The present invention concerns devices to feed the yarn to machines making use thereof, and particularly a weft yarn feeder for gripper or projectile looms having improved characteristics.

It is well known in technique to feed the yarn to machines making use thereof, particularly the weft yarn to looms, by means of feeding devices or yarn feeders: such devices are positioned between the spooJ and the loom and are meant to temporarily store the weft yarn, facilita¬ ting its unwinding from the spool, and to subsequently feed it to the loom insertion members with optimal and preset yarn tension values.

The type of structure universally adopted at present for such feed¬ ing devices involves winding the yarn into successive turns around a drum kept stationary, by means of a winding arm moved by an electric motor. Means detecting the amount or reserve of yarn present on the winding drum are apt to control the running and rotation speed of the motor of the feeding device according to the amount of yarn drawn by the loom, so as to make the yarn unwinding speed from the spool as uniform as possible.

When yarn feeders are used on gripper or projectile looms, they comprise at their outlet end yarn braking means, positioned downstream of the reserve winding drum and meant to feed the yarn to the loom with a specific desired tension. Many of the known yarn braking devices act directly on the outlet end of the drum and are positioned upstream of an outlet yarn guide of the feeder, meant to ensure a correct unwinding of the yarn "in defile". Most yarn feeders make use of braking devices consisting of a plurality of natural or synthetic bristles, fixed to a support in the form of a closed ring carried by a bracket with possibi¬ lity to move along the main axis of the yarn feeder, said plurality of bristles bearing - with a variable pressure apt to be preset by adjusting the axial position of said bracket - onto the outer periphery of the reserve winding drum of the yarn feeder. Other yarn braking devices - also widely adopted - acting directly onto the outlet end of the feeder

- 1 -

drum, make use of a braking element with varying flexibility, comprising a plurality of thin strips positioned side-by-side onto a frustoconical surface. This braking element is mounted onto a cup support having an open bottom, carried by a bracket of the yarn feeder and the position of which is adjustable along the drum axis.

In yarn feeders adopting the aforecited braking devices, though the conditions of weft insertion into the loom have been improved, it has not been possible to fully and efficiently solve the problem concerning the optimal control of the tension of the weft yarn being fed to the loom.

This problem is particularly felt in the weft insertion cycle in gripper looms λvith weft yarn exchange at the centre of the shed, λvherein yarn tension needs to be kept at a high level at the moment in which the yarn is caught by the carrying gripper, at the inlet of the shed, and at the moment in which the leading end of the yarn exchanges from the carry¬ ing gripper to the drawing gripper at the centre of the shed.

Now, the drawback of yarn feeders adopting the known yarn braking devices, considered heretofore, is that they tend to allow yarn tension to drop beloλv the required levels when weft yarn exchange takes place. Attempts have been made to overcome this drawback by increasing the value of the preset tension, but this unfortunately means raising the top ten¬ sion value when, to the preset tension produced by braking there is added the tension produced by inertia of the yarn, at the moment of maximum acceleration of the grippers, before and after weft yarn exchange.

The tension peaks determined by the above situation are obviously undesirable, in that they cause high stresses on the weft yarn, which may easily determine its breakage.

There is hence a demand for yarn feeders which - λvhile keeping the tension of the yarn being fed as low as possible, for an efficient work¬ ing of the loom - are apt to eliminate the harmful yarn tension peaks (and, obviously, the equally harmful tension drops), while simultaneously guaranteeing the best operating conditions when gripping and exchanging of the weft yarn take place.

For this purpose, the Applicant has already conceived yarn braking devices adopting a special type of braking element which, for its elastic characteristics and thanks to the self-adjusting action allowed by the particular configuration of its support, has proved to be in a position to guarantee a yarn tension trend - during weft insertion - with no harm¬ ful peaks and to thus ensure a good result in the weft insertion process. These devices form the object of the Italian Patent Applications No. MI92A 002544 and No. MI92A 002678 by the same Applicant.

A tension diagram which guarantees steadfastness in the braking, Λvithout the presence of any tension peaks or drops, is now obtained - in the yarn feeder according to the present invention - by means of a yarn braking device, the braking element of which is of simpler structure than those of the aforecited Patent Applications, is easier to mount on the yarn feeder, and also provides the advantage of not retaining any loose fibres produced by yarn unwinding at high speed, thanks to its particular shape having a smooth and continuous surface.

