Improvements in Weaving Looms for Changing the Shuttles on Breakage or Failure of Weft.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Weaving Looms for Changing the Shuttles on
Breakage or Failure of Weft.
I, HUGH ROBERT Ross, of Durham Street Mills, Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, Ireland, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to weaving looms, and is designed to change or replace the
shuttle, when the weft breaks or fails, instead of stopping the loom as hitherto,
-by an automatic motion actuated by the weft fork.
It consists essentially in constructing the loom with a cage or receptacle, placed
at any convenient place at the side of the loom, to contain a number of full or
threaded shuttles, a revolving shuttle box on the end of the slay fitted with slides
and cams to discharge the empty shuttles, and levers or rods connecting the weft
fork with the actuating mechanism of the rotating box and shuttle cage or recep-
tacle, by means of which the box is rotated, and a fresh shuttle supplied automa-
tically on the breakage or failure of the weft.
In carrying out the invention, at one side of the loom I place a cage or receptacle
of any suitable shape, and of a size or capacity to hold or contain a number of
shuttles, and from which one shuttle can be delivered at a time as required. This
cage is fitted with pivoted levers or arms actuated, when required, by which the
shuttles are transferred one at a time from the cage to the shuttle box.
A circular or revolving shuttle box is fixed to the end of the slay in the usual
way, capable of carrying any required number of shuttles, preferably four or six.
The chambers of the box are formed so that the shuttles can enter from the sides,
and are each provided with a spring at the upper edge, with an out turned ear or
lip, or of other suitable shape, which enables the shuttle to compress the spring, as
it enters the box from the cage. The spring holds the shuttle in place when in
action. Each chamber of the circular box is also fitted with a slide in the bottom,
and a cam or eccentric on the central spindle of the box which, as the box rotates,
pushes the slide forward when the chamber is inverted to discharge the shuttle.
The slide or cam acts direct upon the shuttle to force it out, or may act upon the
retaining spring alone to withdraw it, and allow the shuttle to fall out. A shoot
may be placed to receive the discharged shuttle, and convey it to a receptacle to
receive it.
Instead of a stationary cage for the shuttles and transferring them to the shuttle
box by a reciprocating lever, the cage or carrier may be made to travel over rollers,
or as an endless band to carry the shuttle into position to enter the empty chamber
of the shuttle box. The shuttle may be affixed to the carrier by a suitable spring
or clip, which would be released by the action of. the shuttle box, when brought
against it by the movement of the slay. The cage or carrier may be actuated by

page_text: the same movement, as herein before described, and each slot or holder of the
carrier is fitted so as to grip the shuttle until it is brought into position to enter
the empty chamber of the box, the movement of which would release the spring
that holds it.
I use either a central or ordinary weft fork, (preferably the former) to actuate
or set in operation such mechanism as is necessary to rotate the shuttle box, and
transfer the next shuttle from the cage into the empty chamber of the shuttle
box. The weft fork is connected to levers or rods or other connections, which put
the actuating levers into contact or communication with cams on the bottom
shaft, or other rotating part of the loom, which rotate the box. By applying a
cam plate or its equivalent to one of the upright levers, the motion may be trans-
mitted therefrom to operate the transferring arms or levers in the shuttle cage, or
it may be operated by a second rotating cam.
The rotation of the revolving box brings a full shuttle into position, to be thrown
across the web, and so continue the weaving without stopping the loom, and at the
same time discharges an empty shuttle into the receiver to be refilled or rethreaded,
and also brings an empty chamber of the box opposite the cage to receive a refilled
or rethreaded shuttle.
Dated this Fourth day of October 1897
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
6, Bank Street, Manchester, Patent Agents..
COMPLETE DI BUIFICATION.
Improvements in Weaving Looms for Changing the Shuttles on
Breakage or Failure of Weft.
I, HUGH ROBERT Ross, of Durham Street Mills, Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, Ireland, Manufacturer, 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:-
My invention relates to weaving looms, and is designed to change or replace the
shuttle when the weft breaks or fails-instead of stopping the loom as hitherto
by an automatic motion actuated by the weft fork, operating a rotary shuttle box
or receiver.
