Take-up mechanisms

Claim 2

A take-up mechanism for a loom for weaving fabric comprising a take-up roll, at least one support roll, and driving means for causing said take-up roll to rotate in at least one direction, the axes of said rolls being substantially parallel to each other and extending substantially at right angles to the path traveled by said fabric as it is woven in said loom, said rolls cooperatively forming at least one press nip, said take-up roll being free to move vertically and/or horizontally relative to the axis of said support roll so that when said fabric so traverses the surface of said take-up roll that increasing tension on said fabric will impel the axis of said take-up roll closer to the axis of said support roll, the force exerted on said fabric passing through said nip will be increased.

Claim 3

The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein said take-up roll is cradled by at least two support rolls.

Claim 4

The apparatus described in claim 2 wherein said fabric wraps about said take-up roll by more than 180*.

Claim 5

The apparatus described in claim 3 wherein said axis of said support roll forming the first press nip said fabric passes through is positioned lower than at least one other axis of at least one other support roll.

Claim 6

The apparatus described in claim 4 wherein the surface of at least one of said rolls has a high coefficient of friction.

Claim 7

The apparatus described in claim 5 wherein said take-up roll is solid.

Claim 8

The apparatus described in claim 6 wherein said surface is rubber.

Claim 9

The apparatus described in claim 7 wherein said driving means is also the power source for said loom.

Claim 10

A take-up mechanism for a loom for weaving fabric comprising a take-up roll, a first and second support roll spaced apart by a distance between the closest part of their cylindrical surfaces which is less than the outer diameter of said take-up roll, and means for imparting torque motion to said take-up roll in at least one direction, the axes of all of said rolls being substantially parallel to each other and at right angles to the path traveled by said fabric as it is woven in said loom, said take-up roll and said first and second support rolls cooperatively forming a first and second press nip, respectively, means for guiding said fabric such that said fabric wraps about said take-up roll by more than 180*, a portion of said fabric passing sequentially through said first press nip and then through said second press nip, whereby said rolls will exert a positive resultant force on said fabric passing through said nips.

Claim 11

A take-up mechanism for a loom for weaving fabric comprising a take-up roll, a first and second support roll spaced apart by a distance between the closest part of their cylindrical surfaces which is less than the outer diameter of said take-up roll, and means for imparting torque motion to said take-up roll in at least one direction, the axes of all of said rolls being substantially parallel to each other and at right angles to the path traveled by said fabric as it is woven in said loom, said take-up roll and said first and second support rolls cooperatively forming a first and second press nip, respectively, means for guiding said fabric such that said fabric wraps about said take-up roll by more than 180*, a portion of said fabric passing sequentially through said first press nip and then through said second press nip, whereby said rolls will exert a positive resultant force on said fabric passing through said nips.

Claim 12

The apparatus described in claim 9 wherein said rolls have surfaces which have a high coefficient of friction.

Claim 13

The apparatus described in claim 10 wherein the axis of said second support roll is positioned higher than the axis of said first support roll.