US2267481A - Pneumatic thread holder for looms - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 23, 1941. R. G. 'TURNER 2,267,481

PNEUMATIC THREAD HOLDER FOR LOOMS Filed Jan. 4, 1940 W \NVENTOR RlCHARD G. TURNER ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 23, 1941 I UNITED smrsls Aren't" oFri-ca PNEUMATic THREAD HOLDERFOE nooMs RichardiG..Tu1-ner,: Wcnczester; Massl, assignon to Grompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Masse, a: corporation of Massachusetts.

fipplieationJa-nuary l, 19 40; sedative-312394 11- Claims. .(Ql. 1139-24 7)! plieationand alsodn another Patent No...2,1'99;354

the threads are" led to' a .metallic. receiver'jand intor a softj" ru'l'zbertube held by a rigid" holder. In weft replenishing, mechanisms of. the multicolor type thebobbins? descend" in the magazine toward a transfer pjosition At the time of. trans fer the b obbi'n is, subjected to a sudden downward motion into-- the shuttle with attendant strain on tll'e' thr'ead: extending' from it; into the" thread holder-s Pfthis strain is sufficient to. break the thread the loom-will-stopon the next pick after transfer. Even-if the thread" remains intact durirlg transferit is subjected to a second" strain atthe 't'ime'of pieking due to'the fact'that the shuttle eyej is not yet threaded: Under'eit'herv of these conditions it is' desirable that the, thread shall be free-- to-yie1"d sufliciently-to relieve any strains; incident either-to transfer or picking.

Itanirhportant object of my present invention to provide a thread holder having a, yieldable part which-"isnormally extended in a direction. transverse-of the threads leading frompthe reserve bebhin's but movable toward the magazine. in. responsetdstrains' in the thread to prevent break= ageof-the latter". I v I thetime ofipicking the threadof; the freshly ti'arlsfer-i"ed bobbin extending into the thread toner ie subjected to a strain tending 1 to pull it" out of thethread holder. It is a' further object' of 'my presentinventionto provide the thread? holder with aportion which will bend in such a direction as to increase the frictional contact? between the thread of the freshly transferred bobbin andthe'thread holder: The extentof the bending will" depend upon the amount of the. strain; a relatively large thread strain. causing sufficient bending, of' the thread holder part to insure contact therewith of. a considerable length. ofthread". These results I" may achieve by using. a" soft" rubber. tube projecting from. a support and. bendabletoward; the magazine. v

Manymomsj areprovi'de'd. with a sO-calledoenter'" filling; stop motion having. a fork carried. on

forward" beat of thlay. It is" desirable that the thread of the" freshly transferred bobbin be led under thefork to insure continued" 100m operation'and it is a'furtli er object of my presentin- '5 ventionto provide a; yieldable thread holder whi'ch- Will act during" the flight of the shuttle across the 10cm tofiniove the thread forwardly and therebyassistin placing it under the filling fork.

1 d It'is-a further objectof my invention to mount one end of a resilient tube on a thread. holder and permit the other endto extend freely without support so that it will vibrate under loom operation and" havethe effect of spacing the threadends which enter it.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides inthe combination and arrangement' of partshereinafterdescribed and setforth;

In the accompanying; drawing; wherein a con venient embodiment of my inventionis set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a magazine and pneumatic thread holder made. accordingto my present invention,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 22' of Fig. 1'; Fig. 3*i's a detail Vertical section" on line 3 3 ofFi'gi 2, a i y Fig; 4-"is an enlarged front elevation of the tube f orniing an important part of my present inventt'on,

Figs. and 6' are diagrammatic plan views of. the layshowing the action of my thread holder during flight of the shuttle on the first pick after 3 transfer,

Fig. '7- isan" enlarged'horizontal section through the flexibl'etube illustrating the manner in which. the same bends toincrease frictional contact with the thread attached to the bobbin being. trans- 40 ferred, and

Fig, 8 is a detail side. elevation of the, yielding; tube anclthread guard looking in the directionof arrow, 8, Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. l, Ihave shown. areserve 4o bobbin magazine M. having reserve bobbins B therein from which extend weft. ends W. The bobbins descend in well-known mannertoward a transfer position wherethey are. pushed into a depleted shuttle by well known transfer mecham'smnot shown herein but operating in the usual.

