Improvements in Means for Changing Shuttles on Failure of Weft in Looms for Weaving.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Apr., 1897-Accepted, 8th May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Changing Shuttles on Failure of Weft
in Looms for Weaving.
I, OTTO AKERLUND, of Lerum, Sweden, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in looms for weaving and the object of my
improvements is to change the shuttles when the yarn breaks, or the cop is nearly
empty, by an automatic motion actuated partly by the weft fork motion, and
partly by the cop in the shuttle without stopping the loom.
To effect my purpose I connect to the upper portion of the slay a receiver for
some full shuttles; this receiver may be formed in two portions the upper portion
being suspended from stationary arms or equivalents so that the movement of this
part of the receiver is comparatively slight and therefore full shuttles can be easily
placed in it when the loom is running.
in carrying out my invention I employ the usual weft fork motion with such
modifications as are necessary to cause it, when the weft fails or the shuttle is
nearly empty, to actuate mechanism connected with the receiver and allow a full
shuttle to drop into the upper portion of the shuttle box; the empty shuttle may
make one pick or so after the weft breaks and before it returns to the side of the
loom on which the receiver is placed; the shuttle box is raised and the empty
shuttle enters the lower box, the shuttle box is then lowered so as to bring the
full shuttle into its working position to be acted upon by the picker and
simultaneously the empty shuttle is allowed to fall out of the lower box.
In order to change the shuttles when the cop is nearly empty I, in one
arrangement, fit in the shuttle a small plate spring which lies in contact with the
yarn on the cop; to the free end of this plate is secured a thimble or other shaped
piece of metal which projects through a hole in the side of the shuttle and as the
lathe beats up this thimble shaped piece acting upon a spring or its equivalent on
the lathe at the opposite side of the loom to the receiver, holds the shuttle changing
motion out of action; when the yarn is nearly all unwound from the cop the
thimble shaped piece does not project far enough through the shuttle side to act
upon the spring outside and consequently the weft fork mechanism is actuated to
allow a full shuttle to fall from the receiver into the shuttle box and make the
other changes described so as to get rid of the empty or nearly empty shuttle.
Dated this 1st day of June 1896.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for Applicant.
COME
E SPECIF
ION.
Improvements in Means for Changing Shuttles on Failure of Weft
in Looms for Weaving..
I, OTTO ÅKERLUND, of Lerum, Sweden, 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 improvements in looms for weaving and the object of

page_text: my improvements is to change the shuttles when the yarn breaks or the cop is
nearly empty, by an automatic motion actuated in the first case by the weft fork
motion and in the second case by the cop in the shuttle without stopping the
loom.
In the accompanying four sheets of drawings-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a shuttle box and receiver made according to my
invention and fitted at one side of a loom,
Fig. 2 is an end view from the left hand side of Fig. 1, and
Fig. 3 is a sectional end view on the line A B, in Fig. 1, showing the parts in a
different position.
Figs. 4 and 5 are side elevation and plan respectively of mechanism for changing
the shuttle when the weft fails, and
Figs. 6 and 7 are sectional end views of Fig. 4.
Referring to the drawings,-several shuttles 2 with full cops are placed in a
receiver composed of two plates 3.with connecting parts suspended from a shaft 4
by two arms 5 and pivoted below on two studs 6 connected to the lathe 7 of the
loom whereby the lower portion of the receiver moves with the lathe whilst the
upper portion moves so little that fresh shuttles can be easily placed in it when
the loom is running. The shuttles are prevented from falling out of the receiver
by forks 8 shown in their normal position in Figs. 1 and 2; below the receiver
are two shuttle boxes 9 on the lathe constructed like an ordinary two shuttle box
excepting that there is a pivoted cover 10 above the upper box and a pivoted
bottom 11 for the lower box. The shuttle boxes 9 are connected to the weft fork
motion so as to be raised when the weft fails by the rods 12 and other suitable
connections. When the shuttle boxes 9 are raised movement is given in the
contrary direction by any convenient mechanism to a rod 22 connected at the top
to the middle of a lever 23; to one end of this lever is pivoted an arm 24 which is
secured to the pivoted top cover 10 for the upper shuttle box and to the other end
is connected an arm 25 secured to the pivoted bottom 11 of the lower shuttle box.
