Improvements in Means for Driving and Operating Looms.
Year: 1899

page_text: LA
Date of Application, 1st Nov., 1899
1
1000
And Man
4000
Date of Application, 1st Nov., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 1st Aug. 1900-Accepted,
4000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Driving and Operating Looms.
JOHN HOUSTON, Consulting Engineer, Manor House, Foyle Street, Sunderland,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the working, driving, or motoring of looms and the
motoring or giving motion of the shuttles or other parts of these machines.
1 is intended to employ compressed air for this purpose which may be
obtained by any of the known means which are applicable. It is proposed to
use motors which are driven by compressed air to transmit the power to work
these machines and their different parts direct from the motor instead of through
gearing, belts, cams, and other devices and the machines & the different parts
of same are acted upon or moved independently of each other as may be desired.
That is a motor may be used to drive the machine, and the motors may be con-
nected for driving each separate part, to which motion may be required to be
given, a motor may be coupled to one or more parts independently of the
machine drive or the machine may be driven by the compressed air & the parts
be worked or moved in the usual way.
Dated this 31st day of October 1899.
Improvements in Means for Driving and Operating Looms.
JOHN HOUSTON, Manor House, Foyle Street, Sunderland, Consulting Engineer,
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 follow-
ing statement:-
--
This invention relates to the working, driving or motoring of looms and the
motoring or giving motion of the shuttles or other parts of these machines.
It is intended to employ compressed air for this purpose which may be
obtained by any of the known means which are applicable. It is proposed to
use motors which are driven by compressed air to transmit the power to work
these machines and their different parts direct from the motor, instead of through
gearing, belts cams, and other devices, and the machines and the different parts
of same are acted upon or moved independently of each other as may be desired.
That is a motor may be used to drive the machine, and the motors may be con-
0.77

page_text: nected for driving each separate part, to which motion may be required to be
given a motor may be coupled to one or more parts independently of the
machine drive or the machine may be driven by the compressed air and the parts
be worked or moved in the usual way.
For purposes of illustration, I will now refer to the annexed drawings in
which:-
Figure 1 is a side elevation shewing my invention applied to what is known as
the shuttle throwing mechanism.
Figure 2 plan view of same.
It will be readily understood that the essential feature of my invention is the
pneumatical operation of the required parts of the machine, this being effected
through the conveyance at required intervals of compressed air to the operating
part or parts, this compressed air being supplied from a suitable source, and if
desired, the entire machine might be caused to operate in this way, as I may
supply compressed air at suitable parts thereof, this compressed air acting upon
devices for the purpose of causing them to perform their function at the required
intervals.
The
In Figure 1 and 2, I have shewn a means of throwing the shuttle. a is the
pipe which conveys the compressed air, being suitably connected to what I may
term the valve box b so as to allow for the necessary play or movement.
rod is controlled by the spring d and when moved in the direction of 'the
arrow allows the compressed air to operate upon a piston in the cylinder e and
throw the shuttle f as shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 2. g is a rod pro-
vided with a surface h adapted to engage upon the roller i carried upon the rod c
for the purpose of operating the valve contained in box 6 for controlling the
admission of the compressed air to the cylinder e, the object of the cam and
roller being the prevention of jaring or catching as their motions are in planes
at right angles. ; is the spring for controlling the movement of this rod g. The
lever is pivoted at 7 to the support m or frame of the machine, and the opera-
tion of the pin n upon the wheel o which is in gear with the wheel p upon the
driving shaft q will cause the lever to be moved into a position which will
raise the rod c and through the medium of the valve carried in the valve box b
will allow the compressed air to enter the cylinder e, and act upon the piston
rod, thus throwing the shuttle f in the direction of the arrow 2. Upon the
shuttle being thrown again from the other side of the machine a certain cushion-
ing action may be exerted or the parts may be so arranged that the parts throw-
ing the shuttle may return to their operative position through the action of the
shuttle striking them, or by pneumatically placing them in the required position.
Although I have described my invention as being carried out by the employment
of compressed air, it will be readily seen that exhaustion of air from the different
parts of the mechanism employed would attain the same result, namely the
operation of the desired parts without the use of the usual gearing belts or cams.
For instance compressed air may be employed to operate the lay t which is con-
nected by a rod-the centre lines of which is shewn Figure 1-to the crank or
wheel connected to shaft g, which may be coupled to a compressed air motor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The means for driving or operating looms and their parts, consisting of the
employment of compressed air, substantially as described and illustrated herein
and for the purpose set forth.
2. In looms, the method of pneumatically operating a machine or one or more
or its parts independently or connectedly together as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In looms, the employment of a compressed air motor or motors, for the
purpose of driving the machine and operating the various parts thereof, sub-
stantially as described and illustrated herein and for the purpose set forth.

page_text: 4. In shuttle throwing mechanism, the employment of air applied through a
suitable means for the purpose of what is known as throwing the shuttle, either
compressed or rarefied, substantially as described and illustrated herein and for
the purpose set forth.