Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Supplying and Parting the Filling Threads of Shuttles to Prevent Faulty Weaving in Looms.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 29th Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Supplying and Parting
the Filling Threads of Shuttles to Prevent Faulty Weaving in
Looms.
A communication from abroad by WILLIAM FRANKLIN DRAPER, of Hopedale,
County of Worcester, in the State of Massachusetts, one of the United States
of America, Manufacturer, and JAMES HENRY NORTHROP, of the same place,
Machinist, in the employment of the Firm of Messrs. George Draper & Sons,
Manufacturers, of Hopedale aforesaid.
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 reference to means for effecting the severance of the threads
which are left at the entrance to the shed and are attached to the supply of filling
in the shuttle, in weaving with the character of loom indicated in the Specification
of Letters Patent dated October 2, 1894, No. 18611 granted to George Otis
Draper, or any description of loom wherein the filling in the shuttle is renewed
before the supply of filling therein becomes completely spent.
If the end of spent filling is woven into the fabric, or left at some point between
the selvages, it will show badly or make imperfections in the fabric, and as the
last end of the filling is not subjected to the usual tension it is apt to crinkle.
In the Specification referred to means are shown to prevent a filling end from
being left between the selvages, but the end of the filling left in the shed after a
change of filling carriers or supplies remains outside the selvage, extending there-
from to the ejected filling carrier.
Moreover, when the fresh supply of filling has been inserted in the shuttle, as
provided for in said Specification, and the shuttle has been thrown across the shed,
an end of the filling is left beyond the selvage, between it and the point of
attachment to the hopper of the filling supplying mechanism, and these loose ends
are very apt to become woven into the fabric.
The spent filling between the selvage and the ejected filling carrier is also apt to
be drawn into the shed by the shuttle, causing a double filling to be made in the
shed, so that instead of a single filling thread being laid in the shed three threads
will be laid partially across, as the looped portion of the spent filling will break
after the shuttle has traversed a portion of the shed.
In order the more simply and clearly to indicate the nature of the present
invention I will describe the same as applied to a loom provided with automatic
filling supplying devices, and cooperating with the means for changing the filling
carrier in the shuttle when the filling has become exhausted or exhausted to a
predetermined point, as in said Specification referred to, although the invention is
not restricted thereto.
The present invention consists in the use, in a loom, of a shuttle, devices for
removing the filling carrier from the shuttle when the filling is exhausted to a
predetermined point, and parting mechanism to part the spent filling thread
adjacent to and outside of the selvage as the filling carrier is removed from the
shuttle, substantially as will be described.

page_text: Also, in the use in a loom, of a shuttle, filling supplying devices to cause a new
supply of filling to be placed in the shuttle when the former supply is exhausted to
a predetermined amount, parting mechanism to part the thread of an ejected
filling-carrier at a point outside of the selveg, and to part the thread of an
incoming filling-carrier only at its first shot, and mans to actuate the parting
mechanism when the filling has been exhausted to the predetermined amount.
Also, in the use in a loom, of a shuttle, filling supplying devices to cause a new
supply of filling to be placed in the shuttle when the former supply is exhausted
to a predetermined amount, parting devices to part the filling thread at a point
outside the selvage, mechanism which is brought into position to actuate said
parting devices when a filling-carrier is ejected from the shuttle, and which
remains in position to again actuate the parting devices after the new filling carrier
has been supplied to the shuttle, means to operate said mechanism, and means for
returning said actuating mechanism to its normal position.
Also in the use in a loom, of mechanism to part the filling thread, consisting of
a slotted member, a member bodily movable relatively thereto and having a blade-
like portion movable in the slot of the other member, and an actuating lever and a
cam for said movable member, whereby the blade-like portion is drawn downwards
by the actuating lever to engage the thread and then inwards by the cam to part
the thread.
Also, the use in a loom, of a shuttle carrying an exposed filling carrier, a feeler
to contact with the filling in the shuttle at predetermined intervals to thereby
determine its volume, parting mechanism to part the filling thread adjacent to
and outside of the selvage, and devices intermediate the feeler and parting
mechanism to operate the latter to part the filling when it has been exhausted to
a predetermined volume.
