US1576866A - Method of making cloth and mechanism therefor - Google Patents

Description

March 16 1926.

F. B. STEARNS METHOD OF MAKING CLOTH AND MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed May 6, 1924 5 Sfieets-Sheet 1 March 16 1926.

F. B. STEARNS METHOD OF MAKING CLOT-H AND MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed May 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet March 16 1926.

F. B. STEARNS METHOD OF MAKING CLOTH AND MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed May 6, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 16 1926.

. F. B. STEARNS METHOD OF MAKING CLOTH AND MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed May 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 16 1926.

F. B. STEARNS METHOD OF MAKING CLOTH AND MECHANISM THEREFOR Fild May 94 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 16, 1926 UNITED STATES FREDERICK B. STIEEARNS, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF MAKING CLOTH AND MECHANISM THEREFOR.

Application filed. May 6,.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that l, FREDERICK B. STE'ARNH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vorcester, in the county of lVorcestcr and Commonwealth of Masv sachusett-s, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Making Cloth and Mechanism Therefor, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of cloth and has for its object to provide an improved method of making cloth and a mechanism for conveniently carrying out the method.

In Patent No. 1,485,059, issued tome on February 526, 192 i, there is shown and described a method of making cloth, which consists in weaving a fabric by means of a loo-m and in drawing the fibres of a loose material into the warp of this fabric be tween the beating up of successively laid weft threads. In carrying out the invention oi the above mentionedpaten-t, certain auxiliary mechanism is employed in connectionwithanordinary loom, whereby the desired results are obtained in a particularly simple and effective manner, and it is the object of the present intention to" provide certain improvements in the method dis"- closed in the above mentioned patent, as well as improvements in the mechanism for carrying on the met'liod'.

The advantageous results obtained by the employment of my improved method and apparatus wild hereinafter more l ly appear, reiierence being had to the accon-rpariying drawings, in which- I Y Fig; 1 isa View in end elevation of a loom :h mechanism for carrying out my ruaprov' 1: method certain parts thereof being shown in section. 6

Fig. 2' is a view showing, on an enlarged scale, a portion of the parts shown in i.

Fig; 3 is diagrammatic view illustrating the: arrangement of the apparatus for handlingthe loose mate-rial whicl' i is incorporated. in the fabric.

45 is a fragmentary view illustrating the driving mechanism for the device which draws the fibres of the loose material the fabric.

Fig. 5 a sectional view along line of Fig. 4, loolringin the direction oi the arrowsv Fig. 6- is a fragmentary perspective view 1924. Serial No. 711,508.

illustrating a portion of the lay shown. in

Fig.2.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are diagrammatic views illustratingmodifications in the manner of handling the loose material in advance of its incorporation into the fabric.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary View illustrating a modification of the device for drawing the loose material into the fabric.

Fig. 11 isv aview in end elevation of a portion of a loom, illustrating a modification of the means for introducing the loose material to the loom.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged view of a portion of ingthe mechanism for cutting the loose material, in different positions.

Like reference characters refer to likepartsin the different. figures.

Referring to Fig. I, the loom generally comprises a frame 1, upon which a lay 2 is pivotally supported by lay swords: 3. mounted on a cross-shaft 4. The lay is. reciprocatecl by means of a crank a driven from a power shaft 6 and connected to the lay swords 3" by suitable connecting rods 7. The warp threads 8' are led to the lay 2 from a suitable warp beam 9,, and. pass through the harness, not shown for the sake of'cl'earness, and between the wires. 10 of a reed, in

the usual manner. The parts described thus 1,485,059, contemplates means for drawing the fibres of the material 12 into the warp.-

betweenthe beating up of. successively laid weft tl ireads. My improvedmeans for drawing the material 1%, together with means for introducing the material 12 into the lay, will now be described- As best shown in Figs; 2", i and 5, a cross 2, the upper rear shaft 13 is supported above the lay 2 by oppositely extending pairs of arms 14, 14 and 15, 15, each of which is pivotally connected to the shaft 13. The lower ends of the arms 14 are pivotally connected to a cross member 1b which supports the upper trio with respect to the axis of the shaft I Each eccentric portion 23 is free to turn in a groove 24 provided in the corresponding opening 21, so it is obvious that when the shaft 22 is rotated, it will also have imparted thereto an up and down movement with respect to its hangers 20 and the supporting cross shaft 13.

