IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTLE- BOX SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Anderson, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Manufacturer. for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTLE-
BOX SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Anderson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th September 1882.
DAVID ANDERSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Manufacturer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTLE-BOX SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR
LOOMS"
This Invention has for its object to simplify and otherwise improve the
construction and action of shuttle-box shifting mechanism of looms the improved
mechanism being such as to admit of the loom being satisfactorily driven at a
higher speed than existing looms of the same class. .
In carrying out the Invention a single cam on the low shaft of the loom is
employed for effecting all the different shifts; and this cam acts upon a lever
centered near the front of the loom and extending over the cam towards the back
of the loom. The lever acted on by the cam has jointed to it two smaller levers
or bars, one of these being jointed to the back end of the cam lever and having
its front end centered on a pin on a radius rod, whilst the other bar has its back
end centered on a pin on a radius rod at the back of the loom its front end being
jointed to the cam lever. The bars thus jointed to the cam lever assume a crossed
arrangement when the cam lever rises, and knife edges or engaging projections
formed on them in suitable positions then act on one or other of a number of
lifting hooks whenever a shift of the shuttle box is required.
The shuttle box is of the rotating kind and in one modification is made for six
or seven shuttles, the mechanism being capable of producing a shift at any one
time to the extent of one, two, or three shuttles in either direction so that any
shuttle of the six or seven can be brought into work at any shift. The time when
any shift is to take place and the extent of shift are determined by the action of
Jacquard mechanism and cards arranged to act on three levers which control the

page_text: action of the lifting hooks hereinbefore referred to. The lifting hooks are connected
to two box-shifting levers which by a well known arrangement of catch rods turn
the shuttle box in opposite directions. Each box-shifting lever has jointed to it a
pair of lifting hooks the two hooks of each pair being made in the same piece, or
being otherwise connected so as to move together. The lifting hooks are drawn
forward by light springs but the levers acted on by the Jacquard cards have stronger
springs tending to move their lower ends backwards against the lifting hooks
except when an unperforated part of a card by lifting their upper arins keeps them
from acting on the lifting hooks. One of the three Jacquard levers when allowed
to act because of a perforation in the card being under it, causes the shuttle box
to be turned in one direction, and another of the Jacquard levers when allowed to
act causes the shuttle box to be turned in the opposite direction; whilst the third
Jacquard lever determines whether the shift will be to the extent of one, two, or
three shuttles. The extent of shift depends on a small lever at the back of the
lifting hooks this lever being connected to the third lever acted on by the Jacquard
cards, this third lever having two pegs of different lengths so that it assumes three
different positions accordingly as the card acting on it has perforations for both
pegs, or a perforation for one peg, or is without perforations for either. The
small lever acts as a stop to the lifting hooks when moved backwards and thus
determines the position of the hooks at the time when the cam lever rises. In
one position the forward hook engages with the most forward knife edge of the
cam-lever bars; in the middle position the forward hook engages with the middle
knife edge; and in the most backward position the back hook engages with the
most backward knife edge. In the working of the loom a certain portion of the
time occupied by a cycle of the loom's movements is available for shifting the
shuttle box; and it is an important and advantageous feature of the improved
mechanism that this portion of time is in every case utilised in the best way
whether the shift be to the extent of one, or of two, or of three shuttles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said David Anderson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd March
1883.
DAVID ANDERSON, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain,
Manufacturer ' IMPROVEMENTS IN SHUTTLE-BOX
LOOMS
"
SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR
My said Invention has for its object to simplify and otherwise improve the
construction and action of shuttle-box shifting mechanism of looms, my improved
mechanism being such as to admit of the loom being satisfactorily driven at a
higher speed than existing looms of the same class.
In carrying out my Invention a single cam on the low shaft of the loom is
employed for effecting all the different shifts; and this cam acts on a lever centered
near the front of the loom and extending over the cam towards the back of the
loom. This lever by means of knife edges or engaging projections on it and on
bars or small levers jointed to it and arranged in a peculiar manner, acts in
accordance with the pattern on one or other of a number of lifting hooks jointed to
levers which act directly on the shuttle box. The shuttle box is of the rotating.
kind and is made for six or seven shuttles, the mechanism being capable of
producing a shift at any one time to the extent of one, two, or three shuttles in
either direction so that any shuttle of the six or seven can be brought into work
at any shift. The time when any shift is to take place and the extent of shift are.
determined by the action of Jacquard mechanism and cards arranged to act on
levers which control the action of the lifting hooks herein before referred to.
