Protective mechanism The Related Art

The invention relates to a protective mechanism mounted to brode machines for preventing bucket bottom tearing, crushing, and damaging in inlaid curtain, tulle etc. fabrics.

The Prior Art

Brode machines are usually 20 m long. In order to perform embroidery, if the width of fabric is more than 160 cm, 20 m long fabric is firstly pinned on/fixed on the upper pulley of the brode machine. Afterwards, this pulley rotates and winds the fabric onto itself until 160 cm is left. For instance; of a 300 cm long fabric, 140 cm is wound onto the upper pulley and the remaining 160 cm is pinned to the lower pulley from the lower end part of the fabric. In order to bring to the starting position, the fabric is then wound from the upper pulley to the lower pulley. These pulleys are supported by pieces called buckets that carry the pulley with 7 towers in order to prevent the pulley from deflection (bending) on 20 m long machines. In this way, 7 buckets are positioned on the upper pulley and act as support pieces in order to prevent the fabric from getting damaged. The buckets are formed of fixed pieces, while the pulley is formed of movable pieces. After the fabric to be processed is positioned between the upper and the lower pulleys, the fabric is stretched at various values depending on the type of the fabric in order to prevent occurrence of folding, rupture etc. of the curtain during processing. At this moment, the fabric that is wound around the pulley is squeezed between the bucket and the pulley and the fabric may be damaged if there is a roughness or surface deformation on the pulley or the bucket. Sensitive fabrics can even be damaged due to friction.

In the prior art, personnel controls the bucket bottoms and corrects if there is a problem. However, this system completely depends on the person and his/her visual inspection. The possibility of any roughness or deformation found on the bucket or the pulley going unnoticed or stolidity of the personnel causes the whole production to have inferior quality. Ruptures and crushes occur at the positions of the fabric that correspond to the bucket bottoms. The buckets used as support elements may not be able to provide the desired support at all times, and as a result, the fabric that stays wound on the pulley may be squeezed between the bucket and the pulley, get folded and run.

As a result, the above said drawbacks and the inadequacy of the prior art solutions about the subject have necessitated an improvement in the related technical field. Purpose of the Invention

The invention is formed with the inspiration from the prior art situations and aims to solve the above said problems. The main purpose of the invention is to prevent bucket bottom tearing, crushing, and damaging in inlaid curtain, tulle etc. fabrics.

Another purpose of the invention is to protect the fabric by avoiding the contact of the fabric with the bucket and the pulley by means of a mechanism placed at the bucket bottom.

Another purpose of the invention is to insert a protective material between the bucket and the pulley in order to protect the fabric while the fabric is being wound around the pulley.

Another purpose of the invention is to allow the protective material to be wound around the pulley as the fabric is wound around the pulley and allow winding around itself as it is released/unwound. Another purpose of the invention is to prevent wrinkling of the fabric, tulle, or brode.

In order to achieve the above said purposes, the invention is at least one protective mechanism used in brode machines for preventing bucket bottom tearing, crushing, damaging, and/or wrinkling that may occur during winding of inlaid curtain, tulle etc. fabrics on pulley and/or unwinding from pulley. Said protective mechanism comprises the below given components:

• a mounting piece that allows its fixing on brode machines,

• a shaft holder connected to the mounting piece and fixes bearer shaft from the two ends by means of mounting housings formed thereon,

• a protective cylinder positioned around the bearer shaft and allows winding of protective material thereon, and when the pulley winds the fabric, allows unwinding of the protective material from thereon,

• the protective material wound on the protective cylinder, and prevents possible tearing, crushing, and/or damaging on the fabric by means of being wound on the pulley together with the fabric, as the pulley starts to wind the fabric,

• a winding spring, which:

❖ is stretched together with the rotation of the protective cylinder, when the pulley winds the protective material together with the fabric, ❖ forms the required power for rotation of the protective cylinder in order to ensure winding of the protective material on the protective cylinder when the pulley releases the fabric and the protective material,

• the bearer shaft allowing winding of the winding spring fixed thereon,

• a machine connection mechanism, to which the mounting piece is connected, and which comprises:

❖ a connection profile on which the mounting piece is fixed so as to ensure connection of the protective mechanism on the brode machine,

❖ a rail wagon connected to said connection profile in order to ensure back-and-forth movement of the protective mechanism on the horizontal axis, and a rail, on which the rail wagon is inserted, and which is connected to the machine,

❖ preferably 4 connection brackets allowing said connection between the rail wagon and the connection profile,

❖ said connection profile fixed on the machine in order to ensure said connection of the rail to the brode machine.

