US2093629A - Loom for mixing filling - Google Patents

Description

Sept.21 ,1937. 1 I w v 2, o9s,629

' LOOM FOR MIXING BILLING Y Filed Jan 18, 1933 '7 she ets-sheet 1 V INVENTOR.

M? mew BY ATTORNEY.

--,w; H. B AK ER LOOM FOR MIXING FILLING Filed Jari. is, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 M 8 a) WL q. M. w 1.

INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEY.

w. H. BAKER I LOOM FOR MIXING FILLING Filed Jan. 18, 1935 :7 Sheets-Sheet 4 I INVENTOR.

M w. W

ATTORNEY.

Sept; 21, 1937.

Sept. 21, 1937. A w. H. BAKER 2,093,629

LOOM FOR MIXING FILLING Filed Jan. 18, 1953 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY.

Sept. 21, 1937. w BAKER j 2,093,529

' LOQM FOR MIXING FILLING Filed Jan. 18, 1933 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 flu V/EWS A'rBorra'M C's/Wm.

1N VEN TOR.

wLwam HEW KW ATTORNEY.

Sept-21,1937 w. H. BAKER 21,093,629

Filed Jan. 18, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 Patented Sept. 21, 1937 2,093,629

UNITED s'rnas LOOM FOR MIXING FILLING William H. Baker, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application January 18, 1933, Serial No. 652,343

8 Claims. (01. 139-243) In weaving the finest grades of woolen fabrics, haustion is detected in any shuttle, I setr'the such as worsted suitings, it is necessary to avoid replenishing mechanism to function on the next the insertion of two successive picks of filling arrival of this detected shuttle inthe replenishfrom the same bobbin, because uncontrollable ing cell of the shifting shuttle-box at the re- H slight variations in the nature of the filling yarn plenishing end, and not until such arrival. Other Wound onto two different bobbins from a comfeatures and advantages of the invention are as mon source of supply produce a perceptible difwill be made plain hereinafter.

ference in their appearance in the fabric. S0 An illustrative embodiment of the invention is important is it to mix the picks from different set forth in the accompanying drawings, in

l() bobbins that it has become the established pracwhich:- tice in making these highest grade fabrics to em- F g- 1 s a front elevation O 2X2 pploy not less than three shuttles, each containing 100m, with the improvements of the invention filling from the same source and as closely alike app d etO- as possible, working each shuttle for a single Figs. 2 and 3 are plan and right-hand end pick only and then succeeding it with the other Views of the same. 15

two or more in a constant series or rotation, so Fig, 4 s an e d i elevation, p y in that the successive picks from any one bobbin Secti O l e 4- of Fig. showing the parts are separated by two or more picks each of which and a a ge t p y at the r p enishin comes from different b bbin, end to effect automatic replenishment, the parts The successful working of the filling in this being'in their normal inoperative position.

manner compels the use of change-boxlooms a. 5 is a p View Of the Shifting huttleequipped with shifting shuttle-boxes having two bOX in which replenishment is effected, showing or more cells at each end of the lay, with the atthe shape of the box and the means for withtendant box-operating and box-calling mechadrawing the lower binder and locking the boxes nism, and these looms are ordinarily not regardagainst S ift. 5' ed as good investments, because they could not g. 6 iS a ront elevation of certain of the hitherto successfully be arranged to replenish Parts f F their filling supplies automatically, with the res a View in vertical section on line 1-1 sult that the manufacture of these fabrics when of exhibiting the highest degree of perfection has 3 s a e e detailed V in p Of been costly and little indulged in. the box-locking nd binder-relieving features.

.But I have devised a way in which these Fig. 9 is an enlarged elevation taken obliquely (ghangeqoqx 100mg can be rendered completely from the front, showing certain of the members automaticin the replenishment of their fillingof supplies, While being Worked in th above mam Fig. 10 is a View of the transferrer-dog on its nor to insert successively a single pick of filling pp r ls h w n h u r pr from each of three or more separate bobbins; vided to work the box-lock and binder-remover.

