US2247999A - Shuttle motion for narrow fabric looms - Google Patents

Description

July 1, 1941. G., HOLDEN A SHUTTLE MOTION FOR NARROW FABRIC Looms Filed Jan. 31, 1940 7 sheets-sheet 1 l lllllll www will

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G. HOLDEN 2,247,999

SHUTTLE MOTION FOR NARROW FABRIC LOOMS Filed Jan. 3l, 1940 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 v @@W J July 1, 1941. G. HOLDEN SHUTTLE MOTION FOR NARRow'FAB'RIC LooMs Filed Jn. 51, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 yJuly 1, 1941. G. HOLDEN SHUTTLE MOTION FOR NARROW FABRIC LOOMS Filed Jan. 51, 1940 7 sheets-sheet 4 July 1 1941. G. HOLDEN SHUTTLE MOTION FOR NARROW FABRIC LOOMS Filed Jan. 31, 1940 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 BAK -July l, 194.1. G. HOLDEN SHUTTLE MOTION FOR .NARROW FABRIC Looms 7 Sheets-Sheet l6 Filed Jan. 51, 1940 July 1, 1941.A

' G. HOLDEN SHUTTLE MOTION FOR NARROW FABIIIC'LOOMS AFiled jan, s1, 1940 v sheets-shea v' QUQ mwN 1 Patented July 1, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE SHUTTLE MOTION FOR NARROW FABRIC- LOOMS Application January 31, 1940, Serial No. 316,666

13 Claims.

This invention relates primarily to shuttle motions for narrow fabric looms, especially those of the multiple deck type, i. e. a loom adapted for simultaneously weaving a plurality of separate strips oi tape, ribbon, etc., at one time without connecting the strips together in any way, or with the strips connected together at relatively spaced points along their lengths, such as in ladder tapes for Venetian blinds having cross straps interwoven at their opposite ends with the side tapes, or ordinance belts with cartridge loops or pockets interwoven with the belt, or numerous other articles of these same general characteristics.

In the case of weaving Venetian blind tapes of the kind noted above, four strips are woven separately at the same time to produce two side tapes and two cross straps, requiring the use of four separate shuttles for laying separate weft threads in four open warp sheds respectively and at predetermined times the shedding mechanism is operated to combine the warps of the cross straps with the warps of the side tapes for interweaving the ends of the cross straps with the side tapes at predetermined intervals.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple highly eicient means for actuating the shuttles, as will be fully disclosed hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary side or end elevation of suicient of a tape loom to illustrate the present invention as applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of that end of the loom shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the take-01T guide for the nished tape;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation of one section of the lay;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5 5, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6 6, Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the lay section shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on the line 8 8, Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken on the line 9 9, Fig. 4;

Fig. 10 is a vertical section taken on the line N I, Fig. 4, with one of the shuttle guide tier frames swung outwardly into shuttle changing position;

Figs. 11 and 12 illustrate a Venetian blind tape in front and side elevation respectively in colc? lapsed form as it comes from the loom after weaving;

Fig. 13 shows the tape opened up subsequent to finishing after weaving by cutting short extensions of the cross tapes or straps which connect the two main tapes and hold the same in close parallel relationship during and after weaving;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary rearview of one end of the lay beam, showing a modiiication of the invention;

Fig. 15 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line I5-I5, Fig. 14; and

Fig. 16 is a sectional view of a detail of the structure shown in Fig. 14.

Ladder tapes for Venetian blinds normally consist of two main tapes A and B, see Fig. 13, spaced apart a distance equal to the width of the slats of the Venetian blind and connected by cross straps C and D upon which the slats are supported. The straps C and D are relatively narrow, as compared to the tapes A and B and are disposed alternately at opposite sides of the center line of the complete ladder tape, as shown in Fig. 11. In some ladder tapes the cross straps C and D and the main tapes A and B are woven separately, short lengths of the strap tapes C and D being subsequently sewn at their opposite ends to the main tapes A and B respectively. In other instances, the tapes A, B, C and D are woven simultaneously but the methods prior to the present invention involved considerable waste of material. For example, intermediate lengths of the warp yarns, after weaving of the tapes, were severed at the points where the one endof one cross strap C, for example, was woven in with the strap A and the points Where the next cross strap of that series was woven in with the strap B.

