IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING STOP GEAR. FOR TEXTILE MACHINERY
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Paget, of Loughborough, in the County of
Leicester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SELF-ACTING STOP GEAR.
FOR TEXTILE MACHINERY."
Sealed the 25th May 1880, and dated the 3rd December 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Paget at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd December 1879.
ARTHUR PAGET, of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester.
IN SELF-ACTING STOP GEAR FOR TEXTILE MACHINERY.'
17
"IMPROVEMENTS
My Invention relates to apparatus applicable to knitting and other textile
machines for the purpose of automatically stopping the machine when the yarn or
one of the yarns used breaks or comes to an end. As an example of the application
of my Invention I will describe it with reference to one of the knitting machines,
such as that well known in the trade as Paget's Patent knitting machine. In such
machines there is usually provided between the bobbin and the point where the
yarn is worked into the fabric a length of yarn with means of taking up slack, so
as to allow for variations in the demand or supply of the yarn. For this purpose
the yarn on its way from the bobbin to the fabric is passed through a ring or a
loop pressed on by weight or a spring so as to put a gentle tension on the yarn and
to take up its slack. The range of action of this ring or its equivalent is usually
limited by providing a friction arrangement in such a position and of such a nature
that the yarn when it is in contact with it is subjected to a drag which impedes its
supply from the bobbin. Now according to my Invention I provide beyond the
ordinary or normal range of the ring or its equivalent a stopping finger or slightly
overbalanced lever, one arm of which lies ready to enter a notch in a bar or circular
segment which is usually stationary. At the side of this bar another notched bar is
caused to reciprocate, or at the side of this notched segment another notched segment
or ring is caused to reciprocate, or a notched disc or ring is caused to revolve by a
movement imparted to it from the machine. As long as the stopping finger remains
in its normal position there is no connection between the moving bar segment or
disc and the one which is usually stationary, but when by the fracture or ending of
the yarn the ring or its equivalent is permitted to pass the extreme of its usual
range it moves the stopping finger so that its arm enters the notch of the usually

page_text: stationary bar or segment and also enters the notch of the moving bar segment
or disc, or one of the notches thereof; it then forms a connection or coupling of
those moving and usually-stationary parts. The usually-stationary bar or segment
is arranged to actuate a catch or detent apparatus which holds in opposition to a
weight or spring either the striking lever or slide, or the lever or slide which
tightens the driving band of the machine in position for keeping the machine in
motion; but when by the action of the stopping finger, as above described, this bar
or segment becomes coupled with the moving bar segment or disc, it receives there-
from a movement which causes the release of the catch or detent, and thereupon
the weight or spring acting on the striking or tightening gear of the driving band
causes such a movement thereof as to stop the machine. In some cases it is of
advantage to arrange a stop or friction break to be brought into action by the
above described movement of the bar or segment so as to effect the more complete
and rapid stoppage.
In cases where there is no ring or its equivalent, such as is above referred to, for
taking up slack, or in addition to such apparatus, the yarn may be made to act
directly on the stopping finger so that when it breaks or ends the finger is
permitted to take such a position as to effect the coupling of the parts above
described, and so bring the stopping gear into action.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Arthur Paget in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st June
1880.
ARTHUR PAGET, of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SELF-ACTING STOP GEAR FOR TEXTILE MACHINERY."
My Invention relates to apparatus applicable to knitting and other textile
machines for the purpose of automatically stopping the machine when the yarn or
one of the yarns used breaks or comes to an end. As an example of the application
of my Invention I will describe it with reference to one of the knitting machines,
such as that well known in the trade as Paget's Patent knitting machine. In such
machines there is usually provided between the bobbin and the point where the
yarn is worked into the fabric a length of yarn, with means of taking up slack so
as to allow for variations in the demand or supply of the yarn. For this purpose
the yarn on its way from the bobbin to the fabric is passed through a ring or a
loop pressed on by weight or a spring so as to put a gentle tension on the yarn and
to take up its slack. The range of action of this ring or its equivalent is usually
limited by providing a friction arrangement in such a position and of such a nature
that the yarn when it is in contact with it is subjected to a drag, which impedes
its supply from the bobbin. Now according to my Invention I provide beyond the
ordinary or normal range of the ring or its equivalent a stopping finger or slightly
"overbalanced lever, one arm of which lies ready to enter a notch in a bar which is

