US1766729A - Weft-replenishing mechanism for double-shuttle looms - Google Patents

Description

June 24, 1930. s, STEWART ET AL ,766,729

wEFT REPLENISHING MEGHANISM FOR DOUBLE SHUTTLE LooMs ed Jan. 5l, 1929 '7' Sheets-Sheen?, l

une 24, 1930.. s, STEWART ET' AL 1,766,729

WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR DOUBLE SHUTTLE LOOKS Filed Jan. 5l, 19,29

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WEFT 'REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR DOUBLE SHUTTLE LOOMS lll Filed Jan. 3l, 1929 '7 Sheets-Sheen; 5

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WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR DOUBLE SHUTTLE LOOMS 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 fm-Mu June 24, 1930. s, STEWART ET AL 1,766,729

WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR DOUBLE SHUTTLE LOOMS Filed Jan. 3l, 1929 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 24, 1930.

S. STEWART ET l- WEFT REPLENXSHING MECHANISM FOR DOUBLE SHUTTLE Looms Filed Jan. 3l, 1929 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 JZ S/MEN Of f oy SAMUEL.

/7 rfa/PNE VS s. STEWART ET AL 1,766,729

WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR DOUBLE SHUTTLE LOOMS Filed Jan. 3l, 1929 '7 Sheets-Sheet '7 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAMUEL STEWART, MILFORD L. ALLEN, AND SIMEON O. ROY, OF LEWISTON, MAINE,

ASSIGNORS TO CROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHU- SETTS, A. CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS WEFT-REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOB. DOUBLE-SHUTTLE LOMS Application led January 31, 1929. Serial No. 336,627.

In the preferred form of our invention,

each shuttle enters the upper box on one side of the loom and the lower box on the opposite side of the loom, and the weft detector for each shuttle is continuously associated with the upper box used by said shuttle and rises and falls therewith.

An important feature of our invention relates to the provision of improved means by which an indication of weft exhaustion at front center will effect weft carrier transfer as the indicated shuttle next moves rearward and approaches back center.

Our invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims..

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings in which Fig. lis a plan view of portions of a loom embodying our improvements;

Fig. 2 is a left hand side elevation there. if, partly in section, and looking in the direc- 40 tion of the arrow 2 in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of certain parts shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional plan view, taken along the lined-4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view ofone of the shuttle boxes and its' associated weft detecting mechanism;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail front elevation,.

.boxes and box lifting mechanism at the leit hand side of the loom;

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional side elevation, taken along the line 9-9 in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 1s a right hand side elevation of the left hand weft carrier magazine, looking in the direction of the arrow 10 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 1l is a view similar to Fig.l 10 but shpwing the parts in a different position; an

Figs. 12 to 18 are diagrammatic views, illustrating the flights of the different shuttlesvand their position at different points in the cycle of movements of the lay.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, we have shown parts of a loom including loom sides 20, a breast beam 2l and a lay 22 mounted upon the usual lay swords 23 (Fig. 8) and swinging with a rock shaft 24. Drop boxes 26 (Figs. 8 and 9) are mounted to slide vertically in guideways 27 and 28 at the left hand end of the lay 22, and similar boxes 30 (Fig.

12) are provided at the right hand end of A the lay 22.

The drop lboxes 26 and 30 are mounted on the usual lifter rods 32 (Figs. 2 and 8), each of which is supported in a caring 33 on the rock shaft 24 and each of which lis connected by a giveway link 35 to a stud 36 in a lifting lever 37. The lifting levers are actuated by cams (not shown) on the bottom or cam shaft of the loom and move the boxes alter- 'nately upward and downward by the space of two boxes at each alternate pick of the loom. i

The parts are soV timedthat one set of boxes will be in its lowered position whenever the other set of boxes is in its raised position. As a result of this timing, a shuttle icked from the lower box on either side of t e loom is always received in the upper box on the opposite side of the loom, an a shuttle picked from an upper box on either side of the loom is always received in the lower box on the opposite side of the loom.

In the diagrammatic views (Figs. 12 to 18), the magazines and shuttles have been marked with the letters Y and B (indicating yellow and blue) for purposes of identification and it will be noted that the yellowl shuttle is always received in the upper box on the left hand side of the loom where the yellow magazine is located, while the blue shuttle is correspondingly received in the upper box on the right hand side of the loom, where the blue magazine is located. Each magazine is thus enabled to transfer to its corresponding shuttle While said shuttle is in the upper box adjacent the magazine, in which position transfer may be readil made.

