US1674871A - Weft-detecting mechanism - Google Patents

Description

- I'm/5N TO}? S. A. NELSON I WEFT DETECTING MECHANISM June 2 6, 1928.

Filed Dec. 1, 1925 a Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 8/1 NUEL ,2 N51. SON

Jpne 26, 1928.

s. A. NELSON WEFT DETECTING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 1, 1925 ii Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOB SAMUEL H. NELSON Patented June 26, 1928.

SAMUEL A. NELSON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON &

KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, MASSACHUSETTS.

Applicationfiled December Ehis invention relates to a weft detecting mechanism for an automatic weft-replenish- 1 ing drop-box loom.

It has been heretofore proposed to provide a single weft detector which may be moved to cooperate with a selected dropbox and to thereafter maintainsaid detector in cooperative relation with the selected drop-box as the boxes are shifted vertically to bring the indicated shuttle to running position. V

A mechanism of this general character is shown in the prior patent to Ryon, No. 1,205,792, issued November 21, 1916.

It is the general object of my present invention to improve the positioning mechanism shown in the above mentioned patent, and particularly to provide positively actuated devices for moving the detector in either direction to cooperate witha selected drop box.

' A further object is to provide an improved mechanism for positively maintaining said weft detector in such cooperative relation with the drop-box as the latter is thereafter moved to bring shuttle to running position.

My invention further relates to certain arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

A preferred form of the invention is shown inthe drawings in which- Fig. 1 is aside elevation of parts of a loom embodying my improvements, with the drop-boxes shown in section;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of parts of the mechanism for selectively positioning the weft detector andfor thereafter maintaining its relation to the drop-boxes;

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail sectional plan views taken along the line 3- 3 in Fig. 2, and the line 4t in Fig. 1 respectively; Fig. 5 is a partial plan view of the pattern chain driving sprocket;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation thereof, and Fig. 7 is a side elevation. of a cylinder gear.

Referring to the drawings, 1 have shown a portion of a loom frame 10 having a lay 11 pivotally mounted thereon in the usual manner. Drop boXes 12 are mounted for sethe indicated OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF WEFT-DETECTING MECHANISM.

1', 1925. Serial No. 72,584.

lective vertical movement on the lay, said drop-boxes being supported by the usual lifter rod 13 which is connected at its lower end through a link 14 to a floating lever 15.

The lever 15 is provided with a stud 16 slidable in a fixed vertical slot- 17, and is connected by links 18 and 19 to bell-cranks 20 and 21. These bell-cranks are connected at their upper ends by vibrator links 22 and 23 to vibrator gears 24 mounted on the usual vibrator levers 25 which may be raised or lowered to cause the vibrator gears to engage the upper or lower cylinder gears 26 and 27. -The vibrator levers 25 are moved vertically by pattern controlled levers 28- connected to the vibrator levers by links 29. The levers 28 are selectively raised and lowered by a pattern chain driven by sprocket-s fixed to a driving shaft 30.

The parts thus far'described are or may be of theusual commercial construction and in themselves form no part'of my present invention, which relates particularly to the also forming no part of my present invention.

The detector '33 is movably mounted on a stand 34 secured to-the upperend of a support 35 which is slidable in guideways in a bracket or casing 36, firmly secured to the loom'frame 10. Arack plate 37 is fixed to the support 3521s indicated in Fig; 2.

A floating double rack bar iO'is also slidable in a guideway 41 in the bracket 36, its movement being parallel to that of the support 35. A pinion l2 engages the rack plate 37 on one side, and the double rack bar 40 on' "the other side, and. is positioned vertically by a link 43 conne'cted at its lower -end to a floating lever 14;.

' I The lever a l is selectively positioned vertically by pattern-controlled mechanism which is essentially a duplicate of the mechanism already described for positioning the floating lever 15, the lever 44: being controlled by an additional pair of pattern levscribed, so that the rack .bar 45 nioves vertically simultaneously with the lifter rod 13.'

r The support and rack bars and inay be'a'etained in the bracket 36 in any Convenient manner, one suitable construction being indicated in Fig. 3, in which the sup- I port 35 is slidable ina dovetailedguideway and in which the rack bars 40 and 41 are retained. in their guideways by a slotted cover plate 50. The pinion 42 is also re tained in'position by the cover plate 50, and

is connected to its link 43 by a stud 5 1.

The chain for moving the pattern levers 28 which locate the weft detector is preferably mounted on sprockets 55 (Fig. 5), while the chain controlling the lever- .28 for the drop-boxes ismounted on sprockets 56 (Fig. 5). The sprockets 55 and 56 turnin unison about the shaft 30 but are preferably spaced so that the teeth of the sprockets 55 are half a space in advance of the teeth of the sprocket 56, for a purpose to be described. a The operation of my improved weft detecting mechanism is as follows V v The pattern levers 28 for the weft detector are moved by the corresponding pattern chain to position the floating lever 44 so as to bring the weft detector 33 opposite to the shuttle which is about to become. active. This movement of thelever: 44. raises or lowers the pinion 42, thus rotating the pinion' on the temporarily fixed rack 40 and causing a raising or lowering ofthe rack plate 37 and of theassociated weft detector support 35. cated opposite to the desired shuttlebox.