In the working of a loom having a shifting shuttle box, a certain portion of the
time occupied by a cycle of the loom's movements is available for shifting the
shuttle box, and it is an important and advantageous feature of my improved
mechanism that this portion of time is in every case utilised in the best way
whether the shift be to the extent of one, or of two or of three shuttles. Thus
instead of the shifting movements to the extent of one or two shuttles being as
quick as that for three shuttles and occupying only part of the available time, they
are made as slow as the whole of the available time will allow.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to and representing two modifications of my improved
mechanism, the said drawings comprising two figures which are sectional side
elevations showing such parts of a loom as are considered necessary for explaining
my improvements. In these drawings the same reference numerals are used to
mark the same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
In the modification represented in figure 1, of the accompanying drawings the
end, 3, is shown, of a rotatory shuttle box for six shuttles, and fitted with pro
jecting pins to be acted on by toothed or hooked rods, 4, shaped, arranged, and
worked in such a manner that when one is drawn down it turns the shuttle box, 3,
in one direction and when the other is drawn down it turns the shuttle box,
in the opposite direction. The hooked rods, 4, which are guided by passing
through holes in a plate, 5, are at their lower ends jointed to two levers, 6, which
being one directly behind the other appear as one lever in the drawing. These,
levers, 6, have springs 7, connected to them in a manner to cause the hooked
rods, 4, to be raised after each descent but in rising they do not turn the shuttle
box, 3, back again owing to the ratchet-like shape of their hooks or teeth. Each
of the levers, 6, has jointed to its back end a pair of lifting hooks, 8, 9, made in

page_text: one piece and it is by these lifting hooks that the levers, 6, are acted on as
required so as to cause the hooked rods, 4, to shift the shuttle box, 3.
On the low shaft, 10, of the loom there is a cam, 11, which acts (through an
antifriction roller) on a lever, 12, having its centre or fulcrum, 13, at the front of
the loom, and made with a joint, 15, and spring, 16, so as to yield and avoid
breakage in the event of any obstruction or undue strain occurring in working.
This main cam lever, 12, has jointed to it two smaller levers or bars, 17, 18, one 17,
having its back end jointed at or near the back end of the main lever, 12, and its
front end jointed to a radius rod, 19, whilst the other, 18, has its front end jointed
to the main lever, 12, at a point some distance from the back end of that lever, the
back end of this small lever, 18, being jointed to an adjustable radius rod, 20. The
main lever, 12, has formed or fixed on it near its back end a knife edge, 21, and
knife edges, 22, 23, are formed in suitable positions on the smaller levers, 17, 18,
and these several knife edges whilst all moving with the main lever attain to
different heights during the time that the main lever, 12, is being raised by the
cam, 11, the various parts being proportioned so that these different heights
correspond to the shifting of the shuttle box to the extents of three, two or one
shuttle respectively. In order to obtain a shift of the shuttle box at any time one
or other of the lifting hooks, 8, 9, has to be moved into a position to be acted on
by the proper knife edge, 21, 22, or 23. A spring, 24, is applied to each pair of
lifting hooks, 8, 9, to give them a tendensy to keep in their most forward position
in which they are represented and in which they are not acted on by the knife
edges 21, 22, 23; and when required one or other pair is moved backwards by the
pendent arm, 25, of a bellcrank lever, the horizontal arm, 26, of which is acted on
by Jacquard pattern cards. The arrangement of the Jacquard or other pattern
mechanism for acting on the levers, 26, may be varied, but in that shown in
figure, 1, the card barrel, 27, is able to turn but does not move up and down; and
at the intervals when the barrel has to be turned to bring a fresh card into action,
the levers, 26, are raised by a bar, 28, which is fitted to slide vertically in guides
fixed to the loom frame and is acted on by a cam, 29, on the low shaft, 10.