Recognizingand utilizing the fact that in this 11 s a det of this actuator. method of weaving at least one cell at one end 12 s a Schematic Showing of the picking of the lay is always empty when the lay beats up, Order of the Several Shuttles, v g the sequence I accomplish the necessary changing of th Of the various operations involved in the invenbobbin just prior to its complete exhaustion, by tion, and being carried through three y s, one receiving its shuttle in one cell of one shifting for e Shuttleshuttle-box, forcing a fresh bobbin into the shut- Fig 13 is a p View, and 4 a front elem by h usual th and mechanism, and vation, of certain parts at the left-hand end of 45 polling the old bobbin through the adjacent cell the a t beam a w g the feeler and or cells in this shuttle-box while the latter are its transmitting V empty. Or I may carry the fresh bobbin through 15 s a p View Of a Shuttle its p nthe empty cell first. The shuttle-box is locked ishing x i ly after replenishment, Showing against shifting, enabling proper seating of the the y Of handling the ew Weft end.

new bobbin in thespring jaws of the shuttle. I F 16 ShOWS the normal p ative relation employ a single feeler to detect approaching exbetween the feeler-governed latch and its haustion of filling in all the shuttles, bringing actuator.

the latter in succession into contact with the ShOWS the Operating ement effeeler for this purpose. When substantial exfected between the latch and actuator of Fig. 16

by the feeler on detection of substantial weftexhaustion.

Fig. 18 is a detail side elevation showing the feed-pawl arrangement for the rotor of the magazine.

Fig. 19 is a rear view of the parts of Fig. 18.

Fig. 20 is a more or less diagrammatic showing, in side elevation, of an alternative method of replenishing.

Fig. 21 is a rear view of certain of the parts of Fig. 14.

The invention principles, though equally applicable to change box looms employing a greater or less number of shuttles, is herein illustrated for simplicity in a drop-box loom employing three shuttles and having two cells in each shifting shuttle-box at each end of the lay. The loom itself, apart from the special instrumentalities provided and employed for the practice of the invention, is or may be all as usual or as desired in the. way of a 2x2 drop-box loom.

In accordance with the invention in the illustrated preferred form, a filling-feeler or depletion-indicator l is mounted on a suitable stand 3 fixed on the lay end l so that the filling-engaging member 5 will be brought into feeling contact with the bobbin 'lli occupying the top cell 1! of the left-hand change-box when the box is lifted to bring the lower cell 9 in picking relation with the shuttle-race I The practice of the invention is in no way limited to any specific nature of feeler employed, a feeler of the side-slipping type being shown herein for purpose of illustration only.

The side-slipping filling-engaging member '5 has a striker l3 projecting forwardly therefrom which when the member 5 slips sidewise. in familiar manner upon engagement with a substantially denuded bobbin is brought by the forward beat of the lay into the dotted-line position of Figs. 13 and 14, and into contact with a finger E5 of a bell-crank pivotally mounted on a stand ll positioned outwardly from the left-hand end of the breast-beam it by means of a bracket 2|. A transmitter 23, pivoted to the other arm 15 of this bell-crank, has its inward end bent obliquely upward and then levelled off again into parallel with its main extent, this level extremity 25 supporting the usual latch 21 pivoted to the upper end of the arm 29 fixed on the controller rockshaft 3! which when rocked sets the replenishing devices in position for actuation through the forward beat of the lay, as usual. The inward push given to the transmitter 23 when the feeler slips sidewise serves to propel the lower bend up an inclined shoulder 2d at the rear surface of the rigid extension 22 of a small stand 26 fixed on the breast-beam to raise the notched rearward end of the latch 21 from its normal depressed position of Fig. 16 into the path of the actuator 33, as shown in Fig. 17, whereby the forward motion of the actuator may rock the controller rockshaft in known manner to call the filling change.

The actuator, pivoted at 35, Fig. 3, on the loom side, is in accordance with the invention actuated at one-half its ordinary speed, through engagement of its rearwardly extending arm 31 with a cam 39 on a countershaft ti which is rotated at exactly one-half the speed of the regular camshaft of the loom, one-fourth the speed of the crankshaft, through two to one reducing gears d3, 15, on the camshaft and countershaft respectively, and engaging each other.

