Improvements in Electrical stop-mo
Year: 1898

page_text: “Improvements in Electrical stop-mo
(A communication by FREDERIC ELLSWORTH KIP of Montclair, in the County of Essex,
in the State of New Jersey, United States of America, Manufacturer)
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.L.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick
and 322, High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil 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 following statement:-
-
The present invention relates to stop-motions for warps, and notably for warpa on
looms; and also to such stop-motions as are controlled by electricity. In this class
of warp stop-motions the electric circuit is closed when a warp-thread breaks, by the
falling of a drop or circuit-closing device, normally supported by the unbroken warp-
thread. This closing of the circuit excites an electro-magnet therein and the inagnet
acts through mechanical devices to stop the loom.
The object of the present invention is, in the main, to simplify the construction of
the magneto-mechanical devices for stopping the loom, and to provide for freeing the
shipper-lever of the loom without disturbing the knock-off lever. The reason for
this is that the weft stop-motion, common on looms, acts through the knock-off lever
to let off the warp when a weft-thread breaks or fails, and this let-off is not desired
when a warp-thread breaks.
Another feature of the invention relates to a support for the flat warp near the point
where the series of drops are mounted, in order to prevent the sagging of the warp,
all as will be hereinafter specifically described.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention―
Figure 1 is a diagrammatical sectional elevation of a loom embodying the inven-
tion; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan of the same; and Fig. 3 is an end view as seen
from the point and direction indicated by the arrow 3 in Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a plan view, on a larger scale, of the knock-off lever and the adjacent
mechanism.
Figs. 5 and 6 are cross-sections respectively at lines as and in Fig. 4.
Figs. 6* and 6' are detached views of the magnet of Fig. 6, illustrating the shunt
switch.
Fig. is a plan view, similar to Fig. 4, of a slightly modified construction of the
magnet on the knock-off lever; and Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the same taken
Ti 19

page_text: Figs: 9, 10 and 11 are detail views illustrating the manner of mounting the warp-
support and the contact-bars of the drops.
Fig. 12 is a view illustrating the invention where the operating electro-magnet is
mounted on the shipper-lever; and Fig. 13 is a view illustrating the mode of
mounting circuit-closing drops on the back-warps and pile warps of a loom for
weaving pile-fabrics.
Referring primarily to the first eleven figures of the drawings-
W represents the warp-beam; w the warp-threads; H the heddles; C the lease
rods; B the breast-beam; K the knock-off lever; F the weft-fork carrier, connected
to and moving with the knock-off lever; f the weft-fork; L the lay; R the reed
thereon; S the shipper-lever; T the take-up arm or lever, and the rock-shaft on
which the arm T is fixed. All of these parts, in some form, are common in looms,
and their operation will be briefly described because of their close relations to the
features of this invention.
Normally the shipper-lever S is held, with its spring under tension, by engagement
with a shoulder, s, on a bracket-plate, b, which supports the knock-off lever K, and to
which the latter is pivotally connected atk. The weft-fork carriage F is connected to
or coupled in some manner with the knock-off lever, so that when the hook on the
weft-fork is engaged by the ordinary vibrating weft-hammer (not shown) the
carriage F is driven back by the weft-hammer, carrying with it the knock-off
lever; and this lever impinges on the shipper-lever S, behind it, pushing
it clear of the retaining shoulder 8 and allowing its spring to act instantly
on it to shift said shipper-lever and thus stop the loom. The knock-off
lever also, when it moves back, impinges in some manner on the take-up arm or
lever T, and presses it back, and this lever Taots through well-known mechanism to
release the catches in the take-up gears so that the web may slack and run back.
Referring now particularly to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, which show the magneto-mechanical
devices on a larger scale than the principal views, 1 is an electro-magnet, mounted
with its poles upright and carried by or adapted to move with the knock-off lever.
This magnet is situated on that side of the knock-off lever which is next to the lay.
