Improvements in Means for Operating the Moveable Shuttle Boxes of Looms.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 26th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 26th Mar.. 1895-Accepted, 27th Apr.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Operating the Moveable Shuttle Boxes
of Looms.
1 WILLIAM HENRY HACKING of The California Iron Works, Bury, in the
County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My said invention relates to the well known class of looms having drop, revolving
or other moveable shuttle boxes as is well understood. At present in operating
the mechanism which moves the shuttle boxes of such looms it is customary to
employ an independent card barrel arrangement which is operated so as to bring
the requisite blanks and spaces or equivalent parts opposite to the needles or other
means which bring the box shifting mechanism into action. This necessitates the
provision of independent card barrels and also means for operating the same.
The object of my invention is to simplify matters by dispensing with the said
independent card barrel and causing the card blanks and spaces to be worked from
the ordinary jacquard or dobby of the loom.
In the first place instead of the revolving cards or card barrel I use sliding metal
strips or plates arranged opposite to the vibrating needle levers which operate the
shuttle box shifting mechanism. These plates slide in a bracket attached to the
frame of the loom. Each plate has a space formed in it and at the back has a
projection which lies in the path of the extended face of a spring trigger lever
pivotted on a projection from the bracket and held against the back of the bracket
by a spring. Any suitable number of these sliding plates are arranged together,
and each plate is connected at the foot to a spring which tends to keep it in
its lowest position with, for example, the space opposite to the corresponding
ueedle.
When a sliding plate is raised, its projection at the back lifts the trigger lever,
and passes beneath it, the trigger lever then snapping down beneath the projection
so as to uphold and maintain the plate in its raised position, when it presents, for
example, a blank to the opposing needle. The next plate that is raised, in lifting
the trigger lever allows the escape of the plate last raised so that this trip, release
and catch motion has the result that when any one of the plates is raised, it releases
the plate last raised and allows it to fall.
The aforesaid sliding plates are tied up to corresponding needles or hooks in the
jacquard or dobby of the loom, the said needles or hooks being operated from the
same cards or barrels which govern the raising and lowering of the healds.
The result of my improved arrangement is that the needle levers which govern
the shuttle boxes, vibrate towards the aforesaid moveable plates, supported as
described. When a plate is raised by the action of the jacquard or dobby the
needle of the corresponding vibrating lever comes against the blank of the plate
and the lever being thus arrested operates the corresponding shuttle box and effects
the required change of shuttle.
At the same time the plate which was last raised drops, and the shuttle which it
governs is moved out of action.
Thus all of the advantages of the old system are obtained by much simpler
means and with greater economy of power.

page_text: In shuttle box shifting mechanism having stationary needles (or their equivalents)
not carried by vibrating levers, the moveable plates and the mechanism for actuating
the same are made to vibrate to and from the stationary needles to effect the
required change of shuttle.
Dated than orth lane of Luna 1201
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Operating the Moveable Shuttle Boxes
of Looms.
I WILLIAM HENRY Hacking of The California Iron Works, Bury, in the
County of Lanenster, Machine Maker, 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 and accompanying
drawings:-
My said invention relates to the well known class of looms having drop, revolving
or other moveable shuttle boxes as is well understood.
At present in operating the mechanism which moves the shuttle boxes of such
looms, it is customary to employ an in lependent card barrel arrangement which is
operated so as to bring the requisite blanks and spaces or equivalent parts
opposite to the needles or other means which bring the box shifting mechanism into
action.
This necessitates the provision of independent card barrels and also means for
operating the same.
The object of my invertion is to simplify such mechanism by dispensing with
the said independent card barrel and causing the card blanks and spaces to be
worked from the ordinary jacquard or dobby of the boom.
To render my invention more easily understood I will now refer to the annexed
two sheets of illustrative drawings.
On Sheet 1-
Fig. is a side elevation of a shuttle box motion of my improved type shown
for the sake of iliustration in conjunction with a drop box mechanism for which
I have already obtained a Patent No. 2091 of 1891.
Fig. 2 is a back view of the needle levers and other parts.
Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modification of the arrangement.
Fig. 4 is a back view of the needles and levers as shown in Fig. 3.
On Sheet 2 :—
Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the portion of Fig. 1 which more particularly
refers to my invention.
Fig. 6 is a back view of the bracket which carries the sliding plates which net
upon the needle levers.
Fig. 7 is a plan of the bracket and levers.
The jawed bracket a to carry the sliding card plates & is bolted to the frame of
the motion. Its jaws are formed with covers a which confine and support the ends
of a slide box composed of two halves el bolted together. A space is left between
the two slide halves to receive the card plates b. There may be any suitable
number of such card plates corresponding to the number of shuttles, but four
are shown in the drawing. Each card plate has a space formed in it and has
also a projection on the back. The card plates are connected at the foot by
springs to a fixed bar e and at the top are tied up by the connections to corre-
sponding needles or hooks in the jacquard or dobby of the loom, the said needles

