US3016068A - Loom for weaving non-cylindrical fabrics - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 9, 1962 J. FELIX LOOM FOR WEAVING NON-CYLINDRICALFABRICS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 9, 1959 INVENTOR. Jose ph Felix Maxwell E. Sparrow ATTORNEY.

Jan. 9', 1962 J. FELIX 3,016,068

LOOM FOR WEAVING NON-CYLINDRICAL FABRICS Filed Feb. 9, 19.59 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTO Joseph Felix Moxwell 3 p0 r i'ow A TTORNE Y.

Jan. 9, 1962 J. FELIX LOOM FOR WEAVINGNONCYLINDRICAL FABRICS 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 9, 1959 FIG.6

FIG.5

INVENTOR Joseph Felix FIG] Maxwell 5 Spa rr o-w ATTORNEY.

Jan. 9, 1962 J. FELIX LOOM FOR WEAVING NON-CYLINDRICALFABRICS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 9, 1959 FIGJO INVEAf-TOR.

Joseph Felix Maxwell E.Spdrrow- ATTORNEY.

Jan. 9, 1962 J. FELIX LOOM FOR WEAVINGNONCYLINDRICAL FABRICS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 9, 1959 down down

down

FIG H ATTORNEY- .vA W R. on 0 M W .M. P W 5 s o E O J H w e W 2 m Y G B F O 0 q J Jan. 9, 1962 J. FELIX 3,016,068

LOOM FOR WEAVING NON-CYLINDRICAL FABRICS Filed Feb. 9, 1959 6. Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG.I5

lllllll INVENTOR. Joseph Felix Maxwell E.Sporrow ATTORNEY.

United StatesPatent 0 3,016,068 LOOM FOR WEAVING NON-CYLINDRICAL FABRICS Joseph Felix, 260 Riverside Drive, New York, N.Y., as-

signer of one third to Maxwell E. Sparrow and one sixth to William G. Mulligan, both of New York, N.Y.

Filed Feb. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 791,948 6 Claims. (Cl. 139-41) This invention relates to weaving machines or looms in general, and more specifically is a machine for weaving in a continuous run a series of seamless non-cylindrical hollow or tubular bodies particularly in truncated, coneshaped or other forms having a varied or non-uniform cross-section.

Weaving machines for manufacturing seamless hose or other seamless tubular articles heretofore have been known; however these articles are all of regular or uniform cylindrical shape. The manufacture of a limited variety of seamless non-cylindrical tubular or hollow articles made of threads or yarns had been confined to knitting methods or processes. Many seamless, hollow bodies or articles heretofore could not be manufactured by weaving machines or looms, although it was recognized that it would be of considerable advantage to have them made by weaving methods or processes and there has existed and-still exists a long felt need for such made articles.

Present weaving methods or processes generally comprise interlacing, at right angles, two or more series of yarns or threads, of which the longitudinal are called warp and the transverse weft. A loom for weaving these threads or yarns into cloth or the like provides for shedding, that is, raising and lowering the warp threads in a predetermined sequence so as to form two lines, between which the weft may be passed; picking or placing lines of weft between the divided warp; beating-up, or striking each weft thread into its position in the fabric; letting-off orholding'the Warp tense and delivering it as Weaving proceeds; taking-up, or drawing away the cloth as manufactured. There is usually provided means known as temples for stretching the fabric widthwise in order to prevent the edge threads of a warp from injuring the reed, and from breaking.

The foregoing steps or operations are performed by the various parts of the loom or weaving machine, that is, shedding is done by controlling the warp threads by the heddles (eye heald-s) on harnesses which are lifted or lowered to form the shed. The heddles are usually sets of parallel double cords or wires which, withtheir mounting, comprise the harnesses used to :guide the warp threads to the lathe, lay or batten in the loom, the lathe or batten being the pivoted or swingable frame of the loom.

carrying the fixed reed for separating the warp threads and beating-up the weft. The weft is inserted by the shuttle thrown across the race course or slide after the shed has been formed, and the'beating-up is done by the reed which is moved forward by the lay or batten. In the conventional loom intermittently driven rollers take up the cloth and a frictional drag, applied to the warp beam by a weighted rope or chain regulates the let-off and warp tension. Add the foregoing is'well known in the art;