The present invention is directed to elimination of this waste and to that end the straps C are interwoven with the straps A, as indicated at a and then immediately interwoven with the straps B, as indicated at b, leaving a very short length of the strap indicated at c' in Fig. 12 connecting the interwoven portions a. and b. When completed, these small 'connecting portions c are severed intermediate the main straps A and B permitting the main straps A and B to be spaced apart laterally, as indicated in Fig. 13. In a like manner the straps D are interwoven with the main tapes A and B, as indicated at al and bl, with small connecting portions d which are severed in the same manner as the connecting 13.01'- tions c, as noted above. The completed tape of Fig. 13 therefore, is substantially the same as any other Venetian blind ladder tape where the main Vmoves in the opposite direction.

In alike manner the main tape B is composed of warp series BI andV B2 controlled by heddlev tapes and cross straps are woven simultaneously, with the exception that the waste of the material as previously noted, has been eliminated.

The method involved is that the two main tapes A and B are woven simultaneously in spaced relation to each other and at the same time the cross tapes or straps C and D are being woven intermediate the main tapes A and B, each cross strap being interwoven with one main tape at relatively spaced intervals along said main tape and with the second main tape immediately iol-` lowing the weaving of the cross strap with the first main tape, providing the relatively small or short Y severing sections directly connecting the twoA main tapes, with the interweavings of the two series of cross straps arranged in staggered alternating relation to each other.

The apparatus employed for weaving the tape primarily consists of improvements to a conventional tape loom. In the present instance, in-` stead of the lay beam I of the loom being pivotally mounted for oscillation between the fell 2 and the harness frames 3, the lay I is provided with flangedwheels 4, 4 which are adapted to ride on tracks 5 carried by fixed horizontal portions of the cross frames 6 oi the'loom. The lay ',I, as usual, is connected by pitmans l tothe usual cranks 8 of the main crank shaft 9 of the loom, whereby rotation of the crank shaft`9 produces horizontal straight line reciproeation of the lay I. v

Secured to the layV I (see Fig. 4)V is a plurality of vertically arranged banks ortiers Il! of shuttle Vguides II, II forming horizontal T slots I2, I2 in which are slidably mounted shuttles I3, I 4, I5, 'and I6. The tiers I 0, IIJ are spaced apart longitudinally of the lay I to provide work spaces I'I between the tiers IB of each adjacent pair thereof.

The main tape A is composed ofA two series of warp threads AI and A2 respectively (see Figs. 1 and 5) vcontrolled by harness frames I8 and-I9 which divergerearwardly from the fell 2 to form an open warp shed A3, through which the shuttle I3 moves from its guideIZ in one tier Ill to a corresponding `guide -groove I2, in an adjacent tierY III, across the -work space I'I between said tiers, through which the warp series Al and A2 pass. onevdirection acrosslthe spaceI'I, it lays a weft threadvbetween the warp series AI and A2, where- 1 upon the harness frames I8 and I9 reverse their respective positions, and consequently the threads v AI and A2 respectively, to form a new shed A3` for the passage ofthe shuttle I3 in the opposite direction. During the interval of the change in the warp shed the lay I moves toward the fell 2 and -a reed comb I 'Ia disposed in the space I 'I behindjtheshuttle guide tiers Ill, I0 beats theweit thread up to the fell 2, whereupon frames 2 1]L and 2| respectively, which reverse their position after each-beatup of the lay to form warp sheds B3 through which the shuttle I6 passes from one tier of shuttle guides to the next l adjacent tier, for'laying its weft thread in the i open warp shed B2 between the beat-up motions of `the lay. The' mechanism is so arranged that thelreciproroations of'the shuttles I3 and I 6 are Obviously, when the shuttle I3 moves in` the lay I 3 and C2 controlled by heddle frames 22 and 23 respectively, which reverse their positions to form open warp sheds C3 through which the shuttle I4 moves concurrently with the shuttle I3, the heddle frames I8 and 22 moving concurrently, for example, upwardly to lift the warps AI and CIV respectively, while the Warp frames I9 and 23 move downwardly to carry the warps A2 and C2 downwardly and vice versa.'

