Improvements in Means for Changing Shuttles in Power Looms.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1898-Accepted, 18th Feb., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Changing Shuttles in Power Looms.
I, FRANZ LOUIS WÄCHTLER, of No. 48, Süchtelnerstrasse, Dülken, Rheinland,
in the Empire of Germany, Factory Manager, 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;
-
64
The present invention relates to a device for power looms, by means whereof a
shuttle may be removed from the lay at pleasure, and a fresh shuttle substituted
therefor, as may be required, without stopping the loom. The power loom,
according to this invention, is furnished with a special form of shuttle box which
feeder,"
permits of the ejection of the empty shuttle, and is provided also with a
by means of which the fresh shuttles are inserted in the lay. Looms (in other
respects of the usual construction) being furnished with this improvement, have
the advantage, not only that more goods, and a better fabric, may be produced on
them, but they also economise power, by being less frequently thrown out of opera-
tion. Further, the various parts of the loom are not so soon worn out, and the
wear and tear of the driving belts is appreciably reduced.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 shews the loom in side elevation, with my improvements applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.
Figs. 3, 4, and 5, shew the shuttle changing device detached, and on a larger
scale, for the sake of clearness.
Figs. 6, 7, and 8, shew the shuttle box at the right hand side of the loom, in its
extreme position, in section.
Fig. 9 is a plan, and
Fig. 10 a front view, of the same.
Figs. 11 and 12 shew the shuttle box in its extreme positions at the left hand
side of the loom; and, lastly,
Figs. 13 and 14 the pin-dises of the shuttle-changing device.
1 are the carriers or swords of the lay (Figures 1 and 2), which are moved to and
fro in the well-known manner. 2 are rods surmounting the swords 1, to which are
bolted the shuttle boxes 4, provided with springs or traps 3 (Figures 6, 7, 8, 11,
and 12), for holding the shuttle against the front wall of the box. The fronts
of the shuttle boxes are rigidly connected with the lay 6, and on this moving for-
ward, that is to say, in the direction of the arrow 7 (Fig. 1), the shuttle boxes are
so lowered that they occupy the dotted position (see Fig. 1), which, on the blow of
the batten falling on the edge of the fabric, or on the reversal of the lay, permits
the shuttle, whether in the left hand box or the right, to be thrown, unhindered,
in the direction of the arrow 8, out of the box.
The shuttle, on its expulsion, comes in contact with the guard plate 9, then falls
into the shute 10, and remains there in the part marked r.
Both parts, the guard plate 9 as well as the shute 10, are, for sake of clearness,
not shewn in the front view of the loom Figure 2, as the shuttle changing device
would then have to be shewn entirely in dotted lines.

page_text: On the right-hand side of the loom, on which the fresh shuttles are always
inserted, the box carrier 1 is provided with two studs 11, upon which are mounted
the two arms 12, and these, in their turn carry the angle iron 13 having its turned-
over portion so arranged as to form an extra cover for the shuttle box.
The angle
iron 13 is oscillated constantly with the lay by means of two draw-rods 14, con-
nected at 15 to a lever 17 swinging on a pivot 16, on the frame, and carrying a
bowl 18, which engages with the cam 20, rigidly fixed to the main shaft 19. The
angle iron 13, with its box spring 3, thus operated, moves with the box carriers,
whether they be raised or lowered, but it has a slightly less travel in the direction
of the breast beam than the lay, so that when the lay is in its extreme forward
position, the angle iron 13 is always somewhat behind, and correspondingly
separated from the shuttle box 4 (see the maximum forward position of the lay,
Figures 6 and 8, and, further, the dotted position of the corresponding parts,
Figure 1). Figure shews the position just mentioned, with the shuttle box
raised, and Figure 8 the same, with the shuttle box depressed.
It is evident that the movement of the angle iron 13 may be effected by other
mechanism than that herein described.
The feeder z (Figure 1) is pivotted on a stud 21 on the framing, and consists
of arms 23 and springs 22, between which the new shuttle 24 to be inserted is
gripped. The tail 25 of the feeder is connected, by means of the rod 26, with the
three-armed lever 28, rocking on a pivot 27 in the framing, so that on the move-
ment of the three-armed lever in the direction of the arrow 29 (Figure 1), the
feeder is brought into the dotted position. The movement of the shuttle boxes
and the feeder, may be effected by any shuttle-changing mechanism. In the
present instance, the well known "Hacking" changer is used, which consists of
lifters driven constantly in one direction. In this device, so-called "card-needles"
are caused to engage in cam grooves cut in pin discs, and the pins of these discs
mesh with toothed wheels connected by rods with the shuttle boxes.
The engagement of the pin discs with the toothed wheels takes place when the
needles 30 and 31 (Figure 5) are moved in the direction of the arrow 32, and the
shaded sloping face of the pin disc has passed the needles, turning in the direction
of the arrow 33, and has been moved in the direction of its axis.
When the shifting of the pin disc has taken place, the pins of the disc 34 mesh
with the toothed wheel 35, and the pins of the disc 36 with the toothed wheel 37.
The pin disc 34 has the same number of teeth as the toothed wheel 35, so that for
one revolution of the disc, the toothed wheel will also have revolved once. The
pin disc 36 (Fig. 14), on the other hand, has only five teeth, and consequently can
only, in one revolution, turn the ten-toothed wheel 37 (mounted on the stud 38 in
the framing) through half a revolution. The right-hand shuttle box is raised
and lowered by means of the carrier 1 (Figs. 1 and 2), with its rods 2 and 39, the
three-armed lever 28 rocking on the pivot 27, & the rod 40 connected to the toothed
wheel 37 & the left-hand shuttle-box, by means of the carrier 1, with its rods 2
and 41, the lifter 43 rocking on the pivot 42 in the framing, rod 44 and disc 45,
mounted with the toothed wheel 35 upon the intermediate shaft 46, turning in
bearings in the frame of the loom.
On depressing the two-armed lever 48 rocking on the pivot 47 (Fig. 1) to the
position shewn in drawn lines, the lifting wires 49 are raised, and, simultaneously
with them, are raised the needle frames 51 and 52 (mounted on the stud 50) to the
position shewn in drawn lines (Fig. 3).
On one of the needle frames 51, there is cast a lug marked (see Fig. 4, where
this lug and the corresponding needle frame are shewn shaded). The lifting wires
catch against this lug, and on the depression of the lever 48, lift the needle frame 51,
together with the needle frame 52, as far as the stop 53 permits. When this has
taken place, the needles are pushed into the grooves of their respective pin discs by
the excentric 54 on the main shaft 19, and the rock-lever 56 on the pivot 55, to
bring about the mechanical transfer of the shuttles. The feeder z is furnished with
a shuttle. When the weaver sees that a spool is nearly empty, or, for any other

