Year: 1887

page_text: I, ERNEST FERNAND BRULÉ, of Amiens (Somme) France, Machinist 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 :-
The object of my present invention is to produce apparatus or machinery so as to
effect in looms, an automatic and regulated unrolling of the warp or chain of
whatever material it is composed.
This invention embodies a registering unrolling drum, round which passes the warp
or chain thread, from the beam. The warp is made to pass over the said drum by
means of guide rollers, and is caused to embrace as much of the circumference as
possible. These rollers also keep the thread on the drum and prevent it slipping.
I will now describe the working of the apparatus.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 is an end view of a portion of a machine
shewing the regulating drawing off mechanism according to my invention, Figure 3
is an elevation, and Figure 4 is a part plan of a machine drawn to a smaller scale
than the previous figures shewing the regulating unwinding mechanism according to
my invention applied thereto.
A is the warp thread, B the registering and unrolling drum, covered as required
either with cloth, emery cloth, india rubber, linen, or other material; C D E are guide
rollers pressing and maintaining the warp, and thus obtaining even unwarping, and
preventing warp from slipping off; F endless screw (the pitch of the thread of which
is of say a centimetre) serving to drive the worm. wheel fastened on the registering
and unrolling drum; G worm wheel fastened to the registering drum; H balance
lever pressing against cylinder C, which takes hold of the warp at its exit from the
warp beam to be pressed on the registering and unrolling drum; I standards placed
each side of frame carrying the apparatus a, b warp beam.
On the back of the machine at the lower part and on two supports I there is
mounted the drum B made of cast iron or wood covered with cloth fabric, caoutchouc
or other suitable material according to circumstances and of the required diameter.
This diameter is variable, it should however be noticed that in the accompanying
drawing it is shewn having 50 centimetres to the circumference which has the effect
LD

page_text: of facilitating the change of the pinions for the different wefts. The operation is the
same when counting by inches. It is then the manufacturer himself who decides
what the circumference of the drum must be which is regulated according to the
work to be done.
On the drum is keyed the worm wheel G having say 50 teeth, this wheel receives
its motion from the screw F as before described; the shaft M of the screw F may be
driven directly by a pinion H not shewn at Figs. 1 and 2, which latter can be changed
at will and in its place a pinion having a greater or less number of teeth substituted
according to the weft to be obtained. Or as shewn at Figs. 3 and 4 the screw
shaft M may have keyed thereon a mitre wheel N gearing with a mitre wheel N¹ on
a stud axle from the frame of machine; and fixed to the mitre wheel N¹ is the
changeable pinion H.
The ratchet K Figure 4 which drives what may be called the regulator or warp
unwinding mechanism has 50 teeth and it advances one tooth at each stroke and on
the ratchet shaft there is keyed a pinion L Figure 3 having 50 teeth which drives or
gears with the pinion H and drives the shaft M of the screw F.
Supposing for example that on the shaft of the screw F there is a pinion with
50 teeth; when the ratchet or pinion of 50 teeth has made a complete revolution
there will also have been made a complete revolution of the screw F which advances
a tooth of the worm wheel G and will have uncovered or unwound a centimetre of the
circumference of the drum, there will consequently be 50 wefts inserted in the length
of a centimetre of the warp.
Starting with this principle there would be as many wefts in a centimetre as there
are teeth in the spur wheel H driving the screw shaft M.
The warp or chain A as it comes from the beam b, or a passes under an iron
roller C which holds the said warp in contact with the drum B and by means of a
sufficient pressure regulated for example by a balance lever H³, it prevents any slip
of the warp thread by the insertion of the weft. It then passes round the greater
portion of the circumference of the drum and thence over and under two other
rollers D and E arranged as shewn and then ascends towards the thread carrier P
Figure 3 to be there woven in the ordinary manner.
It should be observed that the rollers D E are utilized to avoid or prevent the
sliding or slipping of the warp and that their number and arrangement may be
considerably varied according to the different manufactures.
It is very evident that whatever may be the length of the chain or warp rolled on
the beam a or b or whatever may be the variation of the diameter of the said beam
the unrolling and regulating drum B being driven in a positive manner and itself
driving or drawing the chain or warp, the latter will be delivered in a length
rigourously exact at each insertion of the weft from the commencement to the end of
the manufacture.
In all cases the winding or rolling round of the fabric is done in a negative
manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
The automatic unrolling of the chain or warp applicable to all looms and for all
kinds of materials characterised by the employment of an unrolling regulating drum
driven by endless screw, pinions, and ratchet combined and arranged substantially as
above described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1887.
BREWER & SON,
For the Applicant