The interior of the cylinder It communicates byv thelayto be lowered on the thread during'thefifi' means of a hose I2 with a pump not shown but set forth in my patents previously mentioned and effective to create sub-atmospheric pressures within the cylinder I 0.

As shown diagrammatically in Figs. 5 and 6 the loom L comprises a breast beam l5 and a lay l6 which reciprocates in usual manner toward and from the breast beam. A shuttle S is picked by well-known mechanism back and forth across the lay, a picker I! being shown in Fig. 5 for this purpose. A fixed air pump I8 is driven from the lay as by a connector l9 and is attached to the tube |2 so that during reciprocation of the lay sub-atmospheric pressures will be created in the tube I2 and in the accumulator on the backward stroke of the lay, all as set forth in my previously mentioned patents. A filling fork 20 of the usual construction has rearwardly extending tines 2| located between the selvages of the cloth designated at C. The reed 22 guides tht shuttle across the loom and the tines 2| termimate a short distance in front of the reed.

The matter thus far described may be of the usual construction and operate in the usual manner. The sub-atmospheric pressures existing within the cylinder ID will be created periodically although I am not limited in the practice of my invention to this particular procedure and the bobbins will descend to transfer position one by one. At the time of transfer the bobbin in transfer position will be pushed into the shuttle S by a downward motion which is likely to stress its weft end W. Very shortly after transfer the shuttle will be picked to the opposite or left hand side of the loom, as viewed in Figs. 5 and 6, and the thread will again be subjected to a stress created by motion of the shuttle away from the magazine end of the loom.

In carrying my invention into effect I provide a. form of inlet for the thread accumulator which can yield in response to the strains set up in the weft thread of the freshly transferred bobbin existing both at the time of transfer and the immediately ensuing pick. In carrying my invention into effect I provide the base 30 of the accumulator which is supported by the stand II with a bore 3| extending horizontally forwardly and insert into this bore a flexible soft rubber tube 32. The rear end of the bore may be inclined upwardly as at 33 to produce a slight upward curvature in the rear or right end of the tube 32 as viewed in Fig. 3. The forward end of the tube projects forwardly from the base and has the bore 34 thereof reduced slightly at its mouth 35 by an internal rim or flange designated at 36 for the purpose of requiring any threads which enter the mouth and extend toward the accumulator to have a portion of their length spaced from the adjacent interior walls of the tube.

A thread guard designated at 40 has a foot 4| be drawn into the mouth 35 by suction. The threads will ordinarily and preferably be long enough to extend into the cylinder l0 to become entangled with a mass of yarn Y located within the cylinder 10 as set forth in my previously mentioned Patent No. 2,199,354. The horns 44 are sufficiently wide to prevent the thread ends from wrapping around them when being drawn into the tube 32.

During transfer, any tension which may be created in the weft thread of the bobbin being transferred will tend to bend the tube 32 toward the magazine, curving the tube in the manner suggested in Figs. 5 and '7 to prevent breakage of the thread. On the immediately following pick a second stress may be set up in the thread which may cause further bending of the tube, but unwinding of the thread from its bobbin during shuttle flight will tend to produce suflicient slack in the thread so that the tube 32 can return from the dotted to the full line position in Fig. 6. When returning to normal position the tube 32 will move its mouth, and therefore the thread in it, forwardly from the dotted line position 50 of Fig. 6 to the full line position 5|. This forward motion of the thread places it under the filling fork to support the tines 2| and permit continued loom operation.

