Improvements in Loom Shuttle Guards.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1899
Improvements in Loom Shuttle Guards.
We, JOHN GLEAVE and FRANK HOPWOOD GLEAVE, of Princess Mill, Gregge
Street, Heywood, in the County of Lancaster, Manufacturers, 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 the construction of the wire shuttle-guards (and
accessories thereto) used in looms for weaving to prevent the shuttle from flying
out of the loom; and the invention consists principally of a special formation
or bending of the wire rod, and an improved self-contained arrangement for
causing the same to return automatically to its normal rigid position above the
shuttle-race by the impetus due to the first beat up of the slay, after it has been
placed in a position of inaction under the slay cap, out of the weaver's way for
piecing-up or replacing an empty shuttle or the like.
The manner in which our said invention is to be performed or carried into
practical effect will be readily understood on reference to the sheet of illustrative
drawings hereunto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 on the drawing represents a partial front elevation of the slay-cap of a
loom (drawn about half size) with our improved shuttle-guard shown as applied
thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same, and Fig.
sents a plan view of the self-contained arrangement as seen from above. These
views are made full size.
repre-
Figs. 4 and 5 are detached views of slight modifications of portions thereof
hereinafter more particularly referred to.
In these figs. a represents part of the slay-cap of the loom (which supports
the reed) b is the wire shuttle-guard which is made in an improved form being
cranked downwards at 61 from its brackets or bearings at the outside thereof,
that is to say, at the side nearest to the adjacent shuttle-box. From the
cranks 6 the wire is bent inwards parallel to the portion 6 and these inwardly
bent parts pass through the brackets or bearings c (as seen at Fig. 1), whereby
the lower or effective portion of the wire can be made much longer than usual,
and will cover the greatest practicable distance traversed by the shuttle, and
hence a greater amount of safety is obtained.
Each of the brackets or bearings c of the wire rod b, for the sake of cleanness,
lightness, and great durability, we prefer to make of a strip of buffalo hide c
doubled over and looped or opened out to form a bearing and bolted or otherwise
secured to the right-angled metal brackets which in turn are bolted, screwed,
or otherwise secured to the slay-cap a.
One end of the wire-guard (see left-hand side of Fig. 1) is bent upwards at *
on the inner side of the bracket or bearing e so as to form a crank at d. which
works in conjunction with a spring e and a loop f hereinafter described.
This upwardly cranked arm is made on the inner side of the bracket or bear-
ing in order to avoid any extra wear and tear of picking bands, and it is so
bent backwards towards the slay a (see Fig. 2) as to bear against a stop g.
The other end of the wire rod 6 may be simply bent inwards at 6' so as to

page_text: pass through the bearing (as shown at the right hand end of Fig. 1) or for very
broad looms it may be cranked at both ends forming a reduplication of the above
described arrangement, and (if desired) the rod may also be cranked one or more
times in the length thereof and supported in additional bearings if deemed
expedient; but for the ordinarily made power looms (say) up to about forty or
fortyfive inches in reed space, one crank with one set of accessories and two
bearings only for the wire guard (as drawn) will be found sufficient, and it will
be both lighter and cheaper.
The improved self contained arrangement for working this shuttle-guard con-
sists principally of a hooked flat bow-spring e, a loop or link f (preferably made
of buffalo hide) and a stop-pad g, also preferably made of buffalo hide.
The spring e may be secured to the under side of the right angled metal
bracket by the same bolt which secures the bearing c thereto, or it may be
otherwise secured. This spring e is hooked or curved and rounded at its
extremity (see Figs. 1 and 2) so that the loop or link f will turn on it as on a
centre with the least possible amount of friction. The other end of the loop or
link works on the end of the crank d, and the said spring is made adjustable
with regard to the position of the crank d so that the rocking of the rod b when
the guard is pushed under the slay cap a out of the weaver's way (see dotted
lines on Fig. 2) the cranked arm will only have passed over its dead centre just
sufficiently to be held firmly in this inactive position, as long as the loom shall
remain at rest, but it will automatically and infallibly return to its normal or
effective position over the shuttle race with the impetus given by the first beat-
up of the slay when the loom is set in motion, and will be rigidly held in this
position (as shown by the full lines on Fig. 2) by the downward pull of the
spring e, the bent or cranked portion of the wire being pressed against the
stop pad or buffer g.before mentioned, which will retain the wire guard bin its
proper working position.
As modifications of our invention for the sake of economy we sometimes propose
to make the link f in the form of a loop made by uniting the two ends of a
narrow strip of buffalo hide or other suitable material by means of a wire as
shown at Fig. 4, and for the same reason we sometimes form the stop g of one
or more short pieces of buffalo hide bent over and rivetted at one end to the
right angled metal bracket as shown at Fig. 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
The improvements in automatic shuttle guards for power looms consisting in
the particular form and manner of application of the wire rods and their acces-
sories substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings
annexed.
Doted 36, 1241.
1000
Doted 43 1201.
1000
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicants, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.