That portion of the shaft 22 between the hangers 20 is enlarged, as shown at 25, and is provided with a series of bristles, or teeth 26, of any desired form, in a generally cylindrical arrangement It will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 2, that as the lay 2 beats back and forth during the operation of the loom, the cross shaft 13 will oscillate above the lay by reason of the connection of its arms 14: and 15 to the reed supporting member 16 and the stationary breast beam 19. The shaft 13 will carry with it the shaft 22, the extreme positions of the shafts ,13 and 22 being indicated in full lines and in dotted lines in Fig. 2. hen the lay 2 occupies its extreme rearward position with respect to the breast beam 19, the shaft 22 will be moved downwardly to a point just above the surface of the cloth being woven, so that the bristles 26 will extend between the warp threads and engage the fibres of the loose material 12.

In order to definitely control the path of movement of the shaft 22, guide rods 27 are pivotally connectedthereto, which extend in the direction of the arms 15. Each arm 15 is provided with a slot 28, within which is slidably mounteda block 29 carrying a pin 29 to which the other end 01- the rod 27 is connected. Each block 29 is adapted to slide back and forth in its slot 28 as the lay moves back and forth, and springs 30 exert a force tending to move the shaft 22 toward the lay to the same position with respect to the cloth on each rearward movement of the lay. An adusting stud 31 is carried by each arm 15 with its end extending into the slot 28,,

whereby the degree of movement of the block 29 can be closely regulated in order to vary the exact position to which the shaft 22 is moved. The hangers 20 are also made the blocks 29 by: the studs 31, and in the length of the hangers 20, it is obvious that the amount which the bristles 26 penetrate the material 12 can be very closely adjusted, in order to control the extent to which the fibres of the material 12 are drawn into the fabric when the shaft 22 is rotated, by means which will now be described.

The shaft 22 is provided at one end with a bevel gear 34- which is in mesh with a bevel gear 35 supported by a hanger 36 pivotally mounted on the extended end portion of the shaft 22, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The gear 35 is carried at the end of a flexible shaft 37 of any desired type, which, as best shown in Fig. 1, extends in the direction of the power shaft 6 of the loom. A spur gear 38 is mounted on the power shaft (3 and is in mesh with a gear 39 mounted on a countershaft 40. A bevel gear 41 is carried by the counter-shaft 4:0 and is in mesh with a bevel gear 42 carried at the end of the flexible shaft 37. The bevel gear 42 is rotatably mounted in a hanger 43 which is pivotally mounted on the countersh aft 40 in sul stantially the same manner as the hanger 36 is mounted on the shaft 22. \Vith this arrangement of gearing, it is apparent that rotation of the power shaft 6 will be transmitted to the shaft 22 in an extremely effective manner, the flexible gearing at the ends of the flexible shaft 37 permitting power to be transmitted freely and without interference by the movement of the shaft 22. It is obvious that other types of flexible gearing may as well be employed for transmitting power between the shaft 6 and the brush shaft 22, without departing from my invention.

