Patents Assigned to PICANOL
  • Patent number: 4794958
    Abstract: An auxiliary nozzle for an air jet loom is configured as straight tubule closed and tapered blade-like at its free end and moveable with the loom batten into and out of the formed sheds. At least one blow aperture near the closed end of the tubule is provided in the shape of a slot extending essentially transverse to the tubule axis. The slot has a width not exceeding 0.8 mm and lateral walls configured so that the least or critical cross-section is bounded at least on one side by an edge having a thickness not exceeding 0.2 mm. If one edge is provided, it is located on the lower side of the slot toward the air supply and away from the closed end of the tubule. Various aperture configurations are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Dirk Maes, Patrick Nuytten, Marnick Cardoen, Philippe Van Bogaert, Jozef Verhulst, Gilbert Dejonghe, Jozef Trioen
  • Patent number: 4791967
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining the location of a warp thread break in weaving looms using drop wires, including detection devices 6 to identify warp thread breaks, movable drop wire locators 7 to determine the warp thread break locations, switching devices 8 arranged to actuate the drop wire locators 7, causing the drop wire locators to move until a fallen drop wire is encountered, and indicators on the drop wire locators to indicate the position of the drop wire locator along the warp threads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1988
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Michel Vandeweghe, Dirk Gryson
  • Patent number: 4792101
    Abstract: Process for unwinding a thread from a reel in looms, wherein the thread (6) is guided through a thread guide (4) placed behind the reel, characterized thereby that the distance (L) between said thread guide (4) and said reel (3) is adjusted automatically mainly during the weaving process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1988
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Philippe Van Bogaert, Frank Ampe, Jozef Verhulst
  • Patent number: 4791481
    Abstract: A process for locating weft thread defects in woven fabrics includes using a macro (close-up) lens and video camera to produce an enlarged image of the fabric, and then observing and evaluating the weft pattern from the video generated image. Transmissive and reflecting illumination may be used on the fabric to enhance the video image. Evaluation and measurement of weft thread positions is carried out by direct visual observation or by using computerized pattern recognition systems with micro processor techniques involving digitizing the video image. A relaxation defect of weft thread is determined by measuring variation between weft thread spacing when the fabric is viewed from two different viewing angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1988
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Piet Verdiere, Michel Vandeweghe
  • Patent number: 4781226
    Abstract: A driving and control mechanism for clamping, presenting and holding weft threads on gripper weaving looms is disclosed, whereby at least one thread presentation element (1) can be moved to various positions. The mechanism is composed of at least two levers (5, 6) which are attached in a common manner with a coupling connecting the levers (5, 6) to a thread presentation element (1), a cam transmission (8, 9) for moving the levers (5, 6) locking device (10) which can actuate the lever arms (17, 18) located opposite to the lever arms (12, 13) attached to the coupling (7); and a control system (11) for actuating the locking device (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Denis Moeneclaey, Remi Lagache, Johnny Victoor, Lucien Coopman
  • Patent number: 4781222
    Abstract: A fabric take-up system for a weaving loom includes a driven take-up roll and a pressure roll forming a nip with the take-up roll, wherein the take-up roll at least is movable transversely of its axis so that tensioned fabric received from the loom breast beam, wrapped around the take-up roll, through the nip and around the pressure roll urges the take-up roll towards the pressure roll. Devices for releasing the rolls to open the nip are described, including a support system for preventing deflection of the pressure roll over its length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1988
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Philippe van Bogaert, Willy Dejonckheere
  • Patent number: 4773137
    Abstract: A process for coiling warp beams of looms involves winding new warp threads on warp beams with free ends of predetermined length double wound on the beams at the beginning of the winding process. A warp beam with a securing system for warp threads arranged to leave free ends of the warp threads is described. For changing a warp beam, the free ends of the double coiled warp threads are released from the warp beam before the beam is completely unwound and the free ends are tied to the leading ends of warp threads on the next succeeding warp beam without stopping the weaving process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1988