Because the striker it strikes and actuates the finger l5 and recedes rearward again out of contact with such finger before the latch 21 can be engaged by the actuator 33, means is provided to hold the latch 21 in the path of the actuator comprising a yielding plate 28 between which and the adjacent face of the upward extension 22 the bent-under portion of the transmitter 23 is frictionally gripped. The movable plate 28 has a projection 39 at its bottom which is stepped loosely in an aperture 32 in the stand 26, while a screw 3 passing loosely through a hole in the upper extremity of the plate 28 adjustably compresses an expanding spring 36 around its shank against the rear side of plate 28, to create a binding or pinching force on the portion of transmitter 23 which is confined and guided between extension 22 and plate 28 insufficient to resist travel of the transmitter up the incline 26 to put the latch 2'5 in the. path of the actuator 33, but holding the transmitter and latch in uplifted position until engagement between the latch and actuator shall have occurred on the latters next excursion forward. Thus is provided the means for holding the replenishing devices and the controls therefor in readiness to operate, irrespective of the position, relation, or movements of the feeler subsequent to its performance of its function.

To reset the linkage which transmits the impulse from the feeler to the latch 21, to reset the parts automatically for subsequent operations on another filling-supply, the latch 21 is equipped with an integral cam-surface 34 standing normally rearward of the horizontal extremity 25 of transmitter 23 supporting the latch. As the latch is driven forward following engagement with actuator 33, this surface cams the end 25 downward from its position in Fig. 16 to the dotted-line position in Fig. 17, working the linkage reversely to the movement imparted by striker l3, and forcing the transmitter down slope 2 all the parts having thus been restored to their normal waiting position indicated in full lines in Fig. 13.

The devices for effecting the actual insertion of the fresh bobbin in the shuttle which contains the bobbin found by the feeler to be substantially depleted are or may be as usual, with the exception of the modifications which form a part of the present invention. In the illustrative embodiment, these replenishing devices are as shown and described in U. S. Patent No. 1,259,768, J. Northrop, March 19, 1918, except as stated to be otherwise. The controller rockshaft 31, Fig. 4, has fixed thereon an arm M which extends rearward under the breast beam and terminates in a sleeve in which slides a vertical rod 49, an expanding spring 5i surrounding the rod and being confined between the top surface of the sleeve on arm 51 and a collar 53 fixed on the rod, so as to transmit yieldingly to the rod 49 an upward push incident to rotation of the rockshaft 3i and corresponding upward movement of the rear end of arm 4'1 which results from the aforesaid engagement of the latch 21 by actuator 33. A collar 55 on the rod below the arm t! ensures retraction of the rod downward again when the arm 61 recoils downward under the pull of its spring 57. The upper end of rod 29 is pivotally combined with a pin on the angular extension 63 of the shuttle-feeler 65, rearward of the latters pivot 61. As usual, if the shuttle-feeler can assume its intended position across the shuttle-race when the lay approaches and arrives at front center, the rotation thus permitted the shutt1efeeler causes the latch-lifting arm 62, moving in unisontherewith; to. tip up the latchtontrans- -ferrer' dog 69. into position to be struck by a hunter surface on the. lay, thereby to derive motion forcing thetransferrer H downward to drive a new bobbin 13 from the rotor 14 of the magazine into the shuttle loccupying the uppermostcell while the latter is raised into its inoperative. or idle'position. above the level of the shuttle-race; and the. lower'cell is in operative alignment withthe shuttle-race. i

Improved means is provided for positioning the next bobbin which is to be transferred from the rotary magazine, so that it will unfailingly be accurately presented to the blow of the transferrer andto the jaws of the shuttle below it. Such means give the rotor M of the magazine a rotational bias tending torotate it clockwise in the drawings and tending to operate from the moment the change is called on .rockingof the controller-rockshaft'and until after the translferrer has acted, which bias brings and holds the first available bobbin in the rotor firmly against the bobbin-stop 19, so that no backlash or play back and forth can arise to impair the aim of the transferrer and cause improper transfer. Thus,,the feed-pawl I8 is rendered independent of th e transferrer, being pivoted at; 89 on one armof a carrier-lever 82 pivoted on a stud 84 fixed in the magazine stand and on which stud the holding-pawl 98 also is pivoted.

The otherarm of lever 82 is pivoted to a link 89 whose front end'passes freely through a hole in the latch-lifting arm 62 of the shuttle-feeler.

A collar 88 is fixed on the link beyond the arm 92 and 1 an expanding spiral spring 99 is confined around the link between the arm 92 and such on the countershaft 4|.

other arm of lever 82.

