US1392804A - Feeler mechanism for looms - Google Patents

Description

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OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

FEEIER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. a, 1921.

Application filed May 6, 1920. Serial No. 379,265.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ISAAC SNOW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawrence, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Feeler Mechanisms for Looms, of'which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to feeler mechanisms for looms, through the instrumentality of which the filling is replenished when that in the active shuttle reaches a degree of substantial exhaustion.

Heretofore, feeler mechanisms have been devised which depend for their functional operation upon a-rotative or partial rotat-. ing movement being given the feeler when the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat. The present invention relates to this general type of feeler mechanism, and has for one of its objects to simplify the construction of the rotative type of feeler mechanism and render it responsive either to the presence or substantial absence of filling in the shuttle. I

An important feature of the present invention consists in a feeler having two tips which are laterally oflset or separated and which diverge to engage a surface within the shuttle on a detecting beat at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the engaged surface. The effect is that the rotative movement or tendency to rotative movement of the feeler will be exerted by the frontward pressure of the surface within the shuttle on each detecting beat, and when'the filling is substantially exhausted, the feeler will partake of the rotative movement under the frontward pressure.

In the present invention, the feeler is supported by a carrier so that it may be moved toward and from the front of the loom, and is preferably under the influence of a spring which normally turns the feeler into a position to cause the two tips to engage the surface within the shuttle above and below the horizontal plane passing through'the longitudinal axis of the filling carrier or bobbin. The feeler is connected to a train of mechanism for effecting replenishment of filling when the feeler is given its rotative movement due to the frontward pressure upon it.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the feeler mechanism and a portion of the shuttle into which the feeler extends and feels for the filling on a detecting beat, a working supply of filling being present in the shuttle;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1, showing the action of the feeler when the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat; v

Fig. 3 is a cross section, substantially on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the engagin end or tips of the feeler;

*ig. 5 is a transverse section through the bobbin or filling carrier, showing the turning action imparted to the feeler by the frontward pressure of the filling carrier or bobbin when the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to that of Fig. 5, showing the feeler held from turning movement under the frontward pressure, by en gagement of the teeth of the feeler tips with the filling.

The filling replenishing mechanism-may be of usual and well known construction, and similarly, the train of mechanism between the feeler and filling replenishing mechanism may be of suitable character to impart to such train of mechanism a movement to efiect replenishment of filling, when the feeler is turned or rotated. The details of the filling replenishing mechanism and the train of connection between the feeler and the replenishing mechanism are not here illustrated, as they may be of a character usual in this class of devices.

A bracket 1 having a top supporting portion 2 is provided with a slot 3 whereby it may be secured to an appropriate portion of a loom frame to afford a support for the feeler mechanism. Secured to the supporting portion 2 of the bracket 1 is the feeler carrier 4: which, in the present instance, comprises a plate having front and rear flanges 5 and 6 which may be formed by upturning the end portions of. the plate 4 as a convenient'construction, or may be secured to the plate. The feeler carrier 4: is secured to the supporting portion 2 of the bracket by suitable means such as the bolts 7 which pass through a slot 8 in the fe l r a rie thereby permitting adjustment of the feeler carrier on the .support.

The construction thus far described is a convenient, simple and effective form of means for sustaining the feeler, but it will be evident, of course, that such supporting means may be variously contrived within the true scope of the presentinvention, which is more particularly directed to the feeler itself and its characteristic construction.

The feeler is mounted upon the feeler carrier for movement toward and from the front'of the loom in the present instance, 7

and also for rotative movement. In the present instance, the V feeler comprises a flat plate 9 which extends through a slot 10 in the rear flange portion 6 of the feeler carrier, and has a frontwardly-extending stem- 11 which passes through an opening in the front flange 5 of the feeler carrier, the construction being such that the feeler may have reciprocating movement toward and from the front of the loom. Surrounding the stem 11 of the feeler is the spring 12, one end of which is connected at 13 to the feeler or plate 9 and the other end of which is connected at 14: to the front flange 5, the construction being such that the spring 12 normally forces the feeler rearwardly into its rear or feeling position and exerts a torsional action in opposition to the rotative tendency of the feeler under the frontward pressure uponthe tips thereof, as will presently appear. In the present instance the torsion of the spring 12 is exerted 'contraclockwise upon the feeler.

