Improvements in and relating to Means for Changing Shuttles of Looms when the Weft is Exhausted.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov.. 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Means for Changing Shuttles of
Looms when the Weft is Exhausted.
We, WILLIAM HENRY BAKER, of Central Falls, in the County of Providence
and State of Rhode Island, United States of America, Electrician, and FREDERIC
ELLSWORTH KIP, of Montclair, in the County of Essex and State of New Jersey,
United States of America, 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:
-
This invention relates to the class of looms provided with means for supplying
weft thereto as required, automatically and without stopping the loom.
In its general construction and mode of operation the invention, as herein
illustrated, comprises a shuttle-magazine on a stationary part-usually the loom-
frame with a delivery outlet; a vibrating placer, adapted to receive a shuttle
from the magazine and carry it to the lay, where it is held until the shuttle is
picked to the opposite side of the loom; a laterally displaceable, open-bottomed
shuttle-box on the lay at the side next to the magazine, which box, when dis-
placed, throws out the exhausted shuttle; a cam which operates these parts, and
an electric circuit and electromagnet controlling the operation of the parts, this
circuit having a break within the shuttle which is held open by the weft and
closes when the bobbin or other weft-holder in the shuttle is nearly or quite
denuded of weft.
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an embodiment of the in-
vention,
Figure 1 is a side-elevation of a loom provided with our improvements and
showing the positions of the parts under normal conditions; and Fig. 2 is a
similar view showing the positions of the parts when the shuttles are being
changed. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of one side of the loom. Fig. 4 is a front
elevation of the lay and the displaceable shuttle-box thereon. Fig. 5 is a side
elevation, on a larger scale, of the displaceable shuttle-box, showing the electrical
connections. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the shuttle showing the electrical
connections therein; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of one end thereof.
1 is the loom-frame, and 2, the breast-beam thereof; 3 is the lay and 4 is
ne of the lay swords; 5 is the swing-rail; 6 is one of the picker-sticks; 7 is
he crank-shaft from which the lay is vibrated, and 8 is the connecting-rod
etween said crank and the lay.
All of the above parts are, or may be, constructed substantially as in ordinary
Doms.
The shuttle-magazine 9, is mounted on the breast-beam, or some other fixed
art, and has a delivery to the placer, 10, when the latter is in its normal position
rest at or under the magazine. The placer is or may be in the nature of a
ough, with a bottom and two sides, and is carried by supporting arm, 11,
votally mounted at a on the loom-frame. The displaceable shuttle-box 12, is
spended from above on a shaft, 13, mounted to rock in brackets, 14, on the
y.
15 is a lever which operates the placer 10 and shuttle-box 12, substantially
D

page_text: simultaneously; to operate the placer, a connecting-rod 16, couples the lever 15,
with a branch arm 11" on the supporting arm 11 of the placer; and to operate
the shuttle-box, a connecting-rod 17, couples the lever 15 with an arm, 18, on
the rock-shaft 13. The lever 15 is operated by suitable mechanism. That is
to say, a toothed wheel, 19, on the shaft 7, gears with another wheel, 20, of twice
its diameter, this wheel 20, being fixed on a cam-shaft 21, on which is a cam, 22
of the proper form. This cam 22, bears on a stud 23, on a lever, 24, which is
held up to the cam by a spring 25. At each two vibratory movements of the lay
the cam 22 depresses the lever 24 and the spring elevates it when the cam shall
have passed. The free end or tip 24, of the lever 24, normally plays close to
a hook, 26", on one arm of an elbow-shaped armature lever, 26, pivotally mounted
on the lever 15, and bearing the armature, 27, of an electro-magnet, 28, carried
by the lever 15.
When the magnet 28 is excited, the hook 26 on the armature lever is pro-
jected out into the path of the end 24" of the lever 24, and during the downward
movement of this lever, which is effected by the cam 22, the lever 15, is rocked,
thus operating the placer 10 and the vibrating shuttle-box 12.
Taking the normal condition of the loom as seen Fig. 1, where there is a
shuttle, S, in the shuttle-box, and another in the placer, ready to be shifted into
line with the raceway on the lay; the lay first recedes to the picking point, when
the shuttle in the box 12 is picked to the opposite side of the loom; the lay
beats up and again recedes; the shuttle at the cpposite side, which we will
suppose to be now nearly exhausted is picked across and enters the shuttle-
box 12. This entry closes the controlling electric circuit; the magnet. 28 is
excited and attracts its armature, thus putting the hook 26 into the path of
the tip or hook 24 on the cam-lever 24. The cam 22 should be so set that at
this moment the lever 24 will be elevated and just ready to engage the took 26";
and as the lever 24 descends, the lever 15 will be rocked, thus bringing the
parts to the position seen in Fig. 2. That is to say, while the lay is advancing
to the beating-up point, the placer 10 will move toward the lay, and the shuttle-
box 12 will be swung out of the way, discharging the exhausted shuttle into
some suitable tray or receptacle, 29. The placer must reach and occupy the
position on the lay ordinarily occupied by the shuttle-box 12, by the time the
lay shall have receded to the picking point, and at this point the shuttle in the
placer will be picked to the opposite side of the loom. As soon as the picker-
stick shall have withdrawn the cam passes; the lever 15 is freed; the spring, 15",
of said lever retracts it, and through this lever and the connecting-rods 16 and 17,
the placer is returned to its normal position, and the shuttle-box 12, also returned
to its position on the lay.
The shuttle-box, has, or may have, a spring to assist in returning it to its
normal position on the lay.
The loom now operates again in the usual manner until the weft in the
shuttle in play becomes again nearly exhausted, when the operation is repeated.
Preferably the rod 16 is made telescopic and is furnished with an extension
spring 30, which permits the rod to be lengthened slightly. The purpose of
this is to compensate for the slight difference in the curvature between the paths
of the lay and the placer, but we do not consider it an essential. The electrical
connections at the shuttle-box are seen in Fig. 5, and in the shuttle, are seen
in Fig. 6. On the side of the shuttle-box 12 are mounted, two spring contacts, 3.1
and 31, which form terminals of an outer, operative, open electric circuit, com-
posed of suitable conductors 32, 32, which includes the magnet 28 and any
generator, G. When the shuttle, S enters the shuttle-box metal contact
plates, 33 and 33*, on its sides come into electrical contact, respectively with the
terminals 31 and 31. The plate 33 is connected electrically by a conductor 36,
with a sliding metal ring, 34, loose on the spindle, 35, which latter is hinged
in the shuttle; and the plate 33* is connected electrically through a suitable
conductor, 36 for example, with a metal cross-rod or piece, 37, in the shuttle.