By referring to Fig. 7 it will be seen that when the tube 32 bends toward the magazine the left hand part of the bore 34 thereof is convex and thread W must therefore lie along a considerable length of the interior of the rubber tube. Because of the high frictional resistance which the rubber offers to slipping of the thread the latter will be held closely against the interior of the tube and cause bending of the latter. It is to be understood, however, that the bending of the tube may not necessarily depend upon this frictional engagement with the thread, inasmuch as the latter will ordinarily be entangled with extending along and secured to the base 30 as by a screw 42. The guard extends forwardly and has a horizontal platform 43 from one side of which project upwardly a pair of spaced horns 44 defining between them a thread receiving notch 45. The relation between these notches and the end of tube 32 may be as set forth in Fig. 8, and it is to be understood from an inspection of Fig. 1 that the horns are located on that side of the tube opposite the magazine where they will not interfere with any flexing of the tube toward the reserve bobbins.

In operation, after fresh bobbins have been inserted into the magazine, the operator will lay the Weft ends W in the notch 45 and they will the mass of yarn Y in the accumulator and therefore be anchored within the cylinder I0.

I have found in actual operation that the tubular thread holder tends to hold the threads in the spaced relationship shown in Fig. 4, because of the fact that the forward free and unsupported end of the soft rubber tube 32 tends to vibrate under loom operation and thus efiect constant readjustment of the threads to prevent their permanent entanglement.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a pneumatic thread holder having a yieldable intake member projecting normally in a direction transverse of the weft ends W and bendable toward the magazine to relieve any strains which may be created in the, weft thread of the bobbin being transferred, either at the time of transfer or the pick immediately thereafter. It will also be seen that the bending of the tube 32 insures close frictional contact between the thread and the interior of the tube, thereby increasing the holding effort which the tube exerts on the thread. The tube 32 may be made either of natural or artificial rubber or similar material. Furthermore, the flange 36 near the mouth of the tube 32 spaces the threads for a short distance at least from the internal bore of a rubber tube, thereby permitting the inrush ing air to reach all sides of the thread and direct it toward the cylinder I0. Also, the forward return motion of the tube from the dotted to theage-onset stop motion' Itwill ilurther be seen that theresilient tube is so mountedasto have afree end which vibrates during" lbomoperation and'- that the eitect of this vibration is to' space the -weft ends and preventthem: from becomingentang-l'ed;

Having thus described my inven-t'iz m it will be seen: that changes and mod'i fibations-may be mad'e therein by those skilled in the art without departingfiomthespirit andsoope'of theinvention and- I do: notwish: tb b'e limited to the details herein disclosed; but what Ii'oiaim is:

121m a; weft replenishing loom: having allay and: au filling fork: extending: rearwardly: toward theme/17h: of the shuttle-Ltd be rep-lenished 'fronr a magazine: of: reserve: bobbins and: subsequently picked in a-L direction from said. group: toward i the fork; the. reserve=bobbinsr havingrweft ends: on tending-.ztherefrom, toward a.- support mountede on the: loom i adj acenta the." magazine; that: improvemeat comprising arnel'astictubularthreadeholder whencimnormal positionprojectsiforwardly from: the supportzirr a; direotion transverse: of the weft ends ,and opposite 7110 the: directionsina which the: fork projects; said :threadhoider bending: to, ward, the; groupof; reserve; bobbins and. toward the pathmf'. the shuttle: when tens-ion is created in: the weft: end of a reserve: bobbin" transferred into; thershuttle: and-then picked towardtheafork; return,- ot the; tubular thread holder to normal positionmoving; said; weft end-1forward'l3nto"v as-. sist.= in r placing said; thread under: said fork- ,1

2r. Ina weft replenishingdoom havinga magazinelprovidedr with reserve bobbins from which weftrthreads extend; toward a support mounted on the loom adjacent the magazine;.the1loom also, having, provision for transferring" a; reserve bobbin from themagazine; into an; exhausted shuttle; that. improvement; which comprises a: re-v silientl hollow: member projecting: from the: sup:- port normally;-

a' direction transverse of" the weft threads: whichextend from therreserve bob"- bins toward. thesupport and; means to: create subratmospheric pressures: within; the hollow member to. .dra-w-:the weftlthreads thereinto, the

hollow memberivieldinginiadirection towardthe,

reserve bobbins in response. to tension created in theweitthreadbt a!bobbinibeingtransferred into. the shuttle to, reduce the. liability; of-r breakage of the last named; weft. thread...

