An Improved Drag for Loom Warp Beams.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Sept., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 22nd June, 1889-Accepted, 27th July, 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Drag for Loom Warp Beams.
We, JAMES KEY CAIRD of Ashton Works, Hawkhill, Dundee, in the County of
Forfar, North Britain, Jute Manufacturer, and JOHN STEWART of the same placo,
Factory Overseer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention, which relates to an improved drag for the warpbeam of power
looms, has for its object to dispense with the necessity for adjusting the drag by
hand as is at present done by the loom tenter, from time to time, during the weaving
of a web, and instead thereof to render the drag continually self-adjusting.
The improved drag consists of a lever carried upon a fulcrum. The long end of
this lever carries an antifriction roller or other smooth surface which bears upon the
yarn on the yarn beam, and the short end of which is connected by means of chains
and an adjustment to the long end of a drag lever. The short end of the drag lever
is connected to the rope, leather or other flexible body constituting the drag surface
acting upon the beam.
By means of this arrangement it follows that as the yarn is taken off the yarn
bean, so the diameter of the body of the yarn upon which the long arm of the first
mentioned lever bears, continuously decreases, and therefore the long end of the
lever constantly approaches nearer to the beam, until the beam becomes empty.
With this movement of the long end of this lever, the short end of it also moves,
and in doing so, diminishes the tension on the chains, and therefore the pull on the
long end of the drag lever, by which in turn the drag on the yarn beam is
continuously diminished as the diameter of the body of yarn thereon decreases.
In starting to work a loom to which the aforesaid drag mechanism is applied,
the amount of drag is at first adjusted to the necessary degree, and the cams or their
equivalent to which the chains coupling the levers are connected, are provided with
engaging and disengaging gear, by which the weaver may at once uncouple the cams,
and recouple them with the result of at once putting on the drag again at its
normal amount.
promo
ST. JOHN V. DAY,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Petitioners' Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Drag for Loom Warp Beams.
We, JAMES KEY CAIRD of Ashton Works, Hawkhill, Dundee, in the County of
Forfar, North Britain, Jute Manufacturer, and JOHN STEWART, of the same place,
Factory overseer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This Invention which relates to an improved drag for the warp-beam of power
looms, has for its object to dispense with the necessity for adjusting the drag by hand,
as is at present done by the loom tenter, from time to time during the weaving of a
web, and instead thereof to render the drag continually self-adjusting.
The improved drag consists of a lever carried upon a fulcrum. The long end of
this lever carries an antifriction roller or other smooth surface, which bears upon the
yarn on the yarn beam, and the short end of which is connected by means of chains
and an adjustment to the long end of a drag lever. The short end of the drag lever
is connected to the rope, leather, or other flexible body constituting the drag surface
acting upon the beam.

page_text: By means of this arrangement, it follows that as the yarn is taken off the yarn
beam, so the diameter of the body of the yarn upon which the long arm of the first
mentioned lever bears, continuously decreases, and therefore the long end of the lever
constantly approaches nearer to the beam until the beam becomes empty. With this
movement of the long end of this lever the short end of it also moves, and in doing
so diminishes the tension on the chains, and therefore the pull on the long end of
the drag lever, by which in turn the drag on the yarn beam is continuously
diminished as the diameter of the body of yarn thereon decreases.
In starting to work a loom to which the aforesaid drag mechanism is applied, the
amount of drag is at first adjusted to the necessary degree, and the cams, or their
equivalent, to which the chains coupling the lovers are connected, are provided with
engaging and disengaging gear, by which the weaver may at once uncouple the cams
and recouple them, with the result of at once putting on the drag again at its
normal amount.
In order that our Invention may be properly understood, and readily carried into
effect, we have hereunto appended 6 sheets of drawings, in the several Figures of
which, similar parts are marked with the same letters of reference; that is to say,
Figure 1, is an elevation of some of the inside portions of a power loom looking
towards the apparatus constituting our said Invention.
Figure 2, is a part front view of a loom shewing a front view of our Invention
applied thereto.
