Patent GB-753212-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in looms provided with automatic weft replenishment
IPC: D03D45/20
Filed: 1951-02-20
Abstract: 753,212. Automatic bobbin-changing in looms. COEURTYS SOC. ANON. Feb. 20, 1951 [Feb. 20, 1950], No. 4067/50. Class 142 (2). In a loom having a drop box at one end and employing shuttles, at least some of which have plates on their side to control colour selecting mechanism whilst in the drop box, the shuttles have additional plates operative in the replenishing box to verify that a fresh bobbin of the correct colour has been selected (and, in one embodiment, that the shuttle is correctly boxed). As shown in Fig. 1, a metal ferrule 17 on the bobbin is earthed, when a shuttle enters the drop box, through the bobbin clip 15, a plate 14 on the top of the shuttle, and a brush 13; if the bobbin is depleted, a circuit is completed through a contact 18 on the shuttle and a brush 19 on the box leading to a segment of a contact strip 20 moving with the drop box; the segment level with the shuttle race is coupled through a brush 21 to an electromagnet 11 which tilts the dagger 5 of the weft inserting hammer 6 into line with the slay 4, a holding circuit for the magnet being simultaneously closed through a switch 11<SP>1</SP>. A plate 27 on the side of the shuttle completes a circuit through a brush 28, a segment 29, and a brush 30 to a magnet 31 which starts a motor 32 to rotate the magazine 22, whereby the lowermost bobbin of compartment B is brought under the hammer 6; if a shuttle has no plate, the motor 32 is not operated and the magazine compartment A remains under the hammer. When a shuttle arrives at the replenishing end of the loom, a timing switch 44 interrupts the circuit of the magnet 11; if, however, the shuttle corresponds to the colour of the weft that the magazine is set to deliver, contact plates 41 and 42a or 42b bridge brushes 36 and 37a or 37b on the shuttle box to keep the magnet energized through a switch 38a or 38b closed by a striker 40 on the magazine, the dagger 5 being thereby kept up for operation by the slay.  In an embodiment for four-colour weaving, Fig. 2, opening of the flap 77 on the appropriate magazine compartment rocks an associated three-armed lever 73 which is then retained by a latch 78 to hold closed a switch 70 corresponding to the colour of the selected bobbin. When the shuttle arrives in the replenishing box, plates on its side complete a circuit through the closed switch 70 to keep the dagger 58 in position as described above. If the selected bobbin is not of the correct colour for the shuttle, or if the shuttle does not come to rest with the plates in register, the circuit is broken by the timing switch and replenishment does not occur; the circuit is also broken if the selected bobbin is not correctly positioned between jaws 90, 102 so that the jaw 102 is not rocked to engage a contact 96 in series with the switches 70. As the slay recedes, a cam pushes a link 85, whereby the latch 78 is disengaged to allow the switch 70 to open, and the jaw 90 is rocked so that if a bobbin released from the magazine has not been inserted into the shuttle it can fall out of the way. An analogous mechanism for operating the switches 70 in two-colour weaving is described which employs racks and pinions for selectively actuating cams through lost motion connections to open the appropriate magazine compartment, levers which operate the switches being held by latches which are released by a striker on the weft hammer.