The cross straps D, in a like manner, are formed of warp series DI and D2 controlled by heddle frames 24 and 25 respectively to form the warp shed D3 through which the shuttle I5 moves concurrently with the shuttle I6, the warp heddle frames 24 and 25 reversing their positions concurrently with the warp heddle frames 20 and 2| which control the warp series BI and B2 of y' the main tape B.Y

During the course of weaving, each of the independent pairs of warp series and the shuttles operating through the warp sheds respectively formed thereby, are operated to form the four independent strips of tape, i. e. the main tapes A and B and the cross straps C and D respectively.

At'a predetermined point in the weaving cycle, the heddle frames 22 and 23 are raised until the warps CI and C2 coincide with the warps AI and rce simultaneous but in' opposite Vrdirections,` they movement-of the shuttle-to the right, for exam- 1 ple, -`being counteracted by movement of the shuttle I6 to the left and vice versa.

The cross tapes C are formed of Vwarp series Cl A2 and thereafter, for relatively short periods of weaving, the frames IB and 22 move exactly the same, while the heddle frames I9 and 23 likewise move exactly the same in reversing their positions with the heddle frames I8 and I9; and the shuttle I3 moves across the combined warp shed formed by the warps AI and CI on one side and the warps A2 and C2 on the other side of the open warp shed to lay its weft thread therein, by which the warps YAI---CI are coincidently woven together while the warps A2 and C2 areY n simultaneously coincidently woven into the fab-V ric, thus producing the interwoven areas a appearing in Fig. 1l. During this short period of weaving the shuttle I4 reciprocates idly, there being no warp shed at that time for the shuttle I4 to pass through.

When the interweaving of the straps C with the main tapes A in the areas a, is completed the heddle frames 22 and 23 controlling the warps CI and C2 drop from their positions above noted to corresponding positions in relation to the heddle frames 20 and 2|, which control the warps BI and B2 of the second main tape B, and wherein the warps CI coincide with the warps BI and the warps C2 coincide with the warps B2 to form a combined open shed through which the shuttle I6 operates. The heddle frames 22 and 20 then move concurrently in 'opposed relation to the tions coinciding with the heddle frames 20 and Y 2|, the short severing sections c, composed solely Vof the warp threads CI and C2, are formed.

When the interweaving of the section b is completed the heddle frames 22 and 23 are again raised to their normal weaving positions, wherein the warps CI and C2 are again operated to form warp sheds C3 for passage of the shuttle I4 and` the resulting weaving of the main portions of the straps C, which extend from the main tape B to the main tape A; and the weaving continues until it is again time to Weave one of the interwoven areas a, after which the cycle of weaving just described, is repeated.

During this time the heddle frames 24 and 25 have been operating in a regular manner to form the warp sheds D3 between the warps DI and D2 and the shuttle I has been moving alternately in opposite directions across the work space I1 and producing the main portion of one of the straps D, which extends from the tape B to the tape A. After a sufficient length of the strap D is formed in this manner the warp heddle 'frames 24 and are raised to positions coinciding with the heddle frames I8 and I9 and thereafter operate concurrently therewith and with ,the shuttle I3 to interweave the strap D with the strap A in the same manner as hereinbefore described with respect to the strap C and by which the interwoven area a! is produced, the shuttle I5 in the meantime operating idly, as noted above, in regard to the shuttle I4.