In order to prevent the general inertia of the parts on the thrust of the flexible shaft 37 from exerting a force tending to hold the shaft 22 in its lower position as the lay 2 starts its movement toward the breast beam 19, suitable counter-balancing means are employed to assist the linkage previously described in quickly moving the shaft 22 away from the cloth. For purposes of illustration, one form of such counterbalancing means is shown as consisting of one or more levers 44, each pivotally mounted at 45 on a frame member 46 of the loom. The forward end of the lever 44 is pivotally connected by means of a rod 47 to the shaft 22, preferably by means of a pin 48 carried by the hanger 36. The other end of the lever 44 carries a weight 1-9, adjustable thereon in any suitable inanner, as by means of threads 50 provided on the lever 44, whereby the weight 49 may be moved back and forth. It is evident that when the shaft 22 is moved to its extreme lower position, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 2, the weighted end of the lever 4 1 I will be elevated above its pointof pivotal support. Consequently, when the lay 2 starts to move toward the breast beam 19-, the unbalanced weight 419 will exert a lifting effect on the shaft 22 and its associated parts, thereby overcoming, to a certain extent, the geueral inertia of these parts due to the rapid change of velocity of the lay and also any tendency of the flexible shaft 37 to hold the shaft 22 in its lower position. Obviously, other means may be employed for exerting a counterbalancing effect on the brush shaft 22.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 3, there is shown the mechanism for conveying the loose material 12 and introducing it into the cut-away portion 11 of the lay 2 beneath the cloth being woven. The means for con- Veying the material 12 consists essentially of an endless apron 51 which extends from a convenient point at the. rear of the loom upwardly through the lay 2 to apoint adjacent the breast beam 19, from which it returns to the rear of the loom. Movement is imparted to the apron 51 by means of a drive roll 52 rotatably supported by the frame of the loom below the breast'beam 19. The surface of the drive roll 52 is covered with frictional material of any desired type, whereby its rotation will impart movement to the apron 51 in the direction of the arrow. The drive roll 52 is connected by suitable gearing 53 to the mechanism, which is usually provided at the front end of a loom for intermittently driving the take-up roll 54-. If desired, suitable means, such as a ratchet, may be provided for turning the drive roll 52 by hand independently of the take-up roll 54.

The apron 51 extends downwardly from the drive roll 52 beneath an idler roll 55, from which it extends rearwardly in a sub-' stantially horizontal direction, to an end roll 56, around which it passe The apron 51 then returns in the direction of the breast beam and passes beneath a roll 57, from which it extends upwardly to a roll 58 located near the rearward position of the lay 2. From the roll 58 the apron 51 passes into the lay 2 and from thence over the breast beam 19 to the drive roll 52. lVith the arrangement just described, it is obvious that the apron 51 will be moved through the opening, in the lay in synchronism with movements of the take-up roll 54, when the loom is operating, and in order to take care of the necessary slack in the apron that is provided to permit the movement of the lay, a pressure roll 59 bears on the apron 51 just above the idler roll 55. The shaft 60 of the pressure roll 59 is received between suitable brackets 61 which permit free vertical movement of the roll 59.

It is obvious that any material placed on the apron 51 near the end roll 56 will be conveyed forwardly and upwardly into the opening in the lay, and in order to assist in this conveyal and to hold the material closely to the apron 51, I have provided auxiliary aprons 62 and 63 which parallel the main apron 51; and move in the same direction. .The auxiliary apron 62 extends above the. horizontal portion of the main apron 51 and extends between rolls 64 and 65.. The auxiliary apron 63 parallels the inclined portion of the main apron 51 and extends between rolls 66 and 67. As best shown in Fig. 3, the aprons 62 and 63 are adapted to be driven in unison by suitable gearing 68 connecting the rolls 641 and 65 to the main apron roll 57, which in turn is connected to the apron drive roll 52 by means of a belt or'chain 69. Obviously, othor means may be employed for driving the aprons 62 and 63, my invention broadly contemplating the provision of moving surfaces extending parallel to the moving surfaces of the main apron 51 and in the same direction, for confining the loose material to the main apron 5'1 and assisting in its conveyance.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 6, there are shown in detail, devices for preventing theloose material 12 from being pulled away from the fabric by the forward movement of the lay, immediately following the drawing through of the fibres of the material by the operation of the brush. It is apparent from an inspection of Fig. 2, that the full line position of the parts is such that the rotating brush is in the act of drawing the fibres of the material 12 into the fabric, and thatthe lay is about to commence its forward movement toward the breast beam.

rial which has already been drawn into the cloth away from the fabric. In order to overcome this sagging tendency of the apron, I have provided means for holding the apron upwardly against the cloth when the lay is in its forward position, which will now be described.