The structural and characteristic features of the invention and all of its advantages shall be understood better with the figures and the detailed description given below in reference to the figures, and therefore, the assessment should be made by taking into account the said figures and detailed explanations. Figures for Better Understanding of the Invention

Figure 1 is a two-dimensional perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the protective mechanism according to the invention, mounted on the bucket.

Figure 2 is a general perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the protective mechanism according to the invention.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the protective mechanism according to the invention.

Figure 4 is a profile view of a preferred embodiment of the protective mechanism according to the invention, from above the bucket.

Figure 5 is a view of a preferred embodiment of the protective mechanism according to the invention, mounted on the machine connection mechanism. Drawings do not have to be scaled and details not necessary for understanding the present invention may be neglected. Moreover, components which are at least widely equal or which have at least widely equal functions are shown with the same number.

Description of Parts References

1 . Mounting piece

2. Shaft holder

2.1 . Shaft housing

3. Bearer shaft

4. Protective cylinder

5. Protective material

6. Winding spring

6.1 . Winding spring wall

6.2. Winding spring cover

7. Bucket

7.1 . Bucket connection component

8. Pulley

9. Fabric

10. Machine connection mechanism

10.1 . Rail wagon 10.2. Rail

10.3. Connection profile

10.4. Connection bracket

K. Protective mechanism

Detailed Description of the Invention

In this detailed description, the preferred embodiments of the invention are only disclosed for better understanding of the subject without forming any limiting effect. First of all, the positions of the components found in the preferred embodiment, and then the details and functions of these components will be given in order to allow the protective mechanism to be understood better. Finally, the use of said protective mechanism and the roles of the components in the operation will be given. The positions of the components found in the preferred embodiment of the protective mechanism (K) with regard to each other are as follows:

Buckets (7) are placed in certain intervals on the pulley (8), which is positioned at the upper part of the brode machines, and on which the fabric (9) (tulle, curtain etc.) are wound. The buckets (7) are connected to the machine by means of a bucket connection component (7.1 ) such that they would wrap some part of the pulley (8). The mounting piece (1 ) is fixed at the lower surface of the bucket (7) preferably by a screw and/or fixed at the machine connection mechanism (10) that is fixed to the brode machines. Shaft holders (2) are connected to the front and rear ends of the mounting piece (1 ), preferably by screws. Shaft housings (2.1 ) are formed on the shaft holders (2). The two ends of the bearer shaft (3) are reciprocally inserted and fixed in said shaft housings (2.1 ). A protective cylinder (4) is positioned on the bearer shaft (3) such that it would wrap the bearer shaft (3) and it can perform rotational motion with the bearer shaft (3). The protective material (5) is positioned by being wound on this protective cylinder (4). Preferably, two winding springs (6) are positioned on the bearer shaft (3) at parts where the protective cylinder (4) does not cover such that it would be close to the end parts of the bearer shaft (3). The inner open ends of the winding springs (6) are fixed on the bearer shaft (3), while the outer open ends thereof are fixed on the winding spring wall (6.1 ). The winding spring wall (6.1 ) is fixed on the protective cylinder (4). The winding spring cover (6.2) is connected onto the winding spring wall (6.1 ) via shrink fitting. (Figure 1 )

Connection of the mounting piece (1 ) and therefore the protective mechanism (K) to the brode machine is ensured by the machine connection mechanism (10). A rail (10.2) is fixed on the connecting piece of the brode machine preferably by means of the connection profile (10.3). A rail wagon (10.1 ) is connected onto the rail (10.2) such that it can move back and forth in the horizontal axis. Another connection profile (10.3) is fixed on said rail wagon (10.1 ) by means of screws preferably via 4 connection brackets (10.4). Finally, the protective mechanism is connected onto the connection profile (10.3) fixed on the rail wagon (10.1 ) by means of the mounting piece (1 ).

