IMPROVEMENTS IN WEFT STOP MECHANISM FOR LOOMS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, DAVID MORRISON, of Langlands Bank, Hawick, in the county of Roxburgh,
Designer, and Mill Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WEFT STOP MECHANISM FOR LOOMS," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to provide simple and effective devices to operate
in connection with the weft forks of looms, and stop the loom when a weft thread
fails or breaks.
The weft fork employed may be of the kind commonly employed in tweed looms,
which consists of a needle or needles fitted to oscillate on a pin or stud froin the
horizontal position, in which it rests in a groove cut transversely in the race of the
lathe, to a vertical or nearly vertical position to which it rises while the shuttle is
thrown. The weft fork or needle is usually connected directly to a strap or cord
attached to the breast beam of the loom, and is raised by the pull on the strap or
cord when the lathe moves back. According to my Invention the weft fork is
fitted with a weighted cam lever near the oscillating centre, which is acted on, to
raise the fork, by n beveled or inclined edge formed on a vertically sliding bar or
bolt fitted in a guide groove or bracket on the lathe of the loom. The sliding bar
or bolt is connected by a strap or cord to the breast rail, and is raised to act on the
weft fork each time the lathe recedes from the breast beam. The upper end of the
sliding bar is formed with a hook or catch, which engages with a corresponding
notch or catch on the cam lever, when the fork is in the horizontal position, and
which then prevents the sliding bar falling to the full extent of its traverse. When
the shuttle is thrown and the thread is intact, the fork rests on tho weft thread and
is prevented from falling into its groove in the shuttle race, and the catch or notch
in the cam lever is kept out of the path of the hook or catch on the sliding bar or
bolt, and the bolt then descends to its full extent. Near the lower end of the
sliding bar a horizontal arm is formed and projects outwards towards the breast
beam, through a slot in the guide bracket. This projecting arm is so fitted that
when the sliding bar or bolt is prevented from falling, by engaging with the catchi
or notch on the cain lever of the weft fork, as before described, it strikes against or
acts on the usual "knock-off" lever at the breast rail, when the lathe comes

page_text: forward, and stops the loom; and when the bar or bolt is allowed to fall to its full
extent, that is when the weft fork is kept up by resting on the weft thread, the
projecting arin is out of the line of the "knock-off" lever, and does not act on it.
Instead of employing the strap to raise the sliding bolt, and act on the weft fork,
the bolt may be raised as the lathe moves back, by means of an inclined cam surface
or wedge formed on a bracket or link which may be fixed or jointed to the front
of the loom. The wedge link is passed through the groove in the bracket of the
Bliding bolt and its upper edge bears on a shoulder on the bolt, while the lower
edge, which may also be inclined, bears on the bottom of the groove or on an
antifriction roller.
Dallin Ciouth love of Tonu 1981

page_text: for
"
I, DAVID MORRISON, of Langlands Bank, Hawick, in the county of Roxburgh,
Designer and Mill Manager do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
IMPROVEMENTS IN WEFT STOP MECHANISM FOR LOOMS," and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
The object of my Invention is to provide simple and effective devices to operate
in connection with the weft forks of looms, and stop the loom when a weft thread
fails or breaks.
The weft fork employed may be of the kind commonly employed in tweed looms,
which consists of a needle or needles fitted to oscillate on a pin or stud from the
horizontal position, in which it rests in a groove cut transversely in the race of the
lathe, to a vertical or nearly vertical position to which it rises while the shuttle is
thrown. The weft fork or needle is usually connected directly to a strap or cord
altached to the breast beam of the loom, and is raised by the pull on the strap or
cord when the lathe moves back. According to my Invention, of which two
modifications are illustrated in sectional elevation and plan in figures 1, 2 and 3, 4,
the weft fork or needle A is fitted with a weighted cam lever or projection B near
the oscillating centre a which is neted on to raise the fork by a beveled or inclined
edge c formed on a vertically sliding bar or bolt C fitted in a guide groove or
bracket D on the lathe E of the loom. In the example shown in figures 1 and 2,
the sliding bar or bolt C is connected by a strap or cord F to the breast rail G,
and is raised to act on the lever B of the weft fork A each time the lathe recedes
from the breast beam G. The upper end of the sliding bar C is formed with a
hook or catch e' which engages with a corresponding notch or catch bon the cri
lever B when the fork is in the horizontal position, as in the full lines in figure 1,
and which then prevents the sliding bar C falling to the full extent of its
When the shuttle is thrown and the thread is intact the fork A rests
on the weft thread and is prevented from falling into its groove e in the shuttle
race of the lathe E and the catch or notch b in the cam lever is kept out of the
path of the hook or catch c¹ on the sliding bar or bolt C, and the bolt then descends
to its full extent. Near the lower end of the sliding bar a horizontal arm C¹ is
formed and projects outwards towards the breast beam, through a slot in the guide
bracket D. This projecting arm C₁ is so fitted that when the sliding bar or bolt C
is prevented from falling by engaging with the catch or notch bon the cam lever B
of the weft fork A as before described, it strikes against or acts on the usual
"knock-off" lever I at the breast rail G when the lathe E comes forward, and
thus stops the loom; and when the bar or bolt C is allowed to fall to its full
extent, that is when the weft fork A is kept up, as in the position shown in dotted
lines, by resting on the weft thread, the projecting arm C is out of the line of the
"knock-off" lever H and does not act on it.
traverse.
Instead of employing the strap F to raise the sliding bolt C and act on the weft
fork A the bolt may be raised as the lathe moves back as shown in figures 3 and 4
by means of an inclined cam surface or wedge F formed on a or link F'
which may be fixed or jointed a bracket F³ to the front of the loom.
The wedge link F, F2 is passed through a groove d in the bracket D of the
sliding bolt C, and its upper edge bears on a shoulder on the lower part of the
bolt C, while the lower edge which may also be inclined bears on the bottom of
the groove d, or on an antifriction roller fitted on the bracket D. On the cam
lever B is formed a heel piece B' which, when the lever is tilted to raise the weft

page_text: fork, falls below a projection cl on the bolt C; and when the bolt falls, the
projection c¹ by knocking aside the heel piece B' out of its path serves to start the
lever B in bringing down the weft fork.
In each case the tilting lever B is constructed to serve the double purpose of
raising the weft fork when acted on by the rising bar C, and of retaining such
bar C in a position to "knock off" or stop the loom, when the weft fails and
allows the weft fork to drop.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what mauner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is,―
First The combination of parts forming the improved weft stop mechanism for
looms, substantially as herein described and illustrated.
Second. The combination in a weft stop mechanism of the tilting weft fork
lever B and actuating bar or bolt C substantially as herein described and
illustrated and for the purpose set forth.
Third. Arranging and forming the tilting weft fork lover B to serve the two-
fold purpose of raising the weft fork, and engaging a device which acts on the
"knock off" lever of the loon, substantially as herein described.
Dated this Fourteenth day of October 1884.