213,274. Knobel et Cie, R. March 20, 1923, [Convention date]. Shuttle-changing mechanism; checking shuttles and pickers.-When the weft is substantially exhausted, a finger-lever 31, Figs. 2 and 3, is operated and a loom starting and stopping lever 35 is moved out of its notch to stop the loom. A starting lever 29 having a cam part bearing against the lever 31, being no longer supported thereby, falls, and through intermediate parts 28, 27, 26 clutches a normally stationary tappet shaft 25, Figs. 2 and 16, to a gear driven from the loose pulley of the loom through worm and other gearing and a flexible shaft. The tappet shaft 25 is thus rotated, although the loom as a whole is stopped, and a tappet 120 operates a roller 122, and lever mechanism 123, 121 whereby the shuttle box is opened and an ejector lever 132 is operated to expel the shuttle. The ejected shuttle first comes into contact with a catcherarm 133 and then with a sheet metal guide 134, which directs it out of the loom. The falling shuttle operates certain parts including a safety arm 138, which actuates an arm 143 and moves a pawl 141 out of the path of a retaining pin 142 on the shuttle feeder. This feeder, which is controlled by a tappet 124 and a spring, can thus be moved to feed a fresh shuttle from the magazine into the shuttle box. A spring-controlled tooth 51 carried by the head of a spring-controlled rod 48 actuated by an eccentric 45 on the change shaft 25 now enters a slot in a spring-controlled segment 53 thereby rotating this segment and by means of a chain 55 actuating the lever 35 to cause it to re-enter a notch 39 and restart the loom. The picker, which is first moved forwards with the shuttle by a spring-controlled two-armed lever is, by arrangements described, moved back during the shuttle changing operation to disengage the tip of the picker from the shuttle. Weft-feeler arrangements.-A spring-controlled finger arranged to project rearwardly into the side of the shuttle pivotally carries a spring- controlled member which, when the weft is sufficiently exhausted, bears against the side of the shuttle before it is moved forwards with the finger. It is thus turned and when it moves forwards with the finger a raised part of the member engages an arm on a spring-controlled shaft, thus turning the shaft. An arm on the shaft then allows a pawl to be engaged by the weft hammer and the lever 31 is operated. A second weft-feeler arrangement is described whereby an adjustable forked feeler is projected downwardly by spring action and under the control of cam-controlled devices into the shuttle. Weft, cutting.-A tappet on the shaft 25 operates a rod 157, Fig. 5, which raises a pawl 159 out of a notch 162 in a ratchet wheel 160 and frees this wheel. A rod 161 and the wheel 160 are thereupon drawn backwards by a spring 167. The pawl 159 then moves into a first intermediate notch 166 and the weft-cutting shears are opened. The lay subsequently engages a screw-stop 164 and moves the rod 161 out of its casing, the ratchet wheel being rotated one step and the shears operated. This operation is repeated until the third advance of the rod 161, whereupon the pawl 159 engages one of the notches 162 and a cam 168 engages a cam 165 on the pawl 159 and further movement of the shears is prevented until the tappet shaft is again rotated and the tappet again lifts the pawl.