US2054181A - Weft detecting system for shifting shuttle box looms - Google Patents

Description

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WEFT DETECTING SYSTEM FOR SHIFTING SHUTTLE BOX LOOMS Filed may 7, 1955 I s,s'neets-spet -2;-

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. Invent or Richard Greenlgnf Turner orrieya Sept. 15, 1936. a R e. TURNER 2,054,181.

WEFT DETECTING SYSTEM FOR SHIFTING SHUTTLE Box Looms 'Filed May 7, 1955 3 sheets-sheet;

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as o K v A *a/ Exhausied Shutfle Boxed "m Pmkmq v V Y Lower Ce o 'Lhanq. Box MgqazuW- in c l Adive. shame Deizgdged. I Irwentu' it is to Rem m Richard Greemea: Tm n r cnon Eur R Picks Patented Sept. 15, 1936 PATENT OFFICE WEFT DETECTING SYSTEM FOR SHIFTING SHUTTLE BOX LOOMS Richard Greenleaf Turner,

Worcester, Mass,

asslgnor to Crompton & Knowles Loom "W orks, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachu- 'setts Application May 7, 1935. Serial No. 20,141

16 Claims.

flhis invention relates to improvements in weft detecting mechanisms more particularly adaptable to shifting shuttle box looms and it is the general object of theinvention to provide such a system which detect the condition of weft in any shuttle just prior to picking thereof whether previously active or inactive.

Shifting shuttle box looms ordinarily employ at least one set or gang of .cells at one end of the loom to house a plurality of weaving shuttles, and as ordinarily constructed such looms place one or another of the weaving shuttles in active picking position while the remaining shuttles are held inactive. When only two cells are used it is possible to detect into the top of the top :cell and the bottom of the bottom cell, preferahly .by the movement ofv the shifting boxes. When the detectors are secured to the lay a very small pattern variation only is possible due to the fact that there is no means for detecting the condition of weft in the active shuttle and the latter must therefore be rendered inactive at frequent intervals to permit detection.

It :is an important object of my present invention to add a third detector 'so placed that it cooperates 'withthe active :shuttle, thereby supplementing the detectors which are over and under the shifting boxes. It is possible to put the third detector either at the box end of the loom, or at the opposite end where a shuttle changer may be employed .if the result of indication of weft exhaustion is to bring about a shuttle change, and I have chosen to :show the auxiliary detector at the magazine end.

Heretofore I have proposed a loom wherein the single detector is employed at the magazine end with no detectors. at the box end, the single detector cooperating with indication storing means which holds an indication given by any weaving-shuttle when at the magazine end of the loom until that shuttle returns at a later pick, which may be several picks :later. The indication storing means, however, involves select-or mechanism and by the arrangement set forth hereinafter I am enabled to accomplish the detection of each shuttle just before it is to be active without the use of selecting mechanism and at the same time permit any shuttle to be active or inactive as long as required by the particular pattern being woven.

I illustrate my invention by means of electrical feelers which are controlled by some part such as the pattern mechanism which determines thesequence-of box shifting. By'this contro'l the feeler of the inactiveshuttleis rendered It is a further important object of my present 7 invention to distribute the wear on the weft incident todetection. 'The over and under feelers at the box end operate to .cause engagement between the top of the weft .in-the upper shuttle'and the bottom of the weft in the lower shuttle with their respective detecting surfaces, but when either of these shuttles is atthe magazine end the third detector strikes the mass of weft in the front thereof. The result of this is that the detecting relations between the mass of weft and the detecting system occurs at different parts of the surface to be detected, and as a result any abrasion or wearing of the weft incident to the detecting operation is lessened due to distribution. a

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my inventionresides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described andset forth in the claims. 7

.In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of ,my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the shuttle changing end of a loom made according to my Present invention showing the single detector,

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the opposite end of the loom showing the shifting, shuttle boxes in section and the over and under feelers which cooperate with them, 7

Fig. 3 :is a detailed front elevation of the shifting shuttle boxes looking in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits and controls for the boxes and circuits,

Fig. .5 is a diagrammatic view showing the sequence of operations, and

Fig. .6 is a detailed section on line v6-45 of Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention applied to a two color shuttle changing loom of the :type which has gone into general use and wherein shifting shuttle boxes are located atone side of the loom while a two-color reserve shuttle magazine is located at the other side of the loom and is provided with control devices 7 which coordinate the magazine with the active shuttle. The loom is also equipped with a socalled Knowles head which has provision for shifting the shuttle boxes. at will, the sequence being that called for by any type of pattern which is desired to be woven with two shuttles. I do not wish, however, to be limited to a loom having particular hea d and boxes shown.