page_text: The bobbin 6, carrying the weft, w, is slipped onto the spindle 35, and the latter
folded down into the shuttle; when an inner metal ring, 38, in the butt of the
bobbin comes into electrical contact with the ring 34, and through it with the
plate 33, while another exteriorly situated grooved ring, 39, on the bobbin comes
into contact with the rod 37, and through it with the plate 33. In a slot in
the bobbin is situated an outwardly curved spring contact, 40, which is connected
electrically with the ring 38, and its free end tends by the resiliency of the
spring to contact with a contact piece or ring, 41 on the bobbin this latter ring
being connected electrically, by any suitable conductor 42, with the outer ring 39,
on the bobbin.
The weft w, overwrapping the curved spring contact 40, holds it forcibly out
of contact with the piece 41, and thus maintains a break in the circuit until
the weft on the bobbin is nearly exhausted. We do not herein limit ourselves
to this particular construction of the electrical devices in the bobbin as other.
similar devices may be used.
When the placer 10 moves out to the lay 3, an automatic stop-device is
employed to prevent the shuttles from falling out of the magazine. As herein
shown this device is an escapement, and it comprises two pairs of hooks, 43,
and 43 which are situated at opposite sides of the magazine and connected by
a link 44, so that when one pair of hooks, moves in under the conical ends of
a shuttle, the other pair, is pressed back. The pair 43 take under the bottom
shuttle in the magazine, and the pair 43* under that next above.
tends to press the pair, 43, in under the bottom shuttle, as seen in Fig. 2; but
A spring 45*,
when the placer, 10 moves back to its position under the magazine, a projec-
tion 45, thereon engages the pair of hooks 43*, and presses them back, thus
allowing the lowermost or bottom shuttle to drop into the placer. This position
of the parts is seen in Fig. 1, we do not broadly claim this stop-device, nor do
we limit ourselves to one of this specific construction.
It will be understood that the weft-threads from the several shuttles in the
magazine will be led out and secured at some convenient point, as is usual in
this class of devices. We have not deemed it necessary to illustrate this known
feature herein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A mechanism for supplying weft as needed to a loom while it is running,
comprising a magazine, a shifting placer for carrying a shuttle from the magazine
to the lay, a suspended swinging shuttle-box on the lay, mechanism for operating
said placer and shuttle-box, and an open, operating electric circuit, including
generator and electromagnet, said circuit controlling the times of operation of
said placer and shuttle-box and having in it a break, the closure of which is
controlled by the weft in the shuttle in play, substantially as set forth.
a
2. A mechanism for supplying weft as needed to a loom while it is running,
comprising a magazine, a suspended shuttle-box on the lay and open at its
ottom for the discharge of the exhausted shuttle, a cam rotating synchronously
vith the movements of the lay, a lever operated by said cam, operative mechanism
between said lever and the placer and shuttle-box for shifting the latter at
roper times, and an open electric circuit controlling the times of operation of
aid operative mechanism, said circuit including a generator and electro-magnet
nd having in it a break, the closure of which is controlled by the weft in the
huttle in play, substantially as set forth.
3. A mechanism for supplying weft as needed to a loom while running, com-
rising a magazine, a suspended shuttle-box on the lay, and open at its bottom,
or the discharge of the exhausted shuttle, mechanism for imparting vibrating
ovements to the said box, a shifting placer for carrying a shuttle from the
agazine to the lay mechanism for imparting vibrating movements to said placer

page_text: simultaneously with those of the shuttle-box, and means for controlling the
movements of the placer and shuttle-box, said means being in turn governed by
the degree of exhaustion of the weft in the shuttle in play, substantially as set
forth.
4. In a weft-supply mechanism for looms, the combination with a magazine
to contain the full shuttles, a vibratable placer 10, to carry the shuttles from
the magazine to the lay, the arm 11, carrying said placer and having a branch 11",
the vibrating shuttle-box 12, suspended in brackets on the lay, the arm 18 for
operating the shuttle-box, the lever 15, and the rods connecting this lever respec-
tively with the arms 11" and 18, of the cam, rotating synchronously with the
movements of the lay, mechanism between said cam, and the lever 15, whereby
the cam operates the latter at proper times, and electrical means controlling the
last-named mechanism substantially as set forth.
Dated the 7th day of September 1899.
STEPHEN WATKINS & GROVES,
Wolverhampton, Agents for the Applicants.