US2808077A - Filling feeler for looms - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 1, 1957 A. w. RATKIEWICZ ETAL 2,808,077

FILLING FEELER FOR LOOMS Filed Aug. 5; .1955

. INVENTOR. ALBERT W. RHTKIEWICZ By JOSEPH M. Bup'zYNn v ATTORi/EY 2,808,67? Patented Get. 1, 1 957 FILLING FEELER FOR LQOMS Albert W. Ratkiewicz,

zyna, East Douglas,

Mass., assignors to Draper Corporation, Hopedale,

Mass., a corporation of Maine Application August 5, 1955, Serial No. 526,668 3 Claims. '(Cl. 139=273) This invention pertains to improvements in filling feelers for looms, and more particularly, to improvements ing feeler which shall perform its intended function with Faruumsville, and Joseph M. Budcertainty, but which may not indicate falsely so. as 'to cause premature bobbin transfer in the loom.

A more specific object is that of devising a filling feeler of the side slipping type and which functions in an electric circuit, which is prevented from side slipping to make a contact during the time the bobbin is being depleted of filling up to almost the point of substantial exhaustion of filling,'and which, however, may at that time slip sidewise in the usual way to make a contact and to initiate the replenishing function.

In looms of the automatic type a filling feeler such as the well known Midget feeler is positioned in the path of the lay as it beats forwardly and a movable feeler member having a tip enters the shuttle to contact the filling on a bobbin therein. If the bobbin still contains filling to continue weaving, the feeler stem or shank merely moves rectilinearly forward a short distance and then recovers as the lay recedes. When the filling has become depleted to the point where only two or three, for example, picks may be left on the bobbin, the feeler tip engages the bobbin surface which offers less resistance to side slipping than the filling itself. The side slipping part of the feeler, as is well known to those skilled in this art sets in motion other devices which cause a transfer of a full bobbin to the shuttle and ejection of the empty one.

Some filling materials are of such nature that the methcient of friction (resistance to side slipping) offered by the filling is not far different from that of the bobbin surface itself and thus with loom vibration and other influences encountered in practice, false indications and premature transfers may become somewhat bothersome. If a shuttle rebounds or becomes displaced while the feeler is in engagement with the filling, the transfer function is again likely to start its cycle. These and other causes, especially those encountered in multishuttle or drop box looms, have made desirable a feeler which may transfer only when the bobbin is virtually exhausted of filling.

According to the invention, a more or less conventional filling feeler is modified so that it may make contact to complete a circuit only at a time when the feeler tip is in contact with the bobbin surface or with the filling thereon when the same has become nearly exhausted and the feeler may side slip more or less instantaneously. At other times it is prevented from making contact since one or more pins or other stops held in the casing limit movement in the direction of side slipping and prevent a laterally offset part of the feeler shank from engaging an elecagainst an adjustable ment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying figures of drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of a filling feeler according to the invention shown as applied to a full bobbin in'a typical loom.

. Fig. 2 is aview similar to Fig. 1, but showing the feeler V as applied to a bobbin tiallyexhausted.

Fig. 3 is -a section taken at line 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section taken at line 4-4, Fig. 3.-

-Now referring to Figs. 1 and '2, the feeler is shown as acting upon a filling package 10 "wound on a bobbin 11 carried in the usual way in shuttle 12. The feeler comprises a casing 13, cover 14 and a feeler memberwhich includes a shank 15 and tip 16. The shank is bent as at 17 and end 18 to form a laterally directed portion notched for connection of a spring 19,-the opposite end of which is hooked to .a pin 20. The end 18'is adapted tostrike or other stop 21 attachedto the passing through a slot 23 in the stop,

from which the filling is substancasing by a screw 22 Figs. 3 and 4, also.

According to a preferred embodiment, current is connected to thefeeler and a circuit is completed to setin "motion a bobbin transfer'means whenever the circuit is 4 grounded through the feeler casing. I rent is'supplied'through wire'24 to bolt:25 insulated by : washers 26 and 27 and having at its end .f an electrode orco'ntact member in the Specifically, curwithin the casing form of a spring 28 fixed to an end 29 of the insulated bolt.

