Improvements Relating to the Means for Disconnecting the Taking-up Motion of Power Looms when the Weft Breaks.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 18th June, 1897-Accepted, 24th July, 1897
Improvements Relating to the Means for Disconnecting the Taking-up
Motion of Power Looms when the Weft Breaks.
I, ALBERT EDWARD WALKER, of Norwood Green Mill, near Halifax, in the
County of York, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The object of this invention is to prevent weaving thin and uneven places when the
loom has been stopped for finding broken picks.
According to one method of carrying out my invention I secure into the shuttle
stand, a short vertical finger or stud to which I hinge a hooked catch. The catch of
this hook rests upon the usual horizontal knocking off arm when the loom is in its
normal condition, but when the setting on handle is actuated to stop the loom, the
horizontal knocking off arm is pushed sideways, whereupon the hook of the catch
drops across the said arm and holds it there permitting the weaver to run the loom as
many picks as desired, but when the loom is required to be set on the weaver lifts the
catch from the knocking off arm whereby the loom can proceed in the ordinary
manner.
According to another method I connect an upright bracket to the loom framework
to which is attached a catch, which catch rests upon the top of the knocking off arm
when the loom is running but when the loom has been stopped by the knocking off
arm actuated in the ordinary and well known manner, this said catch drops between
the upright bracket and the knocking off arm and holds the said knocking off arm
there until the weaver has manipulated as before described, when the catch is removed
and the loom set on as in the case already described.
According to another method I employ the ordinary brake actuated by the setting
on handle of the loom, but in combination therewith and working on the same stud as
the brake I employ a lever arm one end of which rests on the top of the knocking off
arın but when the knocking off arm is actuated as before described the brake and the
said arm both drop behind the knocking off arm, and on the next movement of the
setting on handle the brake is removed but the additional lever arm keeps its position
causing the knocking off arm to cover the groove in the shuttle stand, and this
continues until removed by the weaver previous to restarting the loom.
Dated this 17th day of September 1896
Improvements Relating to the Means for Disconnecting the Taking-up
Motion of Power Looms when the Weft Breaks.
I, ALBERT EDWARD WALKER, of Norwood Green Mill, near Halifax, in the,
County of York, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
Price 8d1

page_text: what manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention has reference to the mechanism for disconnecting the taking-up
notion when the weft breaks or is absent for the purpose of preventing the weaving
of thin or uneven places when finding the pick, such mechanism, or one form thereof,
being shewn and described in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me on
the 12th day of November A.D. 1892, No. 20,471. The invention described in said
Specification answered its object and purpose fully by automatically locking and
keeping the parts disconnected, but it possessed the disadvantage of allowing the
loom to be re-started without the parts being re-connected if the weaver should forget
to release them when setting on the loom. The objects of my present improvements
are to automatically lock the parts, as heretofure, on the stoppage of the loom, to
allow said loom to be run any number of picks without disconnecting the mechanism,
and to prevent its being permanently started again until the locking device is released
and the motion automatically re-connects itself.
According to one method of carrying out my invention I secure into the shuttle.
stand, a short vertical finger or stud to which is hinged a hooked catch. This catch.
rests upon the usual horizontal knocking-off arm when the loom is in its normal
condition, but when the setting-on handle is actuated to stop the loom, the horizontal
knocking-off arm is pushed sideways, whereupon the hook of the catch drops across
the said arm and holds it there, causing it to cover the groove in which the setting-on
handle rests when the loom is weaving. The setting-on handle can now he pushed
along the front edge of the knocking-off arin, to the full extent past the groove,
thereby enabling the loom to be run as many picks as the weaver desires, but to
be immediately stopped when she releases hold of the handle. The loom brake rises
and falls with each movement of the setting-on handle thus allowing the loom to be
manipulated with ease.
When the loom is required to be set on permanently the weaver lifts the catch
from the knocking-off' arm, whereby the loom can then proceed to weave in the
ordinary manner.
In a modification of the above, the catch or locking device is secured on a stud
projecting from a bracket and normally rests on the knocking-off arm, but when said
arm is actuated the catch or locking device drops between the bracket and knocking-
off arm and holds the latter in its abnormal position until the loom is ready to
proceed as before explained, when the catch or device is removed and the loom set on,
as in the case already described.
According to another method, I employ the ordinary brake actuated by the
setting-on handle, but in combination therewith and working on the same stud as the
brake, I employ a lever arin one end of which rests on the knocking-off arm, but
when said arm is actuated the brake and locking arm both drop behind or at the side
of the knocking-off arm.
