Fabric forming machine including pneumatic shedding apparatus and method

A method of forming a shed on a fabric-forming machine comprising the steps of:

• (a) storing a predetermined pattern to be translated into a fabric pattern on the fabric-forming machine, said pattern storing step comprising the substeps of providing a computer having digital storage means, and storing an electromagnetic representation of the pattern in the digital storage means;
• and
• (b) delivering pressurized air to predetermined warp yarn-carrying heddles in correlation with the pattern to thereby move the heddles and the warp yarn carried thereby into upper and lower shed-forming positions to receive a filling yarn to thereby create a portion of the pattern stored in the pattern information storage means, said air delivering step comprising the sub-steps of:
• (1) providing data reading means for reading digital data from the digital storage means;
• (2) providing a plurality of solenoids operatively associated with said computer and With the heddles;
• and
• (3) activating said solenoids in response to data read from said digital storage device to deliver pressurized air to heddles in a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the warp yarn of the fabric to be woven.

A fabric-forming machine for inserting yarn into a filling insertion shed, said fabric-forming machine comprising:

• (a) warp yarn delivery means for delivering warp yarns to a filling yarn insertion zone;
• (b) filling yarn delivery means for delivering filling yarns to the filling yarn insertion zone for integration with warp yarns delivered to the filling yarn insertion zone to form a fabric;
• (c) fabric removal means for progressively removing the fabric formed from the filling yarn insertion zone;
• (d) shed-forming means for forming a filling insertion shed in the filling yarn insertion zone, said shed-forming means comprising:
• (1) pattern information storage means for storing a predetermined pattern to be translated into a woven pattern on the fabric-forming machine;
• (2) a plurality of pneumatic piston and cylinder assemblies for being attached to respective heddles for pneumatically moving the heddle attached thereto into and out of shed-forming position;
• and
• (3) pattern information conveying means for being operatively associated with said pattern information storage means and responsive to said pattern information storage means for delivering pressurized air to predetermined piston and cylinder assemblies to thereby move the selected piston and cylinder assemblies and their respective heddles into upper and lower shed-forming positions to receive a filling yarn to thereby create a portion of the pattern stored in the pattern information storage means;
• (e) a piston block for housing said piston and cylinder assemblies, said piston block defining a plurality of cylinders formed therein for receiving a respective piston for pneumatically induced shed-forming movement therein between said upper and said lower shed-forming positions.

A method of forming a fabric on a fabric-forming machine which uses heddles to form a filling insertion shed, comprising the steps of:

• (a) storing a predetermined pattern to be translated into a fabric pattern, said pattern storing step comprising the sub-steps of providing a computer having digital storage means, and storing an electromagnetic representation of the pattern in the digital storage means;
• (b) delivering warp yarns to a filling yarn insertion zone;
• (c) delivering pressurized air to air-responsive movement means associated with predetermined heddles positioned at the filling yarn insertion zone in correlation with the pattern to thereby move the heddles into upper and lower shed-forming positions in the filling insertion zone to receive a filling yarn to thereby create in a fabric the stored predetermined pattern, said air delivering step comprising the sub-steps of:
• (1) providing data reading means for reading digital data from the digital storage means;
• (2) providing a plurality of solenoids operatively associated with said computer and with the heddles;
• (3) activating said solenoids in response to data read from said digital storage device to deliver pressurized air to heddles in a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the warp of the fabric to be woven;
• (d) delivering filling yarns to the filling yarn insertion zone;
• (e) inserting the filling yarns into the filling yarn insertion zone;
• and
• (f) integrating the filling yarns with the warp yarns to form a fabric.