US1520157A - Feeler mechanism for looms - Google Patents

Description

Dec, 23, 1924.

Filea Feb. 1s, 19244 )NMEA/TOR Patented Dec. 23, 1924.

Tes

OFFICE.l

MELVIN L. STONE, 0F LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO` DRAPER CORPORA- TION, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

FEELER MECHANISM FOBl LOOMS.

Application filed February 13, 1924. Serial No. 692,512.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, `MELVIN L. STONE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ot 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 eeler mechanisms for looms whereby the operative condition of the loom is changed from time to time.

In that type of feeler mechanisms for looms wherein the eeler is given a movement longitudinally of the shuttle to change the operative condition of the loom, as for instance, replenishment of filling, it happ-ens at times that the frontward impact of the working supply of filling in the shuttle will cause the eeler to jump and fail to be held by the illing from its side swipe movement. This is particularly observable in that type of eeler mechanisms wherein the eeler is mounted to enter the shuttle in a direction inclined to the longitudinal axis thereof, although it will happen with other types of 'eelers.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a feeler mechanism of the side swipe type wherein the feeler is locked against movement longitudinally of the shuttle when a working supply of filling is present on a detecting beat, and is freed to partake of its side swipe movement when the filling has approached a degree of substantial exhaustion.

In the feeler mechanism shown, described and claimed in the Edward S. Stimpson Patent, No. 1,309,226, July 8, 1919, the eeler is given its side swipe movement by the frontward pressure upon the feeler on a detecting beat, and the present invention is, in the present instance, shown and described in conn-ection with such type of feeler mechanism, wherein its advantages are readily observable.

In accordance with the present invention, the feeler has mounted thereon a locking member which normally operates to prevent side swipe movement of the Jfeeler when a working supply of filling is present in the shuttle on a detecting beat, and when the lilling has approached a degree of depletion approximating substantial exhaustion, the locking member 1s moved on and relative to the feeler to unlock the eeler and free being shown as are desirable in making clear the construction and mode of operationof the feeler mechanism; l

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the feeler mechanism, showing the position of parts when a working supply of iilling is present in the shuttle on a detecting beat;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2 with the parts in the position they occupy when the locking member is moved into unlocking position by a predetermined depletion of the iilling in the shuttle;

j Fig` 4 is a detached perspective View of the locking member; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line of Fig. 2.

The feeler mechanism as herein shown is associated with means forelfecting a replenishment of illing when the teeler detects substanial exhaustion on a detecting beat, but the replenishing mechanism itself is not herein illustrated because the details thereof form nofessential part of the present invention and are now well known.

Extending from the loom frame is the projection portion 1 which may constitute a part of or be secured to the shipper stand. The part 1 is provided,-as shown, with a slot 2 through which extends a bolt 3 also passing through a slot 4 in a feeler stand supporting bracket 5, the parts being arranged so that the feeler mechanism may be conveniently adjusted in feeling position.

The bracket 5 has a feeler stand supporting j portion 6 to which is adjustably secured the feeler stand 7 by means of a bolt 8 passing through a slot 9 in the -feeler stand.

The eeler stand is provided with a front and rear bearing for the feeler and in the present instance the feeler stand 7 has a rear bearing 10 projecting upwardly therefrom and provided with a slot 11. The bearing 10 is provided with a guideway for a slide 12 which is also provided with a slot portion 13 through which the feeler 14 extends. The slide 12 is mounted in the rear bearing for lateral movement therein and is connected at l5 to a transmitter llo which constitutes a part of the train of mechanism for effecting replenishment of lilling when the feeler is given its side swipe movement.

The front portion of the feeler stand has a bracket 17 which has mounted therein the swivel bearing 1S through which extends the frontwardly projecting` stem 19 of the feeler, and between the swivel bearing 1S and va collar 2O on the feeler is interposed a spring 2l which normally acts to move the feeler to its rearward feeling position. The parts so far described and as shown may be of substantially the same construction and mode of operation as the similar parts in the Stimpson patent hereinbefore mentioned.

Overlying the rear bearing l() and contining the slide 12 in its guideway is a cap plate 22 which may be conveniently secured to the rear bearing by the screws 23. The cap plate 22, in the present instance, is extended upwardly at 2li, Fig. 5, to provide a space 25 for movement of the locking member on and relative to the feeler.