According to the present invention, the reed instead of being flat and rectangular and immovab-ly fixed to the lay or batten as in conventional looms or weaving machines, is tapered and non-lineal'in cross section and specially constructed according to the ultimate shape or form of the finished body or article desired and is slidably mounted for substantially vertical or longitudinal movement on the lay or batten. The swinging movement of the lay and the longitudinal movement of the reed with relation to the lay or batten are synchronized or made'co-opera- 3,016,068 Patented Jan. 9, 1962 tive with a take-up roller which guides or pulls the manufactured product. The movement of the swinging lay is derived from the cranks carried by the drive shaft of the machine and is transformed into intermittent rotary motion of the said fabric take-up (roller) by ratchet means or the like. That is, means are provided for intermittently rotating the fabric take'up in response to the degree or state of Warp thread tension. The rotary movement of the fabric take-up is transformed into longitudinal movement of the reed on the lay by cam or like action on a lever which connects with the reed. The reed is designed and shaped according to the shape of the product desired. The said cam also is designed and shaped to influence the longitudinal movement of the reed to produce the said desired shape of the finished product or body and the proper ratio of gears is selected according to the desired shape and length of the finished product. Tension means are provided which cooperate with or form part of the means for intermittently rotating the fabric take-up to compensate for the difference in weft or filling spacing,

that is, to provide more weft or filling at wider portions of the fabric body being woven (where the warp is farther spread apart), as the reed proceeds in its downward movement along the lay. Weft catchers controlled by the up and down movement of separate harnesses cooperate with the lay to provide the additional length of weft required to compensate for the difference in length of weft between a straight or lineal line across the reed and the non-lineal line across the reed on the same transverse plane, for each pick.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine for weaving in a continuous run seamless hollow articles or bodies of non-uniform or non-cylindrical shape or form.

It is a further object of the present invention to adapt or modify a conventional weaving machine or loom for manufacturing hollow seamless bodies in non-uniform cross-sectional or non-cylindrical shapes as well as cylindrical shapes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved weaving machine for producing in flat condition non-uniform cross-sectional or non-cylindrical hollow or tubular bodies.

It will become apparent from what follows that a weaving machine or loom according to the invention can manufacture in a continuous run bodies or articles of hollow seamless non-cylindrical shapes or of non-uniform cross-section, such as, for example, lampshades, baskets, filters, strainers, endless inserts for reinforcing the carcasses of vehicle tires in a shape corresponding to the finished tire, and certain articles of wearing apparel.

Various further and more specific objects, purposes, features and advantages will clearly appear from the detailed descn'ption given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and illustrate merely by way of example an embodiment of the machine of the invention.

The invention consists in such novel features, arrangements and combinations of parts as may be shown and described in connection with the machine herein disclosed by way of example only and as illustrative of a preferred embodiment.

'In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for conveniencefbut such names are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. Like refcrence, characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating very generally a weaving machine (partly broken away) according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a portion of a .lay (partly broken away) with slidable reed thereon according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the reed shown in FIG. 2 taken along theline 33 in FIG 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the said reed taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a detail view (partly broken away) of a drive mechanism embodied in the invention;

FIG. 6 is a detail view (partly broken away) of a cam drive attached to the lay for the longitudinal movement of the reed on the swinging or reciprocating lay;

FIG. 7 is a rear view showing location of warp thread spools;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the suspension means for the warp thread spools shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side elevation of the weaving machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the part of the weaving machine shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the positions of the harnesses during one weaving cycle;

FIG. 12 illustrates cam layouts for providing respective movements of the reed for two selected shapes of bodies for example lampshades, one of the layouts being show in full lines and the other in dash-dot lines;

FIG. 13 is a view of a portion of a continuous run of connected flat tubular or non-cylindrical hollow fabric bodies manufactured by the machine with the reed depicted in FIGS. 1, 2, 10, comprising a plurality of woven articles such as lampshades;

FIG. 14 is a longitudinal section of the fabric shown in FIG. 13, taken along the line 1414 thereof;

