US2345341A - Resetting mechanism for weft replenishing looms - Google Patents

Description

March ZS, 1944. v. H. JENNINGS RESETTING MECHANISM FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed July 29 INvEN'roR hcrroad. Izuwm as 'Pvv-voRNaY FIE-.1

March 28, 1944. v JENNINGS 2,345,341

RESETTING MECHANISM FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Original Filed July 29, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 28, 1944 RESETTING MECHANISM FOR WEFT REPLENISHJN G LOOMS Victor H.

Jennings, Worcester, Mass., 'assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Original application 452,738, now Patent 6 Claims.

This is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 452,738, filed July 29, 1942, and issuing as Patent No. 2,326,863, dated August 1'7, 1943.

This invention relates to improvements in thread cutters and clamps for weft replenishing looms and it is the general object of the invention to construct the thread cutter in such a way that it will have a sufliciently long range of motion to insure cutting by the temple cutter soon after a replenishing operation.

In weft replenishing looms it is customary to sever the thread of the outgoing bobbin by a thread cutter which is moved rearwardly from its normal inactive forward position incident to a transferring operation, and during rearward motion the cutter blade is swung to open position by a link hung eccentrically with respect to the center around which the thread cutter swings. As heretofore constructed such thread cutters have had a limited range of movement due to the construction of the link or rod which operates the movable cutter jaw. As a result of this small range of movement the thread is not moved forwardly a sufiicient distance to permit cutting by the temple cutter until several picks have elapsed after transfer and there is danger that if transfers occur on successive arrivals of a shuttle under the magazine the thread clamp will release the thread of the first transfer before it has been cut at the temple.

It is an important object of my present invention to provide a control for the rod which operates the movable cutter blade in such a manner as to permit the cutter and clamp to move forwardly a suflicient distance to draw the clamped thread into the temple cutter on a transferring pick of the loom, thus insuring cutting of the thread at the selvage before a second transfer can occur.

It is another object of my present invention to provide a lost motion connection between the movable cutter and clamp operating rod and its support so constructed that the cutting will be effected on the first part of the forward cutting stroke of the cutter, after which the lost motion connection operates to permit a considerable forward motion for the purpose of moving the thread into the temple cutter. This same lost motion connection is also effective to release a previously clamped thread early-in the rearward motion of the cutter before it moves over the lay.

'The thread is therefore able'to fall in front of the lay without danger of being entangled'with the shuttle and being drawn into the warp shed.

No. 17, 1943. Divided and 1943, Serial No. 486,240

July 29, 1942, Serial Na,

2,326,863, dated August this application May 8,

It is a further object of my present invention to provide the operating-rod for the'movable cutter with resilient means which prevents accidental opening of the clamp when the cutter is in inoperative position. i I f" It is a more specific object of'mypresent invention to provide a pivoted cutter carrier hav ing a movable cutter blade thereon connected'by a rod to a support eccentric with respect tothe axis of the carrier and wherein the rod is provided with a pair of spaced grooves to receive a yielding lock effective to operate the cutter at two different points'in-the stroke of the carrier. The first point occurs early in the backward stroke to release a clamped thread, and the second point occurs early in the forward stroke to cut the thread of the outgoing bobbin.

With theseandother objects'in view which will appear as the descriptionproceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and'set forth;

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

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a weft replenishing mechanism viewed from'the center of the loom an'dhaving my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is an enlargedvi'ewo'f a portion of Fig. 1 showing the cutting m'echa'nismin two different positions near the forward limit of its stroke,

Fig. 3 is a'view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the cutter mechanism in two other positions near the rearward limit of its'stroke,

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical "section on line- 4+4 ofFig.2,

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan showin the relation between my improved thread cuttenthe fabric being woven, the temple cutter and-:the lay,

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but'with the parts in difierent position correspondin to Fig.3, 'Fig. 7 is a view similar to'a part of the lower end of Fig. 3 but with parts'removed to illustrate the movable cutter and the stops with which it cooperates} 1 T Fig. 8 i a vertical section on line 8-3. of Fig.