One or more plungers 70 extend through the side of the lay 2and project beyond an extension '71 secured to the front of the lay. As best shown inFig. 6, adyacent plungers' 70 are connected by portions 72 extending lengthwise across the lay within the opening 11. Each plunger is surrounded by a spring 73 which presses against a head 74 provided at the end of the plunger, and so tends to hold it in a ret'acted position in which the associated longitudinal portion 72 is held flush against the face of the slot 11. hen the lay 2 moves from the full line position of Fig. 2 to the dotted line position, the several plungers 70 simultaneously strike a plate 75 provided on the rear face of the breast beam 19, which causes the plungers 70 to be forced inwardly against the action of the springs 7 3. lVhen this occurs the longitudinally extending portions 72 of the plungers 70 are projected into the slot 11 and press the apron 51, and with it the loose material 12, upwardly in the direction of the cloth, thus overcoming any tendency for the apron 51 to sag downwardly into the slot 11.

In order to overcome any tendency for the web 12 to be drawn backward as the lay 2 begins its forward movement, one or more guard members 76 extend into the slot 11. Each member 76 is composed of flexible material, such as sheet metal, and is secured at its lower end to a stationary bar 7 7 carried by the frame of the loom. Each member 7 6 is of considerable width, and presents a number of inclined teeth 78 on the surface opposed to the web 12. The teeth 78 are preferably arranged as in ordinary card clothing, each tooth 78 being inclined in the direction of movement of the apron 51. Obviously the teeth 78 will readily permit movement of the loose material 12 through the slot 11 in the direction of the brush, but will oppose any tendency for the material to move in the opposite direction. As each member 76 is of flexible material, it will readily yield when the lay moves forward until it occupies the lower part of the slot 11. A resilient wedge-shaped member 79 is also carried by the bar 77 and is positioned between the members 76 and the apron 51, the function of the wedge member 79 being to prevent the material 12 from slipping when the brush is operating.

From the foregoing (description of the parts entering into my invention, it is obvious that when the loom is operating, the web of loose material 12 will be moved by the apron 51 into the slot 11 of the lay 2, in timed relation to movement of the take-up roll, and will be held beneath the warp threads 8 in such a manner that the rotating brush will draw fibres of the material into the fabric at each rearward movement of the lay. The amount that the loose fibres are drawn into'the fabric can be readily regulated with the adjustments provided by the stud 31 and the hangers 20, either all, or only a portion of the material 12 being drawn through. In view of the rapidity with which the lay moves, it is apparent that the brush will be efl'ective only momentarily, for as soon as the lay starts on its forward movement, the brush shaft 22 will be quickly moved away from the cloth. It is obvious that the movement of the shaft 22 away from the cloth will be accelerated by the fact that theshaft is supported in the hangers 20 by eccentric disks 28, and furthermore, the weight 49, acting on the arm 4-4, will overcome any tendency of the flexible shaft 37 to hold the brush shaft 22 in its lower position.

The movement of the web of loose material will be smooth and uniform in charac ter, by reason of the fact that the auxiliary aprons 62 and 63 hold the material close to the main apron 51, and by their movement,

assist in the conveyal of the material. In addition, the loose material is presented to the fabric in such a manner that the forward movement of the lay will in no way tend to pull away the material which has already been drawn into the fabric, by reason of the functioning of the plungers 70.

In carrying out my invention, it is possible to introduce the loose material into the loom in any desired form, depending upon the particular kind of cloth which it is desired to produce. Obviously, the material 12 can be of any desired thickness and can be composed of fibres of different lengths, and with different degrees of density. Furthermore, the loose material can be placed on the conveyor apron 51, either in sheet form, or it is possible to lay the condensed sliver just as received from a carding machine directly on the apron 51. 7

Furthermore, it is possible by my invention to vary the appearance of the cloth which is produced by the loom through proper manipulation of the loose material before it is introduced into'the lay, and in Figs. 7 to 9, inclusive, there are illustrated a number of different ways of producing cloth of different appearances. In Fig. 7, the loose material 80 is illustrated as having been introduced on the apron 51 in sheet form, and is then acted upon by a separating device 81 placed just above the apron. The separating devices 81 consist of a number of V-shaped separators 82, supported in spaced relation across the apron 51 by means of a bar 83. As shown in Fig. 8, the sepa raters 82 extend down to the surface of the apron, so that as the sheet of material 80 is moved by the apron, the fibres thereof will be separated into strips 80, which will pass into the lay independently of each other. Consequently the cloth which is produced by the loom will. have a striped appearance, due to the fact that the material 80 will be brushed into the fabric in strip form. J