Also, the use in a loom, of a shuttle carrying an exposed filling carrier, a feeler
independent of the shuttle to contact with the filling therein at predetermined
intervals to thereby determine its volume, parting mechanism to part the filling
thread adjacent to and outside of the selvage after the last shot of filling from
the carrier ejected from the shuttle, and devices intermediate the feeler and the
parting mechanism, to cause the operation of the latter when the filling has been
exhausted to a predetermined volume.
Also, the use in a loom, of a shuttle carrying an exposed filling carrier, a feeler
to contact with the filling in the shuttle at predetermined intervals to thereby
determine its volume, a filling supplying mechanism to cause a new supply of
filling to be placed in the shuttle when the former supply shall have been
exhausted to a predetermined amount, a parting mechanism to part the fresh
filling only at its first shot, at a point outside of the selvage, and devices
intermediate the feeler and the parting mechanism, to control its operation when
a fresh filling carrier is about to be placed in the shuttle.
Also, the use in a loom, of a shuttle carrying an exposed filling carrier, a
feeler to contact with the filling in the shuttle at predetermined intervals to
thereby determine its volume. a filling supplying mechanism to cause a new supply
of filling to be placed in the shuttle when the former supply shall have been
exhausted to a predetermined amount, a parting mechanism to part the spent
filling after its last shot and to part the fresh filling only at its first shot, both
at a point outside of the selvage, and devices intermediate the feeler and the parting
mechanism, to cause its operation on two successive beats of the lay when the filling
has been exhausted to a predetermined volume.
Also, the use in a loom, of the lay, parting mechanism carried thereby to part
the filling adjacent to and outside of the selvage, a dagger to at times actuate said
mechanism as the lay moves forward, a dog movable with the dagger, an actuating
rock-shaft, an ear fast thereon, and a shouldered trigger loose on said shaft, means
including a feeler adapted to contact with the filling, and connections between the
feeler and rock-shaft, to rock the shaft when the filling is changed to cause engage-
ment of the ear and dog to move the dagger into operative position as the lay

page_text: moves forward, the dog being retained in position by the trigger when the rock-
shaft and ear return to normal position, and an arm on the lay to release the dog
and trigger on the next forward movement of the lay, whereby the parting
mechanism is operated at each of such forward movements of the lay.
Also, the use in a loom, of filling parting mechanism comprising a slotted arm
outside of the selvage, a serrated blade adapted to be moved through the slot of
said arm into engagement with the filling thread and to be drawn rearwardly
within the slot thereafter, to part the thread, a blade carrier, an actuating lever
upon which said carrier is pivoted, and a cam to direct the movement of the
carrier.
Fig. 1 is a front view centrally broken out, of a sufficient portion of a loom to be
understood, with the invention applied thereto, the loom being provided with
automatic filling supplying devices of the character iudicated in the Specification
of Letters Patent granted to me on a communication from the said William
Franklin Draper dated November 27, 1894, No. 22939.
Fig. 2 is a right hand end view of the loom shown in Fig. 1 to more clearly show
the feeler and the connections between it and the devices for actuating the parting
mechanism;
Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 and
at the right-hand end of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective detail of a portion of the weft hammer and the
connections between it and the actuating rock-shaft to be described;
Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective detail of the cam bracket at one end of the
loom for directing the movement of the feeler;
Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the filling parting mechanism;
Figs. 7, 74, 8 and 9 are details of a portion of the actuating devices for the
parting mechanism;
Fig. 10 is a sectional detail taken on the line -x, Fig. 1, looking towards the
left, showing the lay as thrown back and with the actuating devices for the parting
mechanism in normal position ;
Fig. 11 is a similar view, the parting mechanism having just parted a filling
thread; and
Fig. 12 is a detail, partly in section and elevation, of the parts shown in Fig. 2,
the feeler being shown as resting on the filling in the shuttle and at the time when
the filling has been exhausted to the predetermined point, so that the feeler will
cause the operation of the rock-shaft, to be described, to actuate the thread or
filling parting mechanism at the next throw of the shuttle.