The heddle frames 24 and 25 then drop to positions coinciding with positions of the heddle frames 2l) and ZI respectively and thereafter cooperate coordinately with the heddle frames 20 and 2| and the shuttle I6 to produce the interwoven areas bI, the drop from the upper position coinciding with the heddle frames I8 and I9 to the lower position coinciding with the heddle frames 20 and 2l, producing the short severing section d. After the interwoven area bl is completed, during which the shuttle I5 is operating idly, the heddle frames 24 and 25 return to their normal position with respect to the shuttle I5 and cooperate with the movements thereof to produce the main body portion of the next cross strap D.

The above noted cycles of weaving are alternately carried out to produce alternately the straps C and D and to interweave these straps with the main tapes A and B in the areas a and aI and b and bI with the severing areas c and d therebetween.

As shown in Fig. 3 the fell 2 is formed at the rear end of a tape guide 25, which is secured to and projects rearwardly from the breast beam 21 of the tape loom, with the warp series AI, A2, CI, C2, DI, D2, BI and B2 diverging from a slot 28 formed in the rear end of the guide 23 at the very mouth of which the fell 2 is formed, the finished fabric F, composed of the main tapes A and B and interwoven cross straps C and D passing forwardly through a channel 29 formed in the guide 26.

As shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, each of the shuttles I3, I4, I5 and I6 is provided with grooves 30 and 3l which cooperate with the guides II, II, to slidably support the shuttles. Each shuttle is provided with a gear rack 32 (see Fig. 6) by which the shuttle is moved in the guides II from one tier I0 to the adjacent tier I0. Cooperating with each of the tiers are vertical shafts 34 and 35 (see Figs. 2, '7 and 8) which are coaxially aligned and rotatably mounted in bearings 36, 31 and 38 (see Fig. 8), carried by the lay I.

The shaft 34, in each instance, is provided with gears 39 and 49 which intermesh with the teeth 32 of the shuttles I3 and I4 respectively. The shaft in each instance, is provided with gears 4I and 42 which mesh with the teeth 32 of the shuttles I5 and I6 respectively. The shaft 34 is provided with a third gear 43 which meshes with a gear rack 44 slidably mounted in the up- 'per portion of the lay I, while the shaft 35 is provided with a gear 45 which meshes with a gear rack 46 slidably mounted in the lower portion of the lay I.

The gear racks 44 and 46 (see Fig. 2) are provided with pins 41 and 48 which ride in slots 49 and 59 formed in oppositely extending aligned arms 5 Ia, 5Ib, of a four arm lever 5I. The crossarm lever 5I is pivotally mounted at 52 on a bracket 53 carried by the lay I, the slots 49 and 5i) being formed in diametrically opposite arms of the cross member 5I. The two arms 5Ic, 5Id, of the cross member 5I, are disposed at right angles to the arms Ela., 5Ib in which the slots 49 and 50 are formed, and are connected to the ends of flexible elements such as straps 54 and 55 respectively, The straps 54 and 55 pass around a guide roller or rollers 56 and are connected to cranks 51 58 on a crank shaft 59.

The crank shaft 59 (see Fig 1) is provided with an elliptical gear 6I) which meshes with an eccentric gear 6I secured to the main crank shaft 9 of the machine, so that during the approach, through, and for a short period after the precise dead center positions of the crank shaft 9 and the directional change points in the reciprocations of the lay I, the crank shaft 59 is operated at increased speed to effect movement of the shuttles IIS-I4 in one direction and the shuttles I5 and I6 in the opposite direction, with the lay in the back position, the cranks 51 and 58 through the straps 54 and 55 effecting rocking of the cross 5I by which movement of the shuttle driving racks 44 and 46 in opposite directions simultaneously, is effected.

During the dead center position of the crank shaft 9 with the lay I in the forward position, and the reed combs IIa beating the inlaid wefts up at the fell 2, the heddle frames I8 to 25 inclusive, are operated to change the positions of the several warp series forming the open warp sheds for the passage of the shuttles I3, I4, I5 and I6 when the lay I again moves to the back dead center position of the crank shaft 9.

