Patent GB-225956-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in tube chain driving mechanism for carpet looms
IPC: D03D39/02
Filed: 1923-09-20
Abstract: 225,956. Hollingworth, E., (Crompton & Knowles Loom Works). Sept. 20, 1923. Pile-fabric looms; creel frame arrangements.- Relates to the tube chain driving mechanism of carpet looms of the, Axminster type. The chain 12, Fig. 1, carrying the frames supporting the yarn spools is arranged in a series of loops passing over driven pulleys 14 and guide-rolls 15, whilst at the front the chain passes around two freelymovable pulleys &c. 35, 36 and around upper idle rolls &c. 37, 38, 39. The middle loop of the slack portion 12<a>, Figs. 1 and 4, of the chain 12 passes around a sprocket 40, at which point the tube frames are successively detached from the chain and afterwards returned thereto before the chain is intermittently advanced. By means of a handlever 33 and lever mechanism 32, 31, 30, 29, 28 a clutch 26 keyed to a countershaft 24 driven by bevel gearing from a shaft 11 operated from a main motor and slidable on the shaft 24 can be moved to clutch either one of two bevel gears 22, 23 to the shaft. These gears mesh with a gear 21 on a shaft 20, which drives a shaft 18 by bevel gearing. The shaft 18 drives the pulleys 14 and the main part of the chain by bevel gearing. The hand-lever 33 is also connected by lever mechanism 49 to a shield 46 which can be interposed between driving pawls on arms 41 and the teeth on two ratchet wheels with oppositelydirected teeth secured to the shaft 42 of the sprocket 40, so that when the main part of the chain 12 is driven continuously either in a forward or backward direction the driving-pawls on the arms 41 intermittently rotate the sprocket 40, either forwards or backards and correspondingly actuate the slack part 12a of the chain 12. The shaft 42 may be provided with a friction-wheel engaged by spring-controlled friction-arms so as to prevent accidental turning of the sprocket 40. The arms may be separated by a rectangular block, which can be turned by a handle to relieve the friction when desired, or the arms may be separated periodically by an oblong block operated by a cam-controlled lever. In case of a mispick, the lever 33 can be moved into a middle neutral position wherein the clutch 26 engages neither of the gears 22, 23, and the slack portion 12a of the the chain 12 can then be turned back by hand, one of the rolls 35, 36 rising and the other falling. In order that these rolls may be brought to the same height again before the loom is restarted, an auxiliary driving mechanism is provided comprising a motor 51 for driving the shaft 18 through worm gearing either backwards or forwards and thus adjusting the main portion of the chain. The worm gearing includes a worm wheel 55 loosely mounted on the shaft 18. A slidable clutch collar 58 keyed on the shaft is engaged by a spring-controlled lever 57 provided with a roller engaged by a cam lever 60 connected by lever mechanism 65 to the handlever 33, so that when this is in its middle position the clutch collar engages the worm wheel and the shaft 18 is rotated, but when the handlever is in position to cause either of the gears 22, 23 to be driven, the cam lever 60 prevents the worm wheel and the shaft 18 from being driven by the auxiliary driving-mechanism. The motor 51 is provided with a switch whereby it can be operated in either direction. The entire chain may be driven continuously, if required, from the auxiliary motor by securing to the shaft 18 by set screws a worm 71 in such a position as to be in driving engagement with a worm wheel 70 on the roll &c. 37. A driving- chain 50 may connect the rolls &c. 37, 39.