US2293561A - Cloth board for axminster looms - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 18, 1942. w, ROBB 2,293,561

CLOTH BOARD FOR AXMINSTER LOOMS Filed Nov. .3, 1941 INVENTOR WALTER Y R oaa ZLHVYW ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 18, 1942 CLOTH BOARD FOR AXMINSTER. LOOMS Walter Y. Robb, Whitinsville, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester,

Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 3, 1941, Serial No. 417,609

13 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in Axminster looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide a cloth board so constructed as to permit the weaving of pile tufts of different heights.

In looms of the type set forth in Patent No. 1,958,129 the cloth board is formed with a plurality of spaced teeth each having an upstanding hook over which the weft and tufts are beaten by the lay. After the tube frame has been lifted to pull off yarn for the next row of tufts which it is to provide the tuft is severed from the tube frame by cutters. The cutters operate to cut the tufts at a given level in the loom and the height of pile in the fabric is determined by the distance between the top of the cloth board on which the fabric rests and the cutting level. As heretofore constructed the nose board has been useful for but one height of tufts and when it was desired to use the same loom for weaving both high and low tuft fabrics it would be necessary to use two different nose boards, one with a relatively low supporting fabric surface and the other with a higher supporting surface.

It is an important object of my present invention to provide a nose board made to weave high pile tufts and provide a plate which can be attached to the nose board to raise the level of the fabric supporting surface so that lower pile tufts can be woven. By this construction the same nose board may be used for both high and low tufts merely by adding the plate when low tufts are desired and no adjustment need be made between the cutters and the tops of the nose board hooks.

Axminster looms of the type to which my invention more particularly applies operate with a reed the dents of which move into the slots or spaces between the nose board teeth to positions in front of the hooks, and it is a further object of my present invention to provide the rear edge of the cloth supporting auxiliary plate with teeth aligned with the teeth of the nose board and spaced to accommodate the reed dents.

In order that the nose board may be self cleaning I form it with convex backwardly directed surfaces between the teeth and form the auxiliary plate with upwardly and forwardly inclined surfaces between its teeth which are substantially tangent to the convex surfaces of the nose board.

It has been customary heretofore to slant the fabric supporting surface of the cloth board downwardly and forwardly. When low tufts are being woven they tend because of the inclination of the supporting surface to slant away from the cutter with the result that the tufts are of uneven heights. It is a further object of my present invention to provide the auxiliary supporting plate with an upper surface immediately in front of the nose board hooks which shall be so disposed as to cause the tufts to be perpendicular to the plane of support. I make this surface substantially horizontal to cause the short piles to stand erect during the cutting operation so that the piles will be of more uniform height than heretofore.

The weft laying needle, the cutting mechanism, and the harnesses operate in the same manner for both the high and the low tufts, that is, with and without my auxiliary plate. When the plate is absent the warp shed is in relatively low position but when the plate is used the shed is elevated by the amount of the thickness of the plate. In order that the plate may be used without requiring a change in the needle motion the harnesses are set so that the needle will enter the upper part of the shed when the plate is absent and the shed is low, and will enter the lower part of the shed when the plate is present and elevates the shed.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

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

Fig. 1 is a transverse section through part of an Axminster m showing my invention applied to the nose board,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged portion of Fig. 1 showing the reed in forward beat-up position and the loom set to weave a low tuft by means of my auxiliary plate,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the plate removed so that the loom will weave high tuft fabrics,

Fig. 4 is a plan view in the direction of arrow 4, Fig. 2, showing a portion of my improved auxiliary plate, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, I have shown an Axminster loom frame It supporting a breast beam II and lay shaft I2. The lay I3 is mounted on arms 14 secured to the shaft [2 and supports the reed dents R which lie between the upper and lower warp threads W and W, respectively, which form the warp shed S. The harness frames I5 maybe of usual construction but will be set with respect to the weft needle N in a manner to be described hereinafter.

The loom operates with a series of tube frames T one of which is shown in Fig. 1. These tube frames move progressively to operative position and are then conveyed by transfer arms [5 to the tuft forming position shown in Fig. 1. Each tube frame is provided with a spool H from which leads a plurality of yarns Y projecting through spaced tubes I8 which are moved downwardly through the warp shed during the tuft forming operation of the loom.