In Fig. 8 there is also described a guide,

or cover, 81 which. may be used in connection with the conveyor apron 51, to confine the material on the apron in somewhat the same manner as the aprons 02 and 63. The cover 84 is preferably adjustable with respect to the apron to vary the thickness of the layer of loose material, and if desired, the cover 81- may be made transparent or provide windows for the inspection of the material.

A further modification of the manner in which the loose material may be introduced into the loom is shown in Fig. 9, in which the material is arranged on the apron in the form of a predetermined pattermsuch as squares 85 of material arranged somewhat in the manner of a checker board. In carrying out this embodiment of the invention it is obvious that the pattern of loose material is first attached to the apron in sufiicient length to provide the material for the desired length of cloth, and if necessary, the apron can be extended considerably in the rear of the loom to provide the necessary space for the pattern. Obviously, the loose material can be arranged in many other patterns and cloths produced having the drawnthrough material arranged in the corre sponding patterns.

Referring now to Fig. 10, there is shown a modification in the manner in which the fibres of the loose material may be drawn through the fabric simultaneously with the weaving thereof. In this modification a rotatable shaft 86 carries one or more eccentrics 86 which are adapted to impart a reciprocatory'movement to a head 87 by means of a connecting rod 88. The head 87 is adapted to move up and down just above the arcnatepath of movement of the lay 89, through which the loose material isintroduced in substantially the same manner as in Fig. 1. The head 87 carries a number of teeth 90 which are slightly hooked at their ends so that they are adapted to draw fibres of the loose material through the fabric as the head reciprocates, or a rotary brush may be employed, as previously described The operation of the eccentrics 86 is so timed that the head 87 reaches the lowermost point of its travel almost sinmltaneous- 1y with the end of the rearward movement of the lay 89, the head 87 being adapted to IDOVG upwardly in advance of the forward movement of the lay.

Referring now to Figs. 11, 12 and 13,there is shown a modification of the means for presenting the loose materialto the device for drawing the fibres of this material into the fabric. In this arrangement the lay 91 is of the usual type and a rotary brush cylinder 92 is adapted to oscillate above the path of movement of the lay in substantially the same manner as the brushcylinder shown in Fig. 1. Instead of conveying the loose material through the lay to a point beneath the fabric, as in previous arrangement, the modlfication contemplates presenting the end of the loose materialto the action of the brush cylinder at a, point in front of the lay. l I

A pair of plungers 93 are slidably supported at each side of the loom in suitable brackets 94, 95 and 96, each plunger 93 mak- Ing an angle of substantially 15 with the horizontal. Each plunger 93 is connected at 1ts upper end to a crank arm97 by means of a connectlng rod- 98, the crank arm97 being mounted on a cross shaft 99, connected I to the drive shaft'101 by gears 100 having a one to one ratio. Consequently, the plungers 93 are adapted to be given a reciprocatory movement as the shaft 101 rotates, one complete up and downmovement of a plunger 93 being made for each revolution of the shaft 101, although this movement may be obtained with a direct connection to shaft 101. Eachplunger93 carries a box 102 at an intermediate point and an apron 103 extends between the boxes 102, as best shown in Fig. 13. The apron 103 is carried by shafts 104 and 105 which are suitably journalled at their ends in the boxes 102.

[As best shown in Fig. 12, the lower shaft 105 is provided at each end with a ratchet wheel 106, and, when the boxes 102 occupy their lowermost position, as indicated. in dotted lines in Fig. 11, each wheel 106 is adapted to 'beengaged by a pawl 107 pivotadvanced through the distance represented by the pitch of one tooth and thereby turns the shaft 105. In other words, the apron 104 has a predetermined movement imparted thereto in the direction of the arrow each timethe boxes 102 are moved to their lowermost position.

