Patent GB-357161-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in looms furnished with automatic weft-replenishing mechanism
IPC: D03D45/20
Filed: 1930-06-12
Abstract: 357,161. Looms with automatic weft replenishing mechanism. BRITISH CELANESE, Ltd., 22, Hanover Square, London, DICKIE, W. A., HALE, F. C., and HOWARTH, W., of British h Celanese, Spondon, near Derby. June 12, 1930, No. 18023. [Classes 142 (i) and 142 (ii).] A loom comprises a change-box motion, a shuttle magazine adapted to contain as many kinds of weft as there are shuttle boxes, means for stopping the loom on exhaustion of a weft, means for replacing the shuttle when weft is exhausted by a shuttle containing the same kind of weft while the loom is at rest and means for restarting the loom after replacement of the exhausted shuttle. Means are also provided for detecting exhaustion of weft in a shuttle as that shuttle is moved into inoperative position and for delaying the operation of the shuttle replacing mechanism until after said shuttle has returned to picking position. Change-box motions.-Two movable shuttle boxes 12, Fig. 4, at one side of the loom are operated by a rod connected to one end of a lever mounted on a shaft and oscillated by an eccentric under control of Geneva mechanism which causes the boxes to be moved up and down after every two picks. Weft feeler arrangements.-Mounted above and below the shuttle-boxes 12 are detector units 23, Fig. 4, each comprising a pair of metallic plungers 24 which, on substantial exhaustion of weft, contact with a metallic portion of the pirn of the appropriate shuttle when that shuttle is moved to inoperative position, whereupon an electric circuit is completed and a catch 32 is moved into the path of a block 33 which when operated brings about a change in the operation of the loom. Delaying stoppage and shuttle changing.-Since the exhausted shuttle is not in picking position when failure of weft is indicated, the above operations are delayed for three picks, i.e. until the exhausted shuttle has been picked to the changing side of the loom. This is effected by mounting the block 33 on a lever 34 pivotally supported by a bell-crank lever 134 which, when operated by a cam 135, moves the block 33 out of the path of the catch 32 on the first beat-up after exhaustion and into the path of said catch at the next beat-up, a pick being subsequently laid from the exhausted shuttle in returning to the changing side of the loom before the stoppage is completed. Stop-motion arrangements. - Movement of the block 33 by the catch 32 causes an extension 36 to engage an arm 37 and dislodge the starting handle 38, the handle acting through members 41, 42, Fig. 7, to operate a clutch 43 on the driving shaft 44. At the same time a lug 63, normally supported by the lever 37, is released and permits a brake arm 60 to fall under the influence of a weight to apply the brake. Initiating shuttle-change.-When the lever 34 is rocked by the catch 32, its lower end engages a pin 45, Fig. 4, and rocks a bell-crank lever 46 and raises a link 47 connected to a compound lever 49, 50, 53 pivoted at 48, Fig. 7, a counterclockwise movement of the part 53 releasing a lever 67 to set in motion a shaft 69 which drives the shuttle-changing mechanism. In order to ensure that shuttlechanging operations will not be started unless by reason of weft exhaustion, a latch 54, Fig. 7, pivoted at 55 is supported horizontally by a cam 56 and the end of the latch is arranged to oppose a projection 58 on the catch 53 except for a short instant when the loom is being stopped. Release of the lug 63 on stoppage causes, through connections 61, 60, 59, the cam 56 to rock and raise momentarily the latch 54 thereby permitting movement of the catch 53 under the pull of the link 47. The lug 63 is positioned above the arm 37 when the loom is restarted by means of a bowl 64 on the handle. Shuttle-changing mechanism.-Withdrawal of the catch 53 permits an upward movement of the lever 67 whereupon by means of connections 80, 79, 78, a shoe 77 is withdrawn from one end of a lever pivotally mounted on a disc 70 on the shaft 69, the other end thereof being projected under spring pressure through a hole in the disc 70 and into engagement with one of a series of holes in a constantly rotating disc 71. This connection causes the shaft 69 to be rotated through one revolution, during which time all the various changing operations are effected, the pivotally mounted lever being engaged and withdrawn by the shoe 77 at the end of that time. The shaft 69 carries three cams 81, 82, 83, Fig. 10, which operate respectively (1) to raise the box front 84 through connecting rod 111 and actuate the spent shuttle ejecter 85, (2) to move the conveyer 87 from the magazine to the shuttle box and (3) to effect the restarting of the loom. Multi-colour magazine arrangements.-The shuttle magazine comprises two shoots for the different kinds of wefts, the shuttles being retained by catches 91, Fig. 3, at each end of the magazine, said catches supporting levers 94 connected by members 95, 96 to rods 97, Fig. 2, projecting from the magazine opposite a rod 21 which carries an engaging block 22. The rod 21 is moved up and down in accordance with the movement of the boxes to bring the block 22 into line with one or other of the rods 97. A second rod operated by an eccentric on the shaft 69 and acting through a bell-crank lever presses a pin on the latter against the rod 21 and causes the block 22 to strike the appropriate rod 97, whereupon a shuttle is released and allowed to drop on to a support 106 pivotally mounted on the magazine. Subsequent engagement of the conveyer arm with a stop 110 on the support 106 causes the shuttle to be transferred to the conveyer. When the catches 91 are withdrawn from the magazine additional catches 104 enter the magazine and prevent the remaining shuttles from falling. Restarting of the loom after transfer is effected by means of a lever 112, actuated by cam 83, operating a rod 113 having a collar 114 which engages a catch 115 pivotally mounted on a tubular member 116 in which the rod 113 slides. The member 116 is connected by means of a bell-crank lever 117, link 118, lever 119 and rod 120 to the loom starting handle. In the case of improper transfer, a member 121 on the rod 111 engages the end of the catch 115 and prevents its engagement with the collar 114.