.Referring particularly toFig, 1, I have shown a loom frame IE having a lay Ii whichiis rocked back and forth by a connector. I2 driven by a top or crank shaft E3. The lay has a pair of shuttle boxes the'upper one of which indicated atv I 4 is.

normally opposite the rate to receive either of the weaving shuttleawhile the lower box [5 is normally unoccupied but'is raised at the time of shuttle change to receive the .depleted shuttle arriving from the shifting box end of the loom. This shifting of the boxes l4 and His accomplishedthrough a box lifter. rod l6 connected by a a link, I! to a normally stationary lifter lever l8. Thelatter' hasa notched lug l9 tobe entered by a liftingdogZli pivoted as at?! to a regularly moving actuator lever 22. A solenoid 23 carried by the lever 22 moves the 'doginto lifting relation shuttle.

With respect to the notch 19 when excited so that as lever 22; rises it will'elevate the lifterlever and cause-upward shifting to relate box to the magazine M and place box I 5 to receive the depleted The bottom shaft 24, turning once every two beats of theloom, carries a ca'm 25 which actuates roll 26 on'lever 22, the cam having low and high dwells 21 and-28, respectively, connected by 111- Themagazi-ne together withits color selector C of themselves form no part of my present invenif) application Serial No. 722,549 and are illustrated asmeans for controlling loom operation when tion-and may be as set-forth in my co-pending one or another of the shuttles isdepleted. i

Thedopposite end of the loom illustrated in j Fig 2 has a gang of shuttle boxes having upper andlower cells 33 and 3| respectively, adapted to receive a weaving shuttle S and S. These cells are controlled as to verticalposition by a box lifter rod-i32 operatively related to a lifter chain 33 controlled by the head motion H. The latter is well understood and includes in its construction a vibratorglever 35, see Fig. 4, positioned verti-, V

cally by a pattern chainP'having high'rolls 35 andsinkers-3l to give the'vibrator lever one of two positions. The vib'rator'lever carries a vibrator gear 42 which is given a partial rotation by;

one or the other of theupper and lower mutilated cylinder: gears 38 or 39, respectively, depending upon the position of the vibrator lever. A vibrator connector 40 is pivoted to the gear at one end and at the other endto a box lever 4| the lower end of which is attached to the chain 33.

The head operates insuch a manner that when the vibrator lever is on a sinkerthe boxes are down and'when elevated by a riser or roll 36 the shiftin boxes areraised. Thematter thus far .de-

scribedis well understood and bythe flexibility of patterns rendered possible by the chain P one or theother of the shuttl'e boxes 30 or 3| can're-,

main active as long as desired while the other box .is inactive, thereby providing the 'loom with the the latter is raised to inactive position, but incapable of detecting the upper shuttle when the latter is active. In a similar manner the lay has secured theretoa bot-tom or under electric feeler 46 to detect the condition of weft in the lower shuttle box when the latter is inactive, but is equally capable of detecting the condition of the lower shuttle when'the' latter is active. These I feelers may be secured in fixed relation to the" I lay and are rendered operative relatively to their respective shuttles by shifting of the boxes. The overand under feelers which I employ may be 7 substantially the same as those set forth in my aforesaid co-pending application.

At the magazine end I provide a third electric weft detector 50 mounted to detect the condition of the active shuttle when the latter is at the magazine end of the loom. This detector is against a stop H36." The upper box 30 has a cover it? the forward part of which has a slot H3 to receive therear end of a flexible tongue H mounted onthe arm Normally the cover advances with the lay below a tongue H0 but on a shuttle changing operation of the loom the box 30 and its cover 101 rises so that the cover I01 engages a shoulder 'l l l' on, the tongue H0 to move the latter, and therefore the arm 5| together with the detector 58 forwardly as the lay advances. In this way the detector at the weft replenishing end of the loom is moved out of the pathofthe in.- coming shuttle at the time'of the shuttle changing operation. For further details of the mechanism for withdrawing the detector 50 reference may be had to my co-pending application Serial Fig. 4 indicates the control and electric circuits for my detecting system. A switch 60 for the over and under feeler has 'a contactor '6! which connects electrodes 62 and 63 constitutingan upper pair when saidcross bar is elevated due to raising of the vibrator lever 35, and connects lowerelectrodes 54 and 65when cross bar BI is down'dueto lowering of the vibratorlever.. The contactor-is controlled-by a rod-66 connected to an arm .61 moving with a second arm .68 operatively connected by link 69 to vibrator lever 35.

