US2151199A - Weft feeler device for looms for weaving - Google Patents

Description

March 21, 1939. w GLEDHlLL 2,151,199

WEFT FEELER DEVICE FOR LQOMS FOR WEAVING Filed Nov. 21, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l ark/v1 1 v 0y Wa' v M /lm WEFT FEELER DEVICE FOR LOOMS FOR WEAVING Filed Nov. 21, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEAVI Walter Gledhill, St. Annes, England Application November 21, 1936, Serial No. 112,130

In Great Britain November 28, 1935 3 Claims.

The invention relates to weft feeler devices for looms for weaving, adapted to bring about or initiate loom stoppage or weft replenishment on exhaustion of weft in the running shuttle or in the event of breakage of the Weft.

The principal characteristic of a feeler device according to the invention is the employment of two relatively-movable feeler members acting upon the weft mass from diametrically opposite points. As the diameter of the Weft mass decreases the distance between the weft engaging surfaces of the respective feeler members is gradually lessened on successive feeling operations until finally, when a determined state of weft exhaustion is reached, the nearness of approach of the engaging surfaces is arranged to cause closing of an electric circuit, or the actuation of mechanical means, operative to effect or initiate stoppage of the loom or weft replenishment. If the device is arranged to operate electrically, the usual weft fork may be adapted, by its failure to be moved owing to weft breakage to co-operate with the means whereby the feeler members operate, so that the loom will be stopped or the weft replenished in the event either of weft breakage or of weft exhaustion.

The accompanying drawings illustrate some practical ways in which the invention can be embodied.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate, in different positions, an embodiment operating electrically and including connections to the weftfork;

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate another embodiment in which one feeler member is mounted on the breast beam instead of both being carried on the lay as in Figs. 1 and 2.;

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate an arrangement in which the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4 may be arranged to work mechanically instead of electrically;

Figs. '7, 8 and 9 illustrate a third arrangement in which the feeler members are both carried on the lay and are mounted pivotally on-an axis disposed above the shuttle;

Figs. 10 and 11 are details relative to the arrangement shown at Figs. 7, 8 and 9 and are referred to later.

I will first describe the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Beneath the lay a there are pivoted two feeler members I), 0, arranged scissorfashion. The upper ends of the said members carry weft engaging parts or surfaces 1), c, and the arrangement is such that as the lower ends or legs of the members are moved towards one another the weft-engaging-parts b and 0' will enter respectively through holes in the front and back walls of the shuttle A and will contact with the weft mass B. The legs of the feeler members are pulled together by a spring d, which thus functions to carry the weft-engaging parts 5 towards the weft mass. To open out the legs of the feeler members and thus to withdraw the weft-engaging parts clear of the shuttle, there is provided a movable member e carried by a rod 6', which is connected to a lever f pivoted at f and acted upon by a cam y from a driven shaft 9 which may be the bottom shaft of the loom. Thus, the feeler members may be held apart during the time the lay is at back centre and the shuttle is entering or leaving the box, and be permitted to close, so that the weft engaging parts enter the shuttle, during the appropriate part of, say, every other beat-up movement of the lay when a shuttle is present in the box.

In order to prevent operation of the feeler mechanism if the shuttle fails to enter the box on a detecting pick, the rear feeler member 0 is formed with a notch 0 and on the back of the lay there is pivoted a catch h which unless restrained from so doing is adapted to drop into the said notch and prevent the inward movement of the member 0. When, however, a shuttle enters the box the consequent pushing out of the shuttle binder i is adapted to engage and move pivot-ally the catch h to a position clear of the member a, as shown in the drawings.

Connections 7', 9', lead from the feeler members b, 0 through a battery to means operative to effect or initiate loom stoppage or weft replenishment. The member b carries an adjustable abutment c which, on exhaustion of the weft supply to a determined extent is brought, by the close approach towards one another of the weft engaging parts of the feeler members, into contact with the member 0. The electric 40 circuit is then closed and loom stoppage or weft replenishment effected or initiated.