3. In a weft replenishing loom having;a -maga zine provided with reserve bobbins fromwhich weft threads: extend: toward. a supportmounted on the 100m adjacent the magazine, the loom havinga' thread accumulator containing a mass of yarn and having means to create sub-atmospheric pressures within the accumulator, the loom also having provision for transferring a reserve bobbin from the magazine into an exhausted shuttle, that improvement which comprises a soft and elastic tubular member projecting from the accumulator in a direction normally transverse of the direction in which the weft threads extend from the reserve bobbins toward the support and having the interior thereof in pneumatic communication with the interior of the accumulator, sub-atmospheric pressures within the accumulator creating sub-atmospheric pressures within the tubular member to draw the weft threads of the reserve bobbins into said tubular member and entangle them with the mass of yarn in the accumulator, the tubular member yielding toward the reserve bobbins in response to tension created in a weft thread extending from the mass of yarn to a reserve bobbin being inserted into the exhausted shuttle.

- 41 In a-weftrreplenishingcloomzhaving amagazine providedwith-i reserve: bobbins from which weft threads extend toward: a support mounted om the loom adjacent the magazine, the: loom having athread accumulator containing a mass at and having: means to create sub atmospheric pressures within the accumulator; the-loom al'so having= provisionfortransferring a reserve bobbin frorn themagazineinto anexhausted shuttle; that-improvement which comprises or soft rubber tube projecting from the accumulatorin a direction normally-- transverse of the dime-- tion in which the weftcthreads extend from the reserve bobbins toward 1 the I support, the interior of he rubbertube communicating pneumatically with the interior of the accumulator: sothatsub-= atmospheric pressures: within the accumulator wilt create: sub-atmosphericpressures Within the rubber tube towdraw the weft threads: into said rubber: tube: to entangle saidweft threads with the massof yarn-in the aecum-ulator-and=exert a: normal tension on said-weft threads, saiol rubber tube yiel'dable because of its resilience toward the reserve bobbinswhen any thread extending from the reserve bobbins into thetube is sub-- jected toabnorma-l tension.

In aweft replenishing-doom havinga magazine provided with agroup of reserve bobbins from which weft threads extend toward a support mounted? Orr the l'oomadjacent the magazine; and -Iwiherein -a depleted shuttle-is-replenished with ahreser-ve bob-bin drawn from the-magazine andsubsequently picked in adirection away from the= magazine and support; that improvement which. comprises a hollow elasticmember projecting from the support normally in a direction trans-verse of the direction in which the weft threads extend from: the reserve bobbins toward said. support; and meansto create sub-atmospheric pressures: within: the; hollow member to draw the weft: threads intosaid member; thelatter yielding in a direction towarda the reserve bobbins when the 'thread of a reserve 1 bobbin with which the shuttle; has been replenished is: subjectedzto;v tensionvincidentto pickingof the shuttle a direction. away: from the. magazine and support;

In alweft': replenishing loomhaving a: mega-Q zine; provided" with: a: plurality of reserve bobbins from: which=weftnthreads extend toward a support mounted: on the loom adjacent the magazine, the, looma operating with a shuttle to be replenished. when exhaustedofweft with a bob bin from the magazine and subsequently picked in a direction from a position adjacent to the magazine opposite to the direction in which the weft threads extend from the reserve bobbins toward the support, that improvement which comprises a soft rubber tube projecting from the support in a direction transverse of the weft threads, and means to create sub-atmospheric pressures within the rubber tube to draw the weft threads thereinto and hold said weft threads in the rubber tube, the latter yieldable in a direction toward the reserve bobbins when the weft thread of the bobbin with which the shuttle has been replenished is subjected to tension incident to picking the shuttle.