When the shifting'shuttle boxes are in the position indicated in Fig. '4 withthe lower shuttle S temporarily inactive and'depleted, the contactor 6| will be down to prevent closing of a contact through shuttle S until just before a box shift is to occur, at which'time the vibrator will rise preparatory to' the box shift and raise the contactor to the-dotted position, whereupon current will fiow in the-following circuit: ground, wire 10, detector '46, shuttle Sgwirej H electrode 62, contactor 6l,-electrode 63, wire 12', solenoid 23,. wire 73', source of electric power 14, and wire back to the ground. This circuit remainsaclosed be.- tween the raising of the vibrator lever and subsequent movement of box 3| away from feeler' 46,

long enough to energize. the solenoid 23 land move the dog into lifting relation withv lever l8;

said figure until lever'22 starts to rise as set forth more particularly in my co-opending application Serial'No.'747,358. a

: Upon becoming active shuttle. S ;is picked to the-magazine side of the loom where it enters box I5, and it is tobe understood that prior to the shift the other'weaving shuttle S enters the top 'Hooks l6 and 7'! *shown in Fig. 6 may be em ploye'd to hold the dog in the dotted'position of box 30 and is moved toward its detector 45 which is controlled by the electrodes 64 and 65. The latter, however, are not connected because of the elevated position of the contactor BI and therefore even though shuttle S be exhausted an indication cannot be given.

When the boxes are about to shift again to down position the indication for the shift will be given by a lowering of the vibrator lever to bring contactor 6| into low full line position prior to the box shift, whereupon if shuttle S be depleted current will flow in the following circuit: ground, wire 89, detector 45, shuttle S, wire BI, electrode 64, contactor 6| electrode 65, wire 82, solenoid 23, wire 73, source of electric power 14, and wire 15 back to the ground. Closing of this circuit will have the same effect as the closing of the previous circuit except that the magazine will operate to deliver a different shuttle, that is, one corresponding to shuttle S.

The matter thus far described may be similar to the circuits and structure shown in my aforesaid application Serial No. 722,549, and operates to detect only on a depleted inactive shuttle just prior to the return of the shuttle to action.

Detector 50 is controlled so that it will detect on all beats of the loom when the previously traced circuits cannot be closed because of the position of either switch 60 or the active shuttle. The third detector is controlled by .an auxiliary vibrator lever in head H which is positioned by an auxiliary chain 86 having high and low rolls 3'! and 88, respectively. A link 89 connects the lever 85 with a circuit closer 9U capable of electrically connecting electrodes 9| and 92. The auxiliary chain is shown separately from chain P in Fig. 4, but in reality moves with the latter, and may indeed be part of it. Chain 89, like chain P, has a movement every beat of the loom, and is built so that a high roll 81 which is at the end of a repeat on the main chain P will lift the circuit closer 98.

As shown in Fig. 4, the chain P for vibrator lever 35 has six high rolls 36 while the remainder are sinkers 31. With the chain moving in the direction indicated by the arrow the last of the sinkers of the series at the right of the chain has arrived under the lever 35 and at the same time the high roll 8'! is under the auxiliary vibrator lever 85. In like manner when the last of the high rolls 36 arrives under vibrator lever 35, another high roll 93 on the auxiliary chain will move under lever 85 and again raise the latter. Between high rolls on the auxiliary chain the vibrator lever 85 is down to permit current to flow .between electrodes SI and 92.

When the feeler 59 detects a shuttle which is remaining active one of the low rolls 88 will be under lever 85, circuit closer will be down as in dotted lines, and if exhaustion exists in a shuttle at the magazine side under these conditions current will flow in the following circuit: ground, wire 95, detector 50, the depleted active shuttle, S as shown, wire 96, electrode 92, circuit closer 99, electrode 9!, wire 91, solenoid 23, wire [3, battery 14, and wire 15 back to the ground. Current flowing in this circuit will energize the solenoid to move the dog with results similar to those already described.