Springs, 31, are applied to the levers, 26, to draw them down after being raised,
these springs, being strong enough to overcome the springs, 24, which draw the
lifting hooks, 8, 9, forwards. The distance which each lever, 26, is drawn down by
its spring, 31, depends on the card which is at the time at the top of the barrel, 27;
each lever having fixed to it a pin, 32, which will enter a perforation when there
is one under it in the card and allow the lever, 26, to be drawn sufficiently down
to make its pendent arm, 25, act on the lifting hooks, 8, 9; but when an
unperforated part of the card is under the pin, 32, of either lever, 26, that lever
will be held up and it will not cause a shifting action to take place. When a
shift is to take place there is a perforation in the card under one or other of the
two levers, 26; and the shuttle box will be turned in one direction or the other
accordingly as the perforation is under one or the other of the levers, 26. The
extent of shift is determined by a third bellcrank lever having a horizontal
arm to be acted on by another part of the Jacquard card; and this third
lever has a pendent arm, 33, which acts on a small bellcrank, 34, formed with two
horizontally projecting pins one or other of which acts as a stop to determine the
extent to which the pair of hooks, 8, 9, brought into action are moved towards the
back of the loom. The small bellerank, 34, has its normal position determined by
a spring, 35, and when not acted upon at all by the pendent lever, 33, it will
prevent the lifting hooks, 8, 9, from moving further back than is required for a
shift to the extent of one shuttle; but if acted on by the pendent lever, 33, it will
allow the lifting hooks, 8, 9, to move back suitably for shifts to the extent of two
or of three shuttles. Thus when acting at all the pendent lever, 33, has to assume
one or other of two positions and for this purpose its horizontal arm or lever (26)
has fixed to it two pins (32) of different lengths and when the Jacquard card
has a perforation under the longer pin only the shorter pin prevents the lever (26)
from descending further than is required for a shift of two shuttles, whilst a shift

page_text: of three shuttles will take place if the card has perforations under both pins.
Having thus described the mechanism for moving the lifting hooks, 8, 9, backwards
when required and for determining the extent of their movement, it remains to be
pointed out that when the hooks, 8, 9, move back one stage the front hook, 9,
engages with the most forward knife edge, 23, and when the hooks move back two
stages the front hook 9, engages with the middle knife edge, 22, whilst if the
hooks move back three stages the back hook, 8, engages with the back knife
edge, 21, and the shuttle box gets shifted to a corresponding extent accordingly.
On the main lever, 12, there is a pin which projects through the upper slotted
end of a link, 36, the lower end of which is jointed to a lever, 37; and to the
front end of this lever, 37, there is jointed a vertical rod, 38, having at its upper
end a plate 39, which bearing on bellcrank catches, 40, makes these catches turn
in and lock the shuttle box at the moment when any shift of it is completed.
Springs make the catches, 40, turn out of the way when the rod, 38, rises again.
In the modification shown in figure, 2, the Jacquard barrel, 27, is arranged to be
moved up and down by the bar, 28, and when there is an unperforated part of the
card under either lever, 26, the corresponding pendent arm, 25, moves or keeps the
lifting hooks forward out of action, but when there is a perforation the corre-
sponding lever, 26, is drawn down by its spring, 31, and its pendent arm, 25,
then moves the lifting hooks, 8, 9, back wards the pendent arm, 25, being made
with horizontally projecting pins to act forwards or backwards on the lifting hooks
as required. The bellcrank, 34, and pendent arm 33, are arranged so as to operate
with a forward instead of a backward movement of the latter to suit the modified
arrangement of the Jacquard barrel, 27, A spring, 30, is applied to the lifting
bar, 28, to insure its descent after being raised.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise
details herein described or delineated but that what I believe to be novel and
original and claim as the Invention secured to me by and in terms of the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is :-
1. The arranging or combining together of the parts of mechanism for shifting
the shuttle boxes of looms substantially in the improved manner hereinbefore
described.
2. The cam lever (12) with its knife edge (21) for the greatest shift, and with
the smaller levers or bars (17, 18) jointed to it and to radius rods, and having
knife edges (22, 23) for the smaller shifts, the parts being arranged and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described.
In Witness whereof, I, the said David Anderson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal this second day of March in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.
Witness
EDMUND HUNT
Patent Agent
Glasgow
DAVID ANDERSON (L.S.)