Any suitable dobby or jacquard mechanism or a head and box motion of the Crompton-Knowles type may be provided for raising and lowering the heddle frames in their changes of position to effect formation of the open warp sheds.

The loom of the present case, like other narrow fabric looms or tape looms, is capable of producing a number of strips of finished product simultaneously, for example, twenty strips at one time; and as a result of this there is no spare room between the strips through which the shuttles may be removed from their guides when the bob-bin of a shuttle is exhausted. In ordinary single deck tape looms this produces no incon venience. However, in this four-deck machine, where there are four shuttles disposed one above ie other, it is impossible to take out a shuttle in the ordinary manner, therefore, as shown in Fig. 10, each tier I0 of the shuttle guides II, II is mounted as a unit on carrier bars Til, 19. Each tier unit I9 is pivotally mounted at 1I to the upper portion of the lay I and is held in position by a spring latch 12 cooperating with a keeper 13 on the lower portion of the lay I. By raising the latch 12 the tier I9 may be swung about its pivot 1I to a position above the uppermost Warps AI, wherein anyone of the shuttles I3, I4, I5 and I6 may be readily removed from its guide and a matically intermesh with the driving gears and are held in operating relation thereto by the latch and keeper 'I2- 713.r

. The bearings 35, 35 for the upper ends of the upper shuttle driving shafts 34 are securedV to the upper rail I of the `lay I, while the bearings Y38 for the lower ends of the lowervshuttle drive shafts 35.. are secured to the lower yrail I6 of the lay. The rails 'I5 and 'I6 are secured to and carried by upright brackets TI, 'I'I (see Figs. 'l and 9). These vertical bracketsare securedto and `extend vertically from the main beam 'I8 of theY lay. 'I'he bearings 31 for the lower ends of the uppershuttle drive shafts'34 and forthe upper ends of the lower shuttle drive shafts' e5 are carriedby cross brackets 'I9 secured to the upright brackets TI. Y

The beat-upcombs I'la,v are held in the lay I, at their upper ends, in sockets 8i! formed by cap platesV 8l secured to theV upper rail 'I5 (see Fig. 5) the rear face of the 'rail 'I5 and the ends of the bearings 36, 376;. and at their lower ends in sockets 82Y formed by'blocks 83, secured to the main beam 18, the rear face of the rail "l5, and

the ends of the bearings 38, 38.

rIhe shuttle driving racks 44 and iii are `operatively held for sliding movement in their guide grooves 85 kand 85 in the rails 'l5 and 'I6 by the vertical brackets 11, 'Il (see Fig. 9). -'Ihe carrier bars 10, 'I0 for each tier of shuttle guide blocks Il, II, arelocated at the opposite ends respectively of the blocks and the rear faces of the ;blocksintermediate the carrier bars 1li, lil,

bear against the front faces .of theV upright brackets 'II and are steadied in the lay I there` by; (See Figs. 4, 7 and 9.)

In order to .reduce the lift of the warps to a minimum in forming the open warp shedsA3, B3, C3, and D3, the two middle shuttles I4 and I5 in each set are straight, i. e. the central plane of each thereof is perpendicular to the common plane ofthe faces of the guide blocks II, I Lelout the two outermost shuttles, I3 and I6, are bent, toward each other,v i. e. their respective central planes extend at convergent angles with respect to the common plane of the front faces of theY guide blocks II, II,

The type offabric in the tapes maybe of a plain one-over-one weave, as described above, or

B2 in the weaving of the main tapes A and B respectively. Y

Itwill be noted that during the greater portion of the weaving of the fabric F there are four separate strips A, B, C, D, in different verticallyy spaced levels respectively being woven simultaneously. Under such circumstances an ordinary oscillating lay would tend to beat up the lower stripsrtighter than the upper strips. With all four strips being integrally interwoven at spacedv points to form Vthe complete ladder tape itis essential that all four strips be beaten up to exactly the same extent, otherwise one side of the ladder tape would be longer than the other causing the slats of the Venetian blind to hang unevenly. The exact uniformity of beat up is efficiently accomplished by the straight line re-V ciprocatory movement of the lay I, in the present instance.