Although the indication given by the detector 50 comes earlier in the cycle of loom operation than the indication at the box end, spring hooks l6 and T! will nevertheless hold the dog until the shuttle changing period arrives. This and other relations will be described in connection with Fig. 5, which shows diagrammatically the sequence of detecting operations for two successive picks or beats of the loom, and sets forth the sequence of operations relatively to cam 25 and bottom shaft 24 which makes one rotation in two beats of the loom.

In Fig. 5, where the sequence of operations is indicated graphically, FC, Top C, BC, and Bot. C represent, respectively the front center, top center, back center and bottom center positions of the lay.

Beginning at a on the dot and dash circle, it may be assumed that the lay is at front center and the active shuttle is to remain active and is being detected by feeler 50 at the magazine end. Under these conditions the circuit through the detector of the inactive shuttle will be broken by switch 69. If indication of exhaustion is given by feeler 55 the solenoid pulls the dog to changing position, where it is held by the hooks, the cam roll 26 being at the beginning of the low dwell 21 of cam 25. After picking at point I) the shuttle travels toward the drop box end and boxes approximately at cl, or bottom center, the feeler of the inactive shuttle remaining disconnected. At e lever 22 starts up on its regular motion and box I4 is up at Q, where the shuttle'is again picked. Transfer of the'new shuttle is effected at h with the lay on back center, and box l5 remains up until the lay reaches bottom center, or :i, to permit boxing of the depleted shuttle in box IS. The box Hi then drops to the shuttle race R placing the new shuttle for picking at b. This operation requires a relatively long delay between indication by feeler 58 and magazine operation provided for by the full length of low dwell 21.

If it be assumed that the active shuttle at the magazine side is to be rendered inactive upon arrival at the shifting boxes, feeler 59 will be disconnected electrically by chain 86 at some point between it and 7' and no indication will be given, even though the shuttle be depleted. At some point between 0 and d, before the lay reaches bottom center with the shuttle travelling toward the boxes, the vibrator levers will change and the feeler corresponding to the inactive shuttle about to become active will be in circuit. If indication of exhaustion is given, the dog will rock to lifting position by action of the solenoid while the latter part of low dwell is still controlling lever 22 and before point e is reached. Thesubsequent shuttle changing operation will be as already described, but the interval between feeler indication and magazine operation will be less. When the loom next reaches a position between 0 and d, the switch 96 will be closed again to permit indication by feeler 55. It will be seen, therefore, that the cam is timed to operate correctly whichever feeler initiates the change.

By referring to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the feelers at the drop box end of the loom engage top and bottom surfaces of the bobbins being detected, but that when either shuttle is at the magazine end the detector 50 engages a different part of the mass of weft, namely the front, so that the wear incident to the physical contact between the detectors and the weft is distributed, thereby lessening likelihood of breakage when fine yarns such as silk and rayon are being woven.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple detecting system for a box loom wherein one detector is in control of the loom so long as the same shuttle remains in action,- but that another part of the detecting sys- 4 tem comes intocontrolland the first detector is disabled when there is to be a shift of the boxes.

' The timing of cam 25 is such that the indication can be given from either end of the 100m and for this reason the stationary detector, While described specifically herein as located at the magazine end, could with appropriate modifications be located at the shifting shuttle box end of the loom, this change involving no alteration in the shuttle change mechanism. It will also be seen'that the control for the auxiliary or third detector is attained through the use of an auxiliary chain built in such a way as to disconnect the detector, or disable the same, on the last pick in which any one shuttle is to be active and just prior to a shifting of the boxes. It will further be seen that a shuttle changing loom supplying a plurality of types of reserve shuttles can be used in connection with a call box pattern without the use of selective indication store I ing mechanism such as is'customarily employed 'in looms of this type.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I ,do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but What I claim is:

1., In a loom having a lay and shifting shuttle boxes at one end and a multicolor magazine at 'the other end, a pair of electric feelers supto the lay to coact with an idle shuttlein the upper 'box when the boxes are raised, a second electric detector secured to the lay to coact with an idle shuttle in the lower box when thelooxes' are lowered, a third electric detector at the end ,of the loom opposite the shifting boxes, loom changing mechanism to be controlled by any of the detectors, a pattern surface to determine the sequence of movements, of the shifting shuttle boxes, and controls between the pattern surface and the detectorsto render the third detector operativeto control the loom changing mechanism alternately with one or the other of the detectors securedto the lay,

3. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes to render any one of 'a plurality of shuttles active for periods greater than two successive picks, an electric Weft detector for each shifting shuttle box, an electric 'weft detector at that side of the loom opposite the shifting boxes, a sequence control for the shifting boxes to, determine the order in which the boxes are in active po-sition,and

' means operatively related to the sequence control torender the last named detector operative on all picks of aperiod except the, last and to render operative the detectorof a shuttle box in inactive position immediatelyprior to return of, said shuttle box to active position. I.

