Patent GB-190406385-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Weft Replenishing Mechanism for Looms for Weaving.
Inventor: STITT WILLIAM RICHARD
Filed: 1904-03-16
Granted: 1905-03-16
Abstract: 6385. Stitt, W. R., and Davidson, A. J. March 16. Loom weft - replenishing mechanism ; shuttle boxes ; shuttles; stopmotions; weft forks. -The shuttle box A, Fig. 2, at which the change of cop takes place, is constructed with the front a and bottom a' in one piece at b, so as to open outwards to a position at right-angles to the working position. To the front a is attached a top having a slot for the picker. The top is cut away at the outer end to allow the picker to enter the slot, and when in the slot the picker prevents the outward movement of the box front. In the shuttle-box bottom and the lay B is a slot F leading to a shoot F<1>, and on the lay front or on a suitable bracket a plate H is mounted so as to be free to slide vertically. The plate H is connected to the front a by a spiral spring hinge K or otherwise, and a latch L, Figs. 2 and 9, is pivoted on the back of the plate H, behind which it is normally held by a spring l. A cranked arm U, pivoted in the shuttle s<1>, presses against the weft, and its end u holds up a chisel-shaped plate U<1> pivoted near the sole of the shuttle. As the weft is gradually exhausted, the arm U turns, and its end u lowers the plate U<1>, which engages an arm N', pivoted to the shuttle box, as the shuttle enters the box. The arm N' is moved into the position shown, and causes a finger N to act through a lock-spring l<1> upon the latch L, so that the lower end of the latch is engaged by a cranked bar M, pivoted on the front R of the loom and held in position by a spring o, Fig. 2. The spring l<1> is pivoted on the plate H, and when it is moved a latch O falls behind it and holds it against the latch L, until the spring is moved down with the plate H. As the lay moves forward, the latch L rides under the bar M and is moved downwards, carrying with it the sliding plate H, so that, through the connection K, the front of the shuttle box is turned outwards. A cop or bobbin magazine S is mounted on the front of the loom, and is provided with a sliding part S<1>, a fixed pusher R<1>, and a plate s<2> upon which the lowest cop rests. The second cop lies in a slot s<3> in the sliding part s'. When the shuttle-box front has been turned outwards, the top, as the lay beats up, strikes the part S' and moves it forward against the action of springs, so that its nose s<4> holds up the remaining cops in the magazine and the second cop is held up by the pusher R'. The lowest cop on the plate s<2> is forced by the pusher R<1> into the shuttle and displaces the exhausted cop, which falls down the slot F and shoot F<1> into a receptacle. The bar M is cranked at its front end, so that when the lay is in its front position the latch L is released, but the nose s<4> holds the shuttle-box front in its forward position until the lay moves back. If the shuttle should have entered too far into the box, it is acted upon by a spring fixed to the magazine and returned to its proper position. The shuttle is provided in the ordinary manner with springs or clips to engage the base of the bobbin or shuttle peg, and at the nose it is formed with a grooved slot or passage of convenient shape to admit the weft into the delivery eye. The magazine is provided with a slot to hold the ends of weft from the cops in the proper position, and, when the shuttle turns over from its side to its working position on the return of the box front, the weft is drawn into the shuttle eye. If, instead of changing the bobbin or cop, it is desired to change the shuttle, the bottom of the shuttle box is divided longitudinally into two parts, of which the rear part is stationary and the front part is fixed to the front a of the box. When the front is turned outwards, the exhausted shuttle falls down the slot F. The sliding part S' of the magazine, which is suitably constructed to hold shuttles, normally holds up the shuttles in the magazine, and when it is pushed forward the lowest shuttle falls into the overturned part of the box, while the remaining shuttles are held up by arms attached to the part S'. The finger N or the latch L may be operated by any suitable form of mechanism controlled by a weft fork or weft feeler, mechanical or electrical. The weft feeler may be arranged in the opposite box; thus a jockey box V<1>, Fig. 25, may be mounted on the picker spindle V to slide to and fro upon it. The box V<1> rides upon the shuttle when it is in the box, and upon it is pivoted a finger or feeler v<1> which enters the shuttle and comes in contact with the weft. The feeler v<1> rests upon or is pivoted to an arm v', and carries a cranked arm v<3>, which, when the weft is substantially exhausted, is placed in the path of a lever V<2>. When the shuttle is picked, the arm v<3> strikes the lever V<3> and moves a sliding rod V<3>, of which the other end acts upon the lock-spring l<1>, and causes the latch L to engage the bar M. The feeler v<1> and the arm v<2> are raised by the nose of the shuttle, which presses under them until the arm v<2> engages the well of the shuttle, and the box V<1> is carried along with it. The box V<1> is returned by a spring. This feeler mechanism may be used to stop the loom by operating upon the weft fork or otherwise, independently of any weftreplenishing mechanism. The latch L, instead of being stationary except when actuated by the feeler, may be moved each time the lay reaches the back centre by means of a cord fixed to the front of the loom and to the top of the latch, or bv a lever touching a stationary part of the loom. Thus, if the weft-replenishing mechanism is to be actuated by means of a sensitive weft fork M', Fig. 30, pivoted on the lay, a sliding rod is attached to the top of the latch L on the opposite side from a cord, so that when the lay reaches the back centre the free end of the sliding rod is moved away from a fixed block. If the weft is broken, the weft fork M<1> moves over the shuttle-race, and a block m<2> upon it comes between the end of the sliding rod and the fixed block, thus preventing the latch L from returning to its normal position when the lay moves forward. To prevent the weft-replenishing mechanism from being actuated when the shuttle is in the opposite box, the weft fork is prevented from moving across the race by a cord attached to the weft fork and to the swell of the opposite box, or a swell in the box A may act upon the weft fork to hold it inoperative except when the shuttle is in the box A. The block m' may be fixed to the armature of an electromagnet, so that it is drawn between the sliding rod and the fixed block when the electromagnet is energized. The latch L may, by suitable mechanism, be moved under the bar M each time the lay reaches the back centre, and be withdrawn again as the lay moves forward. An auxiliary latch is provided, and is held in a raised position until released by the action of a weft fork or an electric weft feeler, when it falls and locks the latch in its displaced position.