It consists essentially in constructing the loom with a fixed or stationary cage
or receptacle placed at any convenient place at the side of the loom, to contain a
number of full or threaded shuttles a revolving shuttle box on the end of the slay
fitted with slides and cams to discharge the empty shuttles and levers or rods
connecting the weft fork with the actuating mechanism of the rotating box and
shuttle cage or receptacle by means of which the box is rotated and a fresh shuttle
supplied automatically on the breakage or failure of the weft.
It will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
sufficient of the ordinary working parts of the loom are shown to illustrate the
invention.
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page_text: weft fork D, the oscillating hammer lever E with which the weft fork engages,
the crank shaft F; the shuttle G, and other parts of the loom not shown in the
drawings are all of ordinary form and construction.
At one end of the loom I place a fixed stationary cage or receptacle H to hold
or contain a number of shuttles G placed one above the other or in other suitable
position from which they can be delivered one at a time by a reciprocating bar or
pusher h.
To the end of the slay B so as to oscillate to and fro with it I affix or attach a
circular revolving shuttle box K capable of carrying any desired number of
shuttles G and presenting them successively to the shuttle actuating mechanism as
may be required.
In the drawings the revolving shuttle box K is shown with four chambers k to
receive the shuttles and these chambers are formed so that the shuttles can enter
through the sides. Each chamber is provided with a spring or swell k¹ with out-
turned ear or lip k¹ or of other suitable shape to permit of the shuttle compressing
the spring as it enters the chamber from the cage or receptacle H.
Each chamber of the revolving shuttle box K is also fitted with one or two
slides L in the bottom which operate to expel the shuttles from the chamber. The
slides L are operated as the box rotates by a fixed or stationary cam on the fixed
spindle on which the box rotates. The cams M push the slides forward when
the chamber is inverted to discharge the shuttle. The slides and cams act direct
upon the shuttle to force it out or may act upon the retaining spring or swell alone
to withdraw it and allow the shuttle to fall out. A shoot may be placed to receive
the discharged shuttle and convey it to a receptacle to receive it.
The shuttle box is enclosed or cased with a circular cylindrical casing M¹ which
acts as a guide or cover to retain the shuttle in position in the chamber k. It is
provided with a slot or slit m in the top the edges m³ extending over the chamber k
to hold the shuttle down when the loom is in operation.
-
The rotary shuttle box K is supported at its outer end by a radial arm or rod N
which oscillates with the shaft n upon which the slay B is also pivoted. It is con-
nected to the crank F by the connecting rod by which it is operated to oscillate
simultaneously with the slay B. Thus after each shot of the shuttle G the box K
swings forward and approaches nearly close to the stationary shuttle cage or
receptacle H from which when the chamber k is empty it receives a fresh shuttle.
The revolving shuttle box K is caused to rotate as desired to bring each
chamber k successively into position from which the shuttle can be put in action by
the lever P which is connected by a series of levers with suitable operating
mechanism and with the weft fork D whereby when the weft thread is broken or
absent the lever P is drawn down and the shuttle box K rotated part of a revolu-
tion. The end of the shuttle box K is provided with pegs p with which the hook
on the upper end of the lever P engages.
The revolving shuttle box K is held in position by a spring hammer R pressed
tightly against the square end of the cylinder by the spring r the tension of which
is adjusted by the screws rl.
The lever P for rotating the shuttle box K is operated by a hooked lever P
attached to the opposite end of a pivoted lever O to which both are pivoted. The
lever o is raised by a cam s on the cam shaft S at each revolution of the cam shaft
and raises the hooked lever PI with it when the hook is pressed over or in a posi-
tion to engage with the pin er peg o¹ in the side of the lever o. Thus the raising
of the hooked lever P¹ depresses the hooked lever P and causes the rotation of the
shuttle box K.
In normal position the hooked lever P¹ is held by a spring p² out of the path of
the peg o¹ in the lever o, and it is pushed or forced into the position shown in
Fig. 2 of the drawing by the crank T on the breakage or failure of the weft thread.