An expanding spiral spring 92 has its upper end in engagement with apoint on a horizontal forward extension or tail 94 of the pawl '18 and its lower end engaging with an opposing portion 99 of the' magazine stand to'hold the pawl against theratchet. Thus on the rocking of the controller-rockshaft 3| 'the rearward movement of the shuttle-feeler compresses spring 99, acting tolift the feed-pawl bodily upward, thus moving the rotor-clockwise until the head of the first bobbin 13 is definitely positioned against the stop 16, maintaining it there until it is struck by the transferrer; thereafter, the energy still stored in the spring 99 moves feed-pawl 18 farther upward and advances the rotor after the transferrer has i again risen, thus bringingthe next bobbin into positionagainst the stop and beneath the transferrer. The holding pawl 98 maintains the parts in this position; while the feed-pawl l8 recedes to its normal position, and until another bobbin is to be inserted in a shuttle. The strength of spring 99 is sufficient to impart enough impetus to the rotorto carry it two or more bobbin-spaces past the bobbin-stop in case one or two bobbins are lacking atthis point in the rotor; but it is inferior to the strength of spring 5| which acts as the give-away when the shuttle-feeler strikes the path of swing of the lever 81.

comprise a lever 81 pivoted by meansv of a pin. 89

on the underside of a fin 9i extendingforward as aniintegral part of the shifting shuttle-box on a level with and forming a continuation of the bottom of the top cell. This fin, as an additional feature of the invention, I employ instead of the usual bunter on the lay to strike and actuate the transferrer-latch 99 to provide the impetus for the transfer. The lever 91, as shown best in Figs. 6, 7. and 8, has at its left-hand end a downwardly extending finger 93 standing behind thefree end of the binder 95, so that rearward pressure on the right-hand end of this lever will pull the binder forward out of the lower cell, from its full-line position in Fig. 8 to that indicated in dotted lines.

To work the lever 81, an actuator 95, Figs. 4, 10 and 11, is pivoted by means of its integral stud 91 on the lower end of an arm 99 fixed against any rotation whatever on the transferrer-stud Hi9. Though this actuator 95 normally gravitates down and hangs idly as shown in Fig. 4, an arm m2 is fixed on stud I94 to which is fixed the transferrer-dog or latch 69, the stud rotating freely in the lower end of arm E2 of thetransferrer so that when the dog 69 is lifted the arm I92 will swing rearwardly and a pin I96 in its free end will slide along a cam surface I98 on the under side of the actuator 95 and tip up the actuator so that it will encounter the free end of binder-relieving lever 81 and push such free end rearwardly until flush with the oblique edge of the fin 9!. The push given to the lever by the actuator 95 is made yielding by presenting to the advancing free end of the lever a plunger H0, backed up by a stiff expanding spring H2 confined in a bore H4 in the actuator by a plug H5 secured by cotter pin H9. .Suitable extensions H9 rearwardly of the plunger ensure certainty of its engagement with the lever, aided by a stop H1 engaging the side of arm 99 to prevent overthrow.

To look the shifting shuttle-box at the proper level to ensure complete and accurate seating'of the new bobbin by the transferrer with its rings properly gripped by the spring jaws in the shuttle, a pin I29 is suitably fixed as by nuts l22in a hole at the front end of a forward extension J24, fixed on the lay end at I26, this locking pin extending through a hole i253 in the fin 9i within The side of this locking-pin is slotted at I39, Figs. 8 and 9, so thatthis lever, when swung by engagement with its actuator 95 into the dotted-line position of Fig. 8 to withdraw the lower binder, will enter this slot and lock this shifting shuttle-box against movement downward under the blow transmitted to it by the transferrer in driving the fresh bobbin into the shuttle. This locking is a vital essential to successful transfer into a shifting shuttle-box, for in the absence of means for locking the box, the give-way mounting of the box necessary to provide for. trapped shuttles would tend to let go wholly or partly at the instant of transfer, resultingin improper seating of the new bobbin through downward yielding of the shuttle-box and other obvious complications. The sustaining effort of pin I28 is preferably applied as close as possible to the point of application of the blow incident to transfer, namely at the point in the drop-box length where the butts of the old and new bobbins come together, to prevent twisting of the drop-box in its guides. To prevent the lever 81 accidentally engaging the notch Hit, a contracting spring I33, anchored to the fin at I34, normally holds the lever away from the pin I20.