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventor: Waelkens Joos
  • Patent number: 4759392
    Abstract: A method for the control of auxiliary nozzles or blowers for the insertion of a weft thread in air jet weaving looms wherein several auxiliary blowers and/or groups of auxiliary blowers (1-9; 45; 46; 47; 50) are distributed along the shed (10) of the weaving loom comprising controlling a first row of auxiliary blowers and/or groups of auxiliary blowers (1-6; 45; 47) in such a way that these auxiliary blowers and/or groups of auxiliary blowers (1-6; 45; 47) create a basic air stream which achieves the guiding of the weft thread along the shed (10) and the control of a second row of auxiliary blowers and/or groups of auxiliary blowers (7-9; 46; 50) in such a way that these auxiliary blowers and/or groups of auxiliary blowers 7-9; 46; 50) create an additional air stream which mainly creates a pulling force of the weft threads along the shed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 26, 1988
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Philippe van Bogaert, Dirk Maes
  • Patent number: 4756342
    Abstract: Device for supplying a weft thread to a main blower for weaving looms, whereby it is mainly composed of the combination of 2 or several supply channels (1, 2) for weft threads (3, 4); one main blower (5) for introducing the weft threads (3, 4) into the gap; one adjustable wiring block (6) comprising one or several through channels (7;16,17;20,21,22) and which is (are) mounted between, on the one hand, the ends (9,10) of the supply channels (1,2) and, on the other hand, the inlet (11) of the main blower (5), whereby the through channels (7; 16, 17; 20, 21, 22) can be brought into connection by moving the wiring block (6) between respectively one of the supply channels (1, 2, 28) and the inlet (11), of the main blower (5); and means for moving the wiring block (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1988
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventor: Philippe Van Bogaert
  • Patent number: 4739804
    Abstract: A wavy shed forming arrangement for rectilinear weaving looms it consists of a wobbling non-rotating element driven about a driving axis and connected by connections to be reciprocated which are fixed to the lifters on which the warp threads are suspended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1988
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventor: Henri Shaw
  • Patent number: 4736776
    Abstract: During the weaving process, the location and displacement of the cloth line and/or the breast beam are continuously detected; the detected value is supplied to a drive unit; in the event of a variation in cloth line location with respect to the desired location, the breast beam is moved by means of a drive unit such that the cloth line is returned to the desired location, or in other words, the cloth line is automatically maintained and/or returned almost to the desired location by means of the breast beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1988
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Michel Vandeweghe, Andre Delanghe, Marcel Vandecandelaere, Henry Shaw, Johan Pannekoucke, Gabriel Thore, Eberhard Huettl, Valere Vermeersch, Roger Lampaert
  • Patent number: 4716942
    Abstract: An optical weft stop motion for looms with a U-shaped reed includes an optical emitter, an optical receiver, and a unitary optical conductive plate attachable disposed between the reed lamellae. The plate is provided with a recess which is substantially congruent with and adjacent to the recesses in the U-shaped reed. The optical conductive plate is provided with internal light reflecting side walls which guide the light in the shape of a beam from the emitter through the complete or almost the complete recess of the plate and reflect it further to the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1988
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Borge R. Jensen, Willy M. D. Sierens
  • Patent number: 4715411
    Abstract: A method to control the speed of the weft feed spool in weaving looms includes feeding at least two items of detected data related to weft delivery and supply, and loom operation, into a control mechanism, and using the data to calculate as a number of windings, the variation of the weft length reserve from the average minimum desired weft length reserve as determined by an average weft length reserve sensor and adjusting the speed of the feed spool in response to such calculations. A maximum weft length detector may be used as a control for the feed spool as well as a sensor for the time and number of unwindings of weft from the feed spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1987
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Philippe Van Bogaert, Filip Deconinck
  • Patent number: 4708174