In ig. 1 I have designated the right hand magazine by the numeral and the left hand magazine by the. numeral 41. Each magazine is or ma be of a sim le rotary t in which a p urality of we t carriers mrc supported about the periphery and in position for transfer by a transferrer 44 (Fig. 2) mounted on a fixed pivot 45 rearward of the path of movement of the lay 22.

Transfer mechanism.

Each transferrer 44 is provided with a i latch 46 which, when raised to the dotted line ition shown in Fig. 2, will be engagedmlsiy an actuating member 50 xed to the lay 22 and movable rearward therewith. Each latch 46 engages a stud 52 mounted on "the upwardly extending arm 53 of a lever 54 movable about a fixed pivot 55.

A forwardly extending arm 56 of the lever 54 is provided with a pin or stud 57, extending through a slot 58 in the lower end of a vertical sliding bar 59. A rod 60 is mounted at the side of the bar 59 and extends freely through a recessed portion 61 of the lever arm 56. A spring 62 surrounds the rod 60 and forces the stud 57 yieldingly to the lower end of the slot 58, thus providing a yielding lost motion connection between the bar 59 and the lever arm 56, for a purpose to be described The bar 59 extends upward through a stand 64 (Fig. and is provided with a notch 65, normally engaged by a rear edge portion of a lock plate 66, provided with a slot 67 through which extend screws 68. The plate 66 is freely slidable forward and rearward and is held yieldingly rearward by a tension spring 70.

When the plate 66 is moved forward by detector controlled mechanism to be described, the bar 59 is released and by its weight moves the lever arm 56 downward, thus raising the latch 46 to the operative dotted line sition shown in Fig. 2.

A spring 17(2) (Fig. 2) may be provided to facilitate the downward movement of the4 lever arm 56.

Detecting mechanism.

The detecting mechanism herein shown is of the single contact, side slip type and is shown somewhat in detail in Figs. 3 to 5, the mechanism being substantially duplicated at the two sides of the loom.

At each side, a weft engaging element or detector 8O is secured at the rear end of a detector lever 81, mounted to swing about a pivot stud 82 and having a forward extension 83 provided with a shoulder 84. The lever 81 is yieldingl enga ed by spring plungers 85 which hol the etector lever normally in the position shown in Fig.

A transmitting member 86 (Fig. 3) is pivoted at 87 on an upwardly extending racket 88 and hangs freel downward in a position to enga e a rear e ge portion of the lock plate 66, w en the member 86 is moved forward. The member 86 is also located in such a position that it is normally cleared by the shoulder 84 of the detector lever 81, as the detector lever moves forward on its supporting slide 90, which carries the pivot stud 82. The slide 90 is mounted 1n ay stand 91 (Fig. 3) and is forced yieldingly rearward by a coil spring 92.

The detector 80 is so and rearward that it wil weft carrier before front center and will be carried forward a. substantial distance 1positioned forward be engaged by the I on each such engagement. If the detector is moved forward without slippin sideways, the shoulder 84 will clear the ependin member 86, but if side slippa e occurs be ore thel forward movement o the detector, the shoulder 84 willA engage the member 86, pushing it forward against the lock plate 66 and forcing the lock plate out of the notch 65 in the bar 59. The bar 59 is then free to drop and is effective, through the connections described, to operatively position the latch 46 and cause forward movelnent of the transferrer 44.

Vertical positioning of detectors.

rods 32. As the drop boxes rise and fall, the supports 96'fhave corresponding vertical movements and each detector 80 is thus maintained in vertical alignment with the upper drop box with which it is associated.

Detector protesti/ve device Astransfer can only take place when the shuttle boxes are in 'raised position, it is desirable to give no indication of weft exhaustion except when the boxes are moving upward to said raised positionv in which position only transfer is possible. Accordingly we have provided a shield for the purpose of preventing engagement ofthe shoulder 84 on the'detector lever extension 8 3 with the member 86 if the detector is in raised position' but is moving downward with the shuttle boxes at the time of indication.

