Patent GB-190703707-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Machines for Drawing in Warp Threads.
Inventor: COLMAN HOWARD DARLING
Filed: 1907-02-14
Granted: 1908-03-14
Abstract: 3707. Colman, H. D. Feb. 14. Loom reeds, drawing warp threads through ; healds, threading.-The warp carriage is sensitively fed forwards by mechanism controlled by the warp threads, until the foremost unthreaded warp is in a definite position. The warp threads are engaged by a special picker-up finger which, at each movement, feeds one warp thread into a special threadguide, which is lined with plush to prevent the jumping &c. of the thread after it has been cut below the thread-guide. The warp thread is then placed by a stripper in position to be engaged by a non-traversing reciprocating needle K<9>, Fig. 5, which threads it through an eye of one of the harnesses on the harness carriage C<3>, C<5>. This carriage also supports the reed, and is traversed across the machine, individual eyes being placed in position by eye-spacer mechanism F. The harness eyes are held squarely within the needle path by eye-facer mechanism G<5>, which is moved sideways from one harness to the other by special cam-and-lever mechanism. The reed is horizontally supported on the extension C<3> of the harness carriage, and the thread is-drawn through one of its spaces by a non-traversible oscillating needle L into one of the radial plush-lined slots of a iotating friction thread-holding wheel L". The reed moves with the barness carriage but is also positively fed by a spring plunger M, which is given a vertical and slight sideways movement by wedges &c. The plunger is provided with a tooth which enters between the dents of the reed during each second movement of the thread hook, and by its sideways movement advances the reed, two. threads being drawn into each reed space. Stopmotions, described' below, are provided for stopping the machine if the picker-up finger fails to engage a thread, or if the eye-facer mechanism fails to seize a harness eye. Special throw-out mechanism, also described below, operable in certain positions of the threading-mechanism only, is provided to facilitate the removal of the harness and reed carriage, which is provided with rollers C<1>, C<2> running on a rail A<12>. The two harnesses are supported by vertically adjustable hooks. Knife-bars C<7>, C<8>, C<14>, Figs. 5 and 29, are inserted into the harnesses in such a manner that one strand from the lower end of each harness eye crosses its adjacent strands between the knife-bars. The adjacent harness eyes are thus placed upon opposite sides of and slightly above the upper knife bars, which are spring-pressed on to the lower knife-bars. The latter are removably hung from the harness or carriage, which is traversed across the machine by the eye-spacer or selecting mechanism acting on the harness strands. The eye-spacer mechanism comprises cam-actuated eyedetainer forks F, Figs. 28 and 29, in pairs, one pair being slightly in advance of the other and each alternately releasing a harness eye, first from one side of the knife-bar and then from the other. Eye-pullers F<5>, carried by pullerarms F<7> and provided with auxiliary spring fingers F<6>, spring over the harness strands, which are held by the eye-detainer forks, the single freed eye being, however, pulled forward into position to be grasped by the eye-facer mechanism. After the eyes have been threaded, they are moved away by holding fingers F<11> from the eye-facer mechanism. This mechanism comprises two jaws, one of which, G<5>, is moved relatively to the other, G<7>, by a spring and cam mechanism. Wedges are arranged to give the movable jaw a slight sideways or rubbing action as it closes on the fixed jaw, in order to face the harness eye correctly for the reciprocating needle to enter. Auxiliary wedge-actuated jaws are also arranged to close on and grasp the harness eye just below the upper strand. They are opened by a spring-actuated finger. The warp carriage B, Fig. 5, rests upon a screw-threaded shaft B<1>, Fig. 46, one of the carriage side frames B<23> carrying a lever provided with a half-nut which is screw-threaded to engage the shaft B<1>. By means of an eccentric, the nut can be raised out of gear with the shaft B<1>, which is driven by a pawl P<2> on a driven shaft A<10> alined with the shaft B<1>. A finger P, mounted on knife-edge bearings P', is engaged by the warp threads, and it lifts the pawl into engagement, or allows it to fall out of engagement, with the ratchet-wheel P<3> on the shaft B<1>, according to the position of the foremost warp thread. The warp carriage is thus fed forwards until its foremost warp thread is in a certain definite position. The warp threads are carried by a special upper clamp B<3> and a corresponding lower one (not shown), the threads being bowed out slightly from a straight line by a protruding grooved knife-bar B', which is provided with a sliding piece B<14>. The upper clamp is swung slightly upwards so as to tighten the threads, and