More precisely, the present invention concerns a device to feed the yarn to machines making use thereof, particularly a weft yarn feeder for gripper or projectile looms - of the type in which the weft yarn being fed to the loom is unwound "in defile" from a weft yarn reserve wound on a drum, onto the outlet end of which, where a first yarn deviation takes place, there acts a yarn braking device upstream of an outlet yarn guide, where a second yarn deviation takes place - characterized in that the yarn braking device, centred on the drum axis and adjustable along the drum, comprises a frustoconical braking element with continuous surface and varying flexibility, carried by a stiff ring support to which it is fixed close to its major circumference, said support being in turn fixed¬ ly mounted onto a bracket of the yarn feeder, the position of which is adjustable along the drum axis. The frustoconical braking element has a varying flexibility especially along its generating lines.

Advantageously, said frustoconical braking element is in the form of an elastic annular membrane having, close to its minor circumference,

a strictly continuous wearproof inner surface.

In said yarn feeding device, the outlet yarn guide is positioned along the drum axis, at a distance from the outlet end of the drum such that the unwinding weft yarn leaves the drum without engaging the edge of the braking element corresponding to its minor circumference, or - alter¬ natively - it leaves the drum by positively engaging said edge. In the second case, in which an intermediate deviation is imparted on the yarn between said first and second deviations, it can moreover be provided for the yarn to positively engage said edge with an adjustable strength.

The invention is now described in further detail, by mere way of example, with reference to some preferred embodiments thereof, illustra¬ ted on the accompanying draλ'ings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a lateral assembly view of a yarn feeder according to the present invention; fig. 2 is a detailed and partly sectioned side view, of a first embodiment of the yarn braking device of the feeder shown in fig. 1: and

Figs. 3 and 4 show two further embodiments of the yarn braking device of fig. 2.

Fig. 1 shows a yarn feeder AT according to the invention, supplied with yarn F from a spool B and meant to feed said yarn as weft T to a gripper or projectile loom (not shown on the drawing) .

In known manner, in said yarn feeder - comprising a body 1 with an arm 1A projecting therefrom - a reserve R of yarn F is wound into turns, by a winding element 2, around a drum 3 kept stationary, the axis of λvhich is parallel to the arm 1A.

The weft yarn T is unwound "in defile" from said reserve R, guided by an outlet yarn guide 4 after having been braked in correspondence of the outlet end of the drum 3> The yarn guide 4 is carried - downstream of the drum 3 and centred along its axis - by a bracket 4A projecting from a slide 5 carried by the arm 1A and the position of which is adjustable along said arm. The consistency of the reserve R can be regulated by varying the speed and the operating times of the winding element 2.

In the aforedescribed yarn feeder, the braking of the weft yarn T, at the outlet of the drum 3, is obtained by means of a braking device FR, carried by said slide 5 and comprising a braking element, with a frustoco¬ nical surface 6 which tangentially engages the peripheral end of the drum 3 - in order to brake the yarn - with a strength which can be varied by adjusting, in knoλvn manner, the position of the slide 5 along the arm 1A.

The braking element 6 of the yarn feeder according to the invention consists of an annular frustoconical membrane of elastic material - typi¬ cally rubber - fixed, in correspondence of its major circumference, to a stiff ring support 7 which is in turn carried by the slide 5- According to the invention, the membrane forming the frustoconical braking element 6 has a varying flexibility, especially along its generating lines.

The embodiment of fig. 2 makes use of a strictly frustoconical rub¬ ber membrane 8, fixed in correspondence of its major circumference to the stiff ring support 7 by means of screws 9, the inner surface of said mem¬ brane 8 being provided with an annular stiffening band 10 in correspond¬ ence of its minor circumference. The band 10 - suitably, a thin metallic band obtained by drawing - is preferably glued onto the rubber membrane 8. With this band 10, having a strictly continuous wearproof surface, the braking element 6 presses against the end of the drum 3 - as clearly shown in the drawing - so as to brake the weft yarn T as it unwinds from the drum.

