Improvements in or relating to Shedding Motions of Looms for Weaving.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1896-Accepted, 20th Mar., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Shedding Motions of Looms for
Weaving.
We, ROBERT CUSCADEN Weaver of 2911 Franklin Street, Philadelphia and
WILLIAM FRANCIS POIESZ, Machinist, of 2637 Marshall Street, Philadelphia,
in the County of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, United States of
América, 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 :-
Our invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described, reference
being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one form in which we
have contemplated embodying our invention and said invention is fully disclosed in
the following description.
Referring to said drawings,
Figure 1 represents a front elevation of an apparatus embo.lying our invention.
Figure 2 represents a vertical longitudinal sectional view, slightly enlarged,
showing the air chest, the tube sheet and portions of the air tubes or cylinders.
Figure 3 represents an end view of the apparatus showing the tube sheet down,
the lower portions of the air tube being broken away.
Fig. 4 represents a similar view showing the tube sheet in engagement with the
air chest and both parts in elevated position.
In carrying out our invention we provide a loom with a vertically movable tube
sheet A which is provided with a plurality of downwardly extending air tubes or
cylinders B, in each of which is a piston C. To each of these pistons is secured
a downwardly extending warp thread carrying rod D, projecting from the lower
end of its respective tube and provided with an eye a or equivalent device to hold
one of the warp threads b. The tubes or cylinders B may extend entirely through
the tube sheet or register with apertures therein as desired, and there may be any
desired or necessary number of these tubes with their pistons C and warp-holding
rods D. Within each of the tubes or cylinders is a coiled or other spring T
preferably surrounding the warp carrying rod and arranged to press upwardly
upon the piston C thus maintaining the pistons and their connected warp carrying
rods D normally in their highest positions.
Above the tube sheet A is a compressed air chest E which is provided interiorly
with a horizontal partition F dividing the chest into an upper or compression
chamber c and a lower or distributing chamber d. The lower face of the air
chest E is provided at each side preferably with downwardly extending guide
rods K which engage guiding recesses ii in the tube sheet thereby securing the
tube sheet and air chest from lateral movement with respect to each other but
permitting a vertical movement of the tube sheet with respect to the air chest as
hereinafter described. The air chest E is normally supported upon brackets or
supports kk (Fig. 3) which are provided upon the loom frame and in this instance
said air chest is provided with lugs or projections jj extending laterally therefrom
which rest upon said brackets and support the air chest.
The bottom of the air chest, which forms the bottom of the distributing
chamber d, is provided with a series of holes G circular in form which are of
substantially the same size as the bore of the tubes or cylinders B, and said
apertures are so arranged that each is directly in line and adapted to register with
one of said tubes B, when the tube sheet and air chest are brought together. The

page_text: meeting faces of the air chest and tube sheet are provided each with a sheet of
elastic packing of felt or other suitable material having circular openings cut
therein to register with the apertures in the air chest and tube sheet, the packing
for the lower face of the air chest being indicated by I and that for the upper face
of the tube sheet being indicated by J. It will thus be seen that if the tube sheet
be raised into contact with the air chest, the apertures G in the latter will register
with the tubes B and the packing surfaces I and J will make tight joints between
the parts.
In order to admit air to the distributing chamber d we provide the partition F
with one or more openings e each of which is provided with a valve H having a
valve stem f, which preferably extends above and below the same, the upper
portion h extending into a guiding recess or collar h' formed in the top plate of the
air chest and the lower part extending downwardly through the bottom of the
air chest and having its lower end projecting slightly below the packing I thereon.
Each of the valves H is provided preferably with a spring to hold it upon its
seat, a coiled spring g being shown, surrounding the upper part h of the valve
stem.
Qrepresents one of the pattern cards for controlling the movement of the
pistons and their connected warp carrying rods and warp threads b. These
cards are adapted to be placed upon the top of the tube sheet A between the
guide rods K while the tube sheet and the air chest are separated as shown in
Figures 1, 2 and 3 and each card is provided with perforations adapted to register
with the tubes, the warp threads of which are to be impressed, in forming the shed.
