Plastic heddle

Abstract

Heddles for use within a harness frame of a weaving machine are provided. Each of the heddles includes a body formed from a liquid crystal polymer resin. The body forms at least one rod slot enabling engagement with a harness frame. The body also has an eyelet section with the eyelet section forming a yarn eye through which a yarn is capable of passing.

1 .) A heddle for use within a harness frame of a weaving machine, said heddle comprising a body formed from a liquid crystal polymer resin, said body forming at least one rod slot enabling engagement with a harness frame and said body having an eyelet section with said eyelet section forming a yarn eye through which a yarn is capable of passing.  
   
   
       2 .) A heddle as in  claim 1 , wherein said liquid crystal polymer resin comprises an unfilled liquid crystal polymer.  
   
   
       3 .) A heddle as in  claim 1 , wherein said eyelet section is turned at an angle as compared to the rest of said body.  
   
   
       4 .) A heddle as in  claim 3 , wherein said angle ranges between about 20 degrees and 30 degrees.  
   
   
       5 .) A heddle as in  claim 1 , wherein said eyelet section comprises thickened eyelet section walls that define the sides of the yarn eye in a direction of yarn travel such that said yarn eye comprises a tunnel eye, said tunnel eye providing an extended contact surface on which the yarn may reside.  
   
   
       6 .) A heddle as in  claim 5 , wherein the depth of said contact surface is substantially larger than the width of the portion of said body that is disposed between said eyelet section and said at least one rod slot.  
   
   
       7 .) A heddle as in  claim 5 , wherein said eyelet section defines a gap through one of said eyelet section walls, said gap providing an opening for insertion of the yarn into said tunnel eye.  
   
   
       8 .) A heddle as in  claim 7 , wherein said gap is biased to prevent said yarn from exiting said yarn eye during a weaving process.  
   
   
       9 .) A heddle as in  claim 5 , wherein at least one of said eyelet section walls defines an indention to facilitate insertion of the yarn into said tunnel eye.  
   
   
       10 .) A heddle as in  claim 1 , wherein said body includes longitudinal walls defining said at least one rod slot.  
   
   
       11 .) A heddle as in  claim 10 , wherein said at least one rod slot comprises an O-shaped rod slot having a slit formed in one of said longitudinal walls, said one longitudinal wall defining at least a first edge of said slit being resiliently deformable to permit insertion of a rod of a harness frame into said rod slot.  
   
   
       12 .) A heddle as in  claim 1 , wherein said at least one rod slot comprises at least one of an O-shaped rod slot, a C-shaped rod slot, or a J-shaped rod slot.  
   
   
       13 .) A heddle as in  claim 1 , wherein a first rod slot is disposed at one end of said body and a second rod slot is disposed at an opposite end of said body.  
   
   
       14 .) A heddle as in  claim 13 , wherein at least one sharpened edge is defined on said body proximal to at least one of said two slots, said at least one sharpened edge being configured to aid in the automatic draw-in of yarn through said yarn eye.  
   
   
       15 .) A heddle as in  claim 1 , wherein said body includes gap-forming protrusions thereon to aid in creating separation between heddles when placed on a harness frame.  
   
   
       16 .) A heddle as in  claim 1 , wherein a flow modifier is blended with said liquid crystal polymer resin before molding of said liquid crystal polymer resin into said body of said heddle.  
   
   
       17 .) A heddle molded from plastic for use within a harness frame of a weaving machine, said heddle comprising, 
 an eyelet section having thickened eyelet section walls that define the sides of a tunnel eye in a direction of yarn travel, said tunnel eye being configured to receive a yarn therethrough and said tunnel eye being configured to provide an extended contact surface on which the yarn may reside;    a first longitudinal section disposed on a first end of said eyelet section, said first longitudinal section defining a first rod slot distal from said eyelet section; and    a second longitudinal section disposed on an opposing second end of said eyelet section, said second longitudinal section defining a second rod slot distal from said eyelet section.    
   
   
       18 .) A heddle as in  claim 17 , wherein said contact surface defines a depth that is substantially larger than the width of at least one of said first longitudinal section and said second longitudinal section.  
   
   
       19 .) A heddle as in  claim 17 , wherein said eyelet section defines a gap through one of said eyelet section walls, said gap providing an opening for insertion of the yarn into said yarn eye.  
   
   
       20 .) A heddle as in  claim 19 , wherein said gap is biased to prevent said yarn from exiting said yarn eye during a weaving process.  
   
   
       21 .) A heddle as in  claim 17 , wherein one of said eyelet section walls defines an indention to facilitate yarn entry into said tunnel eye.  
   
   
       22 .) A heddle as in  claim 17 , wherein each of said eyelet section walls defines an indention to facilitate yarn entry into said tunnel eye, whereby said indention on one eyelet section wall is on a first end of said tunnel eye and said indention of said other eyelet section wall is on a second end of said tunnel eye.  
   
   
       23 .) A heddle as in  claim 17 , wherein each of said first and second longitudinal sections include longitudinal walls defining each of said rod slots.  
   
   
       24 .) A heddle as in  claim 23 , wherein each of said first and second rod slots comprises an O-shaped rod slot having a slit formed in one of said longitudinal walls of each of said first and second rod slots, each of said one of said longitudinal walls defining one of said slits being resiliently deflectable to permit insertion of a rod of a harness frame into said respective rod slot.  
   
   
       25 .) A heddle molded from plastic for use within a harness frame of a weaving machine, said heddle comprising: 
 an eyelet section having eyelet section walls that define the sides of a yarn eye in a direction of yarn travel, said yarn eye being configured to receive a yarn therethrough;    a first longitudinal section disposed on a first end of said eyelet section, said first longitudinal section having longitudinal walls defining a first rod slot distal from said eyelet section;    a second longitudinal section disposed on an opposing second end of said eyelet section, said second longitudinal section having longitudinal walls defining a second rod slot distal from said eyelet section; and    each of said first and second rod slots comprising an O-shaped rod slot having a slit defined in one of said longitudinal walls of said first longitudinal section and said second longitudinal section of each of said first and second rod slots, said longitudinal walls of said first longitudinal section and said second longitudinal section that define said slits being resiliently deflectable to permit insertion of a rod of a harness frame into said respective rod slot.