FIG. 15 is the top view of a truncated pyramidalshaped lampshade having a square section;

FIG. 16 is the front view of a movable reed for Weaving the seamless lampshade body shown in FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is thetop view of a truncated pyramidalshaped lampshade body .having a triangular section;

FIG. 18 is the front view of a movable reed for weaving the seamless lampshade body shown in FIG. l7;

FIG. 19 is a schematic top view of the seamlesslampshade body shown in FIG. 17 in fiat unfolded condition as it is obtained from the machine;

FIG. 20 is a top view of a truncated pyramidal-shaped lampshade body having a rectangular section;

FIG. 21 is a schematic top view of the seamless lampshade body shown in FIG. 20 in fiat unfolded condition as it is obtained from the machine; and

FIG. 22 is a front view of a movable reed for weaving the seamless-lampshade body shown in FIG. 13.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment by which the invention may be realized, there is shown in FIG. 1, very generally,

a schematic perspective view, partly broken away, of a weavingmachine 10 having side frames 11 (front) and 11' (rear) connected by cross-braces 12, 13 .(FIGS. 6 and p 10). Amain drive shaft 14 is located in theframes 11,

11' having a drive gear (FIG. 15) mounted thereon for" further connection with a drive motor (not shown in the drawing). A lathe, batten or lay 17 is .pivotally mounted in saidframes 11, 11' and is driven reciprocatingly by means ofcranks 18 and 18' and connectingrods 19, 19'. Upon the rear end cross-brace13 are arranged a plurality of warp thread spools 20, and warpthreads 21 are led therefrom overbars 22, 23, 24, 25 through the eye healds or heddles 26' of the four selectively operatedharnesses 27a, 27b, 27c, 27d. Little weights 28 (FIG. 8) which are hung from thewarp threads 21 between the guide bars 24 and 25 serve to keep proper tension in the warp threads. Theharnesses 27a, 27b, 27c, 27d are suspended springs may be substituted by conventional Weights (not shown). After passing through the eyes 26 of the heddles 26 ofharnesses 27a, 27b, 27c, 27d, the warp threads proceed through the openings inreed 32 which is slidably or movably arranged longitudinally in and with relation to the batten or lay 17, where, in conventional manner, a shuttle (not shown in the drawings) throws weft thread W across the shed formed by raised and loweredwarp threads 21, in a predetermined sequence. To that extent the lay or lathe 17 carries the race or slide 33 and the shuttle boxes 34, 34'. Therace 33 has a row ofpins 35 which serve as guiding means for the shuttle during its throw or slide along therace course 33. A breast beam 36 (FIG. 9) is provided to support the finished fabric. After having been turned into a fabric containing the series of spaced fiat tubular woven bodies of non-uniform cross-section connected bywarp threads 21 the manufactured product is pulled by the take-up cylinder orroller 37 and is directed over theguide rollers 36,deflection roller 38 and guideroller 39, respectively into areceptacle 4%) which may be replaced by a beam or winding roller (not shown) upon which the woven product may be wound. The take-uproller 37 may be provided with a frictional surface to facilitate drawing of the manufactured fabric forwardly.

The take-up roller orcylinder 37 is driven intermittently by a ratchet device comprising aratchet wheel 41, (FIGS. 1, 5 and 10), mounted on the shaft of the cylinder orroller 37, and twopawls 42, 43, one of which, namely, 42, serves as forward propelling means, whereas theother pawl 43, prevents theroller 37 from moving in the opposite direction. The propellingpawl 42 is pivotally linked to an angular double-arm lever 44 which is pivotally mounted on astud 45 fixed on theside frame 11. Theupper or vertical arm 44a of the double-arm lever 44 is pulled backward by a bracket orloop 46. which is attached to the. arm of the batten or lay 17. The lower or horizontal arm 44b of said double-arm lever 44 is urged downward by atension spring 47 attached to frame 11 and byajweight 48 which may be shifted forward or backward on said lower arm of said double-arm lever 44 inorder to vary the required pull on the lever 44. Thespring 47 and theweight 48 constantly urge the take-uproller 37 in the forward or clockwise direction. The necessary or required tension on thewarp threads 21 and the fabric are constantly maintained byspring 47,weight 48 andwarp weights 28.

