IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SHUTTLE BOXES. OF LOOMS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, CHARLES BEDFORD of Birstall near Leeds, Yorkshire, Machine Shop Manager,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SHUTTLE BOXES. OF LOOMS," to be as follows:-
-
This Invention relates to looms having rising and falling shuttle boxes, and my
improvements therein consist in the employment of apparatus for raising and
lowering such shuttle boxes positively.
The apparatus I employ for this purpose consists of a vertical rod caused to
reciprocate up and down by a cam on the crauk shaft at each revolution thereof.
At a suitable position are a series of two sets of racks gearing with the opposite
sides of a pinion each set of such racks representing one shuttle box.
The top of the reciprocatory rod is provided with notches capable of catching,
hold of a suitably shaped projection at the bottom of each rack, so that at each
upward movement of the said rod one or more of such racks are lifted and through
the intervention of mechanism hereinafter described the shuttle boxes in connection
with such racks are raised and lowered.
The pinion wheel mentioned above, and which has an oscillatory motion given
to it by the racks is connected to an eccentric which is surrounded by a metal strap
forined at the bottom of vertical rod, the upper end of the said rod being connected
to a horizontal lever which said lever is connected by chain and pulley block to a
segment lever placed above it. To this segment lever is attached one end of a
chain or cord, the other end of such chain being attached to a rod supporting the
shuttle boxes, all being so arranged that when the reciprocatory rod lifts any one
of the racks the upward motion thereof is transmitted by the eccentric to the
pulley blocks and levers in such manner as to lower the shuttle boxes, the said
boxes being raised by the downward motion of the racks.
The upper end of the reciprocatory rod is moved laterally (so as to catch hold of
the bottom of the racks) by the ordinary pegging mechanism.
By the employment of mechanism herein described the shuttle boxes are raised
and lowered positively and without any sudden stoppage or jerk as the eccentrics
are so placed, that the shaft which turns them is passing across the centres when
the shuttle boxes have arrived at the extent of motion either up or down.
Dated this fourth dow of Ma. 190K

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Raising and Lowering Shuttle
Boxes of Looms.
I, CHARLES BEDFORD of Birstall near Leeds, Yorkshire, Machine Shop Manager,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SHUTTLE BOXES OF LOOMS," and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
This invention relates to looms having rising and falling shuttle boxes, and my
improvements therein consist in the employment of apparatus for raising and
lowering such shuttle boxes positively.
The apparatus I employ for this purpose consists of a vertical rod caused to
reciprocate up and down by a cam on the crank shaft at each revolution thereof.
At a suitable position are a series of two sets of racks gearing with the opposite
sides of a pinion each set of such racks representing one shuttle box.
The top of the reciprocatory rod is provided with notches or grooves capable of
catching hold of a suitably shaped projection at the bottom of each rack, so that
at each upward movement of the said rod, one or more of such racks are lifted, and
through the intervention of mechanism hereinafter described the shuttle boxes in
connection with such racks are raised and lowered.
The pinion wheel mentioned above and which has an oscillatory motion given
to it by the racks is connected to an eccentric, which is surrounded by a metal
strap formed at the bottom of a vertical rod, the upper end of the said rod being
connected to a horizontal lever; which said lever is connected by chain and pulley
block to a segment lever placed above it.
To this segment lever is attached one end of a chain or cord, the other end of
such chains being attached to a rod supporting the shuttle boxes all being so
arranged that when the reciprocatory rod lifts any one of the racks, the upward
motion thereof is transmitted by the eccentric to the pulley blocks and levers in
such manner as to lower the shuttle boxes, the said boxes being raised by the
upward and downward motion of the racks.
The upper end of the reciprocatory rod is moved laterally (so as to catch hold of
the bottom of the racks) by the ordinary pegging mechanism.
In order to the better understanding of my invention reference is had to the
accompanying sheet of drawings illustrative thereof. Fig. 1 is end view of a
loom shewing the application of my improvements whilst the remaining figures are
details hereinafter referred to. The same letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts throughout the several drawings.
A is the loom frame, B the crank shaft on which is keyed the cam C, working
in contact with the anti-friction pulley D carried by the lever E, which forms a
medium for reciprocating the vertical rod F up and down at every revolution of
the said cam C. At the top of this reciprocatory rod F is a bracket G provided
with grooved notches & such notches are employed for catching hold of projections b
formed at the bottom of the racks H. The number of sets of racks correspond to
the number of shuttle boxes requiring to be moved or changed, the said racks being