page_text: or hooks being operated by the same cards or barrels which govern the raising and
lowering of the healds.
b
The projections from the back of the card plates b, are arranged to engage at
times with the trip bar g of a trigger which is pivotted on the spindle h, the
bar g' being held constantly against the back half of slide box and across the
path traversed by the projections by means of a spring which connects the short
arm with the bar e. The trigger is also connected by an attachment to a
needle or hook of the jacquard or dobby. The card plates are pulled and held
down in their lowest position by the springs d and when thus held down, the spaces
in the plates come opposite to the corresponding needles which are carried on the
levers 1. When by the operation of the jacquard or dobby a card plate bis raised
by its connection, its projection 2 at the back lifts the spring trip bar and
trigger glg, and passes beneath it, the trip bar g' then snapping down beneath the
projection so as to uphold and maintain the card-plate in its raised position. When
thus raised the plate presents a blank surface to the advancing needle and the
corresponding needle lever 7 being thus arrested in its advance, operates the corre
sponding shuttle box and effects the required change of shuttle, in a manner and
by means of mechanism which form no part of my present invention but which
will be clearly understood from a perusal of the Specification of my said former
Patent No. 2091 of 1891.
b
When this selected shuttle has performed its required number of picks, the next
plate which is called upon and raised, in lifting the trip bar y allows the plate
last raised to escape and resume its lowered position, while the plate last raised
opposes its corresponding needle and so on, the indicated trip, release and catch
motions having the result.that when any one of the plates is raised, it releases the
plate last raised and allows it to full. When it is wished to allow all of the card
plates to remain down, thus presenting spaces to all of the needles, the jacquard
or dobby pulls on the trigger by means of the tie and lifts the trigger away
so that all of the plates are left unsupported. This would prevent any change in
the shuttle boxes or unnecessary action of the needles, and would come into effect
when weaving portions of fabric requiring no change of shuttle as for example in
weaving handkerchiefs, dusters, towelling and the like. When the change of
shuttle is again called for, the requisite plate is raised and the shuttle boxes again
operate.
n
The needle levers are pivotted at 1, and are vibrated to and fro by an
excentric m, acting on bowls a carried on brackets / projecting from the levers, and
working against the pressure of springs o which tend to push the needles & against
the card plates.
which
The result of my improved arrangement is that the needle levers
govern the shuttle boxes, vibrate towards the aforesaid moveable card plates b
supported and operated as described. When a card is raised by the action of the
jacquard or dobby the needle of the corresponding vibrating lever comes against
the blank part of the plate and the lever being thus arrested operates the corre-
sponding shuttle box and effects the required change of shuttle. As I have already
said, the method and means whereby this stoppage of the needle lever is caused to
operate the shuttle box is no part of my present invention and may be gathered
from a perusal of the Specification of my Patent No. 2091 of 1891. As each
card plate is raised the last plate raised is released and dropped, causing the shuttle
which it governs to be moved out of action.
I thus obtain all of the advantages of the old system by much simpler means
and with greater economy of power.
In view of what has been said a few words will suffice to describe the modification
illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4 of Sheet I. In this modification the needle bars and
needles are stationary, while the card plates with their supporting brackets and
parts are vibrated towards and from the needles k. The frame p which carries
the plates and parts is pivotted at pand is operated by an excentric from the
shaft r.
The needles & are of the usual horizontally sliding type, and the motion

page_text: is so arranged that if desired the slide box c with the card plates can be taken
out of the frame p and replaced by an ordinary card barrel, the needles being
moved either by the jacquard or dobby or in the ordinary way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what 1
claim is.
1. In apparatus for facilitating the operation of the moveable shuttle boxes of
looms, dispensing with the usual revolving cards or card barrels for operating the
needle levers which govern the shuttle box shifting mechanism, and substituting
therefor the sliding card plates, the Enid card plates being connected to aud
operated by the needles or hooks of the jacquard or dobby of the loom, substantially
as hereinbefore described and as shown.
2. The improved means for facilitating the operation of the levers which affect
the shuttle box shifting mechanism, the said improved means consisting of the
sliding card plates & carried in a slide box and operated from the jacquard or dobby
of the loom, the said card plates presenting blanks or spaces to the neeilles or
projections from the levers, according to their position, and acting in combination
with the spring trigger arrangement for tripping, catching and releasing the said
card plates substantially as described and shown.
3. The general arrangement construction and combination of parts comprising
the improved apparatus for operating the movable shuttles boxes of looms, sub-
stantially as described and as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings or
as modified in accordance with Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.
4. As means for effecting the indicated objects, the card plates & operated from
the jacquard or dobby and carried in a stationary or movable slide box, the snid
card plates being formed with spaces or holes, and with projections to engage at
the back with a spring trigger also connected to the jacquard or dobby and
operating with the described trip, catch and release motions, in combination with
vibrating or stationary levers provided with or connected to needles which affect
their corresponding levers according as the needles strike against the card plates
or pass through the spaces therein, so as to change the shuttle boxes substantially
as hereinbefore described and shown.
Dated the 25th day of March 1895.
E. K. DUTTON & Co.,
5, John Dalton Street, Manchester, Agents.