Patent GB-125841-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Weft Replenishing Devices for Looms.
Inventor: WRAY JOHN WILLIAM
IPC: D03D45/34
Filed: 1918-07-09
Abstract: 125,841. Wray, J. W. July 9, 1918. Shuttle-changing mechanism. - In a loom with two or more shuttles successively inserting two picks, a weft feeler opetates in the shuttle having least weft and on substantial exhaustion of the weft actuates mechanism whereby a two-compartment drop-box at the opposite end of the loom is lowered to bring into action a reserve shuttle contained in the upper compartment, the spent shuttle being subsequently picked into this compartment and transferred to the breast beam by a frame detachably connected to the drop-box for replenishment by hand or otherwise. In a two-shuttle loom, a weft feeler comprising separated plates 1, Fig. 2, operates upon the weft bobbin 4 in the top shuttle 5 on the left side of the loom, and is so mounted as to be adjustable vertically and axially of the bobbin. The heavy end of a lever 9 is positioned between projections 11 on the feeler, so that, as long as there is sufficient weft on the bobbin, this end of the lever is raised and its other cranked end 12 is lowered when the two-compartment box is raised to take the shuttle 5 out of action, a catch 13 pivoted on the lay 14 being thereby lowered. When the feeler is not raised sufficiently, the catch 13 engages a catch 15 on a slidable rod 16 supported in brackets 17 on the loom frame, so that the rod 16 is moved rearwards with the lay and a finger 19 thereon acts on an arm 20 to turn a cross-shaft 21. An arm on this shaft frees a catch 29 pivoted on an arm 25 in connexion with the clutch arm of the box motion at the other or right end of the loom, so that the clutch arm is allowed to move to lower the drop-box, the full shuttle from the lower box at the left side having previously been picked into the lower box at the right side. The top box at the right side contains a reserve shuttle, which is picked into the lower box at the left side when the right drop-box is lowered as described. The drop-box at the left side is then lowered, and the spent shuttle in its top box is picked into the top box at the right side. After these two picks, a stud or bowl on the box chain acts through a vibrator in the dobby to return the clutch arm and the' lever 25, so that the drop-box is raised and the catch is engaged to hold it in the raised position in readiness for the next shuttle-exhaustion. During the periods when the left top box is lowered so that the weft bobbin of its shuttle 5 cannot act on the feeler 1, the catch 15 is rendered inoperative by its rod 16 being turned axially through a right-angle by a strap 32 connected to a boss 31 on the rod and by a cord &c. 33 to a bell-crank lever 36, which is oscillated by a jack in the dobby. The top box at the right end of the loom comprises a false bottom 44, Fig. 4, and swell 50 carried by two vertical rods 45 pivoted at 46 to brackets 47 on the box lever 48. The shuttle is held firmly on the bottom 44 by lips 80 on a frame 77 slidable vertically on the rods 45, the frame 77 being held up when the box is lowered by a projection 81 thereon engaging the box frame, so that the lips 80 do not interfere with the picking of the shuttle. When the drop-box is lowered to bring the reserve shuttle into action, a cord 69 connected to the box lowers a lever 68 and moves a cam projection 66 from under a pawl 64 pivoted to a bell-crank lever 71, which is loose on a shaft 61 and is oscillated by a lever 70 connected to the lay. The pawl 64 is freed to act on a ratchet-wheel 62 until the drop-box is raised again, whereupon the rotation of the ratchet-wheel is continued by a second pawl 65, pivoted on the lever 71 and normally moving without action on a blank space 63 of the wheel. The wheel completes a revolution and is stopped by the blank space coming opposite the pawl 65. A cam 74 on the shaft acts on a lever 75 connected by a cord &c. 76 to a crank end or arm on a rod 51, which is turned to cause catches 52 to free a crossbar 49 connecting the rods 45, so that these rods and the frame 77 are freed and fall away from the drop-box as the lay returns leaving the spent shuttle held on the false bottom 44 on the breast beam, as indicated in dotted lines. The catches 52 are held in the lowered position by a lever 57 engaging a projection 56 on the shaft 51. The spent shuttle is replenished, and the rods 45 and frame 77 are then pushed backwards, causing the bar 49 to ride up plates 58 and the false bottom with the fresh reserve shuttle to enter the top box. The bar 49 presses back a spring catch-lever 59, which moves the lever 57 out of engagement with the projection 56, and releases the rod 51 so that it is turned back by a spring to cause the catches 52 to engage the bar 49. When the spent shuttle is being removed, the weft feeler is rendered inoperative by the cranked end 12 of the lever 9 being held down by a lever connected by a cord to an arm on a vertical shaft turned by a lever, and, when the rods 45 are moved backwards, one of them acts on this lever to restore the parts to normal position and make the weftfeeler operative,