Because it is essential to complete the locking of the boxes by lever 87 completely before the bobbin transfer commences, the actuator 95 is set so that its plunger III! will have struck and moved lever Bl into the dotted-line or completely locked position of Fig. 8 before the striker edge iii of the fin engages the transferrer-dog 69. See Fig. 5. The spring I M, which is superior in strength and leverage to spring I33, provides for the necessary actuation of the lever 81 by plunger Ilfi just referred to and still to permit the final increment of forward travel of the lay which actuates the transferrer. The offset relation of the exposed portion of lever 81 with respect to the portion of the fin SI which engages the transferrer-dcg, ensures that this lever will not be broken oif in case the shuttlefeeler 65 revokes the transfer and depresses the transferrer-dog.

Since in the preferred embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 2, the shuttle to be replenished is not on the level of the shuttle-race, but is raised at least one cell above such level, the shuttle-feeler 65 has to be arranged in new manner. For the same reason, the whole transferrer mechanism, as will be obvious, is likewise raised the height of at least one cell above the shuttle-race. Hence, to determine whether the shuttle is in proper position for replenishing, the shuttle-feeler swings through a slot I36, Fig. 6, cut in the front wall of the shifting shuttle-box, extending partway down from the r level of the partition between the top and bottom cells, which partition is correspondingly cut away as indicated at E38, Fig. 5, and feels for the tip of the shuttle in known manner. As usual, the shuttle-feeler carries the old weft-end parter and holder 66, which as seen operates at a height one cell above the shuttle-race.

Because of the new problems introduced by replenishing into a shuttle elevated above the shuttle-race, which involves the corresponding elevation of the replenishing instrumentalities, magazine, etc, and also because of the necessary order of working the boxes, a new system of controlling the old and the incoming weft ends has had to be devised. After the fresh bobbin has been inserted at front center into the uplifted top cell of the right-hand box, the lay has to make an excursion rearward and again forward before the shuttle goes into action. If the weft-end should be left to its own devices, it would be broken on the first rearward beat of the lay, because the yarn would not be drawn off from the new bobbin from the end thereof but would be pulled in a varying generally radial direction. For this reason, a shuttle-threader I44, Figs. 5 and i5, is provided at the outward end of the top cell beyond the outermost position of the slit-threader of the shuttle and on the top surface of such cell, substantially in line with the axis of the bobbin in the shuttle of such cell. Normally, this pin passes just below the weft-end of the lowermost bobbin standing in the rotor in readiness for replenishment; but when this lowermost bobbin is forced into the shuttle, the changed angle of its filling end brings the latter into position to be intercepted by the pin on the next rearward stroke of the lay. Bending around this pin, the weft is always maintained in line with the bobbin axis, and can draw freely over the end of the bobbin and around this pin to provide the necessary length for the back stroke of the lay. Further, this drawing-off action effects the threading of the shuttle during this same back stroke of the lay and wholly before this shuttle is picked, the top surface of the top. cell of the right-hand shuttle-box being cut away as indicated at I48, Figs. 5 and 15, to provide for the necessary descent of the new weft-end into the thread passage of the usual automatic slitthreader occupying the proximate end of the shuttle as shown in Fig. 15.

When the newly replenished shuttle is lowered into working position by the shift of the changebox, this second change in the angle of lead of the new weft-end lifts it off from the shuttlethreading pin I44. that on the ensuing pick the weft shall be laid far enough forward of the reed to fall in the path of the filling-fork. As a further protection, the weft-end is prevented from slipping rearward around the under surface of the thread-support 553 of the magazine to a point where it likewise could escape the filling-fork, by a weft-end detent I52, Figs. 3 and 15, mounted on a part of the loom arch or other fixed part, which presents a U-shaped trap to intercept each weft-end in turn as its bobbin arrives in replenishing position in the magazine, engaging the weft-end. between the thread-support I and the end of the bobbin at a point close to the thread-support. Engaged in this U-shaped trap, the new weft-end is prevented from shifting around the rim of the thread-support I50, and is given the proper starting point for its angular extent across the loom so as to be laid properly in the path of the weftfork. The rearward extent of the detent adjacent the U-shaped trap serves as a guide-surface to lead each weft-end in turn into the trap.

