An Improved Weft Stop Mechanism for Power Looms.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Jan., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Nov., 1891-Accepted, 5th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Weft Stop Mechanism for Power Looms.
I JOHN VICKERMAN of No. 2 Union Buildings London Road Stroud in the
County of Gloucester Power Loom Tuner do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
-:
An improvement on the weft stop motion which consists of a suitable frame or
bearing secured to the slay board at or near an equal distance from each end for a
single stopper the top part of this frame or bearing is provided with two arms at a
distance of about 1 to 1 inches apart which act as bearers for a weft fork lever
hereafter named and also acts as guide for a lifting lever hereafter named and near
the middle of the said frame is a pinhole whereby the said lifting lever is hinged
and at the bottom corner of the said frame is provided two other arms whereby a
small pulley is secured by a pin which acts as a guide for the draw strap hereafter
named; this frame may be cast complete in iron or in any other metal.
The before mentioned weft fork lever is made from one to one and a half
inches long and is provided with suitable tapers at each end and is hinged in
the middle to and between the two before mentioned arms at the top part of the
before mentioned frame or bearing with a pin put through the lever and through
each of the two arms or may be secured and worked on pointed set screws and
centre holed. The top surface of the weft fork lever is provided with one or
two prongs which rest on the weft as the slay board travels towards the breast
beam, this weft fork lever and prong will hereafter be called the "weft fork."
The before mentioned lifting lever is made similar in shape to the letter T and
is hinged about the middle of the perpendicular part of the lifting lever to or near
the middle of the before mentioned frame or bearing which is secured to the
slay board; at the bottom of the perpendicular part of this lever is provided a
pin shaped projection whereby the lifting lever is connected to the breast beam
by means of a draw strap or chain which passes through and between the two arms
and small pulley and is secured to the breast beam by a bracket and screw.
About
an inch above the centre of the lifting lever there is provided another pin shaped
projection whereby the lifting lever is connected by a spiral spring to one of the
arms provided at the bottom corner of the before mentioned frame or bearing and
as the slay board travels towards the breast beam this spiral spring draws the
lifting lever in an opposite direction to that of the draw strap or chain thus the
spiral spring being connected above the hinge pin of the perpendicular part of
the lifting lever and the draw strap at the bottom will cause the lifting lever to
partly rotate or rock to and fro on its axis as the slay board moves to and from the
breast beam. At or near one end of the horizontal part of the said lifting lever
is provided an incline from the one end to near the middle of the horizontal part
of the lifting lever and near to the middle of the horizontal part of the said lever
is provided a projection hereinafter called a catch." At the other end of the
horizontal part of the lifting lever on the face thereof is provided another pin
shaped projection pointing towards the breast beam this projection is hereafter
called the stop part." On the face of this lifting lever is provided a projection
extending from the stopper to near the middle and along the face of the horizontal
part of the lifting lever and tapers down level with the face of the lifting lever
near the middle of the horizontal portion of the lifting lever. This lever
may be cast complete in iron or in any other metal and this lifting lever may
be worked by a rod connected to the breast beam by a hinged lever held by a
spiral spring.

page_text: Along the breast beam is provided a stop rod connected to the strap guide which
is provided with an arın fixed on it opposite to and in a line with the stopper on
the lifting lever should the lifting lever be stopped by the weft fork as the slay
board draws towards the breast beam. When the loom is in motion and the slay
board is in its back position for the shuttle to pass through the shed namely,
between the warp threads or between the threads of more than one warp at the
same time the incline at the top of the lifting lever will have lifted the weft fork
to or near a perpendicular position so as to allow the shuttle. to pass clear of it and
as the slay board is drawn towards the breast beam the tapered projection which is
provided on the face of the horizontal part of the lifting lever will pass under the
downward end of the weft fork lever and move the weft fork towards the weft and
if the weft is intact it will hold the weft fork in such a position as to allow the
catch at the top of the lifting lever to pass clear of the weft fork and travel the
full distance thus allowing the stopper to pass clear of the arm on the knocking
off rod, but should the weft be broken or run off the shuttle or get fouled and not
run in the shed beneath the weft fork, the weft fork prongs will drop into a recess
cut in the slay board and cause the weft fork lever to come into-contact with the
said catch on the lifting lever and stop the lifting lever from making its full stroke
so that the stopper will come in contact with the arm on the knocking off rod thus
throwing the strap on to the loose pulley and stopping the loom..
Dated this 30th day of January 1891
JOHN VICKERMAN.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Weft Stop Mechanism for Power Looms.
I, JOHN VICKERMAN, of 2, Union Buildings, London Road, Stroud, in the 2
County of Gloucester, Loom Tuner, 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:—
This invention relates to a new or improved weft stop mechanism for power
looms.
The manner in which I prefer to carry out my invention. is illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, whereof.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation shewing the weft-fork in its highest position;
Fig. 2 being a cross section on the line 2, 2 in Fig. 1.
3
Fig. 3 represents the weft-fork after having fallen into its lowest position owing 3
to the breaking of the weft; the weft-fork lever being in position for operating a
device for stopping the loom.
Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 4, 4 in Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 illustrates a modified form of lifting lever;
Fig. 6 being a corresponding end elevation.
When only one of the improved weft stop mechanisms hereinafter described is
employed in the loom, it is attached to the middle of the slay-board. When,
however, two or more are used, they are secured to the slay-board at suitable
distances apart, and may be actuated by the same strap.
A is the frame, which is provided with countersunk screw-holes a, through which
the screws for fastening the frame to the slay-board are passed. The weft-
fork B B is attached to a lever B2 B3 formed with trunnions B' and mounted, as
between centres, on the set-screws C the latter being carried by the arms A' of
the frame A. The left arm A also acts as a guide for the part d of the lifting
lever D, which is pivoted at A to the frame A. The arms A³, which project from a
the lower part of the frame A, support the pivot-pin e of the strap roller or
guide E.
One end of the strap F is rivetted to a plate f, which is jointed at to
the arm of the lifting lever; the other end of this strap being secured to the
breast-beam. A chrin may, however, be used instead of the strap. The frame A