On the other end of the cylinder orroller 37 is a gear 51 (FIGS. 1 and 6) meshing with anidler gear 52 which in turn is meshing with agear 53.Gear 53 is fixedly mounted on the hub of acam 54. 7Cam 54 andgear 53 are rotatably arranged on astud 55 which is firmly attached to the rear frame of the lay or batten 17.. A linkage composed of twomembers 56, 57 is arranged between the take-uproller 37 and thecam gear 53 for carrying theidler gear 52 at its joint so that gears 51, 52, 53 constantly remain in correct mesh during the reciprocating movement of the batten or lay 17. This arrangement also makes it possible to change thegears 51, 53 in order to vary or change the rotation ratio between thecam 54 and the cylinder or guideroller 37. Acam follower roller 58 is held in constant contact with the cam surface ofcam 54. Thiscam follower 58 isrotatably mounted .onlever 59 which ispivot'ally mounted atone end 59' to abracket 60 attached to the rear arm of the'batten or alay 17. One end of a wire or cord 61 (FIGS. 1, 6 and 9) is fixed to theother end 59" of the cam follower arm orlever 59.Wire 61 is trained overguide rollers 62, 63 and 64 and is attached to theupper brace 71 ofreed 32, as by means of abook 71'. v

Th-us,reed 32 can be rolled or moved up and down on thelay 17, said movement being controlled bycam 54. To this extent the twoside arms 17, 17" oflay 17 comprise channel rails in whichrollers 72 at the ends of the upper and lower bars ormembers 71, 74 ofreed frame 32, can move with a minimum amount of friction, (FIGS. 1 and 2). On thelower brace 74 of the reed frame arehooks 75, 76 to which elongate members orcords 77, 78 are attached and which carrying weights (not shown in the drawings). The side rails 73, 73 of the reed are slotted bars wherein horizontal rods or sticks 79, 80 (weft or filler catchers) can slide or glide. These rods or sticks 79, 81) are slidably or glidably held at their opposite ends in horizontal direction on abar 81 extending between the side frames 11, 11' (FIG. I), so that they can follow in a movement which keeps them parallel toframes 11, 11', the inclined contours of the side rails 73, 73 of the reed when .it moves downward or upward. Theweft catchers 79, 80 being slidably or glidably held at their opposite ends in horizontal direction, go through two heddles of eachharness 27e, 27) for the up and down movement to catch the weft W (FIG. 9). When thelay 17 goes forward the weft is pushed off the rods orweft catchers 79, 80 (controlled byharnesses 27e, 27f) by the reed and thus becomes free so that the further forward movement of the reed can push or beat the difference in length of weft between the straight line of the weft yarn and the curved line of the reed into the fabric. Immediately after this step or action the change in shedding takes place. TheWarp threads 21 pass through thespaces 32 ofreed 32. Themembers 82 may be arranged closer t gether if it is desired to have more warp in the manufactured article.

With specific reference to theparticular reed 32 illustrated in FIG. 2, as heretofore stated it comprises uppertransverse bar 71, lowertransverse bar 74 and the two longitudinally inclined slottedside bars 73, 73', and the generally trapezoidal shaped reed body composed of the s aced strips or likemembers 82 arranged in the form ofan arch tapering toward its upper end Thisreed 32 is designed f r manufacturing conical lampshades or like o ies. The are or curve at the upper end 82a of the reed is proportional to the are or curve at the lower end 8217 of the reed and both are determined by the taper of the lampshade or the like. The body of thereed 32 comprising the plurality of narrow sticks or wires 82 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) suitably spaced apart and arranged in an arch, has its convex side in the direction ofrace 33 and its apex is tangent to race 33 for the manufacture of lampshades or similar articles having. an annular or circular cross section. The smaller upper end 82a of the said arch, as shown in FIG. 3, must have a smaller depth than the widerlower end 82b of said arch, as shown in FIG. 4. Lamp shades or other articles having other shapes may be woven. For example, FIG. 16 illustrates an article having a square crosssection; FIG. 18 illustrates an article having a triangular cross section; and FIG. 22 illustrates an article having a rectangular cross section. These sections are shown in corresponding top views depicted in F GS. 15, I7 and 20, respectively. The letters a and b indicate correspondingly how and where the various sides of these articles are formed. It is obvious that during the process of manufacturing articles having these shapes, always a hollow or tubular seamless article is obtained, which according to the shape of the reed includesside portions 0/2 and b/2; a'/2 and b/2 which, when folded result in the full sides a and b and a and b of the woven prodnot or article. It is obvious that a wide variety of scamless hollow or tubular, particularly non-cylindrical shapes may be produced with corresponding shapes of reeds.

