Patents Assigned to PICANOL
  • Patent number: 4877063
    Abstract: An apparatus for fluidly injecting a weft thread into the shed of a weaving loom with increased force exerted on the weft thread consists of a main injection nozzle and a fluid jet injection tube of predetermined length and constant cross section diameter fixed coaxially to the exit passage of the nozzle, with the tube having a plurality of fluid outlet openings positioned in groups, with the openings located symmetrically to the axis of the tube and with the openings of each group intersecting a single plane to permit and symmetrical of the equal egress fluid from the tube through each of the openings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventor: Jozef Verhulst
  • Patent number: 4875505
    Abstract: A thread clamp, with the characteristic that it consists essentially of: a first jaw (3) with two spring arms (4, 5) which bend elastically away from and towards each other, perpendicularly to the plane in which the thread clamp opens and closes; a second jaw (6) which operates in conjunction with the first jaw; and an elastic device which serves to press the two jaws (3, 6) together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Denis Moeneclaey, Lucien Coopman, Johnny Victoor
  • Patent number: 4874018
    Abstract: A drive system for weaving machines includes normally coupled main and auxiliary drive shafts for at least the batten and heddles of the weaving machine, respectively, with the shafts driven by main and auxiliary drive motors at different speeds through appropriate speed reducers and couplings. The shafts are coupled together at one point by an adjustable coupling that is controllable remotely so as to permit fine adjustment between the relative angular positions of the main and auxiliary drive shafts and therefore between the batten and heddle positions. This system has particular application during weaving machine start-up after a weaving interruption; e.g., when a thread break occurs. Various embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Philippe Van Bogaert, Andre Vandenbroucke
  • Patent number: 4872488
    Abstract: A measuring and detecting device for determining the position of a break in a warp thread on a weaving machine. The machine makes possible a determination as to which side of the device the break is situated, what distance from the device the break is situated, and whether a broken warp thread has come free or has become entangled. The device includes thread guides placed at a distance from each other which can be presented against the warp thread, a mechanism for gripping the broken warp thread and drawing it between the thread guides, measuring devices mounted on the thread guides or on the gripping mechanism, and a processing unit for processing data obtained from the measuring devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Dirk Gryson, Henry Shaw
  • Patent number: 4869296
    Abstract: A device for removing waste products from weaving machines consists essentially of two air-moving parts: a first part 9 which travels along the machine or machines to be cleaned; and a second part 10 which is mounted on the machine or machines concerned, so that the first and second parts can operate together. The parts 9, 10 establish a moving air stream or streams such that waste products are transported away from the weaving machine by the air stream(s). A single one of the parts can be moveable along different weaving machines while the other part is fixed on the weaving machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventor: Henry Shaw
  • Patent number: 4869297
    Abstract: Device for forming a selvedge or selvedges on woven cloth, consisting essentially of two arms (1, 2) whose ends move to-and-fro in opposite directions, where the first arm (1) has at its end (3) a rotatable thread guide block (5) for the crossing thread or threads, and where the second arm (2) has at least one needle-shaped thread guide (6, 6A, 6B) for the needle thread or threads (27, 27A, 27B) so that the needle thread or threads can be moved up and down in front of the rotatable thread guide block (5) as a result of the motion of the arms (1, 2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Philippe Van Bogaert, Serge Vanrobaeys
  • Patent number: 4860800
    Abstract: A weft carrying gripper is configured to have a small, open sided profile and includes a weft thread gripping jaw portion that is pivotally mounted by a broad hinge pin in lever fashion to the body of the gripper such that the weft clamping element tends to tighten in the clamp closing direction if inadvertent contact occurs between the weft carrying gripper and the weft drawing gripper. Various clamping and thread guiding arrangements are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Johnny Victoor, Lucien Coopman, Denis Moeneclaey
  • Patent number: 4858658
    Abstract: A method for repairing a break in a weft thread which occurs before the thread accumulation space of a weft accumulator includes the steps of drawing the thread reserve present in the weft accumulator after the break back towards the end of the thread which is connected to the yarn package, and subsequently joining it thereto. A weaving machine for practicing the method includes a detection device for detecting a break in the weft thread, a threading device for drawing the thread reserve in the weft accumulator back towards the remaining weft thread, and a thread joining device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventor: Henry Shaw
  • Patent number: 4850398
    Abstract: A weft thread is inserted in a fluid jet loom by accelerating the weft thread to its insertion speed before the thread reaches the outlet of the main blower nozzle. The thread is accelerated to its insertion speed, for example, by an auxiliary nozzle upstream of the main blowing nozzle of the loom. Multiple weft threads may be inserted in a fluid jet loom by feeding each weft thread from a different supply source to individual weft thread supply channels and thereafter placing selected supply channels in communication with a through channel in a movable conduit block that selectively establishes communication between a single weft thread supply channel and the main blower nozzle. The conduit block can be mounted for various different movements to effect weft thread communication with the main blower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N. V.
