Improvements in the Drop Box or Shuttle Box Motion of Looms for Weaving.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 15th May, 1899-Accepted, 24th June, 1899
.
Improvements in the Drop Box or Shuttle Box Motion of Looms
for Weaving.
I, FRED ROTHWELL, of 92, Rochdale Road, Bury, in the County of Lancaster,
Foreman Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to the mechanism employed in looms which are provided
with a sliding drop box or series of interchangeable shuttle boxes the position of
the drop box being regulated by suitable mechanism and governed by a pattern
chain, the principal object of the invention being to cause the same or a repeat of
the same pattern card to bring the same numbered shuttle box into operation,
irrespective of the position of such card on the chain, so that the operative can
tell from the chain itself without difficulty or calculation what shuttle will be
used at any given point, or card on the chain.
I will describe my invention as applied to work a drop box with four shuttles
but it will be understood that the same can be used for a larger number of
shuttles if required.
In a suitably formed frame I mount two shafts on each of which are mounted
a locking plate of known construction two segmental toothed wheels and an
eccentric which is acted on by both segmental toothed wheels.
Each of these four segmental wheels is capable of being rotated by a separate
vertical sliding toothed rack (or a revolving segmental toothed wheel capable
of being moved into gear with the segmental wheel aforesaid).
These racks are worked by a reciprocating sliding rod or bar being pivotted
at their lower ends to such rod or bar so that they can be pushed into gear with
their respective segmental wheels when desired, by means of suitably formed
needles and a chain of pattern cards on a reciprocating pattern cylinder of any
known form.
The clip or strap of each eccentric is connected to a lever or arm which works
the shuttle box.
The racks work the segmental wheels on the downward stroke of the recipro-
cating rod or bar.
The boxes are locked in place by stampers of known construction acting on the
locking plates above described.
The eccentric and the segmental wheels are so arranged that (supposing
segmental wheels Nos. 1 and 3 are on one shaft and 2 and 4 on the other shaft)
if needles Nos. 1 and 2 are pushed in by the pattern card, one eccentric will
be up and the other down and No. 1 shuttle box will be in working position.
If needles 1 and 3 are pushed in, both eccentrics will be up and No. 2 box will
be in working position.
If needles 2 and 4 are pushed in, both eccentrics will be down and No. 3 box

page_text: is brought into working position, and if needles 3 and 4 are pushed in, the
eccentrics will be reversed, and No. 4 box will be brought into working position.
Thus any one form of card will always bring in place the same shuttle box.
Dated this 15th day of August 1898.
Improvements in the Drop Box or Shuttle Box Motion of Looms
for Weaving.
I, FRED ROTHWELL, of 92, Rochdale Road, Bury, in the County of Lancaster,
Foreman 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:-
This invention relates to the mechanism employed in looms which are provided
with a sliding drop-box, or series of interchangeable shuttle-boxes; the position of
the drop-box being regulated by suitable mechanism and governed by a pattern
chain, the principal object of the invention being to cause the same, or a repeat of
the same pattern card to bring the same numbered shuttle-box into operation,
irrespective of the position of such card on the chain, so that the operative can
tell from the chain itself without difficulty or calculation what shuttle will be
used at any given point, or card on the chain.
The manner of carrying my said invention into practical effect will be readily
understood on reference to the two sheets of drawings hereunto annexed and the
following explanation thereof.
On Sheet 1 of the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section, and
Fig. 2 a plan view of my improved drop-box or shuttle-box motion.
On Sheet 2 of the drawings, Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same, and Fig. 4
is a series of diagrams illustrating the relative positions of the working parts
required to bring each shuttle-box into position.
In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 a is a portion of the frame of the apparatus, 6 the eight
sided pattern cylinder on which the pattern card is placed, c is the hook for
actuating the same by means of the wheel & such hook swinging or oscillating
on the centre e.
I have shewn and will here describe my invention as applied to work a drop-
box motion with four shuttles, but it will be understood that the same can be
used for a larger or smaller number of shuttles if required.
In a suitably formed frame a I mount two shafts f and fx on each of which
are mounted a locking plate g and g of known construction, two segmental
toothed wheels h h and h* * and an eccentric and *, which is acted on by
both segmental wheels.
Each of these four segmental wheels is capable of being rotated by a separate
vertical sliding toothed rack k k and k*k*, as shewn on the drawings, but if pre-
ferred they may be actuated each by a revolving segmental toothed wheel capable
of being moved into gear with the segmental wheels h h, and ** aforesaid.
All the racks and are worked by a reciprocating or rising and falling
rod or bar being pivotted at their lower ends thereto, so that they can be pushed
into gear with their respective segmental wheels h or when desired by means
of suitably formed needles m or withdrawn therefrom by springs n according
as blanks or holes are presented thereto by the chain of pattern cards on the
reciprocating pattern cylinder which may be actuated in any known manner.

page_text: The clip or strap o of each excentric or is connected to a lever or arm p
which works the shuttle-boxes. The rod or bar is caused to rise and fall
alternately by means of a revolving cam q and the racks work the segmental
wheels hh on the downward stroke of such rod or bar.
The shuttle-boxes are locked in place by stampers of known construction act-
ing on the locking plates and * above referred to.
The relative positions of the excentrics ii, and segmental wheels * are so
arranged that they bring either No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, or No. 4 box into working
position according to the position of the blanks and spaces which occur on the
pattern card, as will be seen clearly on referring to the diagrams Fig. 4 on
Sheet 2 of the drawings.
When Nos. 1 and 2 needles are pushed in together by the pattern card, the
eccentrics and segment wheels will be moved into the position shown at dia-
gram A, and No. 1 shuttle box will be in working position.
When needles 1 and 3 are pushed in (see diagram B) No. 2 shuttle-box will
be brought into position.
When needles 2 and 4 are pushed in the positions of the excentrics and
segment wheels will be as in diagram C and No. 3 shuttle box will be brought
into line, and
When needles 3 and 4 are pushed in together the excentrics and segment
wheels will be moved into the position shown at diagram D and No. 4 shuttle-
box will then be in working position.
Thus any one form of pattern card will always bring into place the same
shuttle-box so that the operative by looking at the card on the cylinder can
always tell without difficulty or calculation which shuttle will be used, for the
next shoot. I may here remark that on Fig. 1 the excentrics are shown as work-
ing No. 1 box and in Fig. 2 the needles are shown in the position to change
the same to No. 2 box on the further revolution of the cam q.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
:
First The improved drop-box or shuttle-box motion to be applied to looms
for weaving substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the draw-
ings annexed, whereby the operative can, by looking at the particular card on
the pattern cylinder, tell at once which shuttle will be used for the next shoot
without any difficulty, or any calculation, and
Secondly. I claim the combination of the excentrics and segment wheels
actuated by the pattern cards substantially as and for the purposes herein before
set forth.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicant, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.