Aspreviously noted, when the cross straps and side tapes of a Venetian blind ladder are being" interwoven by the shuttle I3 or the shuttle I6, as the case may be, the shuttle II or the shuttle I5, depending upon which cross strap C or D is being interwoven with which side tape A` or B, reciprocates idly across the work space Il between adjacent shuttle guides II, II.Y It may be desirable to eliminate such idle movementsof the shuttles I4 and I5 under such circumstances or, in cases where the loom is weaving two or three separate straps of fabric which are not to be connected to any place along their respective lengths, it would be desirable to retain the shuttles for the idle deck or decks of the loom at an inoperative position. In such cases the structure shown in Figs. 14, l5 and 16 may be em ployed to place and retain the shuttles I @i and I5, or either thereof, out of action.

As shown in Figs. 14 and 15 the rails 'Ia and '13a of the lay la, are provided vwith wide grooves a and 86a respectively. Slidably mounted in the guide grooves 85a is a pair of shuttle driving racks 44a, and 44h, and in the groove 86a is slidably mounted a pairof shuttle driving racks 6a and 4Gb. The rack 44a meshes with gears 43a` secured to the upper ends of shafts 34a. Each yof the shafts 35a is provided with a gear 49a for driving a shuttle Illa, which is one of the two central shuttles in each vertical series thereof. The second central shuttle I5@ of each vertical series is driven by a gear Ma, secured to a shaft 35a which also carries a gear 45a which meshes with the gearfrack a in the lower lay rail 16a. o

Rotatably mounted on the shaft 34a is a sleeve shaft 31th and rotatably Vmounted on the shaft 35a is a sleeve shaft 35h. On the upper endof the sleeve shaft 34h is a gear 43h which meshes with the shuttle driving rack Mb. On the opposite end ofthe sleeve shaft 34h is a gear 4gb, which drives the uppermost shuttle I3a of each vertical series. The lowermost shuttle Ia of each vertical series is driven by a gear'IIb Vsecured to one end of the sleeve shaft .35b,.the

lower end of said sleeve shaft beingprovided with a -gear 45h which meshes with the teeth of the shuttle driving rack 46h.

' The motion for reciprocating the racks 44a, Mb, 46m-4617, is the same as previously described. The driving rack Mib is provided with a drive pin Hb with which the cross-arm-lever 5I cooperates to effect longitudinal reciprocation of the driving rack Mb. The driving rack @5b is provided with a drive pin 48h, which likewise cooperates with the cross-arm-lever 5I for receiving its longitudinal reciprocation.

Normally, the racks 44a, and 441) move in unison in one direction while the racks 45a, and 46h move in unison in the opposite direction and for this purpose said pairs of racks are adapted to be locked or coupled together by any suitable means such, for example, as that shown in Fig.

V16, wherein one of the driving racks Yis provided with a bushed opening 99 Vfor the reception of one end of a coupling'pin SI. The coupling pin 9| is slidably mounted in a bushed opening 92 formed in the other rack of the pair.

The coupling pin 9| may be provided with a collar 93 between which and a bearing 94, formed at one end of a housing 95 and constituting an 5 extended bearing for the coupling pin 9|, is a spring 99. The spring 96 tends to force the coupling pin 9| into the bushing 99 at all times to lock the two racks together.