page_text: arranged in sets one behind the other, each set gearing with the opposite sides of a
pinion wheel I in such a manner that when the upward movement of the vertical
rod F raises one rack, that the rack on the opposite side of the pinion is lowered
and vice-versa. Eccentrics c are cast or otherwise secured to the pinions I and are
surrounded by metal bands formed at the bottom of the vertical rods J, the upper
end of such rods being connected to horizontal weighted levers K hinged upon the
fixed centre d, the said levers being in turn connected by chain e and pulley block f
to the segment lever L which carries the shuttle boxes M through the intervention
of the chain g and rods h.
The lateral movement of the upper end of the reciprocatory rod F is controlled
by the jacquard or pegging mechanism, which is arranged to give an up and down
motion to the vertical rod N carrying a bell crank form of lever O hinged on the
pinion shaft i.
The bottom of this lever O carries a bowl ; working in a slot formed in the
casting k attached to the top of the reciprocatory rod F so that as the said rod N
is raised either up or down according to the pegging mechanism, the said lever O
will oscillate upon its centre in doing which the bowl; will give to the rod Fa
lateral motion in order that it may catch underneath certain racks for the purpose
of lifting the same, which upward motion of a rack oscillates the pinions I and the
eccentrics until they assume the positions shewn in dotted lines Fig. 2.
When the weighted levers K are raised they give out a length of chain e which
passes over the pulley block f in such manner that the shuttle boxes are lowered
thereby, and when the notched end of the vertical rod F is removed from under
the racks so as to allow the boxes to be raised the weighted levers and parts con-
nected therewith continue to remain in the same position until the parts are
reversed by the next movement of the racks for the raising of the boxes which
reverse movement I wish it to be understood could not be accidentally made in
consequence of the centre of the eccentric having passed the line of centre between
the pinion shaft i and the top stud w.
One end of the chain e is attached to a fixed stud m the said chain then passes
under a pulley n on the weighted lever K and from thence up and over one of the
pulleys in the block then down again to another pulley n carried by another
weighted lever and from there up to another pulley in the said block f down and
over a third pulley n until the opposite end of the said chain is fastened to another
stud p, see Fig. 4.
By the employment of mechanism such as is herein shewn and described, the
shuttle boxes are raised and lowered positively and without any sudden stoppage
or jerk as the eccentrics c are so arranged and timed that their centres have passed
over or under the centre of the pinion wheel I when the boxes have arrived at the
extent of their motion either up or down, and in order to ensure that the eccentrics
do not return again until they are operated by the racks I place upon the shaft i
a spiral spring 8. I also place between each set of pinions and racks a plate t
against which the spring 8 exerts a binding influence or effect so as to cause the
said plates t to press against the eccentrics and pinions in such manner as to
prevent any liability of the eccentrics changing their positions until operated by
the racks, and in order to make sure that the eccentrics stop in the proper
positions either up or down, a projection on each rack works in a slot v formed in
the rack boxes P so that when the extent of motion either up or down is reached,
the said projection coines into contact with the top or bottom of the slot v which
at once stops any further movement of the said eccentrics.
Fig. 3 is end view of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is sectional plan shewing pinions I and
pulley blocks f and weighted levers.
When the weaver requires to raise or lower the shuttle boxes for any purpose
when the loom is at a standstill, she operates the handle R and toothed segment S
which gears into teeth formed in the back of the racks H, whereby the racks
can be operated by hand power, and the shuttle boxes raised and lowered
accordingley.

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;
Firstly The raising and lowering of loom shuttle boxes by means of the
reciprocatory rod F, racks H, pinions I, and eccentrics c in combination with
levers K and L all operated in manner substantially as herein shewn and
described.
Secondly The employment of cord or chain e and pulley block f for connecting
together the weighted levers K and lever L for purpose and in manner substantially
as described and illustrated.