4, Ina loom, shifting shuttle boxes to render active any one of a" plurality of shuttles for a period exceeding two picks, weft replenishing mechanism at the end of the loom opposite the shifting boxes, a weft detector for each of the shifting boxes, a deft detector at that endof the loom adjacent the replenishing mechanism,

means to determine the sequence of movements of the shifting'boxes, and connections between said means and the detectors effective to render the detector at the replenishing side of'the loom operative during all picks except the last of a j period of continuedactivity of any shuttle and to render one or the other of the detectors for the shuttle boxes operative during said last pick.

5. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes at one end of the loom to render operative any one of a plurality of shuttles, a weftdetector for each shuttle box, weft replenishing mechanism at the opposite end of the loom to be controlled by either of said detectors,a weft detector at the magazine end of the loom also capable of controlling the weft replenishing mechanism, means to. render said detector at the replenishing end of the loom capable of 'controllinglsaid replenishingplenishing mechanism at the opposite end of the loom, a weft detector at the replenishing mechanism end of the loom, means by which each of said detectors is capable of controlling the replenishing mechanism, a pattern chain having a section to determine which shuttle shall be active, and an auxiliary pattern surface carried by the chain, means controlled by the auxiliary pattern surface to control the detector at the replenishing end of the loom to render the latter detector inoperative on the last of a sequence of picks during which a shuttle is active.

1. In a weft detecting system for a loom having two shuttle boxes which shift to renderleither of two Weaving shuttles active and inactive, weft detecting mechanism including two feelers, one

for each shuttle, either feeler to indicate exhaustion of weft in the corresponding shuttle when inactive just priorto a shifting of the boxes which renders said inactive shuttle active and the other of which is held in non-detecting mechanism with respect to the active shuttle, a

second weft detecting mechanism to indicate exhaustion of weft in a shuttle which remains ac tive, and means to bring about a change in the operation of the loom when either detecting mechanism indicates exhaustion.

8. In a weft detecting system for/a loom hav ing two shuttle boxes which shift to render either of two weaving shuttles active and inactive, a lay to support the shifting boxes, weft detecting mechanism supported by the lay'and having tWo feelers, one for each shuttle, eith-er'feeler operative to indicate exhaustion of weft in an inactive shuttle about to. become active while. the

other is out of position to detect the active shuttle, a second detecting mechanism to indicate 'to support the'shifting shuttle boxes, detecting vtectors at the shuttle box side of the loom operamechanism supported by the lay having two feelers, one for each shuttle, said feelers alternately effective to indicate exhaustion of weft in an inactive shuttl'e just prior to return to action of the inactive shuttle, second detecting mechanism to indicate-exhaustion of weft in the active shuttle, and means to bring about a change in loom operation controlled by both detector mechanisms.

10. In a weft detecting system for a loom having two shuttle boxes which shift to render either of two weaving shuttles active and inactive, a lay to support the shifting boxes, weft detecting mechanism secured to the lay including two feelers, one for each shifting box, said mechanism effective by shifting movement of the boxes to indicate exhaustion of weft in an inactive shuttle by the feeler corresponding thereto, just before the inactive shuttle returns to action, a second detector mechanism rendered effective by movement of the lay to indicate exhaustion of weft in an active shuttle, and means to bring about a change in loom operation controlled by both of said mechanisms.

11. In a Weft detecting system for a loom having two shuttle boxes which shift to render either of two weaving shuttles active and inactive, weft detecting mechanism including two feelers, one for each shuttle box, each feeler effective to indicate exhaustion of weft when the corresponding shuttle box is in inactive position only and occupied by a depleted shuttle about to be returned to action by shifting of the shuttle boxes, a second detecting mechanism common to both shuttles and effective to indicate exhaustion of weft in either shuttle when active, and means to bring about a change in the operation of the loom controlled by both of said mechanisms.

