Improvements in and connected with Mechanism for Inserting a Needle into a Shed Formed between Warps in a Loom.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Mechanism for Inserting a
Needle into a Shed Formed between Warps in a Loom.
A communication from abroad by THOMAS JOSEPH DRUMMOND, of 51, Mount
Pleasant Avenue, Boston, in the County of Suffolk and State of
Massachusetts, one of the United States of America, Draughtsman.
I, ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES, of 55 and 56, Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Chartered Patent Agent, 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 has for its object the production of a novel mechanism for
inserting a needle into a shed formed between warps in a loom.
This needle may have an eye to contain a thread and leave filling in the shed.
This invention does not consist in the needle but rather in actuating the
carriage for operating the needle.
I have shown the invention as adapted to move the carriage through a very
long stroke in the least possible time, and to do this and provide that the
needle remain out of the shed for a period of time sufficient to enable the loom
to change in its operation, and to also enable the needle to remain a shorter
time in the shed at the end of its stroke in order that the filling carried
by tho needle may be caught and held properly while the needle is being retracted
from the shed, has necessitated the production of mechanical means whereby
the carriage referred to has imparted to it fast or slow speeds and periods of
rest, and the speed whether fast or slow, or the periods of rest whether shorter
or longer are all controlled by a cam.
In this invention a cam may be shaped to control the devices operative to
move the said carriage, so that said devices may be run at any desired speed or
have any desired periods of rest in a cycle of movement of that carrier.
The invention comprehends in a loom having a reciprocating carriage adapted
to be moved transversely with relation to the warp, the combination with a
shaft, and means intermediate it and said carriage to move the same from said
shaft, of gearing under the control of a cam to actuate said shaft at a variable
speed dependent as to its character and time by the shape of said cam.
I have shown the invention embodied in one working form as operating a
needle to put filling in a shed, but it will be understood that the carriage may be
used to actuate other devices than a needle, as for instance a pile wire.
Fig. 1 is a rear side view of the carriage frame supposed to stand next one
end of the loom frame, said carriage frame containing a suitable raceway for
said carriage, the carriage frame being broken out centrally, and the chain or
other endless actuator employed in moving the carriage being partially omitted,
and the end of the needle being broken off and shewn at the upper right hand
corner of the figure.
Fig. 2 is a partial top or plan view of the left hand end of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shows the carriage and part of the needles employed;
Fig. 4 is a detail showing one end of the carriage to which the needle is
attached;
Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial sectional detail substantially in the line X, Fig. 1;

page_text: Fig. 6 is a section in the line ', Fig. 1; looking to the right;
Fig. 7 shows the parts represented in Fig. 6 looking at the same in the
direction of the arrow, Fig. 6.
The needle a has at its inner end an eye a¹ to receive a filling thread taken
from a large mass on a spool or bobbin in the usual manner.
The end of the needle a, Fig. 1, is shown as broken off in Fig. 1, that being
necessitated by lack of space on the drawing, but said end is shown just above
the right hand end of the loom in that fig.
The rear end of the needle is clamped by suitable screws a³, one or more, in
a carriage ³, said carriage having two like dovetailed feet at, one near each 1
end, said feet being secured to the carriage by said screws a³, said feet entering
a suitable raceway a³, made in the inner face of a bar b, the underside of said
raceway groove being constituted by an adjustable plate 6', the lower edge of
which resta on stop screws 6 extended through ears 6 extended inwardly from
the plate b, the lower end of said plate being secured or held in place by 1
screws 6, extended through slots of said plate and entering threaded holes in the
upright or stand 6 mounted on the shelf 6 of the main frame A.
By loosening the set bolts 7, the stands 65 may be adjusted horizontally toward
and from the front of the loom, and by turning the positioning screw 68 the
exact positions of the said stand may be secured.
The plate is clamped in position by suitable screws 610 extended through
slots in the plate 6, and entering threaded holes in the plate 6'.