A nose board is secured to the breast beam I I and is provided with a body 2f from the rear part of which projects a plurality of spaced teeth 22 each for-med with an upstanding tuft forming hook 23. The teeth 22 are separated by slots 24 which receive the reed dents R and their rear surfaces are curved as at 25 to assist in moving the lower part of the tuft yarn from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2 when the reed beats forwardly.

The needle N of the usual construction lays a double pick of weft in the warp shed S and is moved into and out of the shed in timed relation with the oscillation of the lay. Front and back cutter blades and 3|, respectively, may be of the usual construction and are operated in the ordinary manner to cut the U-shaped tufts or piles from the yarns Y carried by the tube frame, the front or ledger blades 39 being held stationary while the rear cutting blade 3! is moved forwardly.

Separator plates for the tuft yarns, similar to those shown in Patent No. 1,958,129, are mounted on a bar 35 supported by rocking levers 31, one of which is shown in Fig. 1, pivoted at 38 to bracket 39. The plates are manipulated to move rearwardly through the slots 24 between the teeth 22 to align with it the reed place them against the rear surfaces 25 of the i teeth 22. The needle N then enters the shed while the reed is in back position to lay a filling shot, after which the reed advances to move the shot of filling and the tufts up the rear surfaces 25 and over the hooks 23 to positions in front of the latter as indicated in Fig. 2. The tube frame is then lifted to pull off yarn for the next row of tufts which it is to form and the cutters are moved toward each other to cut the U-shaped tuft from the yarns Y while the reed is in backward position. The tube frame is then returned to its transporting chain and another tube frame is moved by the arms I5 from the chain toward the cloth and the operation just described is repeated.

For a further understanding of the structure and operation of my invention reference me?! be had to prior Patents Nos. 1,958,129; 1,958,130;

1,973,357, and 2,057,394.

In the structure already described the parts are so related as to be adapted for the weaving of high pile tufts, that is, the tops of the hooks 23 are relatively high above the top surface 49 of the cloth board and the U-shaped tuft as shown in Fig. 2 will be relatively long.

fastened to the nose board by screws 51.

My invention relates to means for adapting the loom for weaving low pile tufts with a minimum of change, and in carrying my invention into effect I provide an auxiliary plate, designated generally at P and shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5, to be fastened to the upper part of the nose board. This plate has its rear edge provided with a series of rearwardly extending teeth separated by spaces or slots 45 and is The teeth are integral with the web or body 59 of the plate and their upper surfaces 5! are preferably inclined rearwardly and downwardly with respect to surface so and'to the top surface 52 of the Web 55!.

The height of the rear part of each tooth 45 determines the height of the pile to be woven when the plate is employed. The rear end of each tooth d5 terminates close to its correspond" ing hook 255 so that each new row of tufts as it is beaten over the hooks will fall on the rear part of the teeth 35. Each tooth Q5 lies over and is aligned with a nose board tooth 22 under it and is also aligned with a horn 23.

As shown in Fig. 5 the front ends of slots 2 in the nose board 2! are formed by rearwardly directed convex surfaces 55 on web 59 between teeth 45. The surfaces 55 assist in removing lint from the slots 26 as the reed heats up and the fabric advances. In order that the auxiliary plate may be adapted for removal of lint I form the rear parts of the web 59' between fingers 45 with forwardly and upwardly inclined surfaces 56 which are preferably tangent to the upper part of the curved surfaces 55, as shown in Fig. 5.

It is believed that the operation of my invention will be apparent from the foregoing description. When high pi es are to be woven the plate is removed as indicated in Fig. 3, but when low piles are to be woven the plate is secured to the nose board as indicated in Figs. 2 and 5, thereby effectively elevating the level at which the fabric is supported with respect to the nose board 29. The slots 46 receive the reed dents R as the latter beat forwardly and the teeth .5 are aligned with and in effect form upward extensions from the teeth 22. The rear ends of the teeth 35 lie close to the hooks or horns 23 to afford proper support for the tufts as they are beaten to their forward positions indicated in Figs. 2 and 5.

It will be apparent that when the auxiliary plate is absent as suggested in Fig. 3 the fabric F will be in relatively low position and the warp shed S will be low as suggested in Fig. 3. When in this position the needle N enters the upper part of the warp shed, being slightly closer to the top warps W than to the bottom warps W. When the auxiliary plate is in position as indicated in Fig. 2, however, the cloth is relatively high and the warp shed elevated, in which case the needle as it enters the shed will be nearer the bottom warps W. The shed is made by the harness frames 15 and the latter cause a sufficient opening of the warp threads to accommodate the needle whether the plate be used or omitted.

