19,230. Hollingworth, E., [Crompton & Knowles Loom Works]. Aug. 21. Weft - replenishing mechanism. - In a weftreplenishing loom having change shuttle boxes and a magazine for two or more sets of weft bobbins at the other end of the lay, a mechanical weft-feeler device is provided, preferably at the back of the lay, comprising a pivoted feeler which controls a dagger to cause the bobbin - releasing mechanism for one set of bobbins to be actuated at the proper time; a shuttle-positioner is also provided. The pivoted weft feeler 16, Figs. 2 and 4, has one arm adapted to pass through holes 8<1>, 9<1> in the shuttle box 8 and the shuttle 9, and its other arm has a ball head 16<1> between the upper ends of levers 13, 15, the former being pivoted at 12 to a bracket 11 secured to the lay, and the latter being pivoted at 14 to the lever 13; a spring 15<a> tends to hold the upper ends of the levers together. The lever 13 is connected to an adjustable rod 21, which is reciprocated within adjustable limits by a spring 31 and a bell-crank lever 22, connected by an adjustable rod 24 to a cam-actuated lever. The lever -13 is thereby oscillated to allow the feeler 16- to enter the shuttle at the proper times and press on the weft on the bobbin under the influence of the lever 15 and the spring 15<a>. The lower end of the lever 15 is connected by an adjustable rod 18 with an extension 19<1> on the hub 19<2> of a dagger 19, which is pivoted on a stud 20 on the bracket 11. Normally the weft on the bobbin holds the feeler away from the bobbin and causes the head 16<1> to bear against and move the upper end of the lever 15, and, through the connexions described, the end of the dagger 19 is moved to the left, Fig. 4; but if the weft is substantially exhausted, the dagger is not moved, and, as the lay beats up, the dagger contacts with and moves a pivoted angle lever 32, Fig. 1, to which is connected a rod 35 having its upper end guided in an extension 36<1> of a swinging frame 36. This frame is moved by a rod 37, a bell-crank lever 38, a spring 40, and a connexion 39 under the control of a pattern surface at the opposite end of the loom, so that when the rod 35 is lowered, its upper hooked end depresses one of two arms 43, 44 and causes the movement of one of two cradles 42, which support the bobbins in the magazine. The lowest bobbin of one of the sets of bobbins is released and falls to the position shown at the right side of the magazine, and, if there is no change of shuttle box at the other side of the loom, the cradle is returned by cam-actuated mechanism, and the bobbin drops to the discharge outlet of the magazine. When the shuttle is at the opposite side of the loom, the dagger 19 is rendered inoperative by the movement of the rod 21 and the lever 13, which moves the feeler out of the shuttle box. The lever 15 moves with the lever 13 until it contacts with a projection 113, Fig. 2, and the lower end of the lever 15 is thereby moved to render the dagger 19 inoperative. The transferrer 45, Fig. 1, is operated by the action of a bunter 46 carried by the lay on a latch 47 pivotally mounted on the transferrer arm, the latch being raised by cam-actuated mechanism under control of the feeler mechanism, and when the transferrer is operated, a connector 48 moves a lever 49 which engages and moves an arm 50, Fig. 2, on a hub 50<1>, so that an arm 52, Fig. 4, at the lower end of the hub is moved inwardly to engage and position the shuttle in the shuttle box. The arm 52 acts on one arm of an angle lever 53, of which the other arm is caused to engage a pin 55<1> on an adjustable collar 55 on the rod 21. This rod is thereby moved to the left, and the feeler 16 is moved out of the shuttle to allow the bobbin change to take place. In a modified form of feeler mechanism, the feeler is mounted on the upper end of an upright spindle which controls the dagger, and the lever 15 acts only as part of a yoke-shaped lever which actuates the feeler. The angle lever 32 is adjustably mounted, and is held towards the dagger by a spring. In a modified form of device for removing the feeler from the shuttle to allow the bobbin-transfer to take place, a sliding plate mounted on the breast beam is raised and lowered by a camactuated lever under the control of the feeler mechanism.- When the plate is raised, an inclined finger thereon contacts with the dagger and moves it to one side, and, through the connexions between the dagger and the feeler, the feeler is moved out of the shuttle.