In this embodiment, the flexibility of the membrane 8 depends on the characteristics of its material and is influenced by the presence of the band 10, which also allows to vary said flexibility as desired, espe¬ cially along the generating lines of the frustum of cone according to which said membrane is configured.

The embodiment of fig. 3 adopts, instead, a membrane 11 having a strictly frustoconical surface only in its part 11A closest to the minor circumference, while in its part close to the major circumference and to the area of connection to the ring support 7 _> the frustoconical surface of said membrane is provided with corrugations 12 overlapping directrices

of the frustum of cone according to which the membrane 11 is configured. The membrane 11 is fixed to the support 7 by fitting a thickened end 11B thereof into an appropriate, correspondingly shaped, seat formed in said support; said membrane 11 presses against the end of the drum 3 directly with its part HA, shown without a distinct annular band applied thereon. Also in this case, however, the surface of the membrane part 11A is wearproof and strictly continuous.

In this embodiment, the flexibility of the membrane 11 depends not only on the characteristics of the material forming the same, but also on the presence of the corrugations 12 which corrugate its part closest to the major circumference. These corrugations guarantee a widely varying flexibility, especially along the generating lines of the frustoconical braking element formed by the membrane 11.

The embodiment of fig. 4 is modified in respect of that shown in fig. 3 , due to the configuration of the membrane 13, forming the braking element 6, which essentially differs from that of the membrane 11 of the previous embodiment. More precisely, in this embodiment, the braking ele¬ ment does not have its characteristic overall annular frustoconical sha¬ pe, but the more complex shape of a substantially plane disc 14, corruga¬ ted in its part closest to the major circumference and radiused to a flat frustoconical edge 15 in its part close to the minor circumference.

In all three embodiments (figs. 2, 3 _> 4) of the yarn braking device of the invention, the yarn guide 4 (shown in continuous lines) is posi¬ tioned at a distance from the outlet end of the drum 3 such that the un¬ winding weft yarn T leaves the drum without engaging the free edge of the braking element 6.

Nevertheless, the yarn guide 4 could alternatively be positioned at a distance from the outlet end of the drum 3 - as shown in dashed lines in fig. 3 - such as to cause the unwinding weft yarn T to engage the free end contour of the braking element 6.

These constructive choices are of course left to the designer, according to weaving requirements and to experience.

It is besides also possible for the position of the yarn guide 4 to be adjustable in respect of the drum 3 and along its axis: this can be obtained by making the bracket 4A of the yarn guide 4 movable in respect of the slide 5 and, thus, also in respect of the stiff ring support 7 of the braking element 6, fixed to the slide 5- This possibility could for example be realized - as shown in fig. 3 - by suitably shifting the bracket 4A from the position in dashed lines towards the position in continuous lines, or viceversa, along the axis of the drum 3•

The yarn braking device according to the invention, though being of very simple construction - due to the structure of the braking element, formed as a frustoconical annular rubber membrane with varying flexibili¬ ty, which combines into a single piece the braking portion and the por¬ tion supplying the elastic return force, and due to its easy mounting and replacement - is apt to guarantee an extremely satisfactory tension trend of the yarn being fed; it in fact not only prevents harmful tension peaks but it also keeps yarn tension at optimal levels for the requirements of yarn feeding to machines making use thereof. A satisfactory yarn tension is particularly reached when the weft yarn is gripped, exchanged and re¬ leased by the weft yarn insertion members in gripper or projectile looms.

Of course, other practical embodiments of the invention could be provided, differing from those described. The modifications could concern in particular the materials used for the annular membrane forming the frustoconical braking element with varying flexibility (i.e. plastic ma¬ terials could be used instead of rubber), the structure and/or configura¬ tion of said membrane, the ways and means to fix said membrane to its ring support, and the ways and means to form, or apply on said membrane, the strictly continuous wearproof inner surface, as well as the materials used for said surface (instead of a thin metallic band, obtained by draw¬ ing, one could apply bands of resin-bonded cloth, or incorporate highly resisting fibers into a peripheral band of the material forming the membrane). All such modifications, and any others which may be required, fall within the protection scope of the present invention.