Referring again to Fig. 11, a conveyor apron 110 extends beneath the loom to a point below the breast beam 111,.and a web of loose material 112 leads upwardlyfrom the apron 110 to the apron 103. The surface of the apron 103 is preferably of a frictional nature, so that the material 112 will adhere thereto; if desired, the apron 103 may be covered with card clothing so that the inaterial 112 will be carried upwardly in a sub stantially vertical plane when the apron 103 is moved as previously described. A. guard member 113 extends between the boxes 102 in front of the apron 103, so as to confine the fixed supporting bar 115 extending between the boxes. The material is adapted to be clamped against the supporting bar 115 by means of a movable locking bar 116 which is adapted to engage the material 112 and hold it firmly when it is acted upon by the brush 92, by mechanism which will now be described.

As best shown in Figs. 14 and 15. the bar 116 is supported at each end by a lever 117 pivotally mounted on a pin 118 within the box 102. When the box 102 is in its lowermost position, the lever 117 is held in engagement with a stop pin 119 by means of a spring 120, so that the bar 116 is maintained away from the material 112 and the latter may be moved upwardly by the apron 103, so as to present a portion indicated at 112 above the edge of the supporting bar 115. In this lower position of the box 102, a resilient finger 121 carried by the breast beam 111 extends into the box 102 just above the lever 117 and rests on the upper side of the stop pin 119. by its plunger 93, as indicated in Fig. 15, the finger 121 passes off the pin 119 and presses downwardly against the end of the lever 117, thereby turning the latter in the direction of a latch member 122. The latch member 122 is pivotally mounted on a pin 123 and a spring 124 normally tends to turn it in a clockwise direction. The other end of the latch member 122 is provided with a notch 122 which is adapted to receive the reduced end portion 125 of the lever 117 when the latter is moved downwardly by the finger 121. As the reduced portion 125 enters the notch 122, the pressure exerted by the spring 124 looks the lever 117 in the position shown in Fig. 15, thereby causing the clamping bar 116 to hold the material 112 firmly against the supporting bar 115. In this position the material is held against movement with a portion thereof extending above the bar 116 so that the fibres thereof may be readily drawn into the fabric when the boxes 102 are moved to their uppermost position by the plungers 93. This action of the brush 92 is illustrated in Fig. 17, from which it is apparent that the amount of loose material drawn into the fabric will depend upon the thickness of the material and the amount of material extending above the clamping bar 116. Just after the material is drawn through by the brush 92, it is adapted to be cut off from the web by a cutting mechanism which will now be described with reference to Figs. 16 and 1.7.

A knife arm 126 is pivotally mounted on a pin 127 within each box 102, each arm 126 being movable in a plane parallel to. but spaced from the plane in which the lever 117 moves. A knife blade 128 extends be- As the box 102 is moved upwardly,

tween the arms 126 and its edge is normally maintained just above the supporting bar 115, and behind the material 112. The blade 128 is maintained in this position by means of a spring 129 which tends to hold the arm 126 in engagement with a stop 130. The lower end of each arm 126 normally rests against a cam 131 pivotally mounted on a pin 132 with a heel portion 133 projecting outside of the box 102. As each box 102 is moved to its uppermost position, as shown in Fig. 17, the heel 133 is engaged by'a bunter 134 projecting from the bearing bracket 95 of the corresponding plunger 93. \Vhen this occurs, the arms 126 are turned about their pivot pins to cause the knife blade .128 to shear off the loose material 112 just below the surface of the fabric, the upper edge of the clamping bar 116 coacting with the edge of the knife 128 to cause the cutting. If desired, the knife 128' may be shifted sidewise as it moves. This cutting action occurs almost instantaneously as the boxes reach their uppermost position, whereupon the apron mechanism and the loose material is immediately moved to its lowermost positionin advance of the forward movement of the lay. As the boxes move downwardly into the dotted line position of Fig. 11, the material 112 remains clamped between the bars 115 and 116 until the boxes almost reach their lowermost position, at which time instrui'nentalities are brought into play to unlock the clamping bar 116 just before the ratchet wheel 106 is engaged by the pawl 107.