page_text: reason, wishes to remove a shuttle and replace it by another, he then depresses
the lever 48 (Fig. 1) at the point marked, and the transfer will be effected by
the setting in motion of the pin discs, to engage the toothed wheels. The result
of this is, the depression of both shuttle boxes, and the feeder z, as the lay goes
forward to such a depth that they occupy the position shewn by dotted lines, when
the lay is in its maximum forward position.
Both arms of the feeder here enter the spaces in the front of the shuttle box 5
(Figs. 2, 9, and 10) and the old shuttle, whether in the right or left-hand box, is
flung out, as above described, by the sudden stoppage of the lay in its most for-
ward position, the fresh shuttle, on the return motion of the lay, that is, in the
reverse direction of the arrow 7 (Figs. 1 and 8), is withdrawn from the feeder by
the front wall of the shuttle box.
The shuttle box 4 always undergoes the motions set forth in Figs. 6-8 as long
as new shuttles are put in. If, however, it is desired to work in the usual manner
with only one shuttle, the actuation of the shuttle box gear is omitted, and the
angle iron 13, with spring 3 only, is moved by the rod 14. The two positions
correspond to those shewn in Figs. 1 & 6.
The movement of the angle iron 13, with its spring trap 3, is caused by its being,
when the lay is in its most forward position, in front of the lowered feeder (Fig. 8).
As soon as the lay is moved back again, the angle iron 13 approaches the front wall
of the shuttle box 5, & holds the shuttle safely thereon (see Figure 7), so that this
latter may be shot across to the other side of the loom, in the customary manner
The right hand shuttle box remains, during the back movement of the lay, in
its lowest position; the left hand one, however, is raised on the return of the lay,
to catch the new shuttle.
In order that the pin disc 34, for the left hand shuttle box, may not be set in
motion again, should the weaver omit to release the lever at the proper moment,
the bell-crank lever 56 is furnished with a screw 57, which, on the motion of the
said lever in the direction of the arrow 58, strikes against the lifting wires, and
releases the latter from the lug of the needle frame 51. The rise of the lever 48
is limited by the clamp 59 affixed to the frame of the loom (see Fig. 1).
On the movement of the lever 56 in the opposite direction to the arrow 58, the
pins 30 and 31 are returned by the pressure of the springs 60 (Fig. 3), & the pin
discs by the pressure of the springs 61 and 62 (Fig. 5) to their
original positions. The needle frame 51 falls, being no longer supported, again
to the dotted position. The needle frame 52, on the other hand, is held fast in the
higher position by an arm connected to the needle frame 52, provided with the
bowle 63, bearing against the excentric 64, which is rigidly connected to the toothed
wheel 37, until it is brought into the dotted position, on a half revolution of the
toothed wheel. On the next advance of the lever 56, the needle 31 is pressed into
the cam groove of the disc 36, which disc operates again on the toothed wheel 37,
and returns the feeder z, together with the right-hand shuttle box, to their origina!
position, to receive a fresh shuttle. By the second half revolution of the toothed
wheel 37, the excentric 64 is again brought to the top, in consequence of which,
the needle frame 52, on the second movement of the lever 56 in the reverse direction
to the arrow 58, falls again to its lowest position.
It is to be remarked that the above improvements need not be always carried
out as above described; quite different manipulations may be employed, such as
replacing only one shuttle, with its empty spool, by a fresh one with full spool.
By means of the present invention, a fabric of numberless colors may be pro-
duced, by simply supplying the feeder with fresh shuttles.
Whether this latter be effected by hand or mechanically, is immaterial, the
point of the invention being in the insertion and removal, with safety, of the
shuttles while the loom is in motion.
If it be desired to operate with a comparatively large number of colors with the
mechanism herein described, the feeder being served by the weaver, there should
be provided, upon the left-hand side of the loom, an ordinary multiple divisioned

page_text: shuttle box, to contain the shuttles of the most frequently employed colors; the
chief thing, however, is, that the shuttles for the less frequently required colors
be always transferred and changed at the right-hand side of the loom.
It will be understood that a card cylinder, with cards, will be employed, to
The transfer of the shuttles
work the needles, according to the pattern decided on.
in the left-hand box, and the removal and replacing of them by the feeder, is then
entirely mechanical, the action being initiated by means of a card.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
A device for power looms for removing and replacing the shuttles while the
loom is in motion, wherein the shuttle is thrown from the shuttle box in the manner
described, when the lay advances and the batten comes into operation, and wherein
a fresh shuttle is picked up from a feeder z mounted in front of the shuttle box,
and operated substantially as explained with reference to the accompanying draw-
ings.
:
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.