In order to enable the loom to be stopped or the weft replenished if the weft should break before the supply is exhausted, the tail of the 45 usual weft fork is is provided with a contact lc which is adapted to engage, normally, a contact k connected by a lead with a contact 70 on the lever 1. Another lead 70 connects the fork holder 70 with a fixed contact 70 A lead k 50 connects the feeler member b with the lead 70 and a lead k connects the feeler member b with the lead k If, as the lay comes forward on a detecting beat, that is to say when a shuttle is present in It will be obvious that in the weft fork .ar-

rangement just described, the current from "the lead 70 will, unless the part in which the weft fork is pivoted is insulated, make the fork alive. This can easily be avoided by arranging for the contact k to be carried by an insulating block and to bridge directly the leads k and k.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the rear feeler member 0 is in the form of a Y-shaped part pivoted beneath the lay at c and having a depending projection c disposed between springs c and c mounted on the loom frame so that at a determined point in the forward movement of the lay the stirrup will be rocked to carry the weft engaging part 0 into contact with the weft mass in the shuttle. The front leg c" of the member 0 extends upwardly on the front side of the shuttle box and a contact piece 0 carried by its extremity is adapted, each time the lay comes forward, to be projected frontwardly a distance determined by the diameter of the weft mass on the bobbin. The contact piece 0 is connected by a lead 0 to one end of an electric circuit including loom stopping or V weft replenishing means. Mounted on the breast beam m is a suitably insulated spindle or rod m extending rearwardlyand frontwardlyand normally projected rearwardly by a spring m This rod m constitutes, in this instance, the front feeler member and it is connected by a lead 171. with the other end of the circuit including the contact 0 and the loom stopping or weft replenishing means. The rear extremity of the rod m is adapted to be engaged by the weftmass as the lay comes forward on a detecting pick, that is to say when a shuttle is present in the box. The rod is thus pushed frontwardly a distance determined by the diameter of the weft mass.

Mounted on a threaded part of the rod m so as tobe adjustable axially along the said rod, is a collar or abutment m the normal rearward position of which is suitably determined according to the diameter of the bobbin.

When a full bobbin is present in the shuttle, the rear feeler member 0 cannot enter far and the contact 0 consequently does not move very far frontwardly. The front feeler member m is, on

the other hand pushed frontwardly the maximum distance as the lay comes forward, so that the adjustable abutment m is kept frontwardly clear or out of the reach of the contact 0 As weaving proceeds, and the diameter of the yarn mass on the bobbin decreases, the gap between the abutment m and contact 0 on a beat-up gradually lessens until, finally, when the determined condition of weft exhaustion is reached, the two contact members come into engagement and complete the electric circuit.

As the lay goes back after each beat-up, the stirrup c is rocked by its springs to carry the weftengaging part 0' clear of the shuttle. In order to avoid possibility .of an accident, that is to say in the event ofa spring failing and leaving the weft engaging part c projecting into'the shuttle when the latter is to be picked out of the box, the leg or projection 0 may be furnished with a roller to co-operate with a fixed cam surface as the lay tremity of the part c mayhave a notch 0 adapted to be engaged by a lever member n mounted pivotally on the back of the box, said lever being allowed to remain in the path of the part 0 when no shuttle is present, but being rocked by entry of a shuttle into the box, and thus moved clear of the part c to permit the feeler to operate.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I show one form of means by which a feeler arrangement on the lines of. Figs.

3 and 4 may operate mechanically instead of electrically. In this instance the front leg 0' of the feeler member 0 has its extremity fashioned asa fiat plate 0 to co-operate witha catch 0' on the end of a finger 0 carried by a vertical rod 0 pivoted to the front feeler rod m and having its depending end located between springs o and 0 So long as an' ample supply of weft is present, the catch 0' remains resting upon the plate 0 at each feeler operation. When the weft supply becomes exhausted, the catch rides off the plate, as shown in Fig. 6, and the springs acting on the rod 0 function to rock the finger o and thus, by suitable connections, to initiate loom stoppage or weft replenishment.