This shield is indicated at 102 (Figs. 6 and 7) and is mounted at the end of a light slide or support 103 slidable in a fixed bearing member 104 and forced yieldingly out- Ward by a very light spring 105. The spring 105 is strong enough, however, to overcome any side-slipping tendency of the weft detector.

Ifan indication is given when t-he boxes are moving downward, the front end 83 of the-detector lever will be substantially in the'position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, 'opposite the shield member 102, and will be prevented thereby from moving sideways to engage the transmitting member 86 and cause movement of the plate 66 to release the bar 59.

If, however, the boxes are moving upward at the time of indication, the end 83 ofthe detecting lever will be in the full line position shown in Fig. 6, below the shield 102,

and will thus be free to move sideways andV to engage the member 86 and rel'ease the bar 59 before the boxes have been shifted to cause engagement of the shield 102 by the lever end 83.

When the shield is thereafter engaged by the upward movement of the feeler, the shield will be pushed laterally out of the path of movement thereof. By this provision of the shield, the effective operation of the weft detector is limited to such times as the boxes are moving upward toward transfer position.

Reference to Figs. 2 and 9 will show that while we have provided three cell drop boxes, only the upper and lower cells are used to receive the shuttles. A deflector plate 110 is mounted in the middle cell to guide the ejected weft carrier forward to a position where it may drop freely.

Revo/ving mechanism In. Figs. 10 and 11, we have shown the mechanism which we have prpvided for revoking the transfer if the shuttle is not properly boxed. For this purpose, each latch positioning lever arm 53 is extended upward and is provided with a stud 120 engaging the depending arm of a bell crank 121 mounted on a fixed pivot 122 and having a pin and slot connection with a lever 123 pivoted at 124 on the` magazine frame.

At its forward end the lever 123 has a stud 125 on which a block 126 is loosely pivoted. The block 126 is slidable in a slot 127 1n an arm 128 pivoted at 129 and angularly movable with a second arm 130 to which the revoking member 131 is secured. A spring 132 forces the block 126 yieldingly outward in the slot 127, thus providing a spring actuated toggle joint.

When the parts are moved to the position shown in Fig. 11, with the latch 46 in position for engagement, the rovoker 131 is swung downward through a slot 135 (Fig. 5) in the top of the corresponding box plate.

If the shuttle is properly boxed, as indicated in Fig. 5, the revoker will swing freely downward and the latch 46 will be moved upward to engaging position.

After transfer, the revoker 131 will be moved upward by engagement with the back box pll'ate as the lay moves forward and will act t rough the arms 53 and 56 of the lever 54 to raise the bar 59 and re-set the same in indicating position.

If for any reason the upward movement of the bar is prevented, the stud 57 will move freely upward in the slot 58, thus preventing breakage of parts.

If the shuttle does not fully enter the shuttle box and obstructs the movement of the revoker 131, the latch 46 will remain below engaging position and no transfer will occur.

The weft detecting mechanism and connections at the two sides of the loom are substantially identical, except for reversal as to hand, and each detector operates entirely with its associated magazine and with one only of the two shuttles, which shuttle always occupies the upper box when adjacent its magazine and detector.

Operation Referring now to Figs. 12 to 18, we will describe the successive positions of the shuttles during a cycle of movement of the lay.

In Fig. 12, the lay 22 is at front center with the left hand box 26 moving upward and the right hand box 30 moving do wn.,

Fig. 14 indicates the position of the parts at back center, with the shuttle B still in Hight and with the shuttle Y receiving a fresh bobbin if weft exhaustion has been indicated.

Fig. 15 indicates the position of the parts at bottom center, with the shuttle B` fully boxed, but with the boxes in the same posi tion indicated in Fig. 14.

In Fig. 16, the lay has returned to front center, with the boxes 26 moving downward and the boxes 30 moving upward.

In Fig. 17, the lay has again reached top center but with the boxes exactly reversed from Fig. 13 and with the yellow shuttle beginning its Hight while the blue shuttle is 1n extreme raised position.

Fig. 18 indicates the position of the parts when the lay again reaches back center, with the shuttle Y still in flight and with the shuttle B receiving a fresh bobbin if transfer has been indicated.

The further movement oi' the parts to bottom and front centers brings them back to the position indicated in Fig. 12 and will be readily understood.