The loom frame A, breast beam A', the lay B, it being provided at each and
with a shuttle box, the weft hammer C and the actuating mechanisu therefor to
rock it upon its support at every second pick of the loom, and the filling supplying
mechanism shown at the left of Fig. 1, are as indicated in the Specification of Patent
No. 22939, dated November 27, 1894, referred to.
The said filling supplying mechanism consists essentially of a hopper and a
pusher or transferrer, the hopper comprising a disc or plate a0 having a series of
notches to receive the heads of the filling carriers F, only one being shown in
Fig. 1, and a second disc or plate a" having grooves provided each with a
spring a, serving to hold the tips of the filling carriers, the hub a" of disc a
being provided with a suitable dog a" extended through a slot in the hub and
entering an annular groove in a stud a fixed relatively to the stand a" by a
nut a, so that the hub and disc may be rotated intermittingly, by means of a
spring a
The hub a0 of the disc a" is secured by a screw 300 to a sleeve do loosely
surrounding the outer end of stud a7, and a weft-end-support having a weft-
eud-holder is secured by a screw 400 to said sleeve, all substantially as in the
Specification of Patent No. 22939, dated November 27, 1894.
The leading filling carrier of the series held in the feeder is held against a stop,
not shown, until it is transferred from the feeder to the shuttle by means of a

page_text: pusher, the hub of which is mounted on a headed stud f attached to the
and a, said pusher being shaped at its frout end to present a portion 200 to act
quint the bend of the filling carrier F, and finger 210 to act against the tip of
filling carrier, to transfer the filling carrier from the hopper into the shuttle at
the proper time.
At the right hand end of the loom is secured to the breast beam bracket a
extending rearwardly above the path of the lay, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, id
bracket having therein a cam slot or groove a', u, to receive in it a roller or other
stud a³ on an arm a', pivoted at a³ to a stand a secured to the top of the lay,
adjacent or near one of the shuttle boxes A* thereon, the arm a³ having depending
therefrom a feeler a', see Figs. 2 and 12, adapted to rest upon the filling carrier F
in the shuttle S when the lay moves forward, the part a of the cam slot in the
bracket a acting on the roll a to lift the feeler a' out of the path of the shuttle
and picker stick as the shuttle is thrown.
A portion of the upper side of the cam slot is cut away and closed by a sliding
piece or presser as supported on a spring-controlled plunger a mounted in a suitable
h using a on the bracket a, the sliding piece being normally held in position by
the spring, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and permitting the feeler a' to rise or fall
according to the diameter of the filling carrier, it being understood of course that
the filling carrier is gradually decreasing in diameter during the running of the
loom, the spring acting on the presser as to prevent rebound of the feeler during
the operation of the loom.
The armi a' of the feeler is extended towards the front of the loom at a 12 to form
a dagger, and adapted at times to engage a dog b on an arm 6x mounted on a
rock-shaft b', pivoted in suitable bearings 6 on the front of the main frame-work of
the loom and the bracket a respectively.
When the diameter of the mass of filling is larger than a predetermined diameter,
the dagger a will be held elevated by the feeler so that it will pass above the
dug b, at each forward stroke of the lay, and when there is no filling carrier at
all in the shuttle, the shuttle being at the other end of the lay, the dagger will pass
beneath the dog, and in neither instance will the latter be actuated.
When, however, the diameter of the filling carrier reaches the predetermined
size, the feeler a will permit the dagger a to drop sufficiently to engage the dog b
on the forward stroke of the lay, turning the dog into the position shown partially
in dotted lines Fig. 12 and rocking the shaft 6, said shaft having fast thereon a
rocker arm b³, see Figs. 2, 3 and 12, extended inwardly and connected by a link b
to a latch 6 pivoted at 6, see Fig. 4, to a hub or collar 67 fast on a rock-shaft c
mounted in suitable bearings in the frame A of the loom and extended across the
front thereof, the latch having a notch or shoulder 68 adapted at times to engage
a lug or projection C' on the weft hammer C.