Preferably the magnet 1 will be carried by a plate, 2, mounted on the knock-off lever;
and on the plate 2, is fulcrumed at 3, an armature lever, 4, one arm of which in
forked, a branch thereof carrying the armature, 5, over and above the poles of the
magnet 1, and the other branch, 6, being adapted for depression, when the magnet is
excited and its armature attracted, into the path of some part of the vibrating lay L,
or other vibrating or going part of the loom. As here shown a bracket, 7, is secured
to the lay, and this bracket carries a screw, 8, (for adjustment) which latter, under
normal conditions, moves it under the branch 6, when the lay advances in beating
up; but when the magnet is excited and draws down its armature, the branch 6 of the
armature lever is put in the path of the tappet screw 8, and on the next advance of
the lay the screw impinges on the branch 6 and drives back the knock-off-lever, thus
releasing the shipper-lever and causing the stoppage of the loom. Of course any form
of tappet may be used on the going part; we utilize the lay as it is necessarily there
in position to be used, and a screw 8, is employed, as it is convenient for adjustment
as to length; and the bracket 7 may also be adjustable on the lay if desired, so that.
the screw can be conveniently aligned with the branch 6 on the armature lever.
The armature lever has a spring, 9, which normally upholds the armature, and back
of the fulcrum 3, it has an arm, 10, which is, of course, normally depressed; and when
depressed it occupies a position directly in front of the upper end of the take-up lever T,
(Fig. 6) so that when the knock-off lever is actuated by the weft-fork and its carrier,
this lever T will be pressed back, but when the knock-off lever is actuated at the
breaking of a warp-thread, and the armature 5 is, of course, depressed, the opposite
arm, 10, of the armature lever will be elevated so as to be above the end of the take-up
lever or arm T, and consequently this latter will not be acted upon in any way.
The essential feature in this device is the fulcrumed armature lever, having one
arm normally in operative position with respect to the take-up arm or lever and its
other arm normally in operative position with respect to a tappet on a going. or

page_text: vibrating part of the loom. And it is not essential that the armature lever and magnet.
shall be arranged and mounted as has been described for there are many ways of
arranging the parts which will suggest themselves to one skilled in this art. Another
arrangement, for example, is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. In this construction the
magnet, 1, is mounted on the knock-off lever with its axis horizontal. The armature
lever, 4*, is beneath the magnet, the armature, 5*, being carried on an upright
branch, 4, of said lever and situated above and over the projecting cores of the
magnet-bobbins. The branch 6x of the armature lever projects out toward the lay
so as to be put in the path of the tappet-screw 8 thereon when the armature is depressed.
The extremity of the arm, 10%, of the armature lever occupies, as in the first described
construction, a position directly in front of the take-up arm T. The operation is the
same as in the construction first described and illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.
Figs. 1, 9, 10 and 11 illustrate the circuit-closing devices.
12 is a contact drop of thin metal, slotted to receive the warp-thread and the bars
or strips forming the circuit terminals. The terminal bar comprises a flat, metal strip
forming one terminal, 13, with which the drop is normally in contact; and set in the
upper edge of this stripand carefully insulated therefrom, is the other circuit terminal, 14.
When the drop 12 falls from the breaking of its supporting thread, a contact-pro-
jection, 12, extending across the slot in the drop, strikes and rests on the terminal 14°
and thus closes the circuit at the terminals.
It is found desirable to maintain the warp at a constant level at, or in the near
vicinity of the drops, and at a constant distance above the contact terminals 13 and 14 ;
and it has been found desirable, also, to put a tension on the bar or strip forming the
terminal 13, which extends transversely of the loom. To effect these objects the con-
struction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and on a larger scale in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, has
been invented.
Several terminal strips 13, are placed side-by-side and connected by a cross-bolt, 15,
to distancing blocks, 16, having a common screw-threaded shank, 16, which passes
through the frame X of the loom, being insulated therefrom by a sleeve and
washers of insulating material. The nuts, 16, on the shank serve to strain.the
terminal bars taut. The series of drops 12 are suspended on the warp-threads.so' as.
to embrace the respective terminals 13. In Figs. 1, 2 and 9, three series of drops are
shown, and in Fig. 11, two series. The number of series is not essential to the present
invention.
Between the two series of drops, and under the warp-threads, is situated a transversely
extending warp-support, 17, which may be of metal and be slightly rounded on its
upper face. This support keeps the warp from sagging at the point where the drops
are placed.
The support 17 will be, by preference, mounted on the blocks 16, at the respective
sides of the loom, and will be, also by preference, mounted adjustably so that it can
be raised or lowered. The means employed for effecting this adjustable mounting
is best illustrated in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, the first figure being a vertical transverse
section through the terminals and warp-support; the second figure a vertical,
longitudinal section, and the latter figure a plan.