As best shown in Fig. 15, a plunger 135 is slidably mounted between guide members 136 and terminates in a head 137 which provides a beveled surface 137 opposed to a lower surface of the latch member 122. The lower end of the plunger 135 terminates in an operating portion 138 having a bevel surface 139 disposed at an angle of sub stantially 45 to the horizontal. A guide rod 140 extends between the portion 138 and the guide 136 within which it is slidable, and is surrounded by a spring 141 which tends to maintain the portion 138 in its lowermost position with the head 137 in engagement with the shaft 105, which serves as a stop.

Just before the boxes 102 reach their 4 ately moves the lever 11'? to the position shown in Fig. 14, whereby the clamping bar 116 is moved away from the bar 110 to free the loose material 112. This unlocking of the lever 117 occurs just before the pawl 10? engages the ratchet wheel 106, so that the loose material is then tree to be moved upwardly by the. apron 103.

As the boxes 102 reach their lowermost position, the linger 121 is received in the opening just above the lever 11? and rides upwardly on the pin 119, thereby preventing its interference with the turning of the lever 117 to unclamp the loose mate-rial. .As the boxes start on their upward movement, the finger 12 1 slides off the pin 119 and again locks the lever 11? the clamping position,

as previously described, the plunger hr ing, in the meantime, been freed from engagement with the stop 143, as shown in Fig. 15.

From the foregoing then it is apparent that when the loom is operating, the boxes- 102 and the apron mechanism carried thereby, will present the end out the loose material 112 to the brush .92 each time that the lay reaches its rearward position. The brush then draws a predetermined amount of the end of the material into the fabric, whereupon the drawn-through fibres are immediately cut oh? by the action of the knife 128. The boxes and apron mechanism are then innnedia-t-ely lowered from in iront-of'the advanclay and the material is moved upwardly a predetermined amount to present a new edge above the bar 115, the boxes reach their lowermost position. The above adescribed cycle is then repeated for each complete revolution of the loom shaft 101. It is apparent that all of the above described operations will take place in rapid succession and in timed relation :to each other, without in any way intertering with the operation of the loom in weaving the fiabric.

I claim 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a lay carrying a reed and .a warp passing through the reed, of means comprising an endless apron for conveying a loose material to a point adjacent to the warp, and means for drawing the .zfi'bres of said loose material tln'ough the warp in ad'- vance of the laying of the weft.

In a machine of the class described, the combination with a laytcarrying a reed and a warp passing through the reed, of a conveying apron adapted to-present a loos-e material at a point adjacent to the warp, means for drawing fibres of said material into the warp between the beating up of successively laid weft threads, and means for holding said material in position as its fibres are drawn into the warp.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a lay carrying a reed and a Warp passing through the reed, at a conveying mechanism operating in timed relation with the movements of the lay for presenting a loose material at a point adjacent to the lay, and separator-s cooperating with said mechanism for controlling the arrange ment of the fibres of the loose material.

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a lay carrying a reed with a warp passing through the reed, of a conveying apron adapted to present a loose material at a point adjacent to the warp, means operating in timed relation with the n'ioveinents of the lay for intermittently operating said conveying apron, means for drawing the loose material into the warp, and means for holding it in position when said drawing means is operating.

5. In a machine of the class described, a lay adapt-ed by its reciprocatory movement to weave a cloth, of means for presenting a loose material at the tell of the cloth each time the lay reaches the position for the laying of .a weft thread, means for drawing some of the fibres of the loose material into the cloth, and means for removing the remainder oi the looseinaterial from the path or" the lay as it moves to beat up a weitt thread. a

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a lay adapt-ed by its reciprocation to weave. a cloth, of means for presenting a loose material to the .fell of the cloth, means for drawing some of the fibres of said material into the cloth, and means for severing the drawn fibres from there mainder of the material.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a lay adapted by its reciprocatory movement to weave a cloth, of means for presenting a loose material to the fell of the cloth and drawing some or the fibres into the cloth while the is in position for the laying of a weft thread, means for severing the drawn fibres from therem-aind-er of the material and means for withdrawing the remainder of the-loose material from the path of the lay as it moves to beat up a weft thread. I