When the shaft 61 is rocked, as described, the latch 6 will be lifted to bring its
shoulder into the path of movement of and to be engaged by the projection Con
the weft hammer C, as it moves forward, whereby the rock-shaft e will be partially
turned in the direction of the arrow 20, Fig. 4.
As the weft-hammer moves forward, the spent filling is ejected from the shuttle
and a fresh filling carrier inserted therein from the hopper, all in the same manner
as shown and described in the Specifications of Patents herein before referred to,
the ends of the spent and the fresh filling extending beyond the selvage.
Referring now to Figs. 1, 6, 10 and 11, the opposite or left hand end of the lay
has secured thereto at the rear a bracket d having an upturned extension d¹
projecting above the lay, just beyond the selvage, and provided with one or more
vertical slots de to receive therein one or more blades d³ of the filling parting
mechanism, said blades being preferably serrated at their under edges, as shown
at d', Fig. 6, and rigidly secured to the upper end of a bent lever d' fulcrumed
at do on an elbow lever d pivoted at d to a suitable hub on a depending portion
of the bracket d below the lay.
The bracket has a depending ear do having a substantially L-shaped cam

page_text: groove do therein to receive a roller or other stud d" on the lower end of the
blade carrying lever d', whereby when the elbow lever d' is turned on its pivot
from the position shown in Figs. 6 and 10, by means to be described, into the
position shown in Fig. 11, the lever will be moved in such manner that the
blades d will traverse a path substantially such as shown in dotted lines at d*
Fig. 11, and in the direction of the arrow, first passing forward through the slots d²
over the race of the lay sufficiently to engage the filling beyond the selvage, and
as the blades d' are retracted into the position shown in Fig. 11, the filling will be
parted, in this instance by being drawn against the extension d' and over the edges
of the slots, the extension d' and the blades thus straining the filling in opposite
directions.
A bracket is secured to the front of the loom and has pivoted thereto a
dagger on a stud f, see Fig. 7, said dagger having secured to or forming a
part of it a counterpoise f³, and a forwardly and upwardly curved dog f, the
counterpoise normally acting to depress the dagger f and elevate the dog f, as
shown clearly in Fig. 10.
The dagger is preferably notched at its end at f to engage, when lifted, a
laterally extended lug d of the elbow lever d', the normal position of the
dagger being such that it is out of the path of movement of the said lug, it
being remembered that the lever d' is secured to and movable with the lay B,
a strong spring S10 maintaining said lever and the blade carrying lever d
normally in the position shown in Fig. 10.
When the dagger is elevated into the path of the lug d, by means yet to be
described, the elbow lever d' will be rocked on its fulcrum, as shown in Fig. 11, to
actuate the filling parting mechanism, as has been described.
It is necessary to actuate the parting mechanism twice each time a fresh filling
carrier is inserted, the first movement acting to part the spent filling between
the selvage of the cloth and the ejected filling carrier, the second movement of
the parting mechanism being necessary to part the fresh filling between its point
of attachment to the hopper of the filling-supplying mechanism and the
selvage.
The rock-shaft c has fast thereon a hub c', shown separately in Fig. 9, provided
with a notched or shouldered ear c, and adjacent said hub and to the right,
viewing Fig. 1, is mounted loosely on the rock-shaft a casting g having a depending
toe g', and an upturned ear 92, notched or shouldered at g³, to at times engage the
dog f described, a collar g preventing longitudinal movement of the casting g on
the rock-shaft c, the casting forming a trigger.
When the rock-shaft c is partially rotated, as has been described, by the weft
hammer and intermediate connections, the hub e' is partially rotated, its shouldered
ear engaging the dog f, depressing the same and elevating the dagger f¹ to
bring its notched end /* into the path of the lug d on the actuating lever d' of the
parting mechanism, to operate the said mechanism the first time.
Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the width of the dog is sufficient to
extend in the paths of the shouldered ear 2 and the notched ear g2 of the hub c¹
and trigger g respectively, and referring to Fig. 10 the dog is shown as engaged by
the ear, the shoulder g of the trigger 9 resting on the dog.
Now, inasmuch as the centres of rotation of the ear cand dog f are not
concentrically located, the continued rotation of the rock-shaft c in the direction of
the arrow 20, Fig. 4, will depress the dogf and at the same time swing it outwardly
until the tip of the ear cengages its inner face, and as the distance from the end
of said tip to the centre of the rock-shaft c is slightly greater than the distance
from the said centre to the outer edge of the shoulder the dog will be withdrawn
from engagement with the said shoulder 9' and the trigger 9 will turn on the
shaft c until the notch g³ is brought into engagement with the dog, as in Fig. 11,
the dagger being elevated into operative position by the depression of the dogfi
by the ear c².
As the lay completes its forward stroke, the parting mechanism being operated

page_text: once thereby, as described, an extended arm h on the lay strikes the depending
toe g', turning the trigger g, lifting the shoulder g³ away from the dog f, but
inasmuch as the latter is held out by the tip of the ear fast on the rock-shaft c,
the dog is not released, nor the dagger flowered, and when the lay moves back
the trigger g instantly resumes the position shown in Fig. 11, bringing the dog and
notch 3 into engagement.
The rock-shaft then returns to normal position, as the inward swing of the
weft-hammer C has disengaged it from the latch 6, and as the dog is held by the
notch in the position shown in Fig. 11, the dagger is retained elevated in
operative position to again actuate the parting mechanism at the next forward
stroke of the lay.
When this second operation is accomplished, the ends of both the spent and
the fresh filling beyond the selvage having been parted close to the selvage, the
loom is to run normally until there is another change of filling.
On the forward stroke of the lay which actuates the parting mechanism the
second time, the arm strikes the toe g¹ of the trigger g and turns it to disengage
the notch g³ and the dog f, and the latter is returned to normal position, shown in
Fig. 10, by means of the counterpoise f³, lowering the dagger f into inoperative
position.
A projection 75, see Fig. 7 on the counterpoise f³ is adapted to bear upon a
suitable fixed portion of the loom frame, to limit the movement of the counterpoise
and attached parts.
Referring to Figs. 2 and 12, the arm 6x is shown as provided with a projection 30,
to be engaged by a stop 40 on the inner side of the bracket a, when the latch 66
is in normal, inoperative position, to prevent undue rotation of the rock-shaft b'.
I have not described herein the mechanism for operating the lay, the weft
hammer, the shed-forming mechanism, or the stop-motion for the loom, as they
form no part of the present invention, and may be all as usual and well known.
So far as I am aware, it is broadly new to provide means for parting a spent
filling thread adjacent to and beyond the selvage after the exhausted or nearly
exhausted filling carrier has been ejected from the shuttle; I also believe it to be
broadly new to actuate the parting devices twice in succession, first to part the
spent filling thread and then to part the new filling thread; I believe it also
to be new to control the operation of the parting mechanism by devices which
replace the filling carrier, when exhausted to a certain point, by a fresh filling
carrier.
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. The use in a loom, of a shuttle, devices for removing the filling carrier
from the shuttle when the filling is exhausted to a predetermined point, and
parting mechanism to part the spent filling thread adjacent to and outside of
the selvage as the filling carrier is removed from the shuttle, substantially as
described.
2. The use in a loom, of a shuttle, filling-supplying devices to cause a new
supply of filling to be placed in the shuttle when the former supply is exhausted
to a predetermined amount, parting mechanism to part the thread of an ejected
filling-carrier at a point outside of the selvage, and to part the thread of an
incoming filling-carrier only at its first shot, and means to actuate the parting
mechanism when the filling has been exhausted to the predetermined amount,
substantially as described.
