Improvements in Looms for Weaving Textile Fabrics.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Looms for Weaving Textile Fabrics.
I, JOHN IRELAND, of Ireland's Lane, Dundee, in the County of Forfar, Scotland,
Shuttle and Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in looms for weaving textile fabrics,
the objects being to throw the shuttle from side to side and to receive it in
its boxes in a new and improved manner; to improve the design of the box
ends, the swells and the picking arms; and to provide mechanism for arresting
the forward motion of the reed should the loom be stopped when the shuttle
is not in either box.
In carrying out my invention, I make each picker in the form of a metal
carriage which is free to move backwards and forwards between guides fastened
to the lathe, that is to say each picker moves on or between guides. Such
pickers may be on rollers, ball bearings or their equivalent, although I generally
prefer to use simple slides. The faces of the guides are kept away as far as
possible from the top of the lathe in order that no oil may come on to the
cloth. Each picker is actuated either from above or from underneath the lathe
by a picking arm in the usual manner, and preferably these picking arms are of
special design, which design will be described later. The fronts of the pickers
are provided with buffers or cushions against which the plates of the shuttle strike.
A rod which is free to move along its axis to some extent, and of some weight,
is sunk in the lathe, and extends from the one end to the other of same, its outer
extremities being provided with buffers against which each picker is alternately
pushed by the moving shuttle. The rod is so designed that its longitudinal
movement or reciprocation may be made more or less by an adjustable spring
drag or drags at the end or ends of the lathe, according to the width of the
loom, the weight of the shuttle and the number of picks per minute. The
forward travel, that is to say the distance each picker may approach towards the
centre of the loom is determined by fixed adjustable buffers.
The action of the combination is as follows:-Each picker is reciprocated by
its picking arm and thus throws the shuttle from side to side of the loom much
in the ordinary way. When the shuttle is coming into its box it strikes the
picker, which in turn comes against the buffer on the moveable rod which at
that moment is at its furthest distance from its box end. The inertia of the rod
and its appurtenances is such that the momentum of the shuttle is neutralized
when such rod moves along its path to its other position, at which time the shuttle
is ready to be thrown to the other side of the loom and the other extremity of
the moveable rod is in position to receive it.
The picking arms may be made of metal tubing or of metal tubing fitted with
a wooden core. The adjustable discs for holding the arms are preferably made
so that they can grip the round tubes. The ordinary bolt used to clamp the discs
together is employed, such bolt passing through the picking arm.

page_text: The free extremities of the picking arms are provided with metal ends so
designed that they easily and naturally hold the strap, chain, band, or cord by
means of which motion is communicated from the arm to the picker. Sometimes
I may cause the wooden core to project somewhat beyond the tube and attach
the strap or its equivalent to it.
The swells are preferably made of spring steel and are fashioned in such a
manner as to combine the maximum of strength and lightness. The spring
steel is bent to conform to the shape of the face of the ordinary swell and the
back to conform to the shape of the swell where the protector finger works, such
portion being sometimes covered with leather, or other suitable material. The
steel is, at the fixed end, bent round a mandrel so as to form a hole through
which the pivot pin passes, the arrangement being such that the swell can be
readily shipped or unshipped.
In ordinary looms, the reed is generally permanently fixed to, and moves along
with the lathe and consequently it sometimes happens that if a loom-which is
provided with checking buffers which fail to act properly-be stopped when its
shuttle is out of its box and between the shed, such shuttle is carried forward;
thus breaking the threads of the cloth which is being woven.
To overcome this defect, I do not permanently fix the reed to the lathe but
attach it in such a way as to allow of its release at the moment the mechanism for
stopping the loom commences to act. I may actuate such mechanism from the
stop motion. The arrangement is such that although the lathe may still move
forward, the forward motion of the reed is stopped and consequently the shuttle
is not beaten up against the web and buffers are not required and the loom can
be of lighter construction.
D
GEO. C. DOUGLAS & Co.,
41, Reform Street, Dundee, Agents for Applicant.
wearing te Fabrics.
I, JOHN IRELAND, of Ireland's Lane, Dundee, in the County of Forfar, Scotland,
Shuttle and 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in looms for weaving textile fabrics,
the objects being to throw the shuttle from side to side and to receive it in
its boxes in a new and improved manner; to improve the design of the box
ends, the swells and the picking arms, and to provide mechanism for arresting
the forward motion of the reed should the loom he stopped when the shuttle
is not in either box.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended two explanatory sheet of drawings in which the same reference numerals
are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown, that
is to say:
Figure 1 (Sheet 1) is a plan showing one end of a lathe with the shuttle in
its box.
Figure 2 (Sheet 1) is a sectional elevation at A A (Figure 1) of the same.
Figure 3 (Sheet 1) is an end view of the lathe.