    Inventor: Philippe Van Bogaert
  • Patent number: 4840203
    Abstract: Apparatus for clamping, holding and presenting weft threads in a weaving loom is disclosed having: a movable clamp for each weft thread which keeps the corresponding weft threads clamped at their thread ends; thread guiding devices guiding of the weft threads from a supply to the corresponding clamp; and a driving and control mechanism for bringing a clamp successively into three positions for inserting the selected weft thread. The first position of the clamp is a storage position; the second position is located such that the weft thread between the clamp and the thread guiding devices is in the path of a gripper; and in the third position the clamp is located on the weft side near the cloth edge adjacent to the fell. Hooks fastened to the reed bring the insert weft thread back into the clamp during the beating movement of the reed. The hooks also act as a guiding element during the presentation of the weft thread to the gripper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Denis Moeneclaey, Remi Lagache, Johnny Victoor, Lucien Coopman
  • Patent number: 4834145
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for cutting a weft thread are disclosed in which a completely separate, independent drive system for the weft thread cutter and clamping device enables the cutting time to be optimized without affecting the main drive system for the loom. By using its own, independent drive system, which is completely independent of the main loom drive, the cutter can be actuated at any time during the loom cycle. The cutter and clamp drive system is controlled by a computer, which may be programmed to determine the optimum cutting time as a function of the weaving parameters and the weft thread data. A device may be provided to detect an improperly inserted weft thread. Once this has been detected, the computer may deactivate the cutting device to prevent the separation of the improperly inserted weft thread from the weft thread supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Dirk Lewyllie, Jose Vangheluwe
  • Patent number: 4832091
    Abstract: Method for repairing the thread supply in weaving machines in the event of an interruption between the weft thread supply package and the weft accumulator, with the characteristic that it consists essentially of: seizing an existing thread portion at a particular point of the thread supply on the weft accumulator drum; removing the portion of thread between this point and the point of the interruption; taking a new thread end from the same weft thread supply package or another and leading it to the old weft thread end; and joining the new end to the old end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N. V.
    Inventor: Henry Shaw
  • Patent number: 4821781
    Abstract: A weft accumulating method and assembly of a weaving loom for accumulating a lenght of weft thread to be inserted into a shed by a pick insertion assembly of the loom in which the accumulator comprises a weft supply; includes a drawing off device off a predetermined length of weft thread from the supply; at least one perforated cylindrical tube; a fluid blowing device to blow the drawn off weft through the tube; and a clamping device to open and close the end of the tube to accumulate weft thread in the tube when the device is closed and to supply the weft thread to the pick insertion assembly when the device is open.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Philippe van Bogaert, Frank Ampe, Jozef Verhulst, Luc Weymeels, Hugo Markey
  • Patent number: 4821779
    Abstract: A method and device for releasing defectively inserted weft threads in weaving machines by reversing the machine to expose the defectively inserted thread in the open shed, initially releasing the weft thread from the ends of the fell by moving the weft thread away from the fell at its ends, positioning releasing elements between the released portion of the weft thread and the fabric fell, releasing an additional portion of the weft thread from the fell by moving the releasing elements away from the fabric fell toward the machine reed, positioning an additional releasing element between the seft thread and the fabric fell, releasing an additional portion of weft thread from the fell by moving the additional releasing element away from the fell and toward the reed, and containing the positioning of the releasing elements across the shed of the weaving machine until the weft thread is released over the entire length of the shed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventor: Henry Shaw
  • Patent number: 4817677
    Abstract: Method for controlling the warp let-off on weaving machines, with the characteristic that the method consists of: detecting the variation with time of at least one of the parameters which are a function of the warp tension and speed of motion of the warp threads; taking the detected signal and removing the effects due to variations in the weave pattern; and using the resulting cleaned signal to control at least one warp drive motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Filip Deconinck, Johan Cappelaere, Michel Vandeweghe
  • Patent number: 4817678
    Abstract: The location of a warp thread break in a weaving loom using electrically conductive drop wires bridging an electrode pair upon occurrence of a warp thread break includes applying opposing known voltages across opposite ends of the electrode pair, establishing current circuits including the voltage sources, the electrode pair and a fallen drop wire, and determining the distance between one end of the electrode pair and the fallen drop wire by calculations using known values corresponding with the voltages and measurements of values corresponding to the current values in the current circuits. A system for carrying out the method includes electrode pairs having a detectible resistance, conductive drop wires, voltage sources connected to the electrode pairs, current detecting/measuring devices, computerized calculating system, warp break location indicators and connecting circuit elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventor: Stefan Dewaele
  • Patent number: 4817675
    Abstract: A method and mechanism for repairing warp thread breaks in a weaving loom in which a broken warp thread is detected by a fallen drop wire of a warp stop motion device, the method comprising: upon the falling of a drop wire, taking a new warp thread from a supply of warp thread separate from the loom supply of warp thread, and moving the new warp thread to a position between the warp stop motion device and the harness of the loom by a rethreading mechanism; raising the fallen drop wire and threading a first end of the new warp thread through the raised drop wire by the rethreading mechanism; and threading a second end of the new warp thread through a heddle of the harness corresponding to the broken warp thread.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Stefan Dewaele, Dirk Gryson
  • Patent number: 4815498
    Abstract: A process for manipulating fallen warp thread detector drop wires and revealing their location includes gripping and rotating a fallen wire, while spreading adjacent wires of the pack apart by a spreader and raising the fallen wire above the pack. Apparatus for gripping, rotating, spreading and lifting is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Dirk Gryson, Henry Shaw, Michel Vandeweghe
  • Patent number: 4813460
    Abstract: A device for the insertion of weft thread into a shed of air insertion looms primarily consists of the combination of a main nozzle, and of at least one auxiliary nozzle fixedly mounted before the main nozzle, the latter having an adjustable flow-through aperture for regulating the jet insertion medium. Associated with each auxiliary nozzle, a control means is utilized for the adjustment of the flow-through aperture. Various embodiments of aperture control are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 21, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventors: Philippe Van Bogaert, Jean-Marie Bamelis
  • Patent number: 4805670
    Abstract: Method for detecting the presence or absence of warp threads clinging together, with the characteristic that it consists principally of a combination of: initiating a machine stop when a warp stop signal is received indicating that a contact has been made by a drop wire 9; checking for a fallen drop wire 9A; and, if no fallen drop wire is found, restarting the machine at least once and interpreting a warp stop motion generated upon restart as an indication that the warp threads 2 are clinging together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 21, 1989
    Assignee: Picanol N.V.
    Inventor: Henry Shaw