To permit escape of the old weft-end extending from the selvage to the weft-parter 66 and held by the latter after parting, so as to prevent breakage of this length of filling by the receding lay, the usual mouth-piece of the upper cell, against which the binder thereof normally takes bearing, is dispensed with, and the box is Wholly open at its front side, from the binder-guicle I40 inward. But to prevent this old weft-end escaping forwardly out of this end of the top cell so as to avoid the weft-parter, after this cell has been lifted and during the rearward movement of the lay incident to picking out the lower shuttle from beneath this cell preparatory to the replenishing action, a thread-catcher I54 projects up as an extension of the front wall of the lower box above the level of the floor of the top box, so as to present a thread-engaging rearward surface which keeps the weft-end of the spent bobbin within the top cell in position to be seized and parted by the weft-parter 66. In doing this, the weft-parter lifts it sufficiently out of the box as the lay recedes after parting, this action being facilitated by bevelling the outward end of this part of the thread-catcher as shown in Fig. 6.

To prevent either slack forming in the old weft-end between the selvage and the weftparter 66, or the creation of enough tension to This is necessary, in order r tangledin its egress from the top cell.

pull the old end out of the weft-parter, either of shuttle-feeler is mounted on its pivot 61 to swing in a vertical plane fore and aft the loom, with no movement along the axis of such pivot, thus attaining the substantially equidistant position of the weft-parter at both extremes of the shuttle-feelers stroke needed to guide the weft-end into the selvage-trimmer. This results from parting the weft at the elevated position of the inactive cell.

It is to be noted that the whole top surface of the top cell has been cut back as indicated at 8| to form a narrow shuttle-guide only a small fraction of an inch in width. Thus the new weft-end, still held at one end through attachment to the magazine, swings freely upward and forward out of the top cell as the newly replenished shuttle is picked. To prevent this weftend from being caught by the notch in lockingpin 120, which now stands about at the level of the top of the upper binder-guide, a thread-deflector 56 is provided in connection with the top of the binder-guide M8 for the top cell, which steers the trailing new weft-end clear of this pin and other parts on which it might become en- To prevent its reentry or possible fouling on the parts of the lay and shifting shuttle-boxes on subsequent forward beats of the lay, a shield I58, Fig. 7, is mounted on the usual striker I60 provided in usual manner on the lay end to close the wef parter. This shield is of suitable shape to prevent the filling, once it has escaped, from returning on subsequent beats of the lay, to become fouled on the end of the binder, binder-guide, locking-pin, or other parts. This shield may be of slender circular cross-section, and as shown in Fig. 7 cooperates with the protector finger N52 to provide a narrow opening between the extremities of these two parts through which the filling may easily escape, but cannot reenter.

A new and useful form of binder-guide has been developed, comprising the right-angled extensions I40 and I42, Figs. 7 and 8, forming part with the front wall of the shifting shuttle-box, and being joined also to the fin 9!.

Fig, 12 shows diagrammatically the method or system of operation of my invention. It portrays the complete cycle of replenishment for each of the three shuttles, presuming all three to have reached substantial exhaustion in sequence. In the replenishing cycle for shuttle #1, at stage #1, this shuttle has just been picked across to the left-hand top cell and lifted to bring its contents into engagement with the feeler, but this motion of the left-hand boxes, and full feeling contact, had not been completed until the lay had passed front center.

The boxes are arranged to shift at one end of the lay only during each rotation of the crankshaft, hence the left-hand boxes stay elevated for almost two complete turns of the crankshaft, and thus the feeler remains in feeling contact for this full period, its striker engaging the finger l5 and setting the latch 21 as the lay heats up in the middle of this period, which engagement comes between the events pictured in stages. #1 and #2. Following the shift of shuttle #1 into feeling position, shuttle #2 is picked out from under and across the loom, as indicated in stage #1. Then the right-hand box is, dropped, and shuttle #3 is picked out of the top or replenishing cell of the right-hand box and into the lefthand cell just vacated by shuttle #2, as shown in stage #2. The left-hand box having been dropped, shuttle #1 is picked across to the replenishing cell of the right-hand box as indicated in stage #3. rises, and shuttle #2 is picked out from under the replenishing cell, as indicated in stage #4:.