A further feature of my invention relates to the previously described surfaces 5| which, as shown in Fig 5, are inclined with respect to the surface 40 and substantially horizontal in order to support the low tufts in a position which causes them to be in a more nearly vertical position during the cutting operation than heretofore. The cutting is effected by holding the front ledger knife 39 stationary and moving the rear cutting knife 3| forwardly. The tube frame holds the yarn in vertical position at right angles to surfaces 5| and both the front and back strands of the tuft tend to remain in erect position and are therefore of the same length after the cutting operation.

Herein I have shown but one plate P with teeth 45 of one height, but I do not wish thus to be limited. It is within the spirit of my invention to provide other plates each attachable to the nose board but varying slightly as to height of the teeth 45.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided simple means for adapting a loom for the weaving of either high or low pile fabrics by the use of an auxiliary plate which when present adapts the loom for the weaving of low tuft fabrics and when absent permits the weaving of higher tuft fabrics. It will also be seen that the auxiliarly plate is provided with teeth which are in vertical alignment with the teeth of the nose board and terminate at their rear ends close to the horns or hooks 23. The forwardly and upwardly inclined surfaces 56 are tangent to convex surfaces 55 of the nose board and cooperate with the latter to assist in the removal of lint from the slots 24 and 46. Furthermore, the harnesses operate to provide a sufficiently wide shed to receive the weft needle whether the plate be used or omitted. It will also be apparent that no change is required in either the cutting mechanism, the reed, the needle or the harness mechanism when the plate P is applied to the nose board. Also, the surfaces 5| are so related to the yarns Y and the cutters as to produce a tuft the front and back strands of which are the same height.

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 an Axminster loom to weave fabrics having either high or low pile tufts, the loom operating with a tube frame from which project tuft yarns to be formed into pile tufts and having cutter mechanism operating at a given level to cut the pile tufts from the yarns of the tube frame, a nose board having a top cloth supporting surface from which tuft forming hooks project upwardly far enough above said top surface to assist in forming relatively high pile tufts, and an auxiliary plate secured to the top of the nose board in front of said hooks and having a cloth supporting surface above the top surface of the nose board 'and below said hooks to cooperate with the latter to form low pile tufts, said cutter mechanism operating at said given level and the tops of said hooks remaining in the same position relatively to said lever whether said plate be present or absent.

2. In an Axminster l oomto weave fabrics having either high or low pile tufts, the loom operating with a tube frame from which project tuft yarns to be formed into pile tufts and having cutter mechanism operating at a given level to cut the pile tufts from the yarns of the tube frame, two different cloth supporting means one to support the other, said one means comprising a permanent nose board having a cloth supporting surface a given distance under said cutting level, hooks projecting upwardly from said nose board above said supporting surface to assist in forming pile tufts, and the other of said means comprising a member removably secured to said nose board in front of said hooks and having a cloth supporting surface below the tops of said hooks and located at a distance under said cutting level less than said given distance, the hooks cooperating with the said other means to form low pile tufts when said member is present, and said hooks and nose board cooperating to form high pile tufts when said member has been removed from the nose board.

3. In an Axminster loom operating with a tube frame from which tuft yarns project to be inserted between warp threads forming a warp shed, a nose board provided with spaced teeth from the upper cloth supporting surface of each of which projects an upwardly extending hook which assists in forming pile tufts in the tuft yarns during the tuft forming operation of the loom, tuft yarn cutting mechanism operating at a given level above said hooks to cut the tufts from the yarns carried by the tube frame, and a removable plate formed with a cloth supporting surface secured to the nose board above said upper surfaces of said nose board teeth and in front of said hooks and having a cloth supporting surface below said hooks, said plate and hooks cooperating to form low pile tufts, and said nose board and hooks cooperating to form high pile tufts when said plate is removed, said cutter mechanism operating at said given level and the tops of said hooks remaining in the same position relatively to said level whether said plate be present or absent.

