PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus 10 for storing weft ends is applied to a water jet loom together with a weft end processor 12 for processing the weft front ends.

[0026] The water jet loom inserts the weft (not shown) from a weft insert nozzle (not shown) into a shedding of the warp 14 by pressure water, restrains/retains by means of the weft end processor 12 the front ends of the inserted weft, and in that state, beats the weft against the cloth fell with a reed 16 to form a textile 18. The front ends of the beaten weft are cut away from the textile 18 by a cutter (not shown), thus forming the weft ends.

[0027] The weft end processor 12 includes a block-shaped weft catching bracket 20 for catching up the front ends of the weft. This weft catching bracket 20 receives the front ends of the weft to be beaten into a slit 22, and exhausts and passes the pressure water from an exhaust channel 24 through the back of the slit 22 into a discharge channel 26. Thereby, the front end portion of the weft is brought into contact with the pressure water at the back of the slit 22, dragged by the discharge channel 26, restrained and retained.

[0028] The slit 22 has a horizontal U-like shape so as to receive the weft to be beaten from the upstream side in the moving direction of the warp 14. The weft is received into the slit 22 such that the front end portion penetrates the weft catching bracket 20 in the thickness direction. The discharge channel 26 is formed by a pipe 28 such that the upper end portion is inserted into the weft catching bracket 20 from downward to the back of the slit 22.

[0029] The pressure water is fed to the exhaust channel 24 from a water storage tank 30 by a pump 32 through a pipe 34, 34. The pressure water exhausted to the discharge channel 26 is recovered into the apparatus 10 for storing weft end together with the cut-away weft ends, returned from the apparatus 10 for storing weft ends to the water storage tank 30 to be reused as the pressure water.

[0030] The liquid surface inside the water storage tank 30 is sensed by a water surface sensor 36, and when the liquid surface is on or below a predetermined level, a solenoid valve 38 is opened to replenish the water in a water holding tank (not shown) from an inlet 40, thereby maintaining at a level within a predetermined allowable range.

[0031] In the apparatus 10 for storing weft ends, carrying and storing means is constituted by a pipe 28, a flexible hose 42 connected to the lower end of a pipe 28 to form a discharge section, and a storage tank 44 opening upward to form a storing section so as to receive the water and the weft ends discharged from the hose 42, and moving means for moving the discharge section by means of a hose moving mechanism 52 is formed, and further, the storage section is moved by a storage tank moving mechanism 46.

[0032] The hose 42 forming the discharge section forms a weft end carrying path or the exhaust channel together with the pipe 28. The hose 42 is assembled at its upper end portion into a frame 50 of the loom together with the lower end portion of the pipe 28 by a fixture 48. In place of including the hose 42 and another pipe 28, with the upper end portion of the hose 42 inserted into the weft catching bracket 20, the upstream side of its inner space may be used as the discharge channel 26.

[0033] The hose 42 is attached at its lower end portion to the hose moving mechanism 52. The hose moving mechanism 52 is assembled into the frame 50 of the loom with a pivot pin 56 so as to oscillate a cam lever 54 within a horizontal plane and rotates an eccentric cam 58 about a perpendicular line by an electric motor 60 to oscillate the cam lever 54 within the horizontal plane. The cam lever 54 is always in contact with the outer periphery of the eccentric cam 58 by a spring 61. The electric motor 60 is supported on the frame 50 of the loom by a motor bracket 62.

[0034] The lower end portion of the hose 42 is assembled into the other end portion of the cam lever 54 with a fixture 63 so as to make the weft ends flow with the water into the storage tank 44 from above. Therefore, an outlet. 96 formed at the lower end of the hose 42 is moved relative to the storage tank 44 above the storage tank 44 with the oscillation of the cam lever 54. However, the range of oscillation of the cam lever 54 is limited to a range for the water and the weft ends discharged from the hose 42 not to scatter out of the storage tank 44.

[0035] The storage tank 44 has a circular bottom wall and a peripheral wall vertical to the bottom wall, and a plurality of holes 64, which permit the water to pass but prevent the weft ends from passing, respectively on the peripheral wall and the bottom wall. Therefore, the storage tank 44 acts as a storage portion having a function of a filter receiving the weft ends from the hose 42 together with the water and separating the weft ends and the water.

[0036] The storage tank moving mechanism 46 has a circular turntable 68 mounted on a support base 66 through one or more bearings 70 so as to rotate about a perpendicular line, a case 72 disposed on the turntable 68, and the storage tank 44 disposed on the case 72. The support base 66 is installed on a floor 74.

[0037] A ring-shaped gear 76 is assembled into the outer periphery of the case 72. The gear 76 is an external-tooth gear, which is engaged with a gear 80 which is rotated by a motor 78. The motor 78 is assembled into the floor 74 by means of a bracket 82. Therefore, when the turntable 68 is rotated by the motor 78, the case 72 and the storage tank 44 are rotated about the perpendicular axis.

[0038] The case 72 has a space 84 for accommodating the storage tank 44 as well as a plurality of holes 86 on the bottom wall for passing the water flowing out of the storage tank 44. The space 84 has a circular bottom portion a little larger than the bottom wall of the storage tank 44 so as to facilitate attachment and detachment of the storage tank 44 in recovering the weft ends and to facilitate flowing of the water from the storage tank 44, and is open upward.

[0039] The water having passed the holes 86 of the case 72 is collected by a dent 88 formed in the turntable 68 and opening upward, and flows into the water storage tank 30 through a hole 92 of the support base 66 and a channel 94.

[0040] In weaving, the pressure water is always exhausted from the exhaust channel 24 into the discharge channel 26. This carries the weft ends together with the exhausted water inside the pipe 26 and the hose 42 to be discharged together with the water from the outlet 96 at the lower end of the hose 42 into the storage tank 44.