Fig. 9 is, a front elevationlooking in the'direction of arrow 9, Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have shown a loom frame '10 having'a magazine M provided witha transferred arm "carryingthe'usuallatchilz to be positionedfor transfer 'bya rod I- The: lay t5 swings backwardly and forwardly andisprovi'ded with a shuttle box Hi to receive a shuttle S.

bunter IT on the lay' coopera'tes withthe latch l2 h p 2 when the latter is raised on the forward beat of the lay on transferring picks of the loom to effect downward movement of the transferrer arm so that a bobbin B in the magazine can be inserted into the shuttle S; During transfer a thread T extends from the selvage of the fabric F into the shuttle box 16 and is attached to the bobbin in the shuttle. It is this thread, shown in Fig. with which my present invention is concerned.

Secured to the magazine is a stand 28 having a pivot 2| on which is mounted a bell crank lever 22 one arm of which is connected to-an upwardly extending link 23. The depending arm of. lever 22 carries a pivot pin 25 on which is mounted a carrier 26 having a stop 21 held against a second stop 28 on the bell crank l'ver by a compreg sion spring 29. The forward or rightend oi this spring, as viewed in Fig. 3, engages an upwardly extending horn 30 on the carrier 25, while its rear end extends into a pocket in lever 22 to e a th atter- T e pu pe e. of s minal is to, permit forward yielding of the carrier with respect tothebell crank leyer to avoidrbreakage.

v The lower end ofthe carrier is provided with a rearwardly and horizontally extending foot to which is secured a stationary cutter blade 36 and onwhlch is pivoted the movable blade 31. The latter swingsabout a stud 40 secured to the foot: 35 and on which is slidably mounted a clamp plate. the rear. end ,of which. is guided by. a pin. "extending laterally from the foot 35. The blade 3'! moves between the stationary blacle 3fi and the clamp Al and the later may be held tightly against the movable blade by a spring 43,.secured to the carrier. I I

. The swinging cutter has a forwardly extending finger pivoted as at 45 to a rod head 41 adiustable on the lower end of anoperating rod 48. The upper end oftherod is guided by a rockin bearing 58 pivoted. to the support 23 as at; 5!. The bearing. 58 is free to swing, on its axis 5| as the angle of' theoperatin-g rod changes and the rod is free to slide longitudinally through the bearing. a

V The 'loom frame 55 which extends along is provided with a temple the right selvage of. the

fabric to a point spaced a slight distance in ad-.

vance of .the fell 56 of the cloth. The thread T extends from the intersection of the fell and selva'ge into the shuttle box, but is ordinarily behind the range of 'action of thetemple cutter 57, since the latter is. setseveral'picks in advance of the fell of the cloth. The lay operates the temple cutter on each forward beat inthe usual manner.

The cutter and clamp unit is positioned as to its extremefront and rear'positionsby the mechanism shown in Fig. 9. The link 23 is connected at; its upper end to an: arm 80 secured to a rock sliaft 81- j'ournaled'on the: magazine M. A second arm 82 Ifixed to shaft 8| has swivelled thereon a block 83. slidable in the slottedarm ,84pivoted at 85 to the magazine. A spring 86 in slotted arm 84 bears against the block and tends to hold arms 82 and 84 yieldingly in either. of two positions. A lug 81 onthe magazine cooperateswith stop screws 88 and 89 on arm 84 to position the latter, and therefore arm 82,.0n either, side of a line joining centers 81- and 8 5. These parts constitute a yielding'lockL to hold shaft M in itsnormal and transfer positions. By well known mechanism shaft 8 I isturned' clockwiseas seen in Fig. 9 whenv a replenishing. operation is called to move screw. 89 away from and screw 88 against 'lug The matter thusfar described, excep'tas indiv clamp is constructed, mounted and connected to operating parts of the magazine. It is thought sufficient for present purposes to state that the carrier 26 is normally in the extreme forward position as shown in Fig. 1 due to the fact that link 23 is down, but when a replenishing operation of the loom is called rod 23 is raised to swing the carrier" around its pivot 2| toward rearward cutting position. Thereafter the carrier is returned to its normal forward inoperative position by downward motion of the rod 23 by mechanism to be. described. During this operation the cutter moves through a much wider angle than has been possible heretofore.