3. The use in a loom, of a shuttle, filling-supplying devices to cause a new
supply of filling to be placed in the shuttle when the former supply is exhausted
to a predetermined amount, parting devices to part the filling thread at a point
outside the selvage, mechanism which is brought into position to actuate said
parting devices when a filling carrier is ejected from the shuttle, and which

page_text: remains in position to again actuat the parting devices after the new filling
carrier has been supplied to the shuttle, means to operate said mechanism, and
means for returning said actuating mechanism to its normal position, substantially
as described.
4. The use in a loom, of mechanism to part the filling thread, consisting of a
slotted member, a mem: er bodily movable relatively thereto and having a blade-
like portion movable in the slot of the other member, and an actuating lever and
a cam for said movable member, whereby the blade-like portion is drawn down-
wards by the actuating lever to engage the thread and then inwards by the cam
to part the thread, substantially as described.
5. The use in a loom, of a shuttle carrying an exposed filling carrier, a feeler
to contact with the filling in the shuttle at predetermined intervals to thereby
determine its volume. parting mechanism to part the filling thread adjacent to and
outside of the selvage, and devices intermediate the feeler and parting mechanism
to operate the latter to part the filling when it has been exhausted to a predeter-
mined volume, substantially as described.
6. The use in a loom, of a shuttle carrying an exposed filling carrier, a feeler
independent of the shuttle to contact with the filling therein at predetermined
intervals to thereby determine its volume, parting mechanism to part the filling
thread adjacent to and outside of the selvage after the last shot of filling from the
carrier ejected from the shuttle, and devices intermediate the feeler and the parting
niechanism, to cause the operation of the latter when the filling has been exhausted
to a predetermined volume, substantially as described.
7. The use in a loom, of a shuttle carrying an exposed filling carrier, a feeler to
contact with the filling in the shuttle at predetermined intervals to thereby
determine its volume, a filling supplying mechanism to cause a new supply of
filling to be placed in the shuttle when the former supply shall have been
exhausted to a predetermined amount, a parting mechanism to part the fresh
filling only at its first shot, at a point outside of the selvage, and devices inter-
mediate the feeler and the parting mechanism, to control its operation when a
fresh filling carrier is about to be placed in the shuttle, substantially as described.
8. The use in a loom, of a shuttle carrying an exposed filling carrier, a feeler to
contact with the filling in the shuttle at predetermined intervals to thereby
determine its volume, a filling supplying mechanism to cause a new supply of
filling to be placed in the shuttle when the former supply shall have been exhausted
to a predetermined amount, a parting mechanism to part the spent filling after its
last shot and to part the fresh filling only at its first shot, both at a point outside
of the selvage, aud devices intermediate the feeler and the parting mechanism, to
cause its operation on two successive beats of the lay when the filling has been
exhausted to a predetermined volume, substantially as described.
9. The use in a loom, of the lay, parting mechanism carried thereby to part the
filling adjacent to and outside of the selvage, a dagger to at times actuate said
mechanism as the lay moves forward, a dog movable with the dagger, an actuating
rock-shaft, an ear fast thereon, and a shouldered trigger loose on said shaft, means
including a feeler adapted to contact with the filling, and connections between the
feeler aud rock-shaft, to rock the shaft when the filling is changed to cause
engagement of the ear and dog to move the dagger into operative position as the
lay moves forward, the dog being retained in position by the trigger when the
rock-shaft and ear return to normal position, and an arm on the lay to release
the dog and trigger on the next forward movement of the lay, whereby the parting
mechanism is operated at each of such forward movements of the lay, substantially
as described.
10. The use in a loom, of filling parting mechanismn comprising a slotted arm
outside of the selvage, a serrated blade adapted to be moved through the slot of
said arm into engagement with the filling thread and to be drawn rearwardly
within the slot thereafter, to part the thread, a blade carrier, an actuating lever

page_text: upon which said carrier is pivoted, and a eam to direct the movement of the
arrier, substantially as described.
Dated the 25th day of January 1896.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.