The shank 15 is bent at a point intermediate its length as at 30, the-position of this projection being such that it contacts more or less squarely against electrode 28 when the feeler is to side slip when it senses near exhaustion of filling, Fig. 2. Instead of bending the wire shank as shown, the same result may be obtained by brazing or otherwise fixing a similarly shaped piece to the side of the shank.

Pins 31 and 32 are set in the casing and are so positioned that one or the other prevent movement of the feeler in a side slipping direction far enough for the oifset 30-t=o engage the electrode, except at the time when replenishment should occur.

As in Fig. 1, the dot-and-dash line showing, an unintended side slip due to any cause when the bobbin still has a fair amount of filling left on it will result in the shank 15 engaging pin 31, the offset 30 having passed the electrode so it cannot make contact. Of course, the full line position of the parts in this figure corresponds to the regular rectilinear motion of the feeler.

In Fig. 2, the full line showing illustrates side slipping on a nearly empty bobbin while the dot-and-dash line position shows what may happen if a premature indication does tend to occur. The feeler in such cases side slips too late or too far forward to complete a circuit, but if it were to return in its side slipped attitude the laterally projecting part of the shank would possibly contact the electrode and set off the transfer cycle. Pin 32 prevents such action since in moving past that pin, the feeler will be momentarily arrested and cammed back to its in-line position, or at least near enough to that position so no engagement of the contacting .parts 30 and 2 8 may result.

Thus it may be seen that the modification of a filling feeler as described permits it to function normally to indicate for a transfer when filling is actually depleted to a point where the replenishing cycle should function. At all other times when the feeler side slips due to any one of several causes, and which heretofore have resulted in premature bobbin transfers, the mechanism is protected against such undesired action by the combination of the offset contact part of the feeler shank and the pins or other equivalent stopping means at the same relative positions.

3 While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

r We claim:

1. In a side slipping filling feeler for looms having in combination a casing, a feeler member having a shank and a tip, an opening in said casing through which said shank extends and within which it may slide rectilinearly or may slip sidewise to initiate filling replenishment, spring means urging the feeler member toward a filling engaging position, a contact means for connection in a circuit and positioned adjacent the path of said feeler shank, a lateral projection 'on said shank positioned to engage and complete a circuit through said contact means when said feeler slips sidewise, and means including at least one pin set in said casing and in the pathway of said shank and said lateral projection as the shank slips sidewise, to prevent eengagement between any part of the shank and contact means except when the feeler is functioning upon a filling package which has become nearly exhausted.

2. In a side slipping filling feeler for looms having in combination a casing, a feeler member having a shank and a tip, an opening in said casing through which said shank extends and within which it may slide rectilinearly or may slip sidewise to initiate filling replenishment, spring means urging the feeler member toward a filling engaging position, a contact means for connection in a circuit and positioned adjacent the path of said. feeler shank, a lateral projection on said shank positioned to engage and complete a circuit through said contact means when said feeler slips sidewise, and pins, one at either side of said contact means set in said casing and in the pathway of said shank and said lateral projection as the shank slips sidewise, positioned to prevent engagement between any part of the shank and contact means except when the feeler is functioning upon a filling package which has become nearly exhausted.

3. In a side slipping filling feeler for looms having in combination a casing, a feeler member having a shank and a tip, an opening in said casing through which said shank extends and within which it may slide rectilinearly or may slip sidewise to initiate filling replenishment, spring means urging the feeler member toward a filling engaging position, a contact means for connection in a circuit and positioned adjacent the path of said feeler shank, a laterally bent portion of said shank positioned to engage with and complete a circuit through said contact means when said feeler slips sidewise, and means to prevent contact to complete the circuit at such times as the feeler is not functioning upon a substantially exhausted filling package which includes two abutments, one forwardly of and the other rearwardly of the contact means in said feeler casing, said abutments being in the pathway of said shank and of said laterally bent portion of the shank as the shank sideslips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images