In carrying my present invention into effect I provide means by which the carrier can be moved forwardly far enough to draw the thread T into the temple cutter 51. To accomplish this result I provide the operating rod 48 with two vertically spaced peripheral grooves 60 and GI for reception of a ball lock 62 slidably mounted in an extension 63 cf the rocking bearing 50. A light compression spring 64 within the extension 53 bears against the ball to force the latter against the rod and into the grooves and the pressure exerted by spring E4 may be varied by adjustment of screw threaded into the end of the extension 63. A collar '61 is adjustably held on the rod 48 by a set screw 68 and supports the lower end of a compression spring 59 surrounding, the rod 48 and positioned for engagement with the lower end of the bearing 53. Screw 38 holds a stop plate-i9 over and in the path of blade; 31. and foot 35 is provided with a second stop 12 for the movable cutter blade 31 which may conveniently take the form of a screw lying above the arm 45 and assisting in holding the stationary blade 36 to the foot 35, as shown in Fig.7.

As already stated the carrier for the combined cutter and clamp has a much larger motion than similar mechanisms heretofore used. It has been former practice to rely upon engagement of the advancing lay with the foot 35 to move the car'- rier 26 forwardly sufficiently to permit the resetting mechanism at the top of the magazine to complete forward motion of the carrier. In the present instance, however, the lay would give the carrier insufficient motion for its resettin and for that reason I employ the connections shown in Fig. 9.

I provide the hub as of the transferrer arm lever II with a small arm 9| which is pivoted as at 92- to the lower end of a link 93. The upper end of link 93 is slotted at 94 to receive a stud 95 on an arm 96 secured to shaft 8!. Arm 96 is extended beyond stud 95 to have connection at 91 with the upper end of previouslydescribed transferrer latch controlling rod It. The usual lost motion connection 98 is provided between rodl3andthelatchl2,seeFig.l.

In operation the parts will normally be in the position shown in full lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 9 with arm 88 down, arm 95 up and. stud 95 located a considerable distance above the bottom of slot 9 4. 1 Rod I3 will also be up so that the transferrer latch [2 can be in its down non-working position as shown in Fig.1, and the cutter and clamp unit will be in position I, Fig. 5. When a replenishing operation. is called by the weitdetectormechanism not shown the magazine will be set for transfer,

and shaft 8| will be rocked in a clockwise direction, Fig. 9, to lower arm 96 so that latch l2 will rise to working position and stud 95 will move to the bottom of slot 94. Link 23 i also raised to swing carrier 26 to its rearmost position, see full lines Fig. 3 and position III, Fig. 5. Under these conditions the transferrer arm is still raised so that arm 9| is down with link 93 in its low position.

At the start of rearward movement of carrier 26 the ball 62 will be in groove 6| as shown in Fig. 4 and because of the difference between the centers 2| and 5|, the cutter blade 3'! will move against stop 12 as shown in Fig. 7 and down to open position to release a previously clamped thread. This release will occur when the parts are in the position of II, Fig. 5, and dotted line position of Fig. 2, shortly after rearward movement of the carrier 26 has started. With blade 31 against stop 72 further rearward movement of the carrier 36 will cause rod 48 to slide down through the bearing 50, ball 62 moving out of groove 6|, along that part of the rod between grooves 60 and 6|, and into groove 60 to the position of Fig. 6 which corresponds to the full line position of Fig. 3. It is thus apparent that the clamp releases a thread early in the backward movement of the carrier, and in fact considerably before the carrier has completed the first half of its rearward movement. The thread thus'released falls in front of the lay. When the carrier has moved to its rearmost position the thread'T will enter the bight between blades 36 and 31 due to forward movement of the lay.

As the lay continues to advance its bunter will engage the latch |2 to rock the transferrer arm counter-clockwise as viewed in Fig. 1 and cause upward movement of arm 9| and link 93. Inasmuch as stud 95 is at the bottom of slot 94 at this time, upward movement of rod 93 will immediately start to rock lever 96 which in turn will rock shaft 8| counter-clockwise, see Fig. 9, to lower link 23 and start the carrier 26 on its return or forward movement. During descent of the transferrer arm I rod 93 by its upward movement raises lever 96 and rocks shaft 8| until the lock L passes its center, after which the lock completes movement of the shaft 8| and parts connected to it to normal or reset position.