Then, as the lay arrives at front center, the transfer of a new bobbin into shuttle #1 occupying the lifted replenishing cell of the right-hand box is effected by the replenishing mechanism described, the actuator 33 having shortly previously made. engagement with and thrust forward the latch 21 to present the transferrer-dog 63 to the blow of the lay as it completes this forward stroke. The transfer being completed while the lay is forward, it is finished long before shuttle #3 arrives beneath shuttle #1, which occurs at bottom center or the completion of the following pick. From this it will be plain that the complete replenishing cycle, from the time of detection of approaching exhaustion to replenishment of this spent filling-carrier, takes four cycles of the loom, or four turns of the crankshaft.

An exactly similar replenishing cycle occurs for shuttles #2 and #3, as indicated by the numerals and positions on the diagram of Fig. 12.

Though the invention has been presented as embodied in a loom having four shuttle cells, two to each shifting shuttle-box at each end of the lay, and employing three shuttles, it is obvious that any desired number of shuttles may be used in mixing the filling, the only requirement being that the shuttle-box at the replenishing end shall have only one shuttle in it at the moment of transfer.

Fig. 20 shows an alternative method of employing the basic principle of the invention of employing an empty cell of the change-box as a corridor for the exchange of bobbins, In this case, it is the top cell 5 3 of the change-box which is empty, the shuttle H66 containing the spent filling-carrier Hi8 occupying the bottom cell Hi).

The transferrer H2 is arranged for a longer stroke and for penetrating through the empty cell to reach the shuttle in the cell below; it is equipped with spring clips H4 grasping the new bobbin, or other suitable means to control the new bobbin in its increased travel from' the hopper to the shuttle. The arrangement of all other cooperating parts may be as described hereinbefore, or as preferred, and need not be described again.

As is obvious, the invention principles may be applied wherever replenishment is to be effected in a shuttle occupying a shifting shuttle-box, and even when there is a plain box at the other end of the lay, as in the case of a 2x1 loom, in order to simplify the filling-feeler arrangements.

While I have illustrated and described certain forms in which the invention may be embodied, I am aware that many modifications may be made therein by any person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the particular forms shown, or to the details of construction thereof, but

What I do claim is:-

1. In a drop-box loom, in combination, boxmotion devices yieldingly connected to the dropbox, means positively maintaining a drop-boxat rest with respect to the lay while the latter is at and about front center, and devices automatically inserting a fresh filling-supply into a shuttle occupying such box from above during the Thereafter the right-hand box period while the box is held against movement with respect to the lay by such positive means.

2. In a drop-box loom, in combination, a drop box having two adjacent cells, shuttles, fillingcarriers carried thereby, a filling-feeler, means to eject from a shuttle occupying a cell in the dropbox, a filling-carrier found to be substantially depleted by the feeler, and means operating to withdraw the binder of an adjacent cell to permit passage through the latter of the ejected fillingcarrier.

3. In a drop-box loom, in combination, boxmotion devices connected to the drop-box through a give-way, automatic filling replenishing devices cooperating with a shuttle occupying a cell in the drop-box, and means for positively locking the drop-box against movement relatively to the lay at the moment of replenishment.

4. In a loom, in combination, a lay, a shuttle thereon, means automatically inserting a fresh filling bobbin in the shuttle, a self-threading device in connection with the shuttle to be threaded by the drawing-off of filling from within the shuttle, and means operating to draw the filling axially off from the bobbin as the lay recedes and thus to thread the self-threading device before the replenished shuttle is picked.

5. In a shifting shuttle-box loom, automatic filling-replenishing devices including a transferrer inserting a fresh bobbin in a shuttle on the replenishing devices, including bobbin-feeding means, .a stop to locate the bobbins successively in transfer position as they are fed, a shuttlefeeler, actuating means therefor, and means to actuate the bobbin-feeding means from the shuttle-feeler While the shuttle-feeler is moving into feeling position to bring the bobbin next to be transferred into contact with the stop and hence accurately in transfer position.

7. In a loom, in combination, a lay, automatic filling-replenishing mechanism, an actuator setting the replenishing mechanism in readiness for operation by the lay, a cam rendering the actuator inoperative for three loom cycles and rendering it operative on the fourth cycle, and a fillingfeeler establishing operative connection between the actuator and the replenishing mechanism.

8. In a loom, in combination, automatic fillingreplenishing mechanism, a shuttle having a selfthreading device, and means maintaining the new filling-end extending outwardly over and beyond the self-threading device in the plane of the shuttle axis as the lay recedes following a replenishing action.

WILLIAM H. BAKER.

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