Operation 6 position. When the operation of shedding (for forming the front and rear or under portions of the tapering hollow body of the article (100) to be woven in the sequence of the harness positions indicated in FIG. 11) and of shuttling the filling back and forth, is started, the body ofarticle 100 begins to take shape at its lowest and widest end. One half of the fiat tubular woven body is being formed by the movements of one half of the set of fourharnesses 27a, 27b, 27c, 27d, whereas the other half of said body is being formed by the movements of the other half of said set of harnesses. That is, weft is shot by the shuttle moving in one direction across a shed formed by two spaced lines of warp controlled by two of the harnesses and this weft is beaten into the warp by the forward movement of the lay, then the harnesses change positions and weft is shot in the opposite direction by shuttle across another shed formed by two other lines of warp controlled by the other two harnesses and beating of the weft takes place again.

Theweft catchers 79, 80, provide for additional length of weft required by the non-lineal shape of the reed. This is accomplished by the alternate movements of theharnesses 27e, 27], which, when theweft catchers 79, alternately are in their lower positions abutting the race course and then alternately in their upper positions (being respectively lifted above the race course), complete loops of weft on opposite sides of the reed defining the width of the fabric at those particular points. Theharnesses 27e, 27) are lowered and raised, respectively, through the dobby mechanism. They are so relatively arranged that at whatever side of the race the shuttle happens to be located the weft catcher at that side is in lowered position touching the race and the weft catcher at the other side of the race is in raised position, so that the shuttle will slide over the first mentioned and lowered weft catcher (making a loop thereover with the weft which has previously been beaten-up into the fabric) and under the raised weft catcher at the opposite side of the race. Then the lay moves forward and causes the reed to push the weft off the catcher and to beat-up this weft into the fabric. While this takes place the weft catchers change vertical positions and the harnesses controlling the warp threads change positions. The first mentioned weft catcher is now in raised position and the weft catcher at the other side of the race is in lowered position. The shuttle now moves in the opposite direction sliding over the lowered weft catcher at the other side of the race (making a loop at that side with the weft previously beaten-up into the fabric) and under the first mentioned and now raised weft catcher. The lay now moves forwrrd causing the reed to push the weft off the lowered weft catcher and beat-up this weft into the fabric. Then the harnesses controlling the Warp threads change positions to provide the other shed and at the same time. the weft catchers change vertical positions. A cycle has now been completed and similar cycles are repeated during the manufacture of the fabric. The change of the shed occurs after the beating up of the weft takes place for each pick, because the loops formed around the weft catchers have to follow the non-lineal cross section of the reed.

The difference in length between a straight line across the width of the reed and across the arched or other selective shape of the reed on the same transverse plane determines the distance in length of the weft which has to be provided or taken up for the beating-up of the weft into the warp. The height of the shuttle guide pins 35 on the race course must be lower than the line defined by the change point of the operating harnesses to prevent interference with the movements of the warp threads across the lay.

Obviously, atthe lower and wider portions of the fabric being woven, the warp threads are spaced apart'somewhat wider than at its upper'and narrower portions, and, therefore, more filling has to be shot through or across the race course in the beginning or earlier period in the cycle of operation per unit of length of woven material orbody 100 in order to obtain uniform density of fabric. The amount of filling gradually diminishes automatically as the spacing between the warp threads become narrower with the downward movement ofreed 32 This is achieved by the special arrangement of ratchet drive and balancing means employed. Thatis, a balancing takeup motion is provided for uniform consistency of warpweft throughout thenoncylindrical body 100 being woven.

