Patent GB-190202387-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to Means for Automatically Supplying Weft in Looms for Weaving
Inventor: SHAY JEREMIAH MICHAEL
Filed: 1902-01-29
Granted: 1902-07-17
Abstract: 2387. Lake, H. H., [Shay, J. M.]. Jan. 29. Loom shuttle-changing mechanism; shuttle boxes ; weft, cutting; weft forks; take-up motions.-A weft fork 19, pivoted to a sliding-plate 21, has a hooked end, and is normally rocked by the weft during each beat-up, so as to miss the upper end of an oscillating-lever 16. When the weft fails, the slide is pushed back against a pivoted lever 25 mounted on a shaft 26 carrying a lever 30, which is connected to a switch lever 36 on a switch block 37 formed with a groove 38 and slot 40. A rod 41, on the lay 4, carries a toothed sector 46, provided with a roller 45 which normally travels along the groove 38, but, when the lever 36 has been deflected, in consequence of the failure of weft, the roller 45 travels along the slot 40, thus causing the sector 46 to oscillate. The sector engages with a sector 53 which is mounted on a rotary shuttle box 47. This box has a front and back wall, a closed end, and open bottom. A similar shuttle box is mounted at the opposite end of the lay, and carries a toothed section engaging with a segment on the adjacent end of the rod 41. By these means, the shuttle boxes can be moved from their horizontal positions, above the race 48, to the vertical position shown in Fig. 6. The full shuttles are supplied from a magazine 55 at one side of the loom to the shuttle box at the corresponding side and, simultaneously, the empty shuttles are pushed from the opposite shuttle box into a receiver, by means of a reciprocating plate to which motion is transmitted by an arrangement of levers from the swell lever 78. Springs or bars, freely supported within the receiver, prevent rebound of the empty shuttles. The magazine 55 has a slot in the lower part of both its front and rear walls, and carries a pivoted lever 57 for carrying the free ends of the weft thread on the full shuttles. The shuttles are transferred to the shuttle box 47 by a rod 70 and pusher 72, connected to a lever 67, which is rocked by an arm 66 carried by a shaft 62 on the lay ; this shaft is rocked, on failure of weft, by means of an arm 63 and link 61 connected to an arm 60 on the shaft 41. Normally the arm 66 is held in its inoperative position by a spring 65. The pusher 72 is freely connected to the rod 70 at a point nearer the inner than the outer end of the pusher, so as to facilitate the transfer of the full shuttle, since one end of the shuttle is pushed forwards before the opposite end. After a full shuttle has been transferred to the receiving shuttle box and this shuttle box has been revolved into working position, the shuttle is picked to the opposite shuttle box and pulls the weft so as to draw down the long end of the lever 57. That part of the weft which is between the lever 57 and the selvage is cut off, at the selvage, by shears, of which one blade 135 is pivoted to a support on the lay 4 and also to the other blade, which is connected by a link 133 to a spring-controlled lever 131 ; this lever is actuated by means of a ratchet cam 115 mounted on the shaft 41 and provided with arms 116, which press upon the lever 131 when the cam is rotated by a ratchet arm 124 loosely mounted on shaft 41. The ratchet arm 124 is oscillated during the beat-up by means of a bunter 127 on the breast beam 6. The take-up motion is rendered inoperative during the process of changing the shuttles, the holding-pawl 145 of the usual ratchet-wheel 11, being provided with an arm 146, which is temporarily pressed back by an arm 147 on the shaft 26. In consequence of this arrangement, the ratchet-wheel is pulled back by the pull of the cloth after it has been actuated by its pawl 142. In a modification of the shuttleejecting means, no pusher is employed, but the shuttle is ejected by its own momentum as the lay moves backwards towards the shuttle receiver.