The details and functions of the components found in the preferred embodiment of the protective mechanism (K) are as follows:

The mounting piece (1 ) allows connection/fixing of the protective mechanism (K), of which itself is also a part, onto the bucket (7) and/or the machine connection mechanism (10). The shaft holders (2) and the shaft housings (2.1 ) formed thereon allow fixing of the bearer shaft (3) on the mounting piece (1 ) and bearing of said components positioned around/on the bearer shaft (3). The function of the bearer shaft (3) is to allow positioning and bearing of the protective cylinder (4) and the winding spring (6). As it may also be understood from its name, the protective cylinder (4) is the component that allows winding and unwinding of the protective material (5). While the protective cylinder (4) rotates around the bearer shaft (3), the protective material (5) is wound around the protective cylinder (4) depending on the direction of rotation or starts unwinding by being released. The protective material (5) is either wound on the protective cylinder (4) by means of the protective cylinder (4) rotating in the same direction with the pulley (8) or if it is moving in the opposite direction, it is wound on the pulley (8) together with the fabric (9), when the pulley (8) starts to move/rotate.

The protective material (5) protects the fabric (9) from bucket (7) bottom tearing, crushing, and/or damaging. It ensures this protection by means of cutting the contact of the fabric (9) with the bucket (7) and/or the pulley (8), depending on the position where the protective mechanism (K) is fixed. The protective material (5) is preferably a water soluble stiffening cloth etc. material. The winding spring (6) is the piece that provides the required pulling force to ensure re-winding of the protective material (5) on the protective cylinder (4), after it is separated from the protective cylinder (4). The winding spring wall (6.1 ) is the piece that allows fixing of the winding spring (6) outer end and helps its winding. By "winding" it is meant that; the inner end of the winding spring (6) is fixed on the bearer shaft (3) that is found in a fixed position and therefore the winding spring wall (6.1 ) rotates together with the protective cylinder (4) it is connected to, and the winding spring (6) starts to be compressed. The task of the winding spring cover (6.2) is to prevent the winding spring (6) from moving towards the end parts of the bearer shaft (3), as it is compressed/strained, and thus prevent it from dislocating and getting damaged. The bucket (7) is the piece, which forms a surface for connection of the protective mechanism (K) that holds the fabric (9) on the pulley (8) to the brode machine, and which holds the protective mechanism (K).

The use of the preferred embodiments of the protective mechanism (K) and the functions of said components in the operation are as follows:

According to Figure 4, that is to say, when the mounting piece (1 ) is mounted to the bucket (7), as the pulley (8) starts clockwise rotational motion (in the arrow direction), the fabric (9) starts to be wound around the pulley (8) such that it would be left between the protective material (5) and the pulley (8). In the other way round, the fabric (9) and the protective material (5) start to be released from the pulley (8) and the protective material (5) starts to be wound around the protective cylinder (4) that circularly rotates in the movement direction of the pulley (8). In this way, the fabric (9) is prevented from contacting the pulley (8) and thus prevented from getting damaged. Figure 5 shows fixing of the mounting piece (1 ) on the machine connection mechanism (10), instead of the bucket (7) or together with the bucket (7). In this case, as the pulley (8) starts counter-clockwise rotational motion (in the arrow direction), the fabric (9) starts to be wound around the pulley (8) such that it would be left between the protective material (5) and the bucket (7).

In the other way round, the fabric (9) and the protective material (5) start to be released from the pulley (8) and the protective material (5) starts to be wound around the protective cylinder (4) that circularly rotates opposite to the movement direction of the pulley (8). The winding springs (6) enable the protective cylinder (4) to wind the protective material (5) by rotating around the fixed bearer shaft (3). The required force for said winding operation is formed by means of straining of the winding springs (6) as the protective cylinder (4) rotates the winding springs (6) while rotating circularly in clockwise direction. As disclosed above, as a result of using at least two protective mechanisms (K) by connecting to different components, the contact of the fabric (9) with the bucket (7) and the pulley (8) is prevented and thus possible damages, crushes, and tears on the fabric (9) would be avoided. As disclosed above, while the protective mechanism (K) can be used in 2 different ways, it can be used only on the buckets (7) or only on the machine connection mechanisms (10) in different systems.