Improvements in Shuttle Guards for Looms.
Year: 1897

page_text: I, WILLIAM SARGENTSON of Glenthorn, Padfield, Hadfield, in the County of
Derby, Merchant and Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a shuttle guard for looms which shall be cheap and
simple to construct and efficient in operation.
A shuttle guard constructed to embody these Improvements consists essentially
of a bar, plate, grid, or the like which is hinged or pivoted to the front side of
the lathe top in such a manner as to be capable of assuming two extreme positions,
one approximately horizontal when the guard is inoperative, and the other inclined
downwards when the guard is in the guarding position.
The plate, grid, or the like is provided with a movable member which may
move into or away from the remainder of the guard so as to increase or decrease
its dimensions. This movable member preferably consists of a wire, rod, or the
like which extends across the loom and has its ends bent or returned to pass
through perforations in the main body of the guard. When the guard is folded
downwards into its effective position, this movable member falls downwards to a
limited extent and thus increases the effective width of the guard. This move-
ment of the movable member may be assisted if desired by the action of a
slight spring. When the loom is stopped and the guard is moved upwards, the
movable member may be easily pressed into or against the remainder of the
guard which thus presents very little obstacle to any operations of the weaver.
The guard is suitably connected to the starting and stopping lever of the loom
so as to be automatically folded down into action when the loom is started and
to be automatically moved upwards when it is stopped, the connecting devices
being so formed and arranged as to lock the guard in either of its positions.
Dated this 19th don of Anmi AT 1807
Improvements in Shuttle Guards for Looms.
I, WILLIAM SARGENTSON of Glenthorne, Padfield, Hadfield, in the County of
Derby, Merchant and Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
[Price 8d.]

page_text: 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 a shuttle guard for looms which is cheap and simple
in construction and efficient in operation.
A shuttle guard constructed to embody these Improvements consists of a bar,
plate, grid or the like, which is suitably secured to the front of the lathe top
rail, and which is provided with a movable member which is capable of moving
toward or away from the remainder of the guard so as to increase its dimensions
in action and to decrease them when out of action so as to permit the piercing
of broken ends and other manipulations as required. This movable member pre-
ferably consists of a wire or rod which extends across the weaving space and
which has its ends bent or returned to pass through openings formed in the other
part of the guard. The effective width of the guard is increased by the movable
member which has a tendency in work to fall downwards and outwards to a
limited extent, this movement being assisted if desired by the action of a small
spring or springs. The movable member can easily be pressed into or against
the fixed part of the guard and in this position it presents no practicable obstacle
to any manipulations by the weaver.
In order that my invention may be more readily understood, I have appended
hereto a sheet of drawings which illustrate a preferred form of the shuttle guard,
to which I will hereinafter refer.
Figure 1 represents the shuttle guard in plan, part of the guard and of the
lathe top being shewn as having been broken away.
Figure 2 represents a cross section of the guard and lathe top on a larger scale.
The guard consists of a rod or bar A which is attached to the lathe top E, and
a movable member B, capable of sliding within or of moving towards the bar A.
The part A may be substituted by a grid or a plate, but the form shewn is the
lighter and simpler. As shewn, it consists of a straight length of wire or light
rod fitted at its ends into the L-shaped brackets C which are pivoted at F into
the fixings D which are secured upon the lathe top E. Thus, the wire or rod A
may be adjusted higher or lower radially around the centres F, in front of the
lathe top, and may be fixed in any position by the set screw F1. The pivots,
may however be screwed and be fitted with nuts by means of which the part A
may be fixed by tightening the nuts against the bearing in which the pivots
rest.
F
The movable member B consists of a length of wire, the ends of which are
bent or returned so as to pass freely through perforations formed in the limbs
of the brackets C. The member B is thus capable of being moved towards or
away from the lathe top and occupies, when the loom is in action, the outward
and downward position shewn by the figures. Its own weight together with the
movement of the lathe ensures this working position, but if thought desirable,
small springs may be arranged between the parts A and B to assist the movement
outwards when the loom starts. The outward movement of B may be limited
in various ways as, for example by screwing the ends of the wire and fitting nuts
thereon as shewn, or by drilling holes in the same parts and fitting split pins
therein.
In operation the guard being in about the position shewn, it is practically
impossible for a shuttle to escape from the loom, and in repeated working with
it I have found that even when the shuttle rises, the guard replaces it and compels
it to reach its destined box.
When the weaver desires to piece a broken end or perform some similar
manipulation, she simply pushes the part B inwards. The restarting of the loom
returns it to its working position automatically. The different parts may be
so proportioned and constructed that the part B can be moved into contact with
the part A.

page_text: It will of course be understood that the part A may be attached to the lathe
top in any other manner than that shewn and that it may, in wide looms, be
supported at intermediate points between its ends. Also if desired, it may be
movably mounted so as to be capable of being moved up out of the way when
required or lowered into the working position, by means of the starting and
stopping lever of the loom, but I have found that this is not actually necessary
with ordinary looms.
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:-
A shuttle guard for looms, consisting of two parts one of which is attached to
the lathe top and the other of which is adapted to slide towards the first; con-
structed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
W. E. HEYS & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.