At first, a few picks are first woven to determine the consistency or thickness of the woven fabric. If it is desired to make the fabric denser, then the tension of the warp threads is increased by increasing theweights 28 and theweight 48 is decreased, taking into consideration the distance ofweight 48 from thefulcrum point 45. In order to make the fabric less dense then theweights 28 are decreased and theweight 48 is increased.

As stated heretofore, because of the fact that thereed 32 is tapered, the warp threads are spaced wider apart at the bottom and progressively become closer together as the reed lowers, that is, the amount of warp threads per inch increases from bottom to top as the reed is lowered. The amount of weft or filling decreases per inch as the reed is lowered. This is automatically brought about by the balancing take-up motion.

As the weaving progresses the reed beats the filling against the fabric and thus the fabric becomes looser andweight 48 will pull arm 44b down and consequently arm 44a andpawl 42 forward. This latter movement will force take-uproller 37 to rotate forwardly sufiiciently to take up the slack of the fabric. Thepawl 43 will prevent the take-uproller 37 from rotating backwards. Thelay 17 swings backward and carries with it through the strap orloop 46, the lever 44 with its pivotedpawl 42. As thereed 32 lowers, the warp threads being closer together offers more resistance to the beating-up of the weft into the warp of fabric by the lay and this resistance causes the fabrics to become looser and consequently this slack is taken up in a manner hereinbefore described. It is quite apparent that as the reed lowers, the slack in the fabric becomes progressively looser with each throw of the lay and which slack is progressively taken up by every pick. The warp thus becoming denser or closer together as the reed lowers, cannot allow the weft threads to beat-upinto the fabric as close as when the warp threads are farther apart.

Thus, more filling can be beaten-up into the fabric if the warp is spaced wider apart, and thus more beating strokes are necessary to permit a forward movement of the take-uproller 37 under the pull ofspring 47 andweight 48. Correspondingly, thereed 32 is progressively lowered by the cam action until the uppernarrow frame 71 is reached (corresponding to position No. 12 of the cam diagram in FIG. 12), at which time the position ofcam 58 is such thatfollower 54 is at the low point oncam 54. The weaving of one of the non-cylindrical hollow ortubular bodies 100 has now been completed. Cam 54 'will now returnreed 32 to its upward or raised position, that is, to its starting position and then the cycle of events repeats itself. During this change of position ofreed 32 from low to initial high position, the shooting of the shuttle across the race course of the lay may be interrupted by any suitable means; or the shuttle maybe permitted to operate, since the material between two successive woven bodies 100 (which is constituted mainly of warp) is later cut away; Thus, a continuous run of fabric or web comprising a series ofsuch bodies 100 in flat 'tubular'condition connected together by loose warp' threads as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, is manufactured. This web or continuous run of fabric is caught in a bin or container 40- andjmay thereafter be cut (as stated above) at places where the loose warp threads meet the completed woven bodies forming the lamp shade. Obviously, the shape of the product or body being woven, such as the depicted lampshade, depends upon the shape ofcam 54 7 all such changes and modifications.

8 and the speed ratio of cam versus take-uproller 37. By such variations, as exemplified by the shape 54', bell shaped bodies or the like, such as indicated by dashdotted lines in the diagram of FIG. 12, may be obtained.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a certain particular preferred example which gives satisfactory results, and with respect to certain bodies or products which may be produced thereby, it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the principle of the invention, that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and it is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover The invention further includes the web or continuous run of woven fabric or cloth comprising the series of woven bodies in flat tubular or noncylindrical form or condition connected together by the loose Warp threads.