We also provide each card with a smaller aperture for the passage of each of the
valve stems, which are above the position occupied by the card when in operative
position, one such aperture being shown centrally in Figure 2.
It will be seen that when the tube sheet with a card Q laid upon it is raised into
contact with the bottom of the air chest, the lower ends of the valve stems ff will
engage the elastic packing J of the tube sheet when the card is very close to the
packing sheet I, and will by reason of the spring pressure and air pressure exerted
upon said valves in the compression chamber, be forced into said elastic packing J
until the card Q has been made to engage the packing I sufficiently to prevent the
escape of air laterally between the parts, the further pressure of the rising tube
plate will cause the springs g of the valves H to yield and open the valves
admitting compressed air from the compression chamber to the distributing
chamber, and thus through all of the openings G in the air chest which are not
closed by solid portions of the card Q, to the respective tubes B registering there-
with. The effect of this will be to depress the pistons of said tubes and the warp
rods and warp threads controlled by said pistons. The air chest E will be supplied
with compressed air from any suitable source of power by means of a pipe S
attached to a nozzle R on the air chest as shown in Figure 1. The air chest will
ordinarily be provided with two pozzles R as shown so that several machines may
be connected and supplied continually with compressed air if desired.
We prefer to continue the upward movement of the tube sheet A after it has
effected a connection with the air chest, thereby lifting the air chest bodily with it.
In lowering the tube sheet, the air chest will descend with it until it comes in
contact with the brackets k k when it will be arrested while the tube sheet descends
a little further thereby separating the parts at to permit the pattern card to be
moved on and adjusted and also to permit the tubes B, the pistons of which have
been acted upon by compressed air, to exhaust and allow the pistons to be returned
by their retracting springs T. As soon as the air chest comes to rest and the tube
sheet begins to separate therefrom, the pressure on the lower ends of valve stems f
will be relieved and the valves H will instantly close shutting off the communication
between the two chambers and preventing waste of the compressed air..
In order to give the proper movements to the tube sheet we have shown a lifting
shaft P (supported in the main frame of the loom) and provided with lifting cams O
which are adapted to engage the lower ends of parts connected with the tube sheet,

page_text: in this instance a pair of lifting arms L secured to the tube sheet jaws at M and
provided at their lower ends with friction rolls N to engage the cams O.
The operation of the device is as follows:-The parts being in the position
shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the lifting arms L L resting upon the concentric
portions m m of the cams, a pattern card is inserted between the tube sheet and the
air chest and the lifting shaft is started, thereby raising the tube sheet and with it
all of the warp threads carried by the warp rods D D. When the card is clamped
between the tube sheet and the air chest, as before described, the valves H will be
opened and compressed air admitted to certain of the tubes B determined by the
positions of the apertures in the pattern card, thereby depressing the pistons in said
tubes, and the warp threads connected therewith. The continued upward move-
ment of the tube sheet carrying with it the air chest lifts the warp threads, the
pistons of which have not been operated upon while those whose pistons have been
operated upon by the compressed air are held down, thereby forming the shed
through which the shuttle is driven. As the tube sheet descends, the air chest is
stopped by the brackets kk, the parts separate and the pistons of the depressed
warp threads are drawn up by their springs T thereby restoring all the warp
threads to their original positions.
The extent of the upward movement of the tube sheet and the downward move-
ment of the pistons in their tubes, are substantially equal and together give the
warp threads the extent of separation desired to form the shed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a loom the combination with a series of cylinders disposed perpendicularly
to the warp threads, and in line there-with of a piston in each cylinder operatively
connected directly to one of said warp threads means for supplying air under
pressure to said cylinders and controlling devices for said fluid supply substantially
as described.
2. In a loom the combination with a series of cylinders disposed perpendicularly
to the warp threads each of said cylinders being in line with one of said threads of
a piston in each cylinder operatively connected with its respective warp thread
compressed air supplying devices for all of said cylinders and a perforated pattern
card adapted to be interposed between said air supplying devices and said cylinders
substantially as described.