In an Axminster loom operating with a tube frame from which tuft yarns project to be inserted between warp threads forming a warp shed, a nose board provided with spaced teeth from the upper cloth supporting surface of each of which projects an upwardly extending hook which assists in forming pile tufts in the tuft yarns during the tuft forming operation of the loom, tuft yarn cutting mechanism operating at a given level above said hooks to cut the tufts from the yarns carried by the tube frame, and a removable plate secured to said nose board in front of said hools and having a top cloth supporting surface above said upper surfaces of said teeth and below the tops of said hooks, the top surface of said plate being a relatively small vertical distance below the tops of said hooks to cause the weaving of low pile tufts when said plate is present, and the vertical distance between the tops of said hooks and the upper surface of said teeth being greater than said small distance to cause weaving of high pile tufts when said plate is absent, said cutter mechanism operating at said given level and the tops of said hooks remaining in the same position relatively to said level whether said plate be present or absent.

5. In an Axminster loom to weave fabrics having either high or low pile tufts, the loom operatingwith a tube frame from which project tuft yarns to be formed into pile tufts and having cutter mechanism operating at a given level to cut the pile tufts from the yarns of the tube frame, a set of spaced tuft forming hooks located below the cutting level and behind the pile tufts to support the latter against rearward motion when the pile tufts are being cut, and two different means to define two different levels for supporting the cloth either in low position for the formation of high pile tufts or in high position for the formation of low pile tufts, the first means comprising a nose board having a cloth supporting surface below the level of the tops of said hooks and cooperating with the latter to form high pile tufts, and the other means comprising an auxiliary plate secured to the top of the nose board and having a cloth supporting surface located between the level of the tops of the hooks and the level of the cloth supporting surface on the nose board and cooperating with said hooks to form low pile tufts, said cutting level and the tops of the hooks remaining in the same position whether low tufts are being formed with the plate or high plates are being formed without the plate.

6. In an Axininster loom to weave fabrics having either high or low pile tufts, the loom operating with a tube frame from which project tuft yarns to be formed into pile tufts and having cutting mechanism operating at a given level to cut the pile tufts from the yarns of the tube frame, a nose board having a top cloth supporting surface and provided with rearwardly projecting spaced teeth each provided with a tuft forming hook which extends upwardly to a level above said cloth supporting surface, a reed having dents to move forwardly between said teeth to positions in front of said hooks, an auxiliary removable plate secured to the cloth board in front of said hooks and having a cloth supporting surface between the levels of the tops of the hooks and the cloth supporting surface of the nose board, and spaced teeth formed on the rear edge of said auxiliary plate and aligned with the hooks and teeth of the nose board, the reed dents when moving forwardly passing between the teeth of said auxiliary plate, the plate when present cooperating with the hooks to form relatively low pile tufts and the nose board cooperating with the hooks when the auxiliary plate is absent to form relatively high pile tufts.

7. In an Axminster loom to weave fabrics having either high or low pile tufts, the loom operating with a tube frame from which project tuft yarns to be formed into pile tufts and having cutting mechanism operating at a given level to cut the pile tufts from the tube frame, a nose board having a top cloth supporting surface and provided with rearwardly projecting spaced teeth each provided with a tuft forming hook which extends upwardly to a level above said cloth supporting surface, a reed having dents to move forwardly between said teeth to positions in front of said hooks, an auxiliary plate secured to the top of the nose board and having a cloth supporting surface above the level of the cloth supporting surface of the nose board and below the level of the tops of the hooks, and spaced teeth formed on the rear edge of said auxiliary plate in alignment with the teeth and hooks of the nose board and projecting rearwardly to positions closely adjacent to the front portions of said hooks, the reed dents moving forwardly between the teeth of the nose board and the auxiliary plate during a tuft forming operation of the loom, said plate when present cooperating with the hooks to form relatively low pile tufts, and said nose board cooperating with the hooks when the auxiliary plate is absent to form relatively high pile tufts.

8. In an Axminster loom to weave fabrics having either high or low pile tufts and operating with a tube frame from which project tuft yarns to be formed into pile tufts which are cut at a given level from the yarns of the tube frame, a weft laying needle operating at the same level whether high or low pile tufts are being woven, harness mechanism to form a warp shed higher at the point entered by the needle than the vertical dimension of the latter, a nose board having spaced teeth between which the warp threads of the shed lie and having a cloth supporting surface, each tooth having an upwardly extending tuft forming hook projecting above said surface, and an auxiliary plate supported on the nose board and having a cloth supporting surface between the cloth supporting surface of the nose board and the level of the tops of said hooks, said plate when present cooperating with the hooks to form low pile tufts and acting to raise the warp shed to cause the needle to enter the lower part of the shed, and the nose board cooperating with the hooks when the plate is absent to form high pile tufts and causing the warp shed to be in low position so that the needle enters the upper part of said warp shed, said cutting and harness mechanisms and the needle each operating at its respective elevation whether the plate be present or absent.