The feeler l2 has mountedd thereon the locking member 2G, which, as shown, is connected to the feeler conveniently at the side thereof for movement on and relative to the feeler. In the present instance, the locking member 26 is provided with the inclined slots 27 through which extend the pins 23, the construction being such that the locking member assumes a locking position relative to the feeler to cooperate with a locking part to prevent movement of the feeler in a direction longitudinally of the shuttle when a working supply is present on a detecting beat. Ordinarily the weight of the locking member 26 will be suiiicient to cause the locking member to assume its lowered or locking` position, but in some cases it maybe desirable to provide additional means to this end, such, for instance, as the spring` 29 having a portion 30 overlying the locking member and appropriately secured to the feeler, as, for instance, by the screw 3l.

The rear bearing 10, in the present instance, is provided with a notch 32 with which the locking member 26 engages when the locking member is in locking position, and if desired the slide 12 may also be provided with a similar notch, as indicated in Fig. 5, which registers with the locking notch 32 when the feeler is in rearward feeling position and locked from its side swipe movement by the locking member.

The present invention contemplates that when the shuttle contains a working supply of filling on detecting beats that the locking member will be engagedl with the locking part or notch 32 in the rear bearing of the feeler stand and also it may be with the similar locking notch in the slide l2 to thereby restrain the feeler from premature side swipe movement, and when the filling han been depleted to an extent approaching substantial exhaustion, it is the purpose of the present invention to cause the locking member to be moved on and relative to the feeler to position the locking member in unlocking relation with the locking part or notch 32.

Mounted on the feeler 'l2 is the arm which extends rearwardly through the rear end 34 of the feeler and is provided with a filling penetrating point 35. The arm 33 tends through a bearing 36 mounted on the feeler, and is provided with a shoulder or abutment 37 which bears upon the rear turned end portion 33 of the locking inember. ln the present vinstance the end 33 of the locking member is provided with a slot 39 through which the front end portion of the arm 33 extends and the abutment 37 is shown as formed by a nut threaded on the arm 33 for adjustment. Also adjustably threaded on t e arm 33 is the stop 4t() which acts as a limiting means for determining the rearward position of the penetrating point 35 when the locking member is in locking position, as indicated in Fig. 2. i

The lay il carries the usual shuttle box 4t2 to receive the shuttle i3 wherein is mounted the filling carrier or bobbin lr-t. lThe front wall of the shuttle is provided with an opening 45, and similarly the front wall of the shuttle box is provided with an opening 4G, said openings being in registered relation when the shuttle is properly boxed to permit the feeler 14 to enter the shuttle and feel for the filling.

In cases where the feeler is of the inclined type, as shown, the rear end of the feeler is given a normal lateral movement by the frontward pressure of the filling on each detecting beat, and the notch 32 is made of sufticient size to permit such normal movement, and when the filling is depleted to a degree approaching substantial exhaustion, the locking member 26 is moved on and relative to the feeler by engagement of the point 35 of the arm 33 with the more dense surface of the iilling carrier or bobbin on a detecting beat, the result being that movement of the locking member relative to the feeler causes the former to be moved frontwardly and upwardly relative to the feeler, in the present instance, to place the locking member in unlocking position, whereupon the feeler is freed to its side swipe movement when the lling becomes substantially exhausted.

From the construction and description it will be apparent that when a working supply of filling is present in the shuttle on a detecting beat and the locking member is in locking position, the penetrating point 35 of the arm 33 will sink into the filling and the locking member will remain in locking position. Vhen, however, the lilling has approached substantial exhaustion and only a few strands of the filling remain upon the iilling carrier or bobbin, the point 35 of the arm 33 will engage the more dense surface of the filling carrier or bobbin, as. indicated in Fig. 3, and will be moved frontwardly relative to the fee-ler, thereby causing the locking member 26 to be moved on and relative to the feeler into an unlocking position, F ig. 3. The unlocking position of' the locking member, in the present instance, is effected by the arm 33 and the inclined slots 27 on the locking member cooperating with the pins 2S which connect it to the eeler. The construction is sin'iple, effective and peculiarly adaptable tothe side swipe type of feeler, and applicant believes himsel-'f to be the first in the art to provide a. locking member mounted on the feeler for movement relative thereto into an unlocking position when the filling in the shuttle has been depleted to a predetermined degree, and while the construction shown and described is a good practical form of the 1nvention, it is to be understood that the invention may be carried into efi'ect through the medium of different details within the true scope of the invention as pointed out by the claims.

