Patent GB-458614-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to automatic shuttle changing mechanism for looms
IPC: D03D45/34
Filed: 1935-09-11
Abstract: 458,614. Looms with automatic weftreplenishing mechanism. SKERRETT, W. S., 24, Temple Row, Birmingham.-(Martin. Co., J. B. ; Norwich, Connecticut, U.S.A.) Sept. 11, 1935, No. 25211. [Classes 142 (i), 142 (ii), and 142 (iii)] A loom comprises a magazine containing a plurality of reserve shuttle box units, each containing one or more shuttles, a frame on the lay carrying an operative box unit and one or more reserve box units, means for removing an exhausted box unit from operative position and substituting a reserve box unit and means for transferring a box unit from the magazine to reserve position in the frame on the lay. The invention is described in connection with a double pile fabric loom having two superimposed shuttles 72, Fig. 1, which are picked between a fixed double shuttle box 73 on the lay and a removable shuttle box unit 75, the resultant fabric being cut to produce two pile fabrics by a reciprocating knife on the front of the loom. The box unit 75 and a reserve box unit 75<1>, containing two full shuttles, are slidably mounted above a vertically movable elevator 77 in a frame 79 carried by the lay, the elevator 77 being connected by a chain 105 to a lever 98 which is movable under control of a cam 84 and weft detector mechanism located in the fixed shuttle box. On the call for replenishment, the release and subsequent movement of the lever 98 over the cam 84 permits a downward movement of the elevator 77 which causes the box unit with the depleted shuttles to be replaced by the reserve box unit 75<1> and a fresh reserve unit 75<2> to be supplied to the frame from a stationary magazine 83. The exhausted box is subsequently removed from the frame and the elevator restored to normal position within four picks from the initiation of the change. Means are provided also for stopping the loom on derangement of the weft-replenishing mechanism and when a shuttle fails to box correctly. Weft feeler arrangements ; shuttles.-Each shuttle has a pivoted spindle with a pivoted feeler element which is moved outwardly, under spring action, when the weft is substantially exhausted, so as to complete an electric circuit through a pin on the shuttle and contacts 80 on the side of the shuttle box 73. Initiating weft replenishment.-The contacts in the box 73 are connected to a solenoid 87, Figs. 1 and 10, on the lay and to a pair of stationary contacts 86 adapted to be bridged by a contact 85 rotating with the cam 84. When the electromagnet 87 is energized a latch 10 is rocked into position to engage a relatively stationary lever 94 on the rearward stroke of the lay and thereby withdraw a retaining latch 97 from a cam follower lever 98 to permit the latter to follow the contour of the cam 84, release of the lever 98 being timed to take place when the depressed portion 766 of the cam is about to pass under the follower 88. As the lever 98 moves over the portion 766 it actuates a switch in a box 226 and causes an indication to be given to the operator that shuttle changing is about to begin. Changing shuttle box units.-The elevator frame 79 is provided with grooved side tracks to accommodate guide rails 352, 353 and 290, Fig. 25, on the shuttle-box units and elevator 77 respectively, the operative box unit 75 being normally supported in line with the race by retractible pins. On the call for replenishment the pins are withdrawn to release the exhausted box unit by the sudden descent of the elevator 7 7 on to fingers 431 as the cam follower 88 passes inwardly over the cam portion 755, Fig. 10, and are returned, by spring action, to support the reserve box as soon as the exhausted box moves clear. As the follower reaches the cam portion 757, the downwardly moving elevator 77 carrying box unit 75 engages further fingers 436, 436<1> which effect the release of a fresh reserve shuttle box unit 75<2> from the magazine 83 so that it may be carried off by the rearwardly moving lay and elevator frame 79. During the next pick the elevator is lowered to the bottom of the frame and on the subsequent forward movement of the lay the exhausted box unit is engaged by latches 600, Figs. 14 and 25, and removed as the lay recedes for another picking operation. The box unit then drops into a hopper 640 and past a spring-controlled gate into a magazine comprising a platform 641 slidably mounted on rods 656 and held adjacent the base of the hopper by springs 658. Magazine arrangements.-The magazine 83 comprises grooved side members 482, 483, Figs. 13 and 14, on a cross member carried by a pivoted hanger 460 and having depending hooks 484, 485 for supporting the lowermost box unit clear of the grooved side tracks, the unit in this position being guided by track extensions 500, 501 and fingers 502, 503. When the fingers 436, 436<1> are engaged by the elevator they operate, through connections 547, 549, bell-crank levers 554 and impart an inward movement to slides 545, 545<1> which push the lowermost unit off the hooks so that it may be carried off by the lay. Pickers ; picking motions ; shuttle boxes.- The pickers 671, Fig. 14, which are made of compressed non-metallic material, are mounted on picker spindles carried by lugs on the rear of the elevator frame and work in slots in the frame and the box units, each picker being slotted to receive the picking stick 76. The pickers are moved clear of the shuttles during replenishment by an elevator rod 681, Fig. 13, engaging a plate 698, and rotating a stop 685 to permit an anticlockwise movement of the picking stick 76 under the action of a spring 686, the stop 685 being normally urged anticlockwise against a stop pin on the idle stroke of the picking stick. The picking stick 76 is operated by a sector 689 and a strap connection 692 from a cam-operated lever 693. Each removable shuttle box unit comprises a double celled body of aluminium alloy shaped to receive shuttles of trapezoidal section. Weft ends, cutting.-The wefts extending from the fell to the exhausted box unit are cut by a knife 780, Fig. 16b, which is moved to operative position by spring action on withdrawal of a spring-pressed pin 795 from a notch 790, the pin 795 being controlled by a rod 800 connected with the shuttle box ejecting slide 545<1> of the magazine. On retraction of the rod 800, the pin 795 engages a notch 791<1> on the rod 786 in readiness for re-engaging the notch 790 when, on the next forward stroke of the lay, the elevator frame 79 impinges on the bunter 803. Checking shuttles and pickers.-The shuttles entering the fixed box 73, Fig. 7, are checked by spring-pressed swells 153 on a pivoted frame 145 which is rocked by a connection from the crank connecting rod. The checking means at the other end of the lay comprises spring- pressed swells 337, Fig. 25, carried on the front of each shuttle-box unit. Stop-motions, shuttle.-When a shuttle fails to box properly a dagger on one or other of two stop rods 142, 157, Fig. 7, associated with the swells engages a bunter 159 to stop the loom, the stop rods extending across the width of the loom and being connected by links to supplementary rods 825, 824, Fig. 13, carrying stop fingers 827, 826 for the removable box units. Stop motion acting on derangement of weftreplenishing mechanism.-If, during the change of box units, the new reserve box unit 75<2> fails to enter the frame 79 correctly, it will engage the lip 839, Fig. 14, of a bell-crank lever 838 on the magazine as the lay moves back and, through connection 841, raise a lever 844 to release a pivoted member 851 carried by the loom frame. The released lever 851 is then moved clockwise to bring the hooked end of a slidably mounted rod into engagement with a finger 861 depending from the stop rod 157 so that on the next forward beat of the lay the stop rod will be rocked to move the dagger 156 into path of the bunter and effect stoppage. To permit such a stoppage with the shuttles correctly boxed, the stop rod 157 is connected to the stop-rod finger 155, Fig. 7, by a lostmotion device comprising fixed and loosely mounted arms 866 and 865 respectively and a yielding connection. Periodic alignment of the lay with the magazine and the frame 79 is facilitated by providing on the frame a bifurcated member 945 which moves back and forward on an alignment member 946.