In Figs. 4 and 5 a shuttle 2 is shown in the upper shuttle box in its working
position on the lathe 7, the usual weft fork 26 is pivoted at 27 to a rod 28 the end
of which passes through a boss 29 with a shank which passes through and is secured
to a lever 30 pivoted at 31; to the lever 30 is pivoted a rod 32 coupled by
connections, not shown, to the rods 12 for raising and lowering the shuttle boxes.
The hammer lever 33 is secured upon a shaft 34 oscillated by a lever 42 from the
tappet or other shaft so that when the lever 33 meets the weft fork it causes the
shuttle to be changed, as will be explained later.
The mechanism for changing the shuttles when the cop is nearly empty is shown
best in Figs. 6 and 7.
In Fig. 6 a full cop 35 is shown in the shuttle 2, and in Fig. 7 an almost empty
cop; a spring plate 36 bears against the cop in the shuttle and to this plate is
secured a pusher 37 which projects through the side of the shuttle until the cop is
almost empty; for every pick of the shuttle to the right the projecting pusher 37
presses against a spring plate 38 resting against a small arm 39 fixed on and turning
a rod 40 carried in bearings on the lathe; as the rod 40 is turned a hooked arm 43
fixed thereon latches the back end of the weft fork out of the path of the hammer
lever 33, see Fig. 6, and so long as the pusher 37 is pressed far enough through
the side of the shuttle by the cop to move the arm 39 and turn the spindle 40 the
arm 43 will continue to lift the weft fork clear of the hammer. When, however,
the cop is almost empty as shown in Fig. 7, and the pusher 37 fails to move the
arm 39 and therefore the spindle 40 remains stationary, the hooked end of the
weft fork drops into the path of the hammer lever 33 which catches it and thereby
moves the lever 30 and rod 32 which latter is connected so as to raise the shuttle
boxes by the rods 12 and lower the rod 22 and so bring the parts into the position
shown in Fig. 3. The downward movement of the rod 22 actuates the levers 23, 24
and 25 and simultaneously, raises the lid 10 of the upper and lifts the bottom 11 of
the lower shuttle box so that the shuttle which has to be re-placed is received on

page_text: its return pick by the lower shuttle box. To turn the forks 8 and allow a full
shuttle to drop from the receiver 3 into the upper shuttle box a rod 13 is pivoted
at 14 to a bracket 15 secured to the shuttle boxes and at the other end the rod 13
is connected to an arm 16 mounted on the shaft 4. Connected to the arm 15 is a
rod 17 pivoted to an arm 18 secured to a shaft 19 to which the forks 8 are secured;
the shaft 19 is carried in two bearings 20 secured to a bar 21 which is attached at
each end to the receiver 3.
The lifting of the shuttle boxes as described simultaneously actuates the rod 13
pivoted thereto and the rod 13 raises the arm 16 which in turn lifts the rod 17 and
turns the forks 8 the lower prong of which allows the bottom shuttle in the
receiver 3 to fall into the upper shuttle box 9 while the upper prong retains the
remaining shuttles in the receiver. As soon as the new shuttle is in operation its
weft tilts the weft fork clear of the hammer 33 thus releasing the lever 30 and
allowing a spring 45 to draw it and through the connections the shuttle boxes back
into their normal positions as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cover 10 closing and the
bottom 11 opening downwards as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, to allow the empty
shuttle to fall out while the loom continues in operation having changed an empty
shuttle for a full one.
When the weft breaks the weft fork causes the hammer lever 33 to actuate the
parts to change shuttles as already explained.
As the receiver 3 is suspended from a shaft 4 and is free to oscillate on two
arms 5 pivoted on two studs 6 on the shuttle boxes it follows that the movement of
the top portion of the receiver will be very slight so that full shuttles can be easily
put in it while the loom is running.
I wish it to be understood that I do not wish to limit myself to the exact details
herein shown and described as the mechanism may be varied or modified without
departing from the nature of my invention, for example, instead of the forks 8 and
their connections any other suitable means for releasing the shuttles from the
receiver may be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
In a loom for weaving-
1. The combination with the weft fork, of mechanism for automatically releasing
a full shuttle from a receiver and substituting it for a shuttle in which the weft is
either broken or the cop is nearly empty substantially as and for the purposes
described.
2. The combination and general arrangement of mechanism for substituting a
fresh shuttle without stopping the loom when the weft breaks or fails substantially
as herein set forth.
Dated this 1st day of Anril 1807
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.