In the block 16 is set an upright screw, 18, and the upper, reduced end, 18ª, of this
screw passes rather freely through a hole in the support 17, this latter resting on a
shoulder, 18b, on the screw. At its upper end the screw has a square, 18, to receive
a wrench for turning it, and a nut, 18. By loosening this nut and rotating the
screw 18, the support 17 may be set higher or lower, as required.
The wires of the circuit are indicated by c and ox, and the generator in the circuit,
is seen at G. The electro-magnet also has its coils in the circuit.
In this class of devices it is desirable to provide a shunt, whereby, when a drop, as 12,
falls and closes the circuit through the magnet, the drop and the terminals thereat
are instantly shunted out of the circuit. This insures the magnet remaining excited
until the lay or other reciprocating part has had time to act, even though the circuit:
may be broken again at the drop from the shaking or vibration of the loom. According.

page_text: to the construction shown in the above figures the switching, is effected by an arm ór
branch of the armature lever of the operating magnet.
Referring to Figs. 6, 6" and 6', which show one form of the switch, 19 is a binding
post to which oue end of the cuil of the electro-magnet 1, is connected, and 20, is a
binding post to which is connected the shunt-conductor, c', which cuts out the ter-
minals 13 and 14. From the respective posts 19 and 20 project spring blade contacts, 21
and 22, which do not quite meet. Mounted in bearings in the magnet frame is a
metal rod, 23, upheld by a spring, 24. The upper end of this rod is directly under the
arm of the armature lever which carries the armature, and its lower end is directly
over the adjacent free ends of the spring blades 21 and 22. When the armature is
attracted and drawn down to the magnet the armature lever presses down the
rod 23, and the lower end of this rod presses upon and closes the gap between
the spring blades 21 and 22, thus shunting the current, as will be readily
understood.
In the construction of Figs. 7 and 8 a similar shunting device is illustrated. In
this case one terminal of the coils of the magnet 1* is at the binding post 19, and the
shunt conductor c¹ connects with a binding post 20%. Blade springs, 21x and 22×,
from the respective binding posts named overlap at their free ends but are not normally
in contact. A stud, 23x, in the extremity of the lower blade 21x, depends over the
arm 10x of the armature lever, and when this arm rises by the excitation of the
magnet, it impinges on the stud 23x and presses the blade 21* up into contact with
the blade 22, thus shunting the current.
When the knock-off lever K is shifted in stopping the loom, the electric circuit is
instantly broken by a circuit breaking device illustrated best in Fig. 3. Heretofore
this has been effected by having a terminal contact on a stationary part-as the
breast-beam for example, in normal wiping contact, or "jack-knife" contact, with a
terminal on the knock-off lever, so that when the said lever is shifted the circuit will
he broken, but this is objectionable for the reason that it does not take into account
the stopping and starting of the loom by hand through the medium of the shipper-
lever. In view of this the circuit-breaker which will now be described has been
devised.
On the underside of the bracket, or some other fixed part adjacent to the
shipper-lever S, are fixed two terminals, 26 and 26%, which may be spring blades
of metal insulated from each other and the spaces between their ends representing a
break in the circuit. On the shipper-lever is mounted a metal contact piece, 27,
adapted to enter between the terminals 26 and 26%, when the loom is running-or
normally and close the circuit at this point. When the loom is stopped, whether
by hand or automatically, the circuit will be broken by the movement of the shipper-
lever.
In Fig. 5 the knock-off lever is represented as shifted by the impingement of the
tappet-screw 8 on the arm 6 of the armature lever. In Figs. 4 and the parts are
shown in their other positions.
The drops 12 being placed quite close together, side-by-side, it is not easy to tell
which drop has fallen when a warp-thread breaks; and to facilitate this, the drops
will have, by preference, each a nick or recess, 12b, in its edge above the warp. When
all the drops are in horizontal alignment these nicks will be aligned; but if a drop
falls, the space formed by the aligned nicks will be crossed by the body of the fallen
drop and will be readily noted. The contact projection 12 may extend horizontally
across the slot in the drop.
.
11 is a rod which extends transversely over the warp just in front of the drops and
serves, in connection with the nearest warp-support 17, as a means for limiting the
rearward extension of the shifting shed in the warp formed by the heddies.
