IMPROVEMENTS IN WEFT STOP MECHANISM OF POWER LOOMS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, GEORGE MURRAY WILSON Tweed Manufacturer Langlands Mill Hawick N.B.
do hereby doclare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN WEFT STOP
MECHANISM OF POWER LOOMS to be as follows:-
The invention consists in a means whereby powerlooms may be automatically
stopped on the weft thread breaking or running off. The apparatus consists of
1. A weft fork consisting of one or more prongs in a socket which is pivotted on
a small bar.
2. On this bar at a little distance from the fork is fixed a small catch which
moves with the fork and which catches when necessary a nick or slot in the top of
the pendulum mentioned below.
3. A small pendulum, having on its side a finger, which raises the fork at each
stroke of the slay, and has at its lower end a projecting stud for actuating the
knocking-off motion.
4. A small rod or pusher placed at one side of the pondulum, and having
depending from it an arm which hangs a little below the slay. On this arm is a
small whorl or pulley (5) which travels on a stationary horizontal inclined plane or
shaper that is fixed below the slay and may be bolted to any suitable part of the
breast-beam or frame of the loom. The pulley is kept in constant contact with the
inclined plane by means of a spring.
The action is as follows :
When the slay makes the backward motion (from the breast-beam) the small
pulley (No 5 above) pressing on the inclined plane below the slay, causes the
pusher (4) to press against the pendulum and pushes it a considerable distance to
one side, the finger on the pendulum, at the same time raising the weft-fork.
When the shuttle has passed and the slay commences the forward motion, the
inclined plane allows the pusher to leave the pendulum free to swing back. If the
weft is there in the shed it holds up the weft-fork and the catch on the same
spindle, and the pendulum falls into its original position, ready for another pick.
If the weft is not there when the fork falls, the small catch (2) on the fork spindle
engages in the nick or slot in the top of the pendulum when it has half fallen and
holds it in that position.
This brings the stud on the lower end of the pondulum to be exactly opposite
to a finger on a rod running along the inside of the breast beam of the loom.
When the slay comes near the breast beam the stud on the pendulum strikes the
finger on this rod, the other end of which is connected with the belt guide iu such
a way that it causes the belt to shift on to the loose pulley. At the same time, a
brake on the crank shaft which was held out of gear by the belt-guide, falls into
action, and the loom is stopped almost instantaneously.
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page_text: I, GEORGE MURRAY WILSON, of Langlands Mill, Hawick in the County of
Roxburgh, North Britain, Tweed Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
my said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WEFT STOP MECHANISM OF POWER
LOOMS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say:-
"
My said Invention has for its object to improve the construction and action of
mechanism by means of which a power loom may be automatically stopped on the
weft thread breaking or running off.
My improved mechanism_is_shown on an accompanying sheet of explanatory
drawings in which figures, I, II, and III, are front views of the mechanism as in
different positions; whilst figure, IV, is a vertical section as at right angles to
figures, I, II, and III, and figure, V, is a corresponding plan. In these drawings
the same reference letters are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they
are repeated.
Upon the front of the slay or lathe, S, there is fixed a metal plate, P, carrying
the weft fork, A, which consists of a pair of flat wires fixed to a boss formed on
a short horizontal spindle, N, which is held between conical centres screwed
through lugs formed on the plate, P. The fork A, is shown raised in figures, II
and IV, and when it is in its lowest position its wires lie in a groove formed in the
top of the slay to receive them. On the front of the plate. there is centered a
pendulous lever, B, which has formed near the lower end of its long arm a stud F,
projecting forwards; and when the lever is in the position in which it is shown in
figure, III, this stud F, is by the forward movement of the slay, S, brought into
contact with the short arm H of the knocking-off rod K, and by partly turning
that rod makes the lever, L, on its other end push the spring belt-shifting lever
out of its retaining notch. When the pendulous lever, B, is in the position in
which it is shown in figure I, its stud, F, does not encounter the arm, H, of the
knocking-off rod on the slay moving forwards. When the slay, S, moves back-
wards from the breast beam, M, the pendulous lever, B, is moved into the position
in which it is shown in figure, II, by a cam rod, C, which is centered upon the
underside of the breast beam M, in a manner to allow of its moving through a
a small angle horizontally. This rod, C, which is of a curved or cam-like form as
viewed in plan, passes through a slot in a small plate, R, fixed to the underside of
the slay, S, and this plate, R, acting on the curved part of the rod as the slay
moves backwards causes the rod to move so as to act on the pendulous lever, B, in
the manner indicated. The pendulous lever, B, is formed with an arm, T, which
when the lever is moved into the position in which it is shown in figure, II bears
up against the underside of the boss of the weft fork, A, towards the inner side of
the spindle, N, and makes the fork turn up, and the shuttle is thrown when the
fork is in this position. When the slay, S, moves forwards again the rod, C,
moving away from the pendulous lever, B, allows the latter to swing back by the
weight of its longer arm having the stud, F, on it. This action allows the fork, A,
to fall, but if a weft thread is present under it, it is by the thread prevented from
falling into its lowest position. If however no thread is present the weft fork, A,
falls at once to its lowest position and in doing so brings a catch, D, formed on its
spindle, N, into a position to intercept a catch, E, formed on the pendulous
lever, B. When the catches, D and E engage in this way in consequence of the
absence of a weft thread on the slay, the pendulous lever, B, is retained in the
position in which it is shown in figure III and then the forward movement of

page_text: the slay causes the knocking-off action and the stopping of the loom as hereinbefore
described. When there is a weft thread on the slay the catch, E, of the pendulous
lever gets past the position in which it would engage with the catch, D, before
the latter reaches the engaging position; and the pendulous lever, B, reaches the
position in which it is shown in figure, I, before the slay has moved far enough
forwards for the stud, F, to encounter the knocking-off details.
I do not restrict myself to the precise details herein described or delineated
provided that the distinctive features of my Invention are retained, these being,-
1, the construction, arrangement, and mode of action of the pendulous lever B,
2, the construction of the weft-fork spindle in combination with the pendulous
lever B, 3, the cam rod, C, arranged to impart a transverse horizontal movement
to the lower part of the pendulous lever B, and, 4, the combination of the several
parts constituting the weft stop mechanism.
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
1. The construction, arrangement and mode of action of the pendulous lever, B,
substantially as herein before described.
2. The construction of the weft-fork spindle in combination with the pendulous
lever, B, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The construction and arrangement of the cam rod, C, for imparting a
transverse horizontal movement to the lower part of the pendulous lever, B,
substantially as herein before described.
4. The combination of the several parts constituting my improved weft-stop
mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this twenty-sixth day of December 1884.