    Abstract: An improved weft carrying/feeding gripper for weaving machines, consisting of two components which are biased together by a spring device, and wherein one of the contact areas of at least one of the components comprises a resilient component (6), and wherein the setting of the pretension of the resilient component (6) is adjustable. The weft is thus held firmly in a direction along its length between the contact areas, and loosely in a weft feeding direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1987
    Assignee: N.V. Weefautomaten Picanol
    Inventors: Michel M. J. Vandeweghe, Johnny-Fredy-Maurice Victoor, Remi-Louis Lagache
  • Patent number: 4703779
    Abstract: A valve arrangement for the control of blowers of air jet looms that are attached to a batten, wherein the valve is formed by a housing fastened to the batten, and is provided with an inlet for blow air and an outlet connected with at least one blower or nozzle. A valve closing element moves with respect to the housing to open and close the valve. A valve actuator mechanism commands the valve closing element which is arranged to move in a translating direction parallel to the batten axis to cover the air outlet port in a plane perpendicular to the valve translating direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1987
    Assignee: N.V. Weefautomaten Picanol
    Inventors: van Bogaert Philippe, Maes Dirk
  • Patent number: 4702283
    Abstract: Optical scanning and inspection of loomed fabric on one or more looms is carried out using a travelling optical scanner that scans an inspection area of fabric on a loom faster than the fabric traverses the inspection area, such inspection area provided between the weaving portion of the loom and the fabric take-up roll. The scanner generates signals that can routinely be compared with preset reference standards and which can be used to control the stopping of the loom upon the detection of a weaving defect. Fabric moving through multiple looms can be scanned in sequence by a scanner traversing multiple inspection areas of the looms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1987
    Assignee: N.V. Weefautomaten Picanol
    Inventor: Henri Shaw
  • Patent number: 4673004
    Abstract: An adjustable control for weft thread delivery of an air jet weaving loom includes a system for selectively controlling the control time and the duration of master weft delivery jets in response to measurements made of weft thread delivery during the weaving process. Different types of weft threads are provided with their own master jets that are independently controllable as to duration time and/or control time. The duration and/or control time of auxiliary jets disposed along the shed of the loom are also controllable in response to detected weft motion. The system also includes a control system for the weft supply drums responsive to detected weft thread delivery during the weaving process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1987
    Assignee: N.V. Weefautomaten Picanol
    Inventors: Rik Rosseel, Bernard Decock, Marc Wyffels, Frank Ampe
  • Patent number: 4653544
    Abstract: A weft cancellation mechanism for gripper looms, characterized by consisting primarily of a bar (7) located in a position situated between the feed of the weft (4) and the shed (2) which forms an angle with the weft or wefts (4), this bar (7) being attached to an electromagnet (9) which, once a weft breaks, is activated so as to remove the weft (4) offered up to the gripper from the path of the gripper (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1987
    Assignee: N. V. Weefautomaten Picanol
    Inventors: Michel Vandeweghe, Frans Vandenabeele
  • Patent number: 4625768
    Abstract: A batten for a massive or weaving loom of the kind composed of a solid batten shaft on bearings, on which shaft batten components like batten legs, a batten beam and a reed are fastened, characterized by the fact that the batten is located in such a way that its swinging axis (O--O) is parallel with the central axis (A--A) of the batten shaft (1) and with the axis of gravity (Z--Z) of the system composed of the batten shaft (1) and of the batten components (2, 3, 4) fastened on it, whereby the swinging axis (O--O) and the axis of gravity (Z--Z) are located outside the center axis of the shaft (A--A), but within the periphery of the batten shaft (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1985
    Date of Patent: December 2, 1986
    Assignee: N.V. Weefautomaten Picanol
    Inventors: Bernard J. Pauwels, Paul J. Huyghe, Ignace F. Meyns
  • Patent number: 4592392
    Abstract: A shot seeking mechanism for weaving looms characterized by consisting primarily of the combination of two clutches (1 and 2), each of which is respectively constituted primarily of clutch units (5 and 6 and 7 and 8) whereby one of these clutches is placed between a drive component (3) and a driven component (4) of the main shaft of the machine, while the second clutch (2) is placed between the driven component (4) of the main shaft of the machine and an auxiliary drive motor (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 3, 1986
    Assignee: N.V. Weefautomaten Picanol
    Inventors: Michel Vandeweghe, Jan F. Derde