I claim:

1. In a loom, comprising a reciprocating lay, harness means for shedding warp threads trained therethrough, shuttle means for carrying weft thread back and forth across the lay through the shed formed by said warp threads, and rotatable fabric take-up; the combination of a reed comprising spaced elongate members, said warp threads being threaded through spaces between said members, said members being disposed relative to each other whereby to provide a tapered body of non-lineal cross-section, said reed being mounted on said lay for upward and downward movements relative thereto and for reciprocation therewith, means for controlling said reed movements, means for intermittently rotating said fabric take-up, said latter means including means for providing balancing take-up motion for producing substantially uniform consistency of warp-Weft in the fabric woven by said loom, and means for controlling the weft to provide additional length of weft to compensate for the difference in length of weft between a lineal line across said body and the non-lineal line across said body on the same plane for each pick, said means for controlling weft comprising a pair of horizontally slidable and vertically swingable transverse members projecting. through said reed and in the path of said shuttle, and means for alternately raising and lowering said members whereby said shuttle may pass over one and under the other of said members for each pick.

2. In a loom, the combination according toclaim 1, wherein said means for controlling said reed movements comprises gear connection between said fabric take-up and said lay, cam means deriving rotat'able'm'otion from said gear connection and movable with said lay, and means for translating rotary motion of said cam to upward and downward movements of said reed.

3. A machine for weaving non-cylindrical ihollow bodies comprising a reciprocatinglay, harness means for shedding warp threads, shuttle means for carrying weft thread back and forth across said lay through the sheds formed .by'said warp'threads, a rotatable fabric take-up, a reed comprising spaced elongate members, said warp threads being threaded through spaces between said memhere, said members being relatively disposed providing a tapered body of'non-l ineal cross-section, said reed being mounted on said lay for upward and downward movements relative thereto and for reciprocation therewith, means for controlling said reed movements, and means for intermittently rotating said fabric take-up in response to the degree of warp thread tension, said means for intermittently'rotating said fabric take-up including means for providing' balancing take-up motion for producing substantially uniform consistency of warp-Weft insaid bodies, and means for controlling weftto provide additional length of weft to compensatetfor the difference in length ofweft between a lineal line across said body on the same plane, for each pick. i

4. A machine "according toclaim 3, wherein said means for controlling weft comprises a pair of horizontally slidable and vertical swingable transverse members projecting through said reed and in the path of said shuttle and means for alternately raising and lowering said members whereby said shuttle may pass over one and under the other of said members for each pick.

5. The process of producing a Woven fabric body of non-cylindrical hollow shape which comprises moving a reed which corresponds to the desired shape of the body upward and downward on a reciprocating loom lay in accordance with the shape of a cam, operating said cam through a fabric take-up, intermittently operating said take-up by balancing tal: -up motion through the movement of said lay for producing substantially uniform consistency of warp-weft in the fabric being woven, and controlling the weft to provide additional length of weft to compensate for the difiference in length of weft between a lineal line across the reed and the non-lineal line across the reed on the same plane for each pick, said reed because it corresponds to the shape of the Woven fabric body, being non-lineal in cross-section.

6. In a loom comprising a reciprocating lay, harness means for shedding Warp threads trained therethrough, shuttle means for carrying Weft thread back and forth across the lay through the shed formed by said warp threads, and a rotatable fabric take-up; the combination of a reed through which said warp threads are fed, said reed being mounted on said lay for upward and downward movements relative thereto and for reciprocation therewith, means for controlling said reed movements, means for transforming reciprocatory movement of said lay to rotary motion of said fabric take-up, and means for transmitting motion from said fabric take-up to said reed controlling means, said reed being non-uniform in cross-section, said means for transforming reciprocatory movement of said lay to rotary motion of said fabric take-up including means for providing balancing take-up motion for producing substantially uniform consistency of Warp-weft in the product manufactured by said loom, said means for controlling the upward and downward movements of said reed comprising gear connection between said fabric take-up and said lay and cam means deriving rotatable motion from said gear connection and movable with said lay and means to translate rotary motion of said cam to upward and downward movements of said reed.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 626,314 Weaver et al June 6, 1899 1,003,202 Pnrden Sept. 12, 1911 1,135,701 Langer Apr. 13, 1915 1,165,775 Grossgebauer Dec. 28, 1915 1,469,892 Clark et 'al. May 14, 1922 1,625,329 Oehrle Apr. 19, 1927 1,629,858 Trainer May 24, 1927 2,651,330 Mostertz Sept. 8, 1953

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