying thereon a vertically arranged roller for propelling said carriers in said sheds; an opening provided in each of said carriers coaxially with the axis of rotation of said spool, for receiving therein said retainers as said carriers are propelled outside said sheds; a protective cloth having a selvage portion and arranged on said guideway adjacent to and across said warp, said rollers being adapted to engage said carriers through said cloth as said carriers are propelled in said sheds across said warp, wherein said retainers are made in the form of a U-shaped fork having two prongs, while said openings in said carriers have the form of a pair of passages on both sides of the axis of rotation of said spool, said passages being adapted to receive therein said prongs to prevent rotation of said carriers relative to said retainers.

4. An apparatus for propelling weft thread carriers across the warp and through successive travelling sheds of a travelling-wave loom, comprising, in combination: a closed guideway including straight portions, curved portions and side walls; an endless chain conveyor made up of a plurality of links and of interconnecting pins, disposed within said guideway for propelling therealong a plurality of said carriers, each having a spool rotatable about an axis; said conveyor being hidden within ,said guideway so that said carriers bear upon said side walls; means for driving said conveyor; at least every second of said links being provided with a retainer for propelling respective ones of said carriers outside said sheds, along said side walls, and with a supporting member carrying thereon a vertically arranged roller for propelling said carriers in said sheds; an opening provided in each of said carriers coaxially with the axis of rotation of said spool, for receiving therein said retainers as said carriers are propelled outside said sheds; a protective cloth having a selvage portion and arranged on said guideway adjacent to and across said warp, said rollers being adapted to engage said carriers through said cloth as said carriers are propelled in said sheds across said warp, wherein said side walls are provided on respective internal sides of said guideway with two additional guiding surfaces below said conveyor, one of said surfaces being adapted to displace said retainers in a vertical plane and the other of said surfaces being adapted to effect lowering of said supporting members below said side walls of the guideway as said rollers approach said selvage portion, and subsequently to effect raising of said supporting members upon said rollers having passed below said selvage portion.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said additional guiding surfaces are made in the form of projections, said retainers and said supporting members having recesses in their respective bottom portions, for receiving therein said projections.

6. An apparatus for propelling weft thread carriers across the warp and through successive travelling sheds of a travelling-wave loom, comprising, in combination; a closed guideway including straight portions, curved portions and side walls; an endless chain conveyor made up of a plurality of links and of interconnecting pins, disposed within said guideway for propelling therealong a plurality of said carriers, each having a spool rotatable about an axis; said conveyor being hidden within said guideway so that said carriers bear upon said side walls; means for driving said conveyor; at least every second one of said links being provided with a retainer for propelling respective ones of said carriers outside said sheds, along said side walls, and with a supporting member carrying thereon a vertically arranged roller for propelling said carriers in said sheds; an opening provided in each of said carriers coaxially with the axis of rotation of said spool, for receiving therein said retainers as said carriers are propelled outside said sheds; a protective cloth having a selvage portion and arranged on said guideway adjacent to and across said warp, said rollers being adapted to engage said carriers through said cloth as said carriers are propelled in said sheds across said warp, wherein said means for driving the conveyor includes a rotary disc mounted at one of said curved portions of the guideway, and having U-shaped teeth engaging said pins of the conveyor links for driving said conveyor, the engagement being made possible by one of said side walls of the guideway, which is an intemai wall at said curved portions having a height smaller than the height of the same side wall along said straight portions, said disc being provided above said teeth with a supporting surface serving as a continuation of said internal side wall at said straight portions thereof, whereby said carriers are kept in balance as they are propelled along said curved portions.

Claims

1. An apparatus for propelling weft thread carriers across the warp and through successive travelling sheds of a travelling-wave loom, comprising, in combination: a closed guideway including straight portions, curved portions and side walls; an endless chain conveyor made up of a plurality of links and of interconnecting pins, disposed within said guideway for propelling therealong a plurality of said carriers, each having a spool rotatable about an axis; said conveyor being hidden within said guideway so that said carriers bear with their bottom surfaces upon said side walls; means for driving said conveyor; at least every second one of said pins, that interconnects the links, being made in the form of a bush with a retainer movable therein, for propelling by this retainer said carriers outside said sheds along said side walls, and with a supporting member carrying thereon a vertically arranged roller for propelling said carriers in said sheds; an opening provided in each of said carriers coaxially with the axis of rotation of said spool, for receiving therein said retainers as said carriers are propelled outside said sheds; a protective cloth having a selvage portion and disposed under said sheds on said guideway adjacent to and across said warp, said rollers being adapted to engage said carriers through said cloth as said carriers are propelled within said sheds across said warp.

4. An apparatus for propelling weft thread carriers across the warp and through successive travelling sheds of a travelling-wave loom, comprising, in combination: a closed guideway including straight portions, curved portions and side walls; an endless chain conveyor made up of a plurality of links and of interconnecting pins, disposed within said guideway for propelling therealong a plurality of said carriers, each having a spool rotatable about an axis; said conveyor being hidden within said guideway so that said carriers bear upon said side walls; means for driving said conveyor; at least every second of said links being provided with a retainer for propelling respective ones of said carriers outside said sheds, along said side walls, and with a supporting member carrying thereon a vertically arranged roller for propelling said carriers in said sheds; an opening provided in each of said carriers coaxially with the axis of rotation of said spool, for receiving therein said retainers as said carriers are propelled outside said sheds; a protective cloth having a selvage portion and arranged on said guideway adjacent to and across said warp, said rollers being adapted to engage said carriers through said cloth as said carriers are propelled in said sheds across said warp, wherein said side walls are provided on respective internal sides of said guideway with two additional guiding surfaces below said conveyor, one of said surfaces being adapted to displace said retainers in a vertical plane and the other of said surfaces being adapted to effect lowering of said supporting members below said side walls of the guideway as said rollers approach said selvage portion, and subsequently to effect raising of said supporting members upon said rollers having passed below said selvage portion.

6. An apparatus for propelling weft thread carriers across the warp and through successive travelling sheds of a travelling-wave loom, comprising, in combination; a closed guideway including straight portions, curved portions and side walls; an endless chain conveyor made up of a plurality of links and of interconnecting pins, disposed within said guideway for propelling therealong a plurality of said carriers, each having a spool rotatable about an axis; said conveyor being hidden within said guideway so that said carriers bear upon said side walls; means for driving said conveyor; at least every second one of said links being provided with a retainer for propelling respective ones of said carriers outside said sheds, along said side walls, and with a supporting member carrying thereon a vertically arranged roller for propelling said carriers in said sheds; an opening provided in each of said carriers coaxially with the axis of rotation of said spool, for receiving therein said retainers as said carriers are propelled outside said sheds; a protective cloth having a selvage portion and arranged on said guideway adjacent to and across said warp, said rollers being adapted to engage said carriers through said cloth as said carriers are propelled in said sheds across said warp, wherein said means for driving the conveyor includes a rotary disc mounted at one of said curved portions of the guideway, and having U-shaped teeth engaging said pins of the conveyor links for driving said conveyor, the engagement being made possible by one of said side walls of the guideway, which is an internal wall at said curved portions having a height smaller than the height of the same side wall along said straight portions, said disc being provided above said teeth with a supporting surface serving as a continuation of said internal side wall at said straight portions thereof, whereby said carriers are kept in balance as they are propelled along said curved portions.