page_text: with the arms A' and A³ may be cast in one piece. The spiral spring, G, which is
connected to the lever D at and to the frame A at a', serves to restore the lever
to its normal position after having been drawn by the strap F into the position in
which it is shewn in Figs. 1 and 2. A weight (Figs. 5 and 6) cast or formed
on the lever D may, if preferred, be used instead of the spring G. The weight (*
under the influence of gravity causes the lever D to resume its normal position
while the slay-board is moving toward the breast-beam; the falling movement being
controlled by the strap F. D is the stop-part on the lifting lever, D is the catch
and 3 is a projection for causing the weft-fork to fall, from the position shewn in
Figs. 1 and 2, upon the weft. In or near the breast-beam there is a stop-rod
connected to the driving belt guide and provided with an arm which, when the
lifting lever is in the position shewn in Figs. 3 and 4, is in line with or opposite to
the stop-part D'.
The action of the mechanism is as follows:--When the slay-board is in its back
position, the way being then free for the shuttle to pass through the shed, that is,
between the warp threads, the part d has, by contact with the arm B2 of the weft-
fork lever B2 B3, lifted the weft-fork B B into a vertical position, as represented
in Figs. 1 and 2. The shuttle then passes. When the slay-board is subsequently
drawn toward the breast-beam, the part 3, by contact with the arm B³ of the weft-
fork lever Be B³, canses the weft-fork to fall upon the weft: When the weft is
unbroken and supports the weft-fork, the catch D* on the lever D passes clear of
the catch B× on the weft-fork lever B2 B3, with the result that the stop-part D' is
taken out of line with the arm on the stop-rod pertaining to the driving belt guide
or "striking gear." Should, however, the weft be broken or run off the shuttle or get
fouled and not run in the shed beneath the weft-fork B B', the prongs of the latter
drop into a recess in the slay-board, the said weft-fork assuming the position shewn
in Figs. 3 and 4. The catch B is thereupon brought into the path of the
catch D the lifting lever D being consequently arrested and held in the position
represented in Figs. 3 and 4. The stop-part D' is then in line with the arm on
the stop-rod before referred to. The continued movement of the slay-board causes
the stop-part D' to act on the arm of the stop-rod, with the result that the driving
belt guide shifts the driving belt on to the loose pulley and the working of the
loom is intermitted.
For
Instead of operating the lever D by a strap or chain attached to the breast-
beam as previously described, it may be operated in any other suitable manner.
instance, a rod might be connected to the breast-beam by a hinged lever furnished
with a spiral spring. Or, a rod might be attached to the lever and passed through
a hole in a casting hinged to a cross-rail under the loom.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I claim :-
1. The improved weft stop mechanism for power looms constructed and operating
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. A weft stop mechanism for power looms constructed substantially as herein
described and having a pivoted lifting lever D formed with a flat end d, an enlarge-
ment and a stop-part D.
3. A weft stop mechanism for power looms constructed substantially as herein
described and having a pivoted lifting lever D adapted for being pulled into one
extreme position by a strap F and drawn back into the other extreme position by a
spring G or its equivalent.
4. In a weft stop mechanism of the kind herein referred to, the employment of a
lifting lever which, after being pulled by a strap into one extreme position, falls
back into its normal position under the influence of gravity, substantially as herein
described and with special reference to Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying
drawings.
5. In a weft stop mechanisin, the combination, with the weft-fork B B' and weft-
fork lever B2 B3 provided with a catch B*, of the lifting lever D formed with a

page_text: flat end d, an enlargement or projection ³ and a stop-part D', substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
6. In weft stop mechanism of the kind herein referred to, carrying the stop-
part D for actuating the stop-rod of the driving belt guide on a pivoted lever,
the movement of which is controlled by the weft-fork, substantially as herein
described.
Dated this 29th day of October 1891.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Chartered Patent Agent.