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a power shalt having a fixed axis of rotation, a lay driven from said shaft and adapted by its reciprocatory move ment to weave a fabric, of a rotatably and pivotally mounted device carried by the lay for drawing the fibres of a loose material :into the fabric, and a flexible driving connection between said shaft and said drawing device adapted to adjust itself to variations in the distance between said power shaft and said drawing device due to the arcuate path of movement of the latter.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a power shaft having a fixed axis of rotation, a lay driven from said shaft and adapted by its reciprocatory movement to weave a fabric, of a rotatable shaft carried by the lay and mounted for pivotal movement thereon for drawing the fibres of a loose material into the fabric, and a flexible driving connection between said power shaft and said drawing shaft for driving said shaft simultaneously with its movement in an arcuate path away from the power shaft.

1.0. In a machine of theclass described, the combination with a power shaft having a fixed axisof rotation, a lay driven from said shaft and adapted by its reciprocatory movement to weave a fabric, of a rotatable brush pivotally mounted on said lay for drawing the fibres of a loose material into the fabric, and a flexible shaft extending between said power shaft and said brush for driving the brush simultaneously with its movement in an arcuate path away from the power shaft.

11. In a machine of the class described,-

the combination with a lay adapted by its reciprocatory movement to weave a fabric.,

of a rotatable shaft carried by the lay for drawing the fibres of a loose material into the fabric, the shaft being supported in bearings eccentric to its axis of rotation.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a lay adapted by its reciprocatory movement to weave a fabric, of a rotatable shaft carried by the lay for drawing the fibres of a loose material into the fabric, the shaft providing bearing portions eccentric to its axis of rotation, whereby its rotation .is accompanied by a lateral displacement.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a lay adapted by its reciprocatory movement to weave a fabric, and means for presenting a loose material at a point adjacent to the fabric, of a rotatable shaft extending substantially parallel to the lay, and a device adapted to receive a reciprocatory movement from said shaft and thereby draw fibres of the loose material into the fabric.

l t. in a. loom, a lay, a link mechanisn'i carried by said lay, a fibre brushing mechanism carried by said link mechanism adapted to be lower-er into the warp by the link mechanism when the lay reaches back center, and a counterweight connected to said fibre brushing mechanism to act against its inertia as the lay starts forward.

15. In a loom, a lay, a link mechanism carried by said lay, a fibre brushing mechanism carried by said link mechanism adapted to be lowered into the warp by the link mechanism when the lay reaches back center, a spring adapted to draw said fibre brushing mechanism'rearwardly of the loom as it is lowered, and an adjustable stop to accurately position its rearward motion.

16. In a loom, a lay, a link mechanism carried by said lay, a fibre brushing meciianism carried by said link mechanism adapted to be lowered into the warp by the link mechanism when the lay reaches back center, a spring adapted to draw said fibre brushing mechanism'rearwardly of the loom as it is lowered, and a counterweight connected to said fibre brushing mechanism to act against its inertia and against said spring as the lay starts forward.

17. In a loom, a lay carrying a reed, a passageway through said lay under said reed, a continuous apron extending through. said passageway then towards the front of the loom under the finished cloth, then downwards, backwards and up again to the passageway in said lay, and means for maintaining that portion of the apron which at any time lies between the reed and the point of downward departure, close to the warp and cloth.

18. In a loom, a lay carrying a reed, a passageway through said lay under said reed, a continuous apron extending through said passageway then towards the front of the loom under the finished cloth, then downwards, backwards and up again to the passageway in said lay, and means for maintaining that portion of the apron which at any time lies between the reed and the point of downward departure, close to the warp and cloth, said means comprising in part a shelf in front of the lay.

19. In a loom, a lay carrying a reed, a passageway through said lay under said reed, a continuous apron extending through said passageway then towards the front of the loom under the finished cloth, then downwards, backwards and up again to the passageway in said lay, and means for maintaining that portion of the apron which at any time lies between the reed and the point of downward departure, close to the warp and cloth, said means comprising in part a supporting bracket moved rearwardly with respect to said lay upon forward movement of said lay.

FREDERICK B. STEARNS.

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