The lower edge of the plate b rests on adjustable stop screws 612.
In this way the plate 6 may be adjusted both vertically and horizontally to
put the same in exactly the spot desired to ensure the proper position and line 2
ef movement of the needle in the shed.
Both ends of plate b will be correspondingly supported and adjusted.
The free end of the needle is reciprocated back and forth in a guide a.
The carriage has a stud a which is embraced by a link a', the opposite end
of said link fitting over a stud or crank pin as extended from the actuator 3
sustained by a rotatable wheel a³, turning on a stud al on a stand a secured to
the frame A.
C
The central part of the frame A has uprights A¹ which sustain at top a
suitable plate or box forming bearings for a shaft provided at its front end with
a second wheel, the two wheels and a* receiving about them said 3
actuator, shown as a flexible endless chain, said wheels being represented as
having a series of teeth to co-operate with said actuator, but the invention is not
limited to the use only of the chain as an actuator and the toothed wheels, as
instead we may use any known or suitable equivalents.
The shaft has an attached bevel pinion, which is engaged and rotated by 4
a bevel pinion fast on an actuator shaft 4, the rotation of this latter shaft
rotating the wheels a and and moving the actuator and the needle, the
actuator having a movement in one direction, while the needle is moved to and
fro, or reciprocated to enter and then retire from the shed.
The frame A, is a strong well braced frame to rest on the floor at one end of 4
the loom, and it may be made of any usual or suitable shape to sustain the
operative parts to be described.
The aim of the device to be described is to impart to the carriage and needle,
or other device attached to it, rapid or fast motions as the needle or device
enters the shed and while it is being retracted from the shed, and to also leave 5
said carriage and needle or device at rest both when fully out of the shed and
when fully in the shed, and I have so arranged this movement that the period
of rest of the needle or device when out of the shed is for a greater period than
when in tho shed.
To provide for these movements and periods of rest there have been provided 5
means for rotating the shaft at a variable speed, and for keeping it at rest
or substantially so, and the means for so moving said shaft are under the control

page_text: of a cam d on a cam shaft , provided with a pinion dª, which, in practice,
is engaged with and rotated by a suitable rotatable pinion or gear deriving its
motion from the main cam shaft, or other running shaft of the loom.
The cam shaft takes bearings in the frame A, and has fast on it a bevel
gear d, and said cam and gear are rotated continuously during the operation
of the loom at a uniform speed in the direction of the arrow, see Fig. 1.
The shaft has mounted loosely on it the hub of a bevel gear e, and the
teeth of the said gear remain in constant engagement with the teeth of the
bevel pinion el fast on the lower end of the shaft c, but the teeth of the beve!
gear d do not touch the teeth of the bevel pinion e'.
Between the hubs of the two gears and the shaft d is surrounded loosely
by a hub e, herein shown as presenting two arms, oue of which carries a
stud on which is mounted an intermediate bevel pinion e, the teeth of which
engage the teeth of both the gears e and d³.
The arm of the hub has jointed to it at a preferably double link e",
see Figs. 1 and 5, in turn jointed at e' to an arm e, the hub of which is fast
on a rock shafte having suitable bearings at elo, said rock-shaft having secured to
it, as herein shown, an arm f having a roller or other stud fi which bears against
the periphery of the cam d.
To always maintain contact between said roll and cam I have extended through
the lower end of the arm f loosely a bolt which is extended loosely through a
hole in a safety armi f pivoted at f on an ear extended from said arm f see
Fig. 6.
The bolt after passing through said arm has applied to it a spring, and
thereafter a suitable nut is applied to the rod to keep the spring in adjusted
position.
The arm f has a roller f which rides on the inner side of the cam shaped
flange of the cam d.
The drawings show the needle in its outermost position and the crank a³ of
the actuator c at its dead centre point of movement.