3. In a loom the combination with a series of cylinders disposed perpendicularly
to the warp threads each of said cylinders being in line with one of said threads a
piston in each cylinder operatively connected with its respective warp thread
means for supplying compressed air to all of said cylinders means for controlling
the admission of air to each cylinder and lifting devices for elevating said cylinders
substantially as described.
4. In a loom the combination with a series of cylinders disposed perpendicularly
to the warp threads each cylinder being in line with one of said threads of a piston
in each cylinder operatively connected with its respective warp thread compressed
air supplying devices for all of said cylinders a perforated pattern card adapted to
be interposed between said supplying devices and the said cylinders and lifting
devices for elevating said cylinders substantially as described.
5. In a loom the combination with a series of cylinders disposed perpendicularly
to the warp threads, each of said cylinders being in line with one of said threads a
piston in each of said cylinders operatively connected with its respective warp
thread retracting devices for said pistons compressed air supplying devices for all
of said cylinders a perforated pattern card adapted to be interposed between said
air supplying devices and said cylinders and lifting devices for elevating said
cylinders substantially as described.
6. In a loom the combination with the warp-thread carriers of a cylinder and a
piston therein operatively connected with each carrier a compressed-air chest

page_text: 'provided with delivery apertures adapted to register with said cylinders, and means
for separating said cylinders and air chest to permit the insertion and removal of a
pattern card substantially as described.
7. The combination with the tube sheet provided with a plurality of tubes or
cylinders a piston in each of said cylinders and a warp thread carrier connected
with each of said pistons of the compressed air chest provided with a series of
discharging apertures adapted to register with said tubes and means for moving
said tube sheet into and out of engagement with said air chest and controlling
devices for air supply substantially as described.
8. The combination with the tube sheet provided with a plurality of tubes or
cylinders a piston in each of said cylinders and a warp thread carrier operatively
connected with each of said pistons of a compressed air chest provided with
apertures adapted to register with said tubes and having guiding projections
engaging guiding recesses in said tube sheet and means for moving said tube sheet
into and out of engagement with the air chest and controlling devices for the air
supply substantially as described.
9. The combination with the tube sheet the tubes or cylinders pistons in said
cylinders and warp thread carriers operatively connected with said pistons of the
air chest provided with a compressed air chamber having apertures adapted to
register with said tubes or cylinders controlling valves for admitting air from said
compressed air chamber into said distributing chamber said valves having operating
parts extending outside of the air chest and adapted to be engaged by the tube
sheet and means for moving said tube sheet into and out of eugagement with the
air chest substantially as described.
10. The combination with the vertically movable air chest provided with a series
of delivery apertures and stationary supports for engaging parts connected with
said air chest and limiting its downward movement the tube sheet supported
normally below said air chest leaving a space between them for the insertion and
removal of a perforated pattern card said tube sheet being provided with a series
of tubes or cylinders adapted to register with the openings in said air chest pistons
in said cylinders and warp thread carriers operatively connected with said pistons
means for raising said tube sheet and air chest a perforated pattern-card and
controlling devices for the air supply substantially as described.
11. The combination with the air chest having a compressed air chamber and a
communicating distributing chamber provided with a series of discharge apertures
controlling valves for the communications between said chambers having their
stems projecting below the bottom of the air chest a tube sheet supported normally
below said air chest and provided with a plurality of tubes or cylinders adapted to
register with said apertures in the air chest when the parts are brought together
and packing sheets secured to the meeting faces of said parts having apertures
therein registering with the said apertures and tubes substantially as described.
12. The combination with the vertically movable air chest provided with a series
of discharge apertures and stationary supports for limiting the downward move-
ment of said air chests of the tube sheet normally supported below the air chest
provided with a series of tubes or cylinders adapted to register with said apertures
a piston and warp thread carrier for each tube or cylinder said air chest having
guiding portions adapted to engage the tube sheet to prevent lateral movement of
one with respect to the other and lifting devices operatively connected with the
tube sheet for raising it a greater distance than the distance between the tub.:
sheet and air chest substantially as described.
Dated this 1st day of December 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.