the sliding piece B<14>, which has a roughened edge, is then moved sideways, to divert the threads slightly, by a bandlever. As each thread is moved from the sliding piece by the picker-up finger, it tends to straighten and move away from the other warp threads, thus assisting in their separation. An adjustable pickerup finger H<8>, Fig. 8, is specially mounted in delicate bearings on a cam-actuated picker-up arm H, and is caused by a spring H<9> to move laterally towards the warp threads, its lateral normal position being regulated by a set-screw H<10>. The picker-up finger is also vertically adjustable. The finger H<8> is provided with a series of threadhooks H<15> of different sizes, the one nearest the forward end being the smallest, so that the finger grasps or spears one thread only. The finger extends into a thread-guide shown in plan in Fig. 8. The guide has an obliquely-extending forward end, which acts on the thread carried by the finger H<8> and prevents the latter from moving into an undercut groove of the thread-guide. If no thread has been grasped, however, the finger moves into the groove an i operates a stop - motion, described below. The picker-up arm H is caused to execute a somewhat triangular motion. A stripper-arm H<16>, connected in a special manner with the pickerup arm and also with the supporting-framework, is given a special motion both with and also relatively to the picker-up arm, in order to strip the thread from the picker-up finger. A spring latch I<5> holds back any second warp thread which might adhere to the one carried by the picker-up finger, and a thread-guard P keeps the upper ends of the threads away from the harness. The threads are cut by a rotating disk, which is partly covered by a housing J<2> . Fig. 5, the threads being pushed against the disk by the picker-up finger. The threading-needle K<9>, which is adjustably connected to a cam-actuated arm K, engages a thread stretched between the thread-guide and stripper, and pushes a bight of it through the harness eye. The needle point enters a groove in the oscillating reed-threading hook L, provided with a sector L<8>, which has a cam-groove for actuating a stud L<13>, yoke, and spring pawl which drives a ratchet-wheel upon the thread-holding wheel L". A detent-pawl, held in engagement with the reed by a spring, is raised therefrom by the plunger M. Hand-operated throw-out mechanism is provided, two intergeared shafts being thereby rocked and two arms carrying fingers E<7> being moved outwards. The fingers E<7> engage the outer prongs of the eye-detainer forks and move them outwards. When the throw-out mechanism is operated, a tooth on a lever on one of the rock-shafts enters a notch in one of the cams which operate the eyefacer mechanism, so that the throw-out mechanism can only be operated when the whole threading- mechanism is in a certain definite phase or position. The eye-facer mechanism cams are mounted on a sleeve, which is clutched to the cam shaft of the machine by a spring - operated dog - and - notch arrangement, a crank-handle being provided to lift the dog from its notch, so that the eye-facer mechanism may be separately actuated from the rest of the machine. When the picker-up finger enters the undercut groove of the thread-guide, it operates a trigger lever N", Fig. 36, and lever N", which is thereby moved into a position where it is further actuated in the same direction by a spring- actuated lever, and, by lever mechanism N<10>, N<8>, a rod N' is removed from a notch in a sliding rod N<4>. A spring then moves the rod N<4> and a stud N<2> and hand-lever N<1> into position to stop the machine. A lever N<18>, which is provided with an oil cushioning-device having a plunger N<19>, Fig. 38, supported by a helical spring N<21> and sliding in the oil cylinder N<20>, is thereby moved and the plunger is placed in the path of a tooth on one of the operating-cams D" of the machine, a braking effect being thus obtained. A small duct N<23> connects the reservoir N<22> and the lower end of the oil cylinder. When the eye-facer mechanism fails to grasp an eye, an adjustable set-screw G<28> on the movable jaw strikes a trigger lever G<29> on the fixed jaw and allows a spring O<6> to oscillate a shaft which carries an arm O<2> pivoted to an arm O<1>. The latter is looped round and operates the lever N<11>, stopping the machine as described above. A two-part notch is used for the stud N<2> in order that the machine may be readily started or stopped by hand without interfering with the stop-motions. The machine is driven by a belt, but may be operated by a hand-crank on a shaft geared to the main shaft. Special double-throw cams D<3>, Fig. 3, are used to actuate the holding - fingers, puller arms, and picker-up mechanism &c. Roller-bearing blocks F<9>, Fig. 26<a>, engage the dovetailed peripheries of the cams, the blocks being provided with antifriction rollers b, c, d. The part carrying the roller d is adjustable to and from the body part a, and is clamped in position by a set-screw e.