In this condition it will be understood that the part of the cam from the
point 2 to 3, see Fig. 6, is acting to gradually move the stud e³ carrying the
intermediate bevel pinion e upwardly at one half the speed of movement of
the bevel gear d' which enables the teeth of said intermediate pinion to run over
the teeth of the bevel gear e but without imparting any movement to said wheel,
and consequently the shaft stands at rest and with it the carriage and needle.
It will, therefore, be understood that while the intermediate pinion et rises at
the speed stated, that the carriage remains at rest and it will be understood that
the cam d controls the position of the intermediate pinion and consequently by
shaping the cam properly I may cause the intermediate pinion e' to rise and fall
whenever desired, and to rise more or less as desired, that depending on whether
the dwell or stop is to be of longer or shorter duration.
Ι
When the needle is fully out of the shed it is desired that the carriage remain
at rest longer thanen the carriage occupies a position with the needle fully
in the shed.
When the needle is fully in, the stud or crank pin stands at the extreme
right of the wheel of viewing Fig. 1.
"
While the intermedi te pinion is rising, as stated the part of the cam from
2 to 3 then operating, actuator & stands still, but the loom having "changed
and the parts being inndition to receive the filling the needle should start and
rapidly increase its mov nent into the shed, gradually slowing its motion as the
needle reaches its extr. inward throw.
This is provided for by the rt of the cam from 3 to 4, it being of such shape
as to effect the partial descent of the intermediate pinion e, it moving at such
time in opposition to the movement of the gear d³, which causes said pinion
to be rotated very rapidly so that it turns the loose gear el at a fast rate of speed
and consequently moves the actuator and carriage at a fast rate of speed.

page_text: The speed at which the carriage is moved commences slowly, so as to avoid
shock, and then becomes very rapid and gradually slows down to avoid shocks,
and this is controlled by the shape of the cam d.
The needle having arrived at its extreme inward position should stop sub-
stantially for au instant so that the filling carried by it may be caught properly,
and to effect this the portion of the cam from 4 to 5 acts to impart a short rising
movement to the intermediate pinion e' which stops the rotation of the gear
and shaft, and the said parts having been stopped for a period long enough
to enable the filling to be caught, the part of the cam d from 5 to 2 acts to again
further depress the intermediate pinion causing again the fast movement of
the actuator and carriage to effect the quick withdrawal of the needle from the
stud, and then the intermediate pinion e is again raised into its full upward
position by a long stroke, thus keeping the carriage and actuator still for a
longer period than at the inward position of the carriage and needle.
3.
It will thus be understood that the intermediate pinion e¹ has a long upward
movement, a partial downward movement to run the needle in, a short rise to
temporarily hold the mechanism substantially stationary when in, and then down
again to complete the full downward stroke and release the need! ! carriage
This invention is not in all cases limited to moving a needle with the carrier,
and instead I may move a pile wire, or a hook to engage and draw filling into
the shed, both the pile wire and the hook being old and in commo™ use.
quickly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature,pf my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
J
1. In a loom, a raceway, a carriage fitted to slide to and fro on sad raceway, a
shaft, means to rotate said shaft at a variable speed; combined with an endless
actuator deriving its movement in but one direction from said shaft through
suitable intermediate devices, and means connecting said carriage and actuator
loosely, whereby by movement of said actuator in one direction only the carriage d
is moved to and fro, substantially as described.
2. The carriage, means to sustain and guide it, an endless actuator, an actuator
shaft, means intermediate it and said actuator to move the same, combined with
a loose gear in mesh with a pinion on the end of said actuator shaft, a shaft
provided with a cam and a fast gear, an intermediate pinion ngaging said two 3
gears, and means actuated by said cam to move said intermediate pinion to
and fro between said gears, the gear engaging the pinion on the actuator shaft
being held at rest while the seid intermediate pinion move in one direction,
and being moved very rapidly when said intermediate pinic is moved in the
opposite direction, substantially as described.