IVhat is claimed is:

1. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler, a f'eeler lock mounted on the feeler, a stationary part which cooperates with the feeler lock to prevent the feeler calling for a change of filling prematurely, and a penetrating lock tripping part which acts upon the feeler lock to move it on the feeler from locking engagement with the said stationary part when the penetrating lock tripping part contacts with the dense surface of the bobbin on a detecting` beat.

2. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler supported for normal lateral movement by the frontward pressure of a working supply of filling in the shuttle on a detecting beat and an abnormal lateral movement along the filling carrier when the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat, a feeler locking member which is mounted on the feeler and permits normal lateral but prevents abnormal lateral movement of the feeler by the frontward pressure on a detecting beat until the [illing reaches a condition approaching substantial exhaustion and which is then moved on and relative to the feeler into an unlocking position to permit the abnormal lateral movement of the feeler.

3. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler, a locking member mounted on the feeler, a stationary cooperating locking part with which said lookin-g member is normally engaged during weaving with a working supply of filling to prevent movement of said locking member and the feeler on which it is mounted in a direction longitudinally of the shuttle until the lling is substantially exhausted, and means for directing the movement of' the locking member out of engagement with the cooperating stationary part when the locking member is moved on the feeler relative thereto on a detecting beat.

l. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler mounted to enter the shut-tle in a direction inclined to the longitudinal axis thereof, a locking member mounted on the feeler for movement with and relative thereto a fixed locking part with which the locking member is normally engaged so long as a working supply of filling is in the shuttle on detecting beats, and means cooperating with the filling carrier when the filling has approached a condition' near to substantial exhaustion on a detecting beat Jfor moving the locking member on the feeler relative to the cooperating stationary locking part and out'of engagement therewith to permit the feeler to side swipe.`

5. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler, a locking member mounted on the feeler, a fixed cooperating part on the f'eeler stand with which the locking member is normally engaged and with relation to which it is moved frontwardly on detecting beats when a Working supply of filling is in the shuttle, and a filling penetrating member for moving the locking member from engagement With said fixed part when it meets the more dense surface of the filling carrier on a detecting beat.

6. In a feeler mechanism for looms,`the combination of a feeler that is mounted to be displaced laterally along the filling carrier by the frontward pressure to effect replenishment of filling, a locking member movable on and relative to the f'eeler into and out of locking position, a fixed part on the feeler stand cooperating with the locking member to lock the feelenfrom lateral movement to call for a change of filling when a working supply is in the shuttle on a detecting beat, a penetrating lock controller which is adapted to engage the more dense surface of the filling carrier when, on a detecting beat, the lling is depleted to a predetermined extent and be moved frontwardly thereby, and means for transmitting such movement of the controller to the locking member to disengage it from the cooperatingfixed part that the feeler may be freed to call for a change of filling when that in the shuttle is substantially exhausted.

7. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a feeler mounted for movement in a direction longitudinally of the shuttle to efl'ect replenishment of filling, a

locking member, connections between the feeler and locking member including an inclined slot on one and a pin on the other engaging said inclined slot constructed an'd arranged that movement of one relative to the other Will effect movement of the locking member into or o-ut of locking position, and means rendered effective When the filling is nearly exhausted on a detecting beat to move relatively the locking member and eeler to unlock the latter and free it to call for replenishment of lilling when that in the shuttle is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat.

8. In a feeler mechanism for looms7 the combination of a feeler, a locking meinber mounted on the feeler, 4a fixed cooperating' locking part normally engaged by the locking member to restrain filling replenishing movement of the feeler as the latter is moved frontwardly by a Working' supply of iilling on detecting bea-ts, and a filling penetrating member for moving the locking member out of engagement with the :[ixed locking part when the penetrating member is moved by the more dense surface ot the Filling carrier.

9. In a feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of an inclined feeler, a locking member mounted on and movable relativelyY to the feeler, a locking notch normally engaged by the locking member to hold the :teeler from prematurely calling for a change of filling, a filling penetrating member for moving the locking member on and relatively to the eeler out of engagement With the locking notch when the penetrating ymember is moved relative to the feeler by engagement with the more dense surface oi the filling carrier.

10. In a eeler mechanism for looms, the combination of an inclined teeler, a locking member mounted on and movable rela* tively to the feeler, a locking notch normally engaged by the locking member to hold the feeler from prematurely calling for a change of iilling, a filling penetrating member for moving the locking member 011 and relatively to the feeler, and means for directing the movement of the locking member to carry it.

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

lVIELVIN L. STONE.

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