The crank T is connected by the connecting rod t with the pivoted lever T¹ the
upper end of which engages with the slide or lever d of the weft fork D. The
oscillating hammer lever E is actuated in the usual way by the cam e¹ and engages

page_text: the catch on the end of the weft fork when the weft breaks by which the slide.or
lever d is drawn back causing a movement of the pivoted lever T¹ which is trans-
mitted through the crank T to the hooked lever P¹ which in turn is operated by the
peg o of the lever o.
The reciprocating bar or pusher h in the cage or receptacle H is operated by
cranked levers V by which the lower shuttle is pushed forward when required.
The cranked levers are operated in one direction by the lever V₁ which is connected
thereto by a connecting spring or links vand in the opposite direction by the
spring. The lever V₁ is depressed by the cam or disc s carried by the disc s
on the cam shaft S. The discs s s₁₁ are moved into position to engage the
lever V₁ each time the hooked levers P P are operated to rotate the shuttle box K.
The pivoted lever 0 carries an arm W with a pin or peg w in the end which
engages with a link w¹ and raises it when the lever is raised bringing a bowl or
runner w into contact with another cam 3 on the cam shaft. The link w¹ is also
connected with another lever W₁ pivoted to a fixed bracket at its upper end and
the action of the cam on the runner wll moves it in a direction away from the
cam. The lever W is in contact with the disc s¹¹ and when moved by the cam s³
slides the disc along the cam shaft S until the disc s¹ is over the lever V¹.in
position to depress it as the cam rotates. A spring w³ moves it back again.
The levers are so arranged that the forward movement of the pusher h in the
receptacle H commences when the crank F is nearly at the end of its outward
stroke and the shuttle box K almost in contact with the shuttle receptacle H.
Instead of a stationary cage for the shuttles and transferring them to the shuttle
box by a reciprocating lever the cage or carrier may be made to travel over rollers
or as an endless band to carry the shuttle into position to enter the empty chamber
of the shuttle box. The shuttle may be affixed to the carrier by a suitable spring
or clip which would be released by the action of the shuttle box when brought
against it by the movement of the slay. The cage or carrier may be actuated by
the same mechanism as herein before described.
In operation the breakage of the weft thread permits the weft fork D to engage
the oscillating hammer lever E the motion of which is transmitted through the
slide or bracket d to the pivoted lever T¹ and crank T to throw the hooked lever P¹
into engagement with the oscillating lever o. The movement of the oscillating
lever o is then transmitted through the hooked lever P¹ and pivoted lever O to the
hooked lever P and the shuttle box is rotated. By the same operation the disc s¹
is brought into contact with the lever V1 to operate the pusher h after the partial
revolution of the shuttle box K has taken place. The revolution of the shuttle
box K brings a full shuttle into position to be thrown across the web and so
continue the weaving without stopping the loom and at the same time brings an
empty shuttle into position to be discharged to be refilled or rethreaded, and also
brings an empty chamber h of the box H opposite the cage or receptacle H to
receive a refilled or rethreaded shuttle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A loom constructed with a rotary shuttle box provided with a number of
chambers for the shuttle a stationary shuttle receptacle to hold a number of
shuttles provided with a reciprocating pusher by which a shuttle is delivered to
the shuttle box after each rotary movement thereof and mechanism connected to
the weft fork by which the shuttle box is operated on failure or breakage of the
weft yarn to bring a fresh shuttle into play and discharge one in which the yarn
has been used or broken, substantially as described.
2. In a loom in which the shuttles are changed when the weft yarn breaks or
fails the combination with the rotary shuttle box provided with a number of
chambers and the shuttle receptacle provided with a pusher to deliver the shuttles
to the shuttle box, of an oscillating lever for rotating the shuttle box, a second

page_text: oscillating lever for actuating the pusher of the shuttle receptacle and the
mechanism connected with the weft fork for throwing the operative parts into
engagement on the failure of the weft yarn substantially as described.
3. A shuttle box for looms for receiving and discharging shuttles at the
periphery having the several parts constructed and arranged substantially as
described and shown with reference to Figs. 4 and 5.
4. A loom having the several parts constructed and arranged in combination,
substantially as and for the purpose described and shown.
Dated this 1st day of July 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool and London, Patent Agents.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Manchester, Liverpool and London, Patent Agents.