Figure 3, is a part plan of the end of a loom, corresponding to Figures 1, and 2,
also shewing our said Invention as applied thereto, whilst Figures 4, 5, and 6, are
details of certain parts of our Invention drawn to a larger scale, and hereinafter
more particularly referred to.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3, the yarn-beam,-sometimes also called the pace beam,-
is marked A, and it is carried in the usual manner in brackets B, forming part of,
or attached to the gables of the loom marked C. The yarn-beam A, is shewn partly
filled with yarn, indicated in Figure 1, by the circle D, the yarn being also marked D,
in Figures 2, and 3. The yarn is drawn off the yarn-beam in the ordinary manner,
and therefore need not be particularly described. The yarn-beam has, on one, or both
ends, as the case may be, the drag or pace pulley E, over which the strap F, is
pulled, to cause the necessary drag by being coupled by means of the adjustable
coupling G, to the drag lever H, the inner end of the strap F, being permanently
attached to the framing or gable of the loom by the hook I. These parts herein-
before particularly described with reference to the drawings, being already in
existence, do not constitute any part of our present Invention, otherwise than as
parts of a combination when used in connection with the parts hereinafter described.
In the gable of the loom there is fixed a stud J. This stud J, constitutes a
fulcrum for the lever K. The position of the lever K, is at all times determined by
the quantity of yarn upon the yarn, or pace beam A. The lever K, carries at its
outer end the anti-friction roller L, which always bears or rests upon the circular
body of yarn on the heam A, so that when the yarn or pace beam A, is completely
filled with yarn so that its outer diameter is equal to the diameter of the end flanges M,
then the lever K, is in the position represented by the dotted lines K₁, and when
the beam is empty, the lever K, still resting on the yarn beam, is in the position
marked K³, and the short end of the lever K, moves through a corresponding
motion in an opposite direction through being on the opposite side of the fulcrum J,
and the extent of which is proportionately less as the length of the short arm of the
lever K, is less than the length of its longer arm.
In the front of the loom there is fixed a stud N, more particularly seen in the
enlarged views, Figures 4, 5, and 6, upon which the engaging and disengaging gear
is carried. On this stud there are carried two cams O, and P, respectively; the
cam O, being of larger diametor than the cam P. To each of these cams there are
attached by bolts Q, chains R, and S, the chain R, being coupled at its lower end by
a shackle T, to the long end of the drag lever H,,whilst the chain S, is coupled
to the short end of the lever K, by a screw rod U, provided at the underside with a

page_text: winged nut V. It will thus be seen that by means of the winged nut V, the longer
end of the lever H, and the shorter end of the lever K, are, or can be drawn together
with any desired degree of force or tension by simply screwing or unscrewing the-
winged nut V. On starting to weave, the lever K, being in the outer position
marked K, and therefore in the position corresponding to the largest diameter of
warp on the warp beam, the winged-nut V, is adjusted so as to cause the shorter end
of the drag lever H, to put the necessary strain upon the drag strap F, corresponding
with the largest diameter of yarn on the yarn beam, and which also corresponds
with the maximum radius of lever by which the yarn is drawn off the yarn-beam.
As the yarn becomes drawn off the yarn-beam, the radius or leverage acting upon
for drawing off the yarn, is constantly growing less, and therefore if the drag or
resistance to rotation of the yarn-beam, were to remain constant, or of the amount at
which it was set by the winged nut V, when starting to weave, a constantly, and
inversely proportional increasing pull on the yarn beam, and therefore a constantly
increasing straining effect upon the yarn itself would be necessary. To prevent such
constantly increasing straining, and to cause the drag or resistance to circular motion
of the yarn-beam to diminish constantly and proportionately to the decreasing
diameter of the yarn on the beam is the result of the drag mechanism constituting
this Invention, for it will be obvious on inspecting the drawings, Figures 1, 2, and 3,
that as the long end of the lever K, gradually approaches nearer to the beam A, as
the warp becomes unwound and woven into cloth, so the shorter end of the lever K,
as gradually rises; therefore allowing, by means of the chain and cam connec
tion O, P, R, S, the long end of the drag lever H, to become lowered at its short end
to become lifted therefore diminishing the drag upon the drag strap F. and therefore
upon the drag or pace pulley E, to grow gradually diminished as the diameter of
the yarn on the beam diminishes. When the loom is started to weave from a füll
yarn beam, the handle W, of the engaging and disengaging gear of the cams O,
and P, is in the upright position shewn in the drawings, and as the weaving proceeds,
it and the connected cams move round slowly upon the stud N, by virtue of the
raising of the short end of the lever K, and the lowering of the long end of the
lever H, until when the entire weft on the yarn beam is woven into cloth,
the lever W, has passed into a more or less horizontal position.