page_text: Figure 4 (Sheet 1) is a part section of the picking arm showing the bearing
for the strap.
Figure 1 is a part plan showing the mode of securing the round picking arm
made of metal tubing.
Figure 1 is a face view of same.
Figure 5 (Sheet 2) is a part side elevation of the reed releasing mechanism,
showing the relative positions of the sword, lathe and reed when in operation.
Figure 6 (Sheet 2) is a part front elevation of same.
Figure 7 (Sheet 2) is a part side elevation showing the lathe released from
the reed.
In carrying out my invention, I make each picker 10 in the form of a metal
carriage which is free to move backwards and forwards between guides 11 fastened
to the lathe 12, that is to say each picker moves on or between guides. Such
pickers may be on rollers, ball bearings or their equivalent, although I generally
prefer to use simple slides. The faces of the guides are kept away as far as
possible from the top of the lathe in order that no oil may come on to the
cloth. Each picker is actuated either from above-as in the drawings-or from
underneath the lathe by a picking arm 13 in the usual manner, and preferably
these picking arms are of special design, which design will be described later.
The fronts of the pickers are provided with buffers or cushions 14 against
which the plates 31 of the shuttle 15 strike. These buffers are composed of
leather plates, or of a plate of buffalo hide against which the shuttle
plates strikes, the remaining plates consisting of leather, except the
innermost which may be of india rubber. A rod 16 which is free
to move along its axis to some extent and of some weight, is sunk in the lathe,
and extends from one end to the other of same, its outer extremities being pro-
vided with leather buffers 17, or of leather reinforced with india rubber, against
which each picker is alternately pushed by the moving shuttle. The rod is
so designed that its longitudinal movement, or reciprocation may be made more
or less by an adjustable spring drag or drags 18 at the end or ends of the
lathe, according to the width of the loom, the weight of the shuttle and the
number of picks per minute. The forward travel, that is to say the distance
each picker may approach towards the centre of the loom is determined by fixed
adjustable leather buffers 19.
The action of the combination is as follows:-Each picker 10 is reciprocated
by its picking arm and thus throws the shuttle from side to side of the loom
much in the ordinary way. When the shuttle is coming into its box it strikes
the picker at 14 which in turn comes against the buffer 17 on the moveable rod
which at that moment is at its furthest distance from its box end. The inertia
of the rod and its appurtenances is such that the momentum of the shuttle is
neutralized when such rod moves along its path to its other position, at which
time the shuttle is ready to be thrown to the other side of the loom and the other
extremity of the moveable rod is in position to receive it.
The
The picking arms 13 may be made of metal tubing or of metal tubing fitted
with a wooden core. The adjustable discs 20 for holding the arms may be made
so that they can grip the round tubes. The ordinary bolt 21 used to clamp the
discs together, is employed, such bolt passing through the picking arm.
free extremities of the picking arms are provided with metal ends 22 so designed
that they easily and naturally hold the strap, chain, band or cord 23, by means
of which motion is communicated from the arm to the picker. Sometimes I
may cause the wooden core to project somewhat beyond the tube and attach the
strap or its equivalent to it.
The swells are preferably made of spring steel and are fashioned in such a
manner as to combine the maximum of strength and lightness. The spring steel
is bent to conform to the shape of the face of the ordinary swell and the
back to conform to the shape of the swell where the protector finger works,
such portion being sometimes covered with leather, or other suitable material.

page_text: The steel is, at the fixed end, bent round a mandril so as to form a hole through
which the pivot pin passes, the arrangement being such that the swell can be
readily shipped or unshipped.
In ordinary looms, the reed is generally permanently fixed to and moves
along with the lathe and consequently it sometimes happens that if a loom-
which is provided with checking buffers which fail to act properly-be stopped
when its shuttle is out of its box and between the shed, such shuttle is carried
forward, thus breaking the threads of the cloth which is being woven.
To overcome this defect I do not permanently fix the reed 24 to the lathe 12
but attach it in such a way as to allow of its release at the moment the mechanism
for stopping the loom commences to act. I may actuate such mechanism from
the stop motion. The arrangement is such that although the lathe may still
move forward, the forward motion of the reed is stopped and consequently the
shuttle is not beaten up against the web, and buffers are not required and the
loom can be of lighter construction.
i
In the drawings I have shown the reed 24 mounted on brackets 25 which move
on curved slides 26, that is to say the reed and its supporting brackets move in
unison with the lathe so long as they are attached to it. Two levers 27 and 27*
on a rod 28 carried by the moveable curved slides 25 keep the lathe and the reed
together, as in Figure 5, or permit them to separate, as in Figure 7 when the
release motion is in operation. Such release motion is, in the usual way, actuated
by the protector fingers 29 and 29" controlling the stop levers 30 which, coming
in contact with the arms of the levers 27 draw the other levers down and so
allow the lathe to move forward, leaving the reed behind.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said a
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
(1) In looms, the construction, arrangement and combination of parts for
throwing the shuttle from side to side, for receiving it in its boxes, and arresting
its momentum, substantially as described and illustrated on the annexed drawings a
with reference to Figures 1 2 3 and 4.
(2) In looms, the combination of pickers moving in slides with buffer rods,
substantially as described and illustrated on the annexed drawings.
(3) In looms, the combination of pickers moving in slides with buffer rods
and drag springs, substantially as described and illustrated on the annexed 3
drawings.
(4) In looms, the combination of pickers moving in slides with buffer rods,
drag springs and swells, substantially as described.
(5) In looms, the construction, arrangement and dombination of parts for
arresting the forward motion of the reed should the loom be stopped when the 4
shuttle is not in either box, substantially as described and illustrated on the
annexed drawings, with reference to Figures 5 6 and 7.
(6) In looms, the combination of a detachable reed moving on curved slides with
a lathe, substantially as described and illustrated on the annexed drawings.
Dated this 28th day of August 1899.
GEO, C. DOUGLAS & Co.,
Chartered Patent Agents,
41, Reform Street, Dundee, Agents for Applicant.