On the next movement of the setting-on handle, the brake is 'removed but the
additional lever arm keeps its position causing the knocking-off arm to cover the groove
in the shuttle stand, and this continues until removed by the weaver previous to
re-starting the loom.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention, I will now proceed to fully
describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part
of this Specification, in which :-
Fig. 1, is plan of a shuttle stand and such parts as are essential to shew the
application of my improvements, and
Fig. 2, is sectional elevation of same taken on line 1, 2.
Fig. 3, is an enlarged elevation of my improved retaining catch.
In Figs. 4 to 8 I shew modifications of the retaining catch or locking device and
the method of applying same; Figs. 4 and 6 being front elevations, Figs. 5 and 7
plan views respectively thereof; and Fig. 8 a transverse view.
In the drawings letter a represents the framing of the loom, b the shuttle stand, c
the knocking-off arm pivotted at e' on said stand and carrying the weft fork d; e is

page_text: the setting-on handle and f the finger or lever by which the lifting-up catch g
(of which only a portion is shown) is actuated, said finger or lever f being mounted
on one end of the setting-on rod h which extends across the front of the loom, and the
g secured on the opposite end of said rod. The setting-up catch and taking-up
wheel are omitted.
The above parts are those in ordinary use and form no part of my invention, which
comprises a retaining catch i hinged at a to a short vertical finger or stud k screwed
into the shuttle stand, as shewn, or otherwise made fast thereto. The said catch is
preferably set at an angle, or its engaging surface or hooked end made to the angle
assumed by the knocking-off arm c when it is in its abnormal position.
When the knocking-off arm is in its normal position, as shewn in dotted line, and
the loom weaving, the hooked end of catch & rests upon the surface thereof, but, when
the said arm is pushed sideways on the end of weft breaking or failing, it drops
over the far edge of the knocking-off arm and holds it firmly in its abnormal position,
as shewn in full line, permitting the weaver to run the loom as many picks as desired
to find the broken end. In order to re-start the loom, the weaver is compelled to raise
the catch i clear of the knocking-off arm to allow said arm to be put back to its normal
position by the setting-on handle e, which, although it may be actuated to start the
loom, cannot be registered in the recessed end of the slot el until the knocking-off
arm c is released, whereby all danger of re-starting the loom without releasing the
taking-up motion is avoided. The said taking-up motion is disconnected by the
finger f being forced forward by the knocking-off arm when actuated to stop the loom,
aud it automatically re-connects itself on the knocking-off arm being put back to its
normal position.
A stop piece on the stud k prevents the catch being thrown too far back.
The catch is made with a raised end at 2 for the weaver to take hold of when raising it.
In Figs. 4 and 5, the retaining catch or locking device i is hinged at ito a
vertical bracket or upright bolted to the inner side of the shuttle frame bin any
convenient position, the said catch, when the loom is running, resting on the
knocking-off arm c, as shewn in dotted line, but when the loom has been stopped by
the actuation of said arm in the ordinary and well-known manner, the catch or
locking arm i falls down on to the shuttle stand and occupies a position intermediate
of the arm c and bracket as shewn in full line whereby the said arm c is securely
held in its abnormal position until the weaver again raises the catch clear thereof.
22 is a handle or knob for the weaver to take hold of to raise the catch i.
According to another method, shewn at Figs. 6 and 7, the catch or locking arm i is
hinged on the same stud as the ordinary brake m but forms no part thereof; the said
catch or arm i resting on the knocking-off arm c when the loom is running; but when
the said armn is actuated as before described to stop the loom, the brake m and catch
or locking arm i both drop on to the shuttle frame behind the knocking-off arm and
lock it in its abnormal position. On the next movement of the setting-on handle a
the brake is removed, but the additional lever or catch i keeps its position and holds
the arm cover the recessed portion of the groove or slot el in the shuttle stand, so
that the loom cannot possibly be set on until the catch or arm i has been removed by
the weaver.
Another method, which may he adopted, consists in hinging an arm having a
catch or hooked portion thereon under the knocking-off arm c, as shewn in Fig. 8,
and holding same in engagement with said arm by means of a spring n. The arm
may occupy a position clear of the end of the shuttle frame, or may be under said
frame, in which latter case a slot would have to be made in the shuttle frame and the
projecting catch i¹ lengthened so as to project above the shuttle frame and engage
with the edge of the knocking-off arm when actuated to stop the loom.
It will be understood that the construction and arrangement of my improved
retaining catch or locking device may be otherwise modified, or occupy other positions
than those shewn, so long as it will automatically take hold of, or engage with, and
lock the knocking-off arm when moved to its abnormal position and keep the parts
disconnected and prevent re-starting of the loom until the weaver has removed it.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
In looms for weaving, the combination, with the knocking-off arm, of a catch or
locking device constructed, arranged, and acting in the manner and for the purposes
substantially as herein shewn and described.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Patent Agents.