'7. In a weft replenishing loom having a magazine provided with reserve bobbins from which weft threads extend toward a support mounted on the loom adjacent the magazine, that improvement; which comprises a tubular member including elastic rubber in its construction and mounted on the support and projecting therefrom in a direction normally transverse of the direction in which the weft threads extend from the reserve bobbins toward the support, and means to create sub-atmospheric pressures within the tubular member to draw the weft threads into and hold them in the tubular member under a normal tension, said tubular member yieldingtoward the reserve bobbins when an abnormal tension exists in any thread extending from a reserve bobbin into said tubular member and the latter bending to assume a curved form and thereby cause close contact between the thread under abnormal tension and an interior surface of the tubular member extending along a relatively long surface of said tubular member.

8. In a weft replenishing loom having a magazine provided with reserve bobbins from which weft threads extend toward a support mounted on the loom adjacent the magazine, that improvement which comprises a resilient tube having an intake mouth and projecting normally from the support in a direction transverse of the weft ends, and having an internal bore of given diameter, a flange extending around the intake mouth and providing a thread receiving orifice of a diameter less than said given diameter, and means to create sub-atmospheric pressures within the yieldable tube to draw the weft threads through the orifice and into the yieldable tube, and said flange holding the weft threads spaced from that part of the internal bore of the resilient tube adjacent to said flange, whereby air drawn into the tube acts on all sides of the weft threads extending from the flange into said tube.

9. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a filling fork extending rearwardly toward the path of the shuttle along the lay, the loom having a magazine provided with a group of reserve bobbins from which weft threads extend toward a support mounted on the loom adjacent the magazine, the shuttle to be replenished with a reserve bobbin from the magazine and subsequently picked in a direction from the magazine toward the fork, and the support being on that side of the magazine opposite the fork, that improvement which comprises a resilient tubular member projecting from the support in a directiontransverse of the weft threads which extend from the magazine toward the support, and means to create sub-atmospheric pressures within the tubular member to draw the weft threads into said tubular member, tension in the weft thread of a bobbin inserted into the shuttle which is subsequently picked toward the fork causing said tubular member to move to an abnormal position and in a direction toward the magazine and toward the shuttle path, return of the tubular member to normal position moving the weft thread in a direction which assists placement of the thread of the bobbin which has been inserted into the shuttle under the fork.

10. In a weft replenishing loom having a magazine provided with reserve bobbins from which weft threads extend toward a support mounted on the loom adjacent to the magazine, that improvement which comprises a resilient tubular member one end of which is held by the support and the other end of which is free from the support and extends away from the latter in a direction transverse of the direction in which the weft threads extend from the reserve bobbins toward the support, and means to create sub-atmospheric pressures within the tubular member to draw the weft threads into and hold them in said tubular member under normal tension, said other free end of the tubular member being subject by reason of its resilience to vibration due to loom operation and acting by reason of said vibration to subject the weft threads to constant readjustment to prevent their entanglement in the tubular member.

11. In a weft replenishing loom having a magazine provided with reserve bobbins from which weft threads extend toward a support mounted on the loom adjacent the magazine, that improvement which comprises an inherently resilient hollow member mounted on the support and the normal position of which is transverse of the direction in which the weft threads extend from the reserve bobbins toward the support, said hollow member movable from normal position toward the reserve bobbins and tending by the inherent resilience thereof to return to normal position, and means to create sub-atmospheric pressures Within the hollow member to draw the weft threads into and hold them in the hollow member under normal tension, said hollow member being yieldable from normal position toward the reserve bobbins when abnormal tension exists in any given thread extending from the reserve bobbins into said hollow member to reduce the liability of Weft thread breakage ue to the abnormal tension.

RICHARD G. TURNER.

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