3. The carriage, means to sustain and guide it, a neee secured to said
carriage, an endless actuator, an actuator shaft, means inte nediate it and said
actuator to move the same, combined with a loose gear in mesh with a pinion
on the end of said actuator shaft, a shaft provided with a cam and a fast gear,
an intermediate pinion engaging said two gears, and means actuated by said
cam to move said intermediate pinion to and fro betwet.. said gears, the gear
engaging the pinion on the actuator shaft being held substantially at rest while
the said intermediate pinion moves in one direction, nd being moved very
rapidly when said intermediate pinion is moved in the posite direction.
4. A cam shaft having an attached irregular cam i da gear, a loose gear 5
mounted on said shaft, an actuator shaft occupy position at right angles
to the shaft having said cam, a hub interposed between said fast and loose
gear and surrounding the shaft having the cam, said hub having an intermediate
pinion; combined with means to turn said hub about the shaft having said cam
in one or the other direction according to the shape of said can to thereby 5
change the direction of movement of the said intermediate pinion, causing it,

page_text: when moved in one direction, to ensure rapid rotation of said actuator shaft,
and when moved in the other direction to cause said shaft to remain substantially
idle, substantially as described.
5. In a loom, a raceway, a carriage mounted in said raceway, an endless actuator,
and means to move said actuator substantially continuously in one direction but
at varying speeds; combined with a link joining together said carriage and
actuator, substantially as described.
6. In a loom, a raceway, a carriage guided thereby, an endless actuator, con-
nections between said carriage and actuator, a rotatable shaft, and means
intermediate said shaft and actuator to impart to the latter a motion substantially
continuous in the same direction; a cam shaft, and gearing under its control
to actuate said rotatable shaft at a variable speed depending as to its character
and time upon the shaft of said cam, substantially as described.
7. The shaft, its cam and gear fast thereon, a gear loose on said shaft, and
a hub surrounding said shaft loosely between said gears, said hub having an
intermediate pinion, combined with a rock-shaft having an arm provided with a
roller stud bearing on said cam, means to keep said roller stud against said cam,
a second armonnected to said rock-shaft and a link connecting it with said hub
to move the
intermediate pinion as demanded by said cam, sub-
-Z
! mai...
stantially as usted
8. In a loo a raceway, a carriage mounted thereon, wheels having their axis
of motion at ght angles to the length of said raceway, an endless actuator
extended abou said wheels, a link connecting said actuator with said carriage,
and means to .ove said wheels and actuator always in the same direction at a
variable speed, substantially as described.
-
9. A shaft provided with a cam and a fast gear, a loose gear on said shaft,
an actuator sh:
having a pinion in engagement with said loose gear; com-
bined with an intermediate pinion engaging said gear and under the control of
said cam to move said intermediate pinion to and fro between said gears, the
loose gear engaged by the pinion being held at rest while the said pinion moves
in one direction and being moved very rapidly when said pinion is moved in the
opposite direction, substantially ae described.
10. In a loom, raceway, a carriage mounted thereon and adapted to be
reciprocated transversely with relation to the warp: a link connected with said
carriage; a shaft; and means intermediate it and said link to move it and
said carriage; combined with a cam, means to actuate it; and gearing under the
control of said cam o rotate said actuating shaft and impart to it a variable
speed and periods rest in its rotation, substantially as described.
.
11. In a loom, a aft having an attached toothed gear, a toothed gear loose
on said shaft, the teeth of the gears facing each other, an actuator shaft occupying
a position at right anles to the shaft carrying said fast and loose gears; a hub
interposed between sad shaft and loose gear and surrounding loosely the shaft
carrying said gears, 4d an arm extended from said hub, said arm having a
stud carrying an intermediate pinion combined with a cam, and means actuated
by it to turn said arm in one or the other direction about said shaft to thereby
change the direction of movement of said intermediate pinion, causing it when
moved in one direction to ensure motion of said actuator shaft, and in the other
direction to enable said shaft to stand substantially still or without motion,
substantially as described,
75
1
1
TAT
1000