'Ihe coupling pin 9| may be provided with a head 91 for connecting the pin to the dobby, jacquard, or head motion by which the heddle frames of the loom are selectively raised and lowered for changing the warp sheds through which the various shuttles pass, whereby, at predetermined times and for predetermined periods of time, the coupling pins 9| may be withdrawn from the bushed holes 90, leaving the rack Ada or 49a, as the 4case may be, standing in an idle position while the other rack of each pair, i. e. the rack 44h or 49h, continues to reciprocate and operate the shuttles |3a and Ita while the shuttles |4a and/or |5a remain idle.

In one instance the head 91 and its coupling pin 9| are connected directly by a Wire 98 to the shed forming mechanism. In the other instance the wire 98 is connected through a lever 99 to the head 91 of the coupling pin 9|. In either instance, with the wires 93, 98 connected to levers or other operating parts of the shedding motion, in the same manner as the heddle frames I8 to 25 are respectively connected to the shedding mechanism, the wires 98, 98 are operated by the shedding mechanism to withdraw the coupling pin 9|, 9| at predetermined times and to hold said pins in such withdrawn positions for predetermined periods of time to disconnect the racks for the center shuttles from the mechanism, by which these racks are reciprocated. Obviously, the coupling pins 9| may be selectively operated by the shedding mechanism to hold one in a withdrawn position while the other is in a coupling position or vice versa, or both pins may be withdrawn and withheld simultaneously for corresponding periods of time, in the same manner as the heddle frames are raised and lowered selectively and held in raised or lowered positions for any length of time desired by the shedding mechanism which forms no part of the present invention and being of standard well-known type no further explanation or description thereof is deemed necessary as it is believed that the necessary connections may be readily made by anyone familiar with the art.

By the above arrangement either one or both of the center shuttles Ma and |5a may be held out of action during Weaving of the cross straps C or D with the main tapes A or B at such times as these center shuttles would normally reciprocate idly, or one or the other or both of these center shuttles may be held out of action at any time when separate strips are being woven by the shuttles |3a and |6a respectively.

I claim:

1. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal guides pivotally supported by said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides, vertical shafts rotatably mounted on said lay, and gears on said shafts adapted to intermesh with gear racks on said shuttles for reciprocating said shuttles in said guides, with one series of said shafts operating one series of said shuttles and a second series of said shafts operating a second series of said shuttles.

2. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal 75 guides pivotally supported on said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides, vertical shafts rotatably mounted on said lay, and gears on said shafts adapted to intermesh with gear racks on said shuttles for reciprocating said shuttles in said guides, with one series of said shafts operating one series of said shuttles and a second series of said shafts operating a second series of said shuttles in opposite directions to the iirst said series of shuttles.

3. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal guides pivotally supported on said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides, vertical shafts rotatably mounted on said lay, gears on said shafts adapted to intermesh with gear racks on said shuttles for reciprocating said shuttles in said guides, with one series of said shafts operating one series of said shuttles and a second series of said shafts operating a second series of said shuttles, a pair of gear racks reciprocably mounted on said lay and meshing with gears on said shafts for actuating said shafts, and means for reciprocating said gear racks.

4. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal guides pivotally supported on said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides, vertical shafts rotatably mounted on said lay, gears on said shafts adapted to intermesh with gear racks on said shuttles for reciprocating said shuttles in said guides, with one series of said shafts operating one series of said shuttles and a second series of said shafts operating a second series of said shuttles, a pair of gear racks reciprocably mounted on said lay and meshing with gears on said shafts for actuating said shafts, and means for reciprocating said gear racks carried by said lay.

5. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal guides pivotally supported on said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides, vertical shafts rotatably mounted on said lay, gears on said shafts adapted to intermesh with gear racks on said shuttles for reciprocating said shuttles in said guides, with one series of said shafts operating one series of said shuttles and a second series of said shafts operating a second series of said shuttles in opposite directions to the first said series of shuttles, a pair of gear racks reciprocably mounted on said lay and meshing with gears on said shafts for actuating said shafts, and means for reciprocating said gear racks carried by said lay.

6. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal guides pivotally supported on said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides, vertical shafts rotatably mounted on said lay, gears on said shafts adapted to intermesh with gear racks on said shuttles for reciprocating said shuttles in said guides, with one series 0f said shafts operating one series of said shuttles and a second series of said shafts operating a second series of said shuttles in opposite directions to the rst said series of shuttles, .a pair of gear racks reciprocably mounted on said lay and meshing with gears on said shafts for actuating said shafts, means for reciprocating said gear racks carried by said lay, and means independent of said lay for actuating said rack-reciprocating means.

7. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal guides pivotally supported on said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides, vertical shafts rotatably mounted on said lay, gears on said shafts adapted to intermesh with gear racks on said shuttles for reciprocating said shuttles in said guides, with one series of said shafts operating one series of said shuttles anda secondseries of said shafts operating a second series of said shuttles in opposite directions to the 'i'lrst said gseries of shuttles, a pair of gear racks reciprocably mounted on said lay and meshing With gears on said shafts for actuating said shafts, means for reciprocating said gear racks carried by said lay, means independent of said lay for actuating Vsaid` rack-reciprocating means, andV lflexible means operatively connecting said actuating means With said rack-reciprocating means.

8. In a loom, a lay, a plurality of laterally spaced vertical tiers of vertically spaced shuttle guides on said lay, means for pivotally attaching each tier to said lay in a manner to provide relative displacement of each tier from normal working :position on said lay to a position affording the upper end of each tier to said lay, and means for detachablyconneoting the lower end of each tier to said lay.

10. In a loom, a lay, a plurality of laterally spaced vertical tiers of vertically spaced shuttle guides on saidelay, means for pivotally connecting the upper end 0i each tier to said lay, and a spring latch detachably securing the lower end of ieach tier Vto the lay. l1. Ina loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal vguides pivotally supported on said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides respectively,` vertical shafts rotatably mounted Von said lay adjacent said guides, a pair of gears on each shaft, Va driving gear rack meshing with one ofthe gears each of a group of said shafts, a driving gear rack Ymeshing with one of the gears of each of another group of said shafts, driven gear racks meshing respectively With the second gears on rsaid shafts, means for reciprocating said driving gear racks, andmeans for couplingY and uncoupling said driving gear racks selectively Vrenconeurrent orrelative recip'rocation. 12. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal guides pivotally supported on said lay, shuttles reciprocably mounted in said guides respectively, vertical shafts rotatably mounted on said lay adjacent said guides, sleeves rotatably mounted on said shafts, a pair of 'gears on' each shaft, a pair of gears on each sleeve, a driving gear rack cooperating with one of the gearson each shaft, a driving gear rack cooperating with one of the gears on each sleeve, driven gear racks on aV group of said shuttles cooperating WithY the second gears on said shafts, driven gear racks on a sec'ond group of said shuttles cooperating with the second gears on said sleeves, means for reciprocating said driving gear racks,Y and means for Y coupling and luncoupling said driving gear racks selectively for concurrent or Vrelative reciprocation.

13. In a loom, a lay, vertically spaced horizontal guides pivotally supported on said lay,l shuttles reciprocaloly mounted in said guides respectively, a series of vertical shafts rotatably mounted in said lay adjacent said guides, a second series of vertical shafts respectively aligned axially with said first series, sleeves respectively mounted for rotation on said vertical shafts, a pair of gears on each shaft, a pair of gears on each sleeve, a driving gear rack cooperating with one gear on each shaft of one of said series, a driving gear rack cooperating with one gear on each shaft of the second series, adriving gear rack cooperating With one gear on each sleeve on the first series of shafts, a driving gear rack cooperating with one gear on each sleeve onY the second series of shafts, Ydriven gear racks on said shuttles for cooperation with the second gears on said shafts and sleeves, means for Vreciprocating said driving gear racks, land means Yfor coupling and uncoupling pairs of said driving gear racks selectively for concurrent or relative reciprocation. y Y Y GEORGE HOLDEN.

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