The rear end portion of the feeler is provided with two tips which are laterally separated and which extend in opposite directions from the body of the feeler. In the present instance the feeler 9 has the two tips 15 and 16 which are laterally separated, that is, the tip 15 and the tip 16 have between them an interval or space 17 formed in the end of the feeler. The two tips 15, 16, diverge or extend in opposite directions to engage a surface within the shuttle on a detecting beat at opposite. sides of. the longitudinal, axis of the surface. In the present instance of the invention, the feeler tip 15 extends or diverges upwardly and the feeler tip 16 extends or diverges downwardly, the construction being such that frontward pressure exerted against the feeler tips tends to vent responsive turning movement of the feeler to the frontward pressure when a working supply of filling is present on a detecting beat. In the preferred form of the.

invention, each of the feeler tips 15 and 16 is provided with one'or more teeth 18 which extend transversely of the tip or in a direction longitudinally of the filling carrier or bobbin within the shuttle, so that such teeth engage the filling transversely to its direction of wind, and sink into it when a work ing supply of filling is present in the shuttle on a detecting beat and prevent rotative movement of the feeler as it moves frontwardly. d r

The lateral separation of the feeler tips 15 and 16 is preferably formed by removing a portion of the end of the feeler as at 17.

The rear flange 6 of the feeler carrier is provided with an opening 10 as hereinbefore described, which is of a shape to-receive the flattened plate 9 of the feeler and permit suchplate to turn on its longitudinal axis within restricted limits. 1 The opening, or bearing 10 is provided with the-widened end portions 19 and 20, Figs, '2 and 3, which afford proper guiding bearings for the flattened plate '9 of the feeler and yet permit 7 such" portion of the feeler to turn'within limits about its longitudinal axls.

The feeler has connected to it, means for transmitting motion to the train of mechanism for effecting replenishment of filling when the feeler isrocked or turned on adetecting beat. In the present instance the feeler has an arm 21, Figs. 1 and 2, rising therefrom, to which is pivotally connected at 22 a transmitter 23. The transmitter 23 may be connected to any appropriate train of mechanism, well understood by those skilled in the art for effecting replenishment of filling when the feeleris rocked or'turned on 'its longitudinal axis on a detecting beat.

The shuttle 24 is providedwith the usual opening'25 in the side wall thereof, through which the feelerinay enter and feel for the filling on a detecting beat. The filling carrier or bobbin 26'may be mounted in the shuttle by the usual bobbin-holding aws'27 and rings 28. These features may be of the usual character in shuttles employed in filling replenishing looms.

When a'worlring supply of filling is present in the shuttle on a detecting beat, the

roughened or toothed portions 18 of the two feeler tips 15 and 16 engage and sink into n the filling and prevent responsive turning movement of the feeler to the frontward pressure upon the tips as the feeler moves frontwardly,as indicated in Fig. 6, wherein the feeler carrier or bobbin 26 is'indicated asbeing provided with a working supply of filling 29. When, however, filling is sub stantially exhaus'ted on a detecting beat, the feeler tips 15'and '16 will engage the substantially denuded filling carrier or bobbin and, under the frontward pressure thereof against the feeler tips 15 and 16, the feeler will be given a turning or rotative movement as the lay beats up. This is indicated in Fig. 5, wherein the fillin carrier 26 is shown as being substantially exhausted of filling, and the feeler as having been turned or rocked by the frontward pressure as the lay makes its detecting beat.

What is claimed is:

1. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler having engaging end portions extending in opposite directions transversely of the bobbin in the shuttle and laterally separated longitudinally of the bobbin and tending to effect rotation of the feeler on its longitudinal axis under the frontward pressure of a surface within the shuttle on a detecting beat, means for supporting the feeler for longitudinal and rotative movements, and means to effect replenishment of filling when the feeler is rotated on a detecting beat.

2. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler supported for rotative movement about its longitudinal axis, and having laterally separated engaging end portions diverging transversely of the longitudinal axis of the bobbin in the shuttle which tend to rotate the feeler under the frontward pressure of a surface within the shuttle on a detecting beat, and means for effecting replenishment of filling when the feeler in response to the frontward pressure is turned upon its longitudinal axis.

3. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler having a tip provided with upwardly and downwardly diverging portions in separated relation which tends to rotate the feeler under the frontward pressure of a surface within the shuttle on a detecting beat and which is prevented from effecting such rotative movement by engagement with the filling until substantial exhaustion thereof, and means for effecting replenishment of filling when the feeler' is given rotative movement by the frontward pressure upon it on a detecting beat.

4:. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler having two tips or engaging portions which are laterally sep arated and which diverge to engage a surface within the shuttle at opposite sides of the longitudinal axis thereof on a detecting beat and tend to rotate the feeler due to the frontward pressure upon the two tips, and means for effecting replenishment of filling when the feeler is rotated.

5. A feeler mounted for rotative movement and having two relatively non-movable laterally separated diverging tips which under the frontward pressure of a surface within the shuttle against said diverging tips on a detecting beat tend to rotate the feeler about its longitudinal axis.

6. A. feeler mounted for rotativc movement and having two relatively non-movable laterally separated diverging tips having filling engaging teeth which under the frontward pressure of a surface within the shuttle against the said diverging tips on a detecting beat tend to rotate the feeler about its longitudinal axis.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ISAAC SNOW.

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