page_text: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of part of a knitting machine shewing apparatus
according to my Invention applied thereto for the purpose of stopping the machine
when the thread or yarn breaks or ends. The thread or yarn A, A, is led from the
bobbin at A through a guide eye A¹ over a friction bar A², through a ring A³, through
guide eye A to the thread layer at or beyond A5. The ring A³ is free to slide up
or down along a pair of wires called "fiddle wires," the weight of the ring taking
up the slack of the yarn. When the ring is above the friction bar A², the yarn
freely delivered to the ring and to the thread layer, but when the ring descends
below the bar, as shown, the friction of the yarn on the bar impedes the delivery;
B is an axis for the stopping fingers of which one is shewn at C. It is a light
lever having one arm C' extending through the space between the fiddle wires, and
another arm C extending backwards behind the axis B, and made somewhat
heavier than the front arm C', so that in its normal or ordinary position the finger
remains with its front arm C' elevated and its back arm C depressed; but should
the yarn break or end, the ring A³ being no longer supported by the yarn descends
on to the arm C', and overbalancing the hinder arm C* causes it to rise. Imme-
diately over the arm C there are three notched bars; the two outer ones D, D¹, are
connected rigidly together and are usually stationary, the middle bar D is free to
reciprocate longitudinally between the other bars D and D'. In order to cause its
reciprocation it may be connected as shewn to one arm of a lever E, the other arın
of which is acted on in opposition to a spring by one or more projections F¹ on the
face of the driving wheel F, or it might be worked by a crank, can, or eccentric.
from any rotating part of the machine. If the yarn breaks or ends the ring A³
falls on the arm C₁ of the stopping finger, so that the arm C is borne upwards and
enters the notches of the bars D, D¹, and D, and thus for the time connects or
couples the outer bars D and D' to the moving bar D, so that the two bars D and
D' that are usually stationary are made to move along with D². By this move-
ment the end of the bar D' is made to push a detent rod G off a catch G', which
usually holds it up in the position shewn. When the deteut rod G is thus pushed
off the catch it descends, being urged by its weight and a spring Gʻ, and a slope G²

page_text: on the face of the rod acting on a hook H' on a slide bar H pushes that bar aside,
so as to release a latch H on its opposite side from a stop. The bar H being acted
on by a spring H³ or other convenient equivalent is immediately drawn forwards,
and by this movement it withdraws a tightening pulley E* which is mounted on
it, so as to slacken the driving band of the machine, and when such an addition is
required it brings a break block H³ to bear against the periphery of a wheel on the
driving shaft, thus the machine is stopped. At the same time an incline He on the
upper edge of the slide bar H acting on a stud G3 on the back of the detent rod G
raises that rod to its previous position, where it is held by the catch at Gª: When
the broken yarn has been mended or a new yarn has been connected, the slide bar H
is pushed back by hand, so as to take off the break and to tighten the driving cord
or strap, and it is held by its latch H2 becoming engaged behind its stop. Thus the
machine is again put in motion. Although only one stopping finger is shewn in
the figure, it is to be understood that when the machine is worked with several
yarns there may be a number of stopping fingers pivotted along the axis B, one
finger for each yarn, so that if any one of the yarns should break or end, the auto-
matic stopping action takes place as described above. The stopping finger may
also be arranged to take up slack as shewn in elevation at Fig. 2 and in plan at
Fig. 3. The yarn or thread a, a, passes through guide eye a², and through a hook
or loop c¹ at the end of one arm of the stopping finger c, to which the other arm c²
is inclined nearly at right angles. The finger may descend to a position such as is
indicated by the dotted lines taking up slack, but without bringing the stopping
gear into action, and in thus descending it may bring the yarn over a friction bar a²
so as to impede its supply. If the yarn should break or end, the arm c¹ being no
longer supported will drop, so that the other arın c will enter the notches of the
bars d, d², d², effecting their coupling, and so bringing the stopping gear into action
as already described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim in respect of apparatus for automatically stopping a
knitting or other textile machine when a thread or yarn breaks or ends,—
First. The combination of a moveable ring, loop, or eye, acted on by weight or
a spring, so as to take up slack of a thread passed through it, and a friction bar or
drag which impedes the supply of thread when there is so much slack that the ring
or its equivalent passes a certain point with a stopping finger, which being acted
on by the ring or its equivalent when it is permitted by fracture or termination of
the thread to pass the aforesaid point, is caused to enter notches of stationary and
inoving bars coupling them, and thereby bringing into action stopping gear to
which the stationary bars are connected, substantially as herein described.
Second. The construction of selfacting stop gear for knitting machines, herein
described with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The modified construction of stopping finger herein described with refer-
ence to Figs. 2 and 3 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Paget, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.