12. In a shuttle having a lay operating with two shifting shuttle boxes to rend-er either of two weaving shuttles active or inactive, two electric weft detectors secured to the lay, one above and the other below the shifting boxes, pattern mechanism to determine the sequence of movements of the shuttle boxes, an electro-magnetic loom controller, means effective upon indication of weft exhaustion in an inactive depleted shuttle and controlled by the pattern mechanism just prior to a shift of the boxes which returns the depleted shuttle to action to energize the electro-magnetic controller, an electric weft detector to cooperate with the active shuttle and capable of causing energization of the electromagnetic controller during continued activity of a shuttle when the latter is depleted, and means moving in timed relation with the pattern mechanism to render the last named detector incapable of causing energization of the electromagnetic controller during the last of a continuous series of picks during which any one shuttle is active.

13. In a loom, shifting shuttle boxes at one end thereof, a pair of weft detectors to cooperate with the shifting boxes, one detector for each box, a weft detector at the other end of the loom, weft replenishing mechanism to be controlled by each detector, pattern means to determine the sequence of movements of the'shifting boxes, control means for the detector at said other side of the loom to render the last named detector operative to detect during certain periods and inoperative to detect during other periods, and means controlled by the pattern mechanism to render one or the other of said pair of detive to control the weft replenishing mechanism during the, periods of: inoperativeness of thedetector at said other side of the loom.

14. In asloom, shifting .shuttle boxes operating with a plurality of weaving. shuttles, pattern' mechanism capable of maintaining each shuttle box in active position for two or more successive beats of the loom, shuttle changing mechanism at the end of the loom opposite the shifting boxes, weft detecting mechanism at the shifting'shuttl-e box end of the loom, a second weft detecting mechanism at the shuttle changing end of the loom, a controller for each weft detecting mechanism, each controller effective to render the corresponding weft detecting mechanism capable or incapable of indicating weft exhaustion, means controlled by the pattern mechanism and connected to the controller for the weft detecting mechanism at the shuttle changing end of the loom to maintain the last named weft detecting mechanism capable of indicating weft exhaustion when a weaving shuttle is to remain active for more than two successive beats of the loom, and means connected to the controller for the weft detecting mechanism at the shifting shuttle box end of the loom to render the latter weft detecting mechanism capable of indicating weft exhaustion when the weaving shuttle is to remain active for not more than two successive beats of the loom.

15. In a loom, a pair of shifting shuttle boxes at one end thereof to cooperate with two weaving shuttles, a weft detector for each of the shifting shuttle boxes, a main pattern surface to control the shifting movements of the shuttle boxes and capable of maintaining either shifting shuttle box in active position for a plurality of successive picks, means to mount the detectors so that each of the latter has detecting relation with the corresponding shuttle box when the latter is in inactive position only, control connections between the main pattern surface and the weft detectors to render the detector corresponding to an inactively placed shuttle box capable of giving indication of weft exhaustion only on a beat of the loom when the inactive shuttle box is to move to active position, a weft detector at the other end of the loom normally effective to indicate exhaustion of weft in the active shuttle, weft replenishing mechanism to be controlled by each of the detectors, an auxiliary pattern surface to control the detector at the weft replenishing side of the loom, connections between the auxiliary pattern surface and the last named weft detector to prevent the latter from giving an indication of weft exhaustion on a beat of the loom preceding a shift of the shuttle boxes caused by the main pattern surface, and means to drive the main and auxiliary pattern surfaces in synchronism to the end that indication of weft exhaustion can be given from but one end of the loom on any given beat thereof.

16. In a weft detecting system for a loom having two shuttle boxes which shift to render two weaving shuttles active and inactive, weft detecting mechanism to indicate exhaustion of weft in an inactive shuttle about to become active, a second weft detecting mechanism to indicate exhaustion of weft in an active shuttle, weft replenishing mechanism, connections between the latter and the weft detecting mechanisms to cause an operation of the weft replenishing mechanism when either weft detecting mechanism indicates weft exhaustion, a main pattern surface to control the shifting movementsof the shuttle boxes, an auxiliary pattern surface to control the second named weftdetecting mechanism, means to cause the main and V auxiliarypattern surfaces to move in synchronism, and control means for the weft detecting end of the loom is capable of indicating weft 5 exhaustion. A

RICHARD GREENLEAF TURNER.

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