In Figure 2, two positions of the lever W, are shewn in dotted lines, the one
marked W, illustrating the position the lever W, would assume when the pace
beam A, is piled with yarn, and the other, marked W³, the position of the lever W,
when the pace beam empty.
In order to disengage the cams O, and P, for any of the purposes for which the
weaver or tenter may require, the lower part of the handle W, is formed into a
spring X, which is attached to the front part of the cam O, by' bolts and nuts, so
that by pulling the handle W, outwards from the cams, as shewn more particularly
in dotted lines at Figure 5, its part. Y, becomes disengaged from the stop or catch Z,
formed on the inner cam. P, thereby enabling the handle W, and the cam O, to be
turned round upon their axis or stud N, thereby simultaneously lowering the long end
and raising the short end of the drag lever H, and when it is required to engage the
parts again, the handle W, is pulled back into its normal position, when its part Y,
by the action of the spring X, reengages with the catch Z, bringing all the parts
into the same condition of strain that they were in before being disengaged.
By placing check nuts on the screw passing into the adjustable drag coupling G,
and by placing a check nut to act upon the winged nut V, it becomes impossible
for the weaver to interfere with, or vary the degree or action of the drag, which
hitherto has been a common practice, causing additional labour to the tenter, and
producing inequality in the cloth.
In place of connecting the chains R, S, to the levers H, and K, as hereinbefore
described, and shewn in the drawings at Figures 1, to 6, they may be coupled in
the manner shewn at Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10, which represent respectively side and
front elevations of the short ends of the lever K, and the longer ends of the drag
lever H.

page_text: As by means of this Invention a constant, or unvarying strain upon the yarn is
the result, it follows that an even texture is maintained at all parts of the webs
produced in looms to which the said Invention is applied.
.
It is to be understood that in place of applying the lever K, to press upon the
upper side of the warp beam and to decend with the decreasing diameter of the warp
thereon, it may be placed so as to bear upon the warp at the underside of the warp
beam, and to ascend as the warp on the beam decreases in diameter, or it may be so
arranged as to bear upon the front or back of the warp beam, on either of these last
mentioned cases the position of the cams O, and P, with their disengaging gear and
the connection thereof with the levers K, and H, would have to be varied accordingly,
and we have not shewn in the drawings how to carry out these variations of our
Invention, as such are obvious to any person acquainted with the practical
construction and working of power looms, whilst another reason for not illustrating
these variations is that the arrangement we have shewn in the annexed drawings, and
illustrated in the specification is that which we believe to be the best for carrying
our Invention into practical effect.
It is to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the particular form of
cam, shewn at Figure 4, sheet 4, of the drawings hereunto annexed, as the cam may
be made circular or more exentric as may be required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The improved drag for loom warp beams, whereby a continuous decrease of the
drag upon the warp or pace beam takes place correspondingly with the decrease of
the diameter of the warp on the beam, substantially as hereinbefore described, and
shewn upon the annexed sheets of drawings.
2. The production of the gradual decrease of drag upon the warp beam by means
of the lever K, or its mechanical equivalent, mounted upon a fulcrum J, bearing at
its outer end by means of the roller L, or its equivalent, upon the warp, and having
its inner end connected to the longer end of the drag lever H, by means of the
chains R, S, or their equivalent, connected to the cams O, P, or their equivalent,
carried upon a stud N, and provided with a spring lever W, for engaging, or
disengaging these said cams, substantially as herein before described and shewn upon
the annexed sheets of drawings.
Dated this 21st day of June 1889.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicants' Agents.