It may be well to explain that what is herein called the take-up lever T, is in the
main a substitute or equivalent of the tripper-lever common on looms. This tripper-
lever carries the back pawl or dog, which engages the teeth of the take-up ratchet
wheel of the loom, and which, when moved out of engagement by the weft fork

page_text: carrier, allows the take-up roll to run back one tooth. The lever or arm T takes the
place of the upper arm of the ordinary tripper-lever.
In Figs. 1 to 6 the. bobbins of the operating magnet are shown as carried by the
knock-off lever, but they might be carried by a fixed part. Or the magnet may be
mounted on the shipper-lever, as shown in Fig. 12. In this construction the
magnet 1, together with its armature lever 4ª, is secured directly to the shipper-
lever S, and the blow from the tappet on the lay, or other going part, thus serves to
push said lever free from its retaining shoulder without disturbing the knock-off
lever K.
Where the invention is applied to a loom for weaving pile fabrics, the pile-warps
are also supplied with drops. Fig. 13 is a somewhat diagrammatic view illustrating
this feature. In this view, P is the pile-warp beam, p the pile-warps, R the let-off
beams for these warps, and u, u, the take-up rolls or rods. In Fig. 13, D shows the
drops on the back-warps and E the drops on the pile-warps. In looms for weaving
pile fabrics the pile-warps pare carried up from the rolls R¹ to the take-up
rolls u, u, on a steep incline, and these warps are let off intermittently to an extent
sufficient to provide enough of the pile-warp to float between the two back webs of
the fabric. Hence special means must be provided to apply the drops 12' to these
warps. This is effected by hending these warps, for a part of their length into a
substantially horizontal position, as at E, by means of two transverse rolls or
rods, t and t¹.
-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a stop-motion for looms, the combination with the devices for moving the
knock-off lever when a weft-thread fails, and thus operating the let-off of the warp,
and electrical means substantially as described for freeing the shipper-lever when a
warp-thread breaks, independently of and without letting off the warp.
2. In an electrical warp stop-motion for looms, the combination with circuit-closing
devices at the warps adapted to close the circuit when a warp-thread breaks, of the
shipper-lever of the loom, and a magneto-mechanical device controlled by said circuit
and comprising an electro-magnet mounted on the shipper-lever, and a tappet or
projecting part on some vibrating part, as the lay of the loom, the armature lever of
said magnet being so placed with reference to said vibrating part that when the magnet
is excited the lever is put into the path of the said vibrating part and the shipper-
lever thus set free by the latter.
3. In an electrical warp stop-motion, the means substantially as described for shunt-
ing out of the circuit-closing devices at the warps at the moment the operating
magnet is excited.
4. In an electrical warp-stop-motion, the means-substantially as described-for
breaking the eirenit-through-the-operating magnet by the movement of the shipper
lever-in-stopping-the-loom.
5. In an electrical--warp-stop motion, the combination with the transversely
extending circuit terminals and the series of drops suspended from the-warp threads
at said terminals, of the warp-supporting bars-under-the-warps-at, or adjacent-to
said-drope.
6. In an electrical warp stop-motion for looms,--the--combination--with the
transversely extending terminals 13, the blocks 10, with--screws and--nuts-for
scouring the terminals to the frame, and the warp-support 17, mounted adjustably
on-said-bleelte.
7. In an electrical-warp-stop-motion- for looms, the combination with a relatively
thin circuit-terminal-extending-across the loom,-of means for straining said terminal
lengthwise-substantially as heroin set forth.
8. In an electrical-warp-stop-motion, the thin, metallic drops having-each-in-its
lateral-edge-a-recess, which when the drops are arranged abreast-side-by-side, serves
to indicate which one of the drops has fallen.

page_text: 4. 9. In an electrical warp stop-motion the arrangement of the operating magnet
on the knock-off lever, substantially as described and as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6,
in connection with the take-up lever T, for the purpose set forth.
5. 10. In an electrical warp stop-motion for loome, the arrangement of the operating
magnet on the knock-off lever, substantially as described and as shown in Figures 7
and 8, in connection with the take-up lever T, for the purpose set forth.
6. 14. In an electrical warp stop-motion, the arrangement of the operating magnet
on the shipper-lever, substantially as described and as shown in Figure 12, for the
'purpose set forth.
12. In a warp stop-motion for a loom for weaving pile fabrics, the-arrangement-of
a-set-or-gets-of-drops-on-the-pile-warps at a point where the said warps-have-been
bent-to-a-substantially-horizontal, or but slightly inclined-position.
Deted this 18th dow of November 1900'
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co
Agents