In Figs. 7 to 11 I have'illustrated a construc-' tional embodiment of the invention in which the actuation of the feeler members is controlled by the movement of a rising and falling shuttle box.

At one end of the loom I provide a vertically movable shuttle box p having at least two cells or compartments p and p Whena shuttle, the weft condition in which it 'is desired to ascertain, arrives in the upper box 1) it is raised above the level of the race way into a position in which its weft mass can be acted upon by feeler members, this act of raising of the shuttle being operative to bring the feeler members'into play. If a sufficient supply of weft is present, the lower.- ing of the shuttle back to the level of the raceway to bring it into action again leaves the stop or weft change mechanism unaffected, but if weft exhaustion has been detected, the lowering of the shuttle to bring it intoaction again is instru mental in effecting or initiating loom stoppage or weft replenishment.

Two feeler members 1' and s are suspended pivotally, caliper fashion, from a bracket a on the loom lay. The lower ends of the member 1 and s carry weft-engaging parts 1'' and 8" adapted, 1 when they are permitted to approach one another under the action of a spring t joining the members r and s, to contact with the weft mass in a shuttle in the upper cell p when the shuttle box is in raised position, as shown inFig. 8.

, The inner faces of the feeler members are provided'with inclined faces r and s with which there is adapted to co-operate an opening member in the form of a plate p carried by a rodp extending up from the top of the shuttle box p,

the endsp and p of the underside of such plate being, as shown, chamfered off or made angular. As the shuttle box rises to carry the upper cell clear of'the raceway, the plate p moves up clear of the co-operating faces r and s on thefeeler' members and permits thesaid members to be drawn together by the spring t to'cause the weft engaging parts r and s to be brought into contact with the weft mass. As the box lowers, the plate p is moved down between the feeler members and opens them out as shown in Fig. '7 to carry the weft-engaging parts clear of the shuttle.

Pivoted to the rear feeler member s is one end of a frontwardly extending arm 8 carrying a pin or roller s which is adapted to co-operate with a shoulder n? on the front side of the front feeler member 1". So long as the feeler members are not permitted to close sufliciently together, due to pressure of an ample supply of weft, the arm .9 is held up, as in Fig. 7 but when, on the box rising and carrying a shuttle up into feeling position, the feeler members can close together sufiiciently, due to weft exhaustion, the arm is permitted to fall, as shown in Fig. 3.

The front end of the arm has connected to it a depending rod s the lower end of which has a projecting portion 8 see Fig. 9 which is a front view of part of the embodiment now being described, to co-operate with the horizontal arm s of an angle lever so mounted on the lay that its horizontal arm can swing in a horizontal plane and the lever itself be swung in a vertical plane. This is effected by passing the vertical arm s of the lever through an opening in a block s which is pivotal about a pin 8 on the lay.

The vertical arm of the lever, when the latter is swung about the pin s is arranged to move into the path of a bunter, indicated at 8 associated with the stop or weft change mechanism of the loom.

Extending frontwardly from the shuttle box is a projection 22 having a recess 12' in its under- 7 side, into which the horizontal arm of the angle lever can be caused to move, as the lay comes forward, by the abutment against said arm of a spring w on the breast beam. Also projecting forwardly from the shuttle box is a cam member 3/ adapted, when the horizontal arm 8 has been placed into the recess 22 and the box is lowered, to engage the said arm and in so doing first swing the angle lever about its pivot s to cause the vertical arm s to move into the path of the bunter s and then to swing the horizontal arm in a horizontal plane to restore it to normal position.

The arrangement is such that when the box has been raised to carry a shuttle into feeling position and as sufficient supply of weft is present, the projection on the depending rod is left in: the path of the horizontal arm s so that as the lay comes forward the arm cannot be swung horizontally and the spring w on the breast beam yields.