Briefly summarized, our improved loom includes two single color rotary magazines, which we may call yellow7 and blue, one at each of the two sides of the loom, and two shuttles (also yellow and blue) are so actuated that each shuttle will always be in the top box when adjacent its corresponding ma azine.

hen thus positioned, indication of weft exhaustion takes place at front center, and if transfer is indicated, the transfer occurs on the ensuin movement of the shuttle with the la tobac center.

Enc shuttle is picked from its upper box to the opposite lower box and then back to its upper box, with an idle pick after each single Hight. It is during the idle pick in the u per box that the weft detection and transfer of weft carriers takes place.

During this idle pick, the upper box containing the idle shuttle always moves upward at front center, and the shields 102 permit indication during auch movement but prevent it when the upper box contains the active shuttle and is moving downward at front center, with the shuttle about to be picked.

As a particular shuttle is always in the same upper box during weft detection and transfer, the corresponding weft detector is permanently associated with said upper box and rises and falls therewith, thus giving substantially more time for weft detecting and indication than is sometimes the case in other types of looms.

Having thus described our invention and the advantages thereof, we do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what we do claim is 1. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a lay, a set of shifting shuttle boxes at each end of the lay, a weft carrier magazine associated with each set of shuttle boxes, a pair of shuttles, mechanism to piek each shuttle back and forth between the top box on one side of the loom and a lower box on the other side of the loom, weft detecting means operative to indicate substantial weft exhaustion as a shuttle in a top shuttle box approaches front center, and means to transfer a weft carrier from the corresponding magazine as the lay next approaches back center after indication. of weft exhaustion.

2. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a lay, a set of shifting shuttle boxes at each end of the lay, a weft carrier magazine associated with each set of shut- .tle boxes, a pair of shuttles, mechanism to pick each shuttle back and forth between the top box on one side of the loom and a lower box on the other side of the loom, a weft detector associated with each top shuttle box, andmeans to transfer a weft carrier from the associated magazine to a shuttle in said top box upon indication of substantial weft exhaustion in said shuttle by the associated detector and before the next fiight of said shuttle.

3. The combination in a loom as set forth in claim 2, in which means is provided for moving said weft detectors vertically to maintain each in alignment with its associated top shuttle box.

4. The combination in a loom as set forth in claim 2, in which said transfer means is operated as the lay next approaches back center after indicaion of weft exhaustion.

5. In a weft rep enishing loom, a set of shifting shuttle boxes, a weft detector associated with the top box of said set and operative to give an indication while the associated boxes are moving vertically, controlling means eective to render said detector operative upon substantial weft exhaustion when the boxes are rising, and a. device to render said controlling means inoperative when the boxes are moving downward.

6. In a weft replenishing loom, a set of shifting shuttle boxes, a weft detector associated with the top box of said set and operative to give an indication while the associated boxes are moving vertically, controlling means effective to render said detectoroperative upon substantial weft exhaustion when the boxes are rising, and a shield effective to prevent actuation by said detecting means while said boxes are moving downward.

7. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a lay, a set of shifting shuttle boxes at each end of the lay, a weft carrier magazine associated with each set of shuttle boxes, a pair of shuttles, mechanism to pick each shuttle back and forth between the top box on one side of the loom and a lower box on the other side of the loom, each shuttle remaining at rest in its top box for one full pick, and means to detect weft exhaustion and to cause a wett carrier to be transferred from thev corresponding magazine during a single rest period.

8. In a weft replenishing drop box loom, a lay having a. plurality of shifting shuttle boxes at the replenishing end thereof, a magazine, atranserrer, a latch therefor, an engagging member on said lay for said latch, and weft controlled means for moving said latch to position for engagement by said member as the lay moves rearward, whereby weft replenishment will be eected in one of said shifting shuttle boxes substantially at back center.

9. In a double shuttle loom having two sets of shifting shuttle boxes, means to de tec-t weft exhaustion in the top box of either set at front center, and means to l transfer a weft carrier thereto at the immediately ensuing approach of the shuttle boxes to back center.

10. In a double shuttle loom having two sets of shifting shuttle boxes, means to detect weft exhaustion in the top box of either setI at front center when said boxes are moving .upward only, and means to transfer a weft carrier thereto When said boxes next approach back center and immediately after detection.

In testimony whereof ailixed our signatures.

SAMUEL STEWART. MILFORD L. ALLEN. SIMEON O. ROY.

we have hereunto

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