The increased motion of the cutter and clamp 1 unit is so large that the lay by its engagement with foot 35 could not of itself move the lock up to or past its mid position, and it is in order to secure suflicient movement of the lock to insure resetting that I employ the transferrer oper-- ated rod 93.

Since the ball 62 is in the groove at this time, the jaw 37 will start to close immediately upon the beginning of forward movement of carrier 26 and when the latter has moved from the full to the dotted line position of Fig. 3, corresponding to position IV, Fig. 5, blade 37 will have cut and clamped thread T and will have moved against stop 39. That part of thread T between blade 36 and the shuttle S will be free to follow the outgoing bobbin and that part of the thread between blade 36 and theselvage will be clamped between parts 31 and 4|. Forward movement of the carrier 26 occurring thereafter will cause the rod-48 to slide upwardly through the bearing 50, unseating the ball from groove 60 and rolling it along rod 48 to groove 6| which it enters when the forward movement of carrier 26 is completed. A light spring 69 between bearing 50 and collar 68 on rod 48 holds the cutter 31 in closed position and prevents opening of the clamp under loom vibration.

Thus it is seen that the thread T is out early in the forward movement of the carrier at a time before the latter completes the first half of its forward movement, and the clamped end of the thread is moved far nough forwardly to draw that end of it next to the selvage into the range of action of the temple cutter 51. The parts then remain in their reset position until the next replenishing operation is called, and the temple cutter 51 will'be able to sever the clamped thread T shortly after the replenishing operation and preferably before the next replenishing operation.

After thread T has entered the bight between the cutters the carrier 26 reaches the position IV, Fig. 5 before advance movement of the lay can slacken the thread T sufiiciently to permit it to fall out of the cutters. During this cutting operation there may be a slight relative movement of the thread rearwardly with respect to the forwardly moving jaw 31, but the latter will operate to cut thread T before moving far enough forwardly to get away from the thread.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple mechanism for controlling a thread cutter and clamp unit to permit release of a thread early in the movement of the cutter from normal to working position, after which the yielding lock permits completed movement of the unit toward rearmost position. It will further be seen that the yielding lock operates to effect thread cutting early in the forward motion of the cutter when the released thread can be drawn out of the shuttle bythe descending depleted bobbin, after which the lock yields to permit forward movement of the cutter to normal position for locating the clamped thread in the range of operation of the temple cutter. It will further be seen that the movable blade 31 operates between two stops which cooperate with the yielding lock 62 to operate the cutter and clamp unit early in its opening and closing strokes.

seen that the rod head 4'! permits an adjustment between the cutter blade 31 and the yielding lock.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be 1. In thread control mechanism for a loom having a lay' to operate the latch of a transferrer arm and having also a shaft which rocks from normal to transfer position preparatory to a replenishing operation of the loom, a, combined thread cutter and clamp unit connected to the shaft to be moved from normal to thread receiving position when'the shaft moves to transi fer position and move back to normal position when the'shaftreturns to normal position, a lever secured to the shaft and moving with the latter from normal to transfer position, means connecting the lever to the transferrer latch providing a lost" motionconnection to move the latch to position for'operation by the lay when the shaft turns to transfer position and permitting movement of the lever to normal position while the latch is engaged with the lay, and other means connected to the transferrer arm 4- and the lever providing a lost motion connection between the transferrer arm and the lever so constructed as to permit movement of the lever to transfer position independently of movement of the transferrer arm but requiring the lever to move from transfer to normal position when the transferrer arm is operated by the lay.