The pattern levers 28 for the drop-boxes are then actuated. causing the cylinder gears to position the floating lever 15 so as to bring the desired shuttle to running position. As the lifter rod 13 is thus raised or lowered, the rack bar 45, which is also connected to the lever 15, will be raised or lowered a corresponding distance, causingrotation of the pinion 47 about its fixed pivot 48. Thisrotation of the pinion 47 in turn causes a vertical movement of the floating doublerack bar 40 in the reverse direction and corresponding movement of the rack plate 37 in the same direction as the movement of the I rack bar 45.

size vand pitch and consequently the rack plate37 is moved inthe same direction as the rack, bar 45 at the same time and to the same extent, thus maintaining the detector The weft detector is thuslo 33 in operative relation with the shuttle in the selected shuttle box.

Both the pinion 42 and the rack bar 45 are moved vertically by direct and positive connections from the vibrator gears. 24 which are rotated-by the positively driven'cylinder gears 26 and 27. dimple power isthus provided for moving all parts of :the actuating boxes.

ably, made in two longitudinally disposed sect-1o'ns, ,as indicated in Fig.7, one section being spaced a part of a revolution in ad- 1 C Of the other so that the, detector-1 3 'mechanism for the weft detector and drop The cylinder gears 26 and 27 are-prefermay bemoved opposite to its selected shuttle box before the boxes themselves begin to move; v V v a Having thus described my invention, it will beseen that I have provided a very simple and positive mechanism for definitely locating the weft detector in alignment with a selected shuttle box,.and for thereafter maintaming such alignment during the movement of said shuttle boxtorunning positionf .I-Iaving attained this result, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as setforth in the'claims,

but what I claim is: v p

1. In a. weft replenishing drop-box loom,

a weft detector, pattern controlled m'eansto move said weft detector into alignment with a. selected shuttle box, and means for thereafter maintaining cooperative relation of said detector and shuttle box during movement of the Selected. S e box to runnin position, said pattern controlled means he ing positively actuated in both directions and being effective to give said ,detectorpositive positioning movements in both upward and downward directions.

2. In a weft replenishing drop-box loom a weft detector, pattern controlled means to move said weft detector into alignment with a. selected shuttle box, and means for thereafter maintaining cooperative relation of said detector and shuttle box during movement of the selected shuttle box to running position, said pattern controlled means comprising positively actuated members, and positive gear conneetio-nsftherefrom to said weft detector, whereby said detector is moved positively in both upward and downward directions. g A

3. In a. weft replenishing drop-box loom, a weft detector, pat-tern controlled means to move said weft detector into alignment with a selected shuttle box, and'means for thereafter maintaining cooperative relation of said detector and shuttle box during movement of the selected shuttle box to running position, said latter means including. a positive gear connection by which said detector is moved positively in both upward and downward directions and through which said cooperative relation is maintained.

4. In a weft replenishing drop-box loom, a weft detector, pattern controlled means to move said weft detector into alignment'with a. selected shuttle box, and means for thereafter maintaining cooperative relation of said detector and shuttle box during movement of the selected shuttle box torunning position, said pattern controlled means including cylinder gears, vibrator gears selectively associated therewith, and positive mechanical connections between said vibrator gears and said weft detector for moving the latter to selected definite positions and effective to move said detector positively in both upward and downward directions.

5. In a. weft replenishing drop-box loo-m, a weft detector, a detector stand, a vertically movable support for said stand, a fixed guideway for said support, a rack on said support, a floating rack bar slidable parallel to said support, a second rack bar slidable parallel to said support, a pinion mounted on a fixed pivot and engaging said second. rack bar and said floating rack bar, and a second pinion engaging said floating rack bar and the rack on said support, said second pinion and said second rack bar being connected respectively to pattern controlled devices by which they may be selectively positioned vertically.

6. A weft detector positioning mechanism as set forth in claim 5, in which the two pinions are of equal diameter and pitch, and in which said second rack bar gives said support simultaneous vertical movements in the game direction as the movements of said rack 7. In a weft replenishing drop-box loom, a Weft detector, and means for selectively positioning said detector, said means including separate pattern chains for positioning the detector and the drop-boxes, and means for rendering said chains alternately operative.

8. In a weft replenishing drop-box loom,

a weft detector, and means for selectively positioning said detector, said means including separate pattern chains for positioning the detector and the drop-boxes, means for rendering said chains alternately operative, vibrator gears connected to actuate said weft detector support and said dropboxes, and cylinder gears for moving said vibrator gears, said cylinder gears being formed in two axially disposed parts, and the toothed portion of one part being advanced angularly relative to the toothed portion of the other, whereby the detector is selectively positioned before movement of the drop boxes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto ailixed my signature,

SAMUEL A. NELSON.

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