If, however, the feeler members have detected weft exhaustion, the projection on the depending rod is lowered clear of the path of the horizontal arm with the result that as the lay next comes forward the spring on the breast beam acts to swing the lever horizontally so that the arm 3 becomes engaged in the recess 22' of the member v. The lever remains in this position until the box lowers to bring the detected shuttle into action again. When this occurs, the cam member y engages the horizontal lever arm and swings the lever about its pivot s to place the vertical arm s" into the path of the bunter s and then swings the arm 5 horizontally so that it is moved back to its normal position in front of the projection on the depending rod. A spring 2 acts to swing the lever 8 s", in a vertical plane back to normal position.

The point r of the shoulder 1 on the front side of the front feeler member 1' is suitably chamfered off as shown so that as the feeler members are opened out, after the arm s has dropped consequent upon detection of weft exhaustion, the arm will be automatically raised back to normal position.

The arrangement just described is particularly useful for a weft-mixing loom using three shuttles with two shuttle box cells at each end of the loom, each shuttle in determined order being picked into the upper cell 10 at the detecting end of the loom and then being idle for a time during which time it is in the raised position shown in Fig. 8, in which the feeler members can operate, whilst the return of the detected shuttle to operative position opposite the raceway effects or initiates loom stoppage or weft replenishment.

Where more than three shuttles are used for weft-mixing purposes, or where a pattern is being woven, each shuttle in turn will be brought into the detecting cell p of the shuttle box and raised into a position to be acted upon by the feeler members.

In order to prevent feeler operation if the shuttle box is raised with no shuttle in the upper cell, I may arrange for the shuttle binder for the upper cell to act upon a pivoted lever or equivalent part adapted, when a shuttle is present, to be clear of the path of a projection or part on the feeler member 1' and thus permit such member to swing inwardly but when no shuttle is present to obstruct the inward movement of such member.

For an overpick loom the arrangement shown in Figs. '7 to 11 will require to be reversed, that is to say the feeler member will require to be pivoted beneath the shuttle box, and the detecting cell will be the lower instead of the upper one, the shuttle to be detected being picked into the lower cell and the box then lowered to carry the shuttle down below the level of the raceway and into the field of operation of the feeler members.

It will be understood that, if in any case it should prove desirable, I may provide two feeler mechanisms one working from above and the other from below the shuttle box.

Whilst I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described herein, several alternative ways in which my invention can be practically and usefully embodied I wish it clearly to be understood that these several embodiments are only given by way of example, and that they are capable of modification or substitution within the scope of the invention, the essential feature of which is the employment of two relatively-movable feeler members adapted to act upon the weft means from diametrically opposite points and functioning, when permitted to approach suificiently closely on a feeding operation to effect or initiate loom stoppage or weft replenishment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a loom, a rising and falling shuttle box having at least two cells one of which is a detecting cell, means to cause a shuttle to enter said detecting cell, means to move the shuttle box vertically to carry the detecting cell out of alignment with the raceway of the loom, two pivotally-mounted feeler members having portions arranged to engage the weft mass on the bobbin in the shuttle simultaneously from diametricallyopposite pointsrwhen the shuttle box is moved to carry the detecting cell out of alignment with the raceway, means tending to move the feeler members towards one another, and means whereby the feeler members are held apart when the detecting cell is opposite the raceway and permitted to approach one another when the detecting cell is moved out of alignment with the raceway.

2. In a loom having a lay and a shuttle box, a weft feeler mechanism comprising a pair of feeler members mounted on the lay and having portions arranged to engage the weft on a shuttle bobbin when in the box simultaneously from diametrically opposite points when the box is in detecting position, means tending constantly to move the feeler members towards one another, and means contacting the feeler members in a manner to spread them apart when the shuttle box is in non-detecting position.

3; A weft feeler' mechanism for looms, comprising a pair of pivotally connected feeler'members having portions arranged to act simultaneously on a bobbin weft from diametrically opposite points, means for simultaneously moving said members toward and away from one another, an electrical detector circuit, and contacts on other portions of said members engageable on close approach together of the members whereby to close said circuit.

WALTER GLEDHILL.

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