Textile machine, weaving loom comprising such a textile machine and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11866859-B2
Application number	US-202017618624-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2020
Priority date	Jun 19, 2019
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

A textile machine (4) for a weaving loom having an input shaft which is coupled to a weaving loom. The drive mechanism is driven by the input shaft to move frames or collars of the weaving loom through a sequence of predefined positions. The electronic control device is programmed to monitor the change in position of each frame or collar during each step of the predefined sequence of positions and to count the number of times each frame or collar reproduces a particular configuration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A textile machine for a weaving loom, comprising:
an input shaft configured to be coupled to a weaving loom;
a drive mechanism actuated by the input shaft and configured to move frames or collars of the weaving loom through a predefined sequence of positions, said drive mechanism having at least one mechanical output component configured to be coupled to one of said frames or collars of the weaving loom;
an electronic control device including a processor and a computer memory,
wherein said control device is programmed to monitor the change in position of each frame or collar during each step of the predefined sequence of positions and to count the number of times each frame or collar reproduces a particular configuration,
wherein the control device is further programmed to automatically calculate a cumulative damage index for at least some of the textile machine components, defined as the state of wear of the component relative to a reference state,
and wherein the control device is further programmed to automatically compare the damage index, for at least some of the textile machine components, to a predefined value and to update a state variable representing the comparison.

2. The textile machine according to claim 1 , wherein said particular configurations include the following transitions of the frame or collar for each step of the predefined sequence of positions:
the frame or collar remains stationary in a high position;
the frame or collar remains stationary in a low position;
the frame or collar initiates a movement from a high position to a low position;
the frame or collar initiates a movement from a low position to a high position;
the frame or collar continues a movement from a high position to a low position;
the frame or collar continues a movement from a low position to move up to a high position.

3. The textile machine according to claim 1 , wherein the machine further comprises a measuring device comprising one or more sensors configured to measure one or more of the following quantities, for each step of the predefined position sequence:
a force exerted on a mechanical component;
a torque exerted on a mechanical component; and
a position of one or more of the frames or collars;
an angle of the input shaft;
a speed of rotation of the input shaft;
an environmental variable such as a temperature, or a viscosity, or a pressure, or an opacity.

4. The textile machine according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is programmed to calculate, for a measured quantity, a reference value over a weave cycle and, for each weave cycle, to automatically compare the measured quantity with the reference value.

5. The textile machine according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is programmed, for each step of the sequence of predefined positions, to automatically compare the position of each frame or collar of the weaving loom with a target position imposed by the sequence of predefined positions.

6. The textile machine according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is programmed to automatically calculate a severity index, for at least some of the textile machine components, defined as a current level of use of the component relative to an intrinsic limit of the component.

7. The textile machine according to claim 6 , wherein the control device is further programmed to automatically compare a severity index, for at least a portion of the textile machine components, to a predefined value and to update a status variable representing the comparison.

8. The textile machine according to claim 1 , wherein the textile machine is a shedding device, such as a fundamental weave machine, or a dobby, or a Jacquard machine.

9. The textile machine according to claim 8 , wherein the control device has memory comprising a maintenance file containing for at least one of the textile machine components the recording of counters or a severity index or a damage rate.

10. The textile machine of claim 9 , wherein the textile machine components recorded in the maintenance file include one or more of the following components:
blades or collars,
electromagnets
selection modules,
filters,
oil.

11. The textile machine according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is adapted to communicate with a remote server.

12. A system comprising a weaving loom and a textile machine according to claim 1 , said textile machine being coupled to the weaving loom.

13. A method for operating a textile machine for a weaving machine, said textile machine comprising:
an input shaft, configured to be coupled to a weaving loom;
a drive mechanism, actuated by the input shaft and configured to move frames or collars of the weaving loom in a predefined sequence of positions, said drive mechanism having at least one mechanical output component configured to be coupled to one of said frames or collars of the weaving loom;
an electronic control device including a processor and a computer memory,
wherein the method comprises monitoring the change in position of each frame or collar of the weaving loom during each step of the predefined sequence of positions and counting the number of times each frame or collar reproduces a particular configuration, and wherein the method further comprises, for at least a portion of the textile machine components:
calculating a cumulative damage index defined as the state of wear of the component relative to a reference state,
comparing the damage index to a predefined value;
updating a status variable representing the comparison.

14. The method according to claim 13 , the method further comprising automatically calculating a maintenance indicator representing a wear condition of one or more mechanical textile machine components from the recorded position data of each frame or collar.

Assignees

• Staubli Sa Ets

Inventors

• Pollet Francois
• Aubert Pierre
• Przytarski Patrice
• Vandroux Philippe

Classifications

• D03J1/00 Primary

  Auxiliary apparatus combined with or associated with looms · CPC title

• D03C1/14 Primary

  Features common to dobbies of different types (stop motions acting on defective operation of shedding mechanisms D03D51/46) · CPC title

• D03C3/32

  Jacquard driving mechanisms · CPC title

• D03C19/005

  Electronic · CPC title

• D03C19/00 Primary

  Methods or devices concerned with designing or making patterns, not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title