9. In an Axminster loom to weave fabrics having either high or low pile tufts and operating with a tube frame from which project tuft yarns to be formed into pile tufts which are thereafter cut at a given level from the yarns of the tube frame, a weft laying needle having a weft inserting motion at a given level whether high or low pile tufts are being woven, harness mechanism to produce a shed in the warp threads higher at the point entered by the needle than that needed for entry of the needle, and two means to support the cloth at two different levels, one of said means comprising a nose board having a cloth supporting surface under the cutting level and having tuft forming hooks projecting upwardly from the cloth supporting surface, and the other means comprising an auxiliary plate attached to the nose board and having a cloth supporting surface between the cloth supporting surface of the nose board and the level of the tops of the hooks and under said cutting level, said nose board when the plate is absent cooperating with the hooks to form hi h pile tufts and locating the fell of the cloth in relatively low position to cause the needle to enter the upper part of the warp shed, and said plate when present cooperating with the hooks to form low pile tufts and locating the fell of the cloth in relatively high position to cause the needle to enter the lower part of the warp shed.

10. In an Axminster loom to weave fabrics having either high or low pile tufts, the loom operating with a tube frame from which project tuft yarns to be formed into pile tufts and having cutting mechanism operating at a given level to cut the pile tufts from the tube frame, a nose board having a top cloth supporting surface and provided with rearwardly projecting spaced hooks each provided with an upwardly extending tuft forming hook, and an auxiliary plate secured to the top of the nose board in front of the hooks and having a cloth supporting surface located between the level of the tops of the hooks and the level of the cloth supporting surface of the nose board and disposed substantially perpendicular to the yarn which extends upwardly from the fabric being woven to the tube frame prior to cutting, said plate cooperating with the hooks to form low pile tufts, and the nose board cooperating with said hooks when the plate is absent to form high pile tufts.

11, In an Axminster loom operating with a tube frame from which project tuft yarns the free ends of which are bent rearwardly and upwardly to provide pile tufts, the front part of the pile tufts extending substantially vertically upwardly from the cloth being woven to the tube frame, cutting mechanism operating at a given level to cut the pile tufts from the yarns carried by the tube frame, a nose board having a top cloth supporting surface and provided with a plurality of spaced rearwardly projecting teeth each provided with an upwardly projecting hook the top of which is above the level of the cloth supporting surface of the nose board, and an auxiliary plate secured to the top surface of the nose board and having a cloth supporting surface located between the level of the tops of the hooks and the cloth supporting surface of the nose board, said cloth supporting surface of the plate lying in front of and below the level of the tops of the hooks and extending substantially horizontal and at right angles to the front part of the tufts prior to cutting, the plate when present cooperating with the hooks to form low pile tufts, and the nose board cooperating with the hooks when the plate is absent to form high pile tufts.

12. A cloth supporting plate for an Axminster loom having a nose board provided with a top cloth supporting surface and rearwardly projecting spaced teeth each formed with an upwardly projecting tuft forming hook, said plate comprising a flat body having provision for attachment to the nose board, and a series of spaced teeth along the rear edge of said plate to be aligned with the teeth of the nose board and located in front of the hooks when said plate is attached to the nose board, said plate having a cloth supporting surface to be located between the levels of the tops of the hooks and said top surface of the nose board when said plate is secured to said nose board.

13. A cloth supporting plate for an Axminster loom having a nose board provided with a top cloth supporting surface and rearwardly projecting spaced teeth each formed with an upwardly projecting tuft forming hook, said plate comprising a flat body having provision for attachment to the nose board over said cloth supporting surface of the nose board, and a series of spaced teeth along the rear edge of said plate to be aligned with the teeth of the nose board and located in front of the hooks when said plate is attached to the nose board, said plate having a top cloth supporting surface which is located between the levels of the tops of the hooks and the top cloth supporting surface of the nose board when said plate is secured to said nose board, the cloth supporting surface of said plate having a portion which is substantially horizontal when said plate is attached to the nose board.

WALTER Y. ROBB.

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