[0041] While weaving, the motors 60 and 78 are rotated continuously or intermittently. By this, the outlet 96 of the hose 42 is oscillated by the hose moving mechanism 52 to be slowly displaced relative to the storage tank 44, and the storage tank 44 is rotated by the storage tank moving mechanism 46 to be slowly displaced relative to the outlet 96 of the hose 42.

[0042] When the storage tank 44 and the outlet 96 are displaced together as mentioned above, the position for the water and the weft ends to reach inside the storage tank 44 variously changes, so that the position for the weft ends pile up inside the storage tank 44 variously changes, thereby preventing the weft ends from piling up at one place, so that the weft ends are evenly stored in the storage tank 44. As a result, without requiring hands, a large quantity of weft ends can be stored in the storage tank 44, thereby reducing the frequency of the recovery works.

[0043] The quantity of the weft ends stored inside the storage tank 44 is detected as the volume of the weft ends, and the height position of the weft ends inside the storage tank 44 can be detected by a weft end sensor 98 such as a photoelectric sensor and an ultrasound wave sensor. However, the quantity of the stored weft ends can be detected by detecting the weight of the weft ends inside the storage tank 44 by means of a weight sensor such as a strain gauge.

[0044] An output signal of the weft end sensor 98 is fed to a weft end processing controller not shown, where it is used as a signal to inform by means of a display lamp or the like that a predetermined quantity of the weft ends are stored in the storage tank 44 and that the weft ends inside the storage tank 44 are to be recovered. Consequently, an operator can, receiving such information by the display lamp or the like, recover a sufficient quantity of the weft ends from the storage tank 44 before the weft ends overflow.

[0045] Since the apparatus 10 for storing weft ends moves the outlet 96 of the hose 42 together with the storage tank 44 in the above embodiment, the weft ends can be evenly stored in the storage tank 44 by variously changing the position for the water and the weft ends to reach inside the storage tank 44.

[0046] However, it is possible to move only the outlet 96 of the hose 42.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 3, an the apparatus 100 for storing weft ends uses a fluid pressure cylinder 104 as a drive source of a hose moving mechanism 102. The fluid pressure cylinder 104 is pivotally assembled into the frame 50 by a horizontally extending pivot pin 106.

[0048] The fluid pressure cylinder 104 has the lower end portion of the hose 42 attached to a piston rod by a fixture 108. Due to this, when the piston rod of the fluid pressure cylinder 104 is extended or contracted, an outlet at the lower end of the hose 42 is displaced within a vertical plane, and the direction of the water flow discharged from the hose 42 is changed.

[0049] Therefore, since the position for the weft ends pile up inside the storage tank 44 is changed by the apparatus 100 for storing weft ends, the weft ends are prevented from piling up at one place and are stored evenly in the storage tank 44. As a result, without requiring hands, a large quantity of the weft ends can be stored in the storage tank 44, thereby reducing the frequency of the recovery works.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 4, an apparatus 120 for storing weft ends is provided, in place of a hose moving mechanism, with a water flow selection mechanism 122 for changing the water flow discharged toward the storage tank 44. The water flow selection mechanism 122 uses an aluminum pipe 124 in place of a flexible hose and has the pipe 124 assembled into the frame 50 together with the pipe 28 by means of a fixture 126.

[0051] The front end of the pipe 124 is connected to a water flow divider 128 for dividing the water flow being discharged. The water flow divider 128 has a plurality of outlets 130 for discharging the weft ends together with the water and disposes an electromagnetic valve 132 at each outlet 130. The electromagnetic valve 132 is selectively opened or closed by a controller.

[0052] In the apparatus 120 for storing weft ends, while weaving, the electromagnetic valve 132 to be opened is selectively changed. Since this moves the actual outlet and changes the position for the weft ends to pile up inside the storage tank 44, the weft ends are prevented from piling up at one place inside the storage tank 44, so that the weft ends are evenly stored. As a result, without requiring hands, a large quantity of the weft ends can be stored in the storage tank 44, thereby reducing the frequency of the recovery works.

[0053] Referring to FIG. 5, an apparatus 140 for storing weft ends is provided, in place of a hose moving mechanism, with a water flow selection mechanism 142 for changing the quantity and direction of the water flow discharged toward the storage tank 44. The water flow selection mechanism 142 uses an aluminum pipe 144 in place of a flexible hose and assembles the pipe 144 into the frame 50 together with the pipe 28 by means of a fixture 146.

[0054] The front end of the pipe 144 is connected to an electromagnetic flow rate adjusting valve 148 for dividing the water flow being discharged and for adjusting the flow rate. The electromagnetic flow rate adjusting valve 148 is provided with a plurality of outlets 150 for discharging the weft ends together with the water.

[0055] In the apparatus 140 for storing weft ends, while weaving, the degree of opening of each outlet 150 is continuously or intermittently changed by the electromagnetic flow rate adjusting valve 148. Due to this, the flow velocity and the quantity of the water discharged from each outlet 150 are changed to further change the direction as well as the flow velocity (impulse of water). Since due to the change in water flow the quantity of the weft ends to be discharged and the direction are also changed, the position for the weft ends to pile up inside the storage tank 44 is changed. As a result, the weft ends, prevented from piling up at one place inside the storage tank 44, are stored evenly in the storage tank 44, so that, without requiring hands, a large quantity of weft-ends can be stored in the storage tank 44, thereby reducing the recovery works.

[0056] Also in the embodiments as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is possible to rotate the case 72 by the motor and move the storage tank 44.

[0057] The present invention can be variously modified without being limited by the above embodiments and without deviating from its purport.