2. In thread control mechanism for a loom having a lay to operate the latch of a transferrer arm and having also a shaft which rocks from normal to transfer position preparatory to a replenishing operation of the loom, a combined thread cutter and clamp unit connected to the shaft to be moved from normal to thread receiving position when the shaft moves to transfer position and move back to normal position when the shaft returns to normal position, a lever secured to the shaft and moving with the latter from normal to transfer position, a connector including a lost motion mechanism from the lever to the transferrer latch to move the latter into position for operation by the lay when the shaft moves from normal to transfer position, and a second connector from the lever to the transferrer arm including a lost motion mechanism by which the lever is the first connector Without communicating force to the transferrer arm and by which the latter when moved by engagement of the latch with the lay moves the lever to cause the shaft to return from transfer to normal position and thereby move the cutter and clamp unit from thread receiving to normal position.

3. In thread control mechanism for a loom having a lay to operate the latch of a transferrer arm and having also a shaft which rocks from normal to transfer position preparatory to a replenishing operation of the loom, a combined thread cutter and clamp unit connected to the shaft to be moved from normal to thread receiving position when the shaft moves to transfer position and move back to normal position when the shaft returns to normal position, a lever secured to the shaft and moving with the latter from normal to transfer position, a connection from the lever to the latch to move the latter to position for operation by the lay when said shaft moves from normal to transfer position, a stud in said lever, and a rod connected to the transferrer arm and having a slot to receive the stud, sai'd stud normally located in a position spaced from the end of the slot adjacent the transferrer arm and moving to said end of the slot when the shaft move from normal to transfer position, subsequent movement of the tr'ansferrer arm when the lay engages the latch causing the rod acting through the stud to move the lever and shift the shaft from transfer to normal position and thereby move the cutter and clamp unit from thread receiving to normal position.

4. In thread control mechanism for a loom having a lay to operate the latch member of a transferrer arm member and having also a shaft which rocks from normal to transfer. position preparatory to a replenishing operation of the loom, a combined thread cutter and clamp unit connected to the shaft to be moved from normal, to thread receiving position when the shaftvmoves to transfer position and move back to normal position when the shaft returns to movable to operate normal position, a lever secured to the shaft and moving therewith from normal to transfer position, a connector between the lever and the latch member, a second connector between the lever and the transferrer arm member, and each connector providing a lost motion mechanism between the member connected thereto and the lever, the first connector acting to move the latch member into position for engagement by the lat when the lever moves from normal to transfer position and the second connector acting to return the lever from transfer to normal position when the transferrer arm member is given a transferring movement by the lay and latch member and cause the shaft to move said unit from thread receiving back to normal position.

5. In a thread control mechanism for a loom having a lay to operate the latch of a transferrer arm and also a shaft with a lever secured thereto which rocks from normal to transfer position preparatory to a replenishing operation and then has a reverse rocking back to normal position, a combined thread cutter and clamp unit connected to the shaft and moved by the latter from normal to transfer thread receiving position when the shaft moves to transfer position and back to normal position when the shaft returns to normal position, a spring lock operative in a given point in the movement of the lever from transfer to normal position to complete said movement, means connecting the lever to the transfer latch providing a lost motion connection to move the latch into position for operation by the lay when the lever moves to transfer position and permitting movement of the lever to normal position while the latch is engaged with the lay, and other means operated by the transferrer arm when the latter has a transferring stroke to move said lever from transfer toward normal position and beyond said point.

6. In a thread control mechanism for a loom having a lay to operate the latch of a transferrer arm and also a shaft with a lever secured thereto which rocks from normal to transfer position preparatory to a replenishing operation and' then has a reverse rocking back to normal position, a combined thread cutter and clamp unit connected to the shaft and moved by the latter from normal to transfer thread receiving position when the shaft moves to transfer position and back to normal position when the shaft returns to normal position, a spring lock operative in a given point in the movement of the lever from transfer to normal position to complete said movement, means connecting the lever to the transfer latch providing a lost motion connection to move the latch into position for operation by the lay when the lever moves to transfer position and permitting movement of the lever to normal position while the latch is engaged with the lay, and other means providing a lost motion connection between the transferrer arm and said lever so constructed as to permit movement of the lever to transfer position independently of the transferrer arm and operated by the transferrer arm when the latter has a transferring stroke to move said lever from transfer toward normal position and beyond said point.

"VICTOR H. JENNINGS.

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