US2350307A - Automatic loom shuttle - Google Patents

Description

May 3o, 1944. J, G; ALLEN 2,350,307

` AUTOMATIC LooM SHUTTLE Filed sept. 2s, 1942 www "www INVENTOR. JAMES G. ALLEN A'rroawsv v Patented May 30, .194.4

AUTOMATIC LOOM snU'r'rLE' James Gardiner Allen, Hopedale, Mass., assgnor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation Of Maine Application September 26, 1942, Serial No. 459,795 4 claims. (o1. 139-223) The present invention relates to automatically threading shuttles for looms and, as illustrated herein, relates more particularly to means for trapping the thread so that the shuttle will not become unthreaded.

In Weaving with automatic looms of the filling replenishing type, it is usual to provide a series of filling carriers having iilling wound thereon and contained in a hopper or other suitable supply means, such for example, as a rotatable carrier. The end of the lling is usually secured to some fixed part so vthat the shuttle on the rst 'pickiollowing replenishment will become partially threaded and on the next or return pick the shuttle will A*become completely threaded. Under some conditions during the weaving operation, the vfilling thread may be thrown out `of thethread passage in the thread block and the shuttle maythus become completely unthreaded.

This is objectionable since it usually results in breaking the lling thread and,L since the break usually occurs after the shuttle has entered the shed, the filling will break in the shed and a short pick will be woven into the cloth. This short pick must be removed and, since the loom must be stopped, loss of production results.

`In order to insure that the shuttle will, be partially threaded during the rst pick follow- Ying replenishment, `some, shuttles are provided with threading blocks having a substantially straightthread guiding groove or passage Whereinthe rear wall of the thread block recess forms one Wall of the thread groove and the other wall of the thread guiding groove is formed by rear wall of the block itself. These eyes ,are not entirely satisfactory since the groove varies in Vwidth in accordance with atmospheric conditions. Such grooves must be made sufficiently wide so that they will not close up even under the -most extreme conditions. Such an eye will unthread` relatively easily. To avoid this condition, threading blocks have been provided having an obstruction in the threading groove which will prevent unthreading thereof but such blocks are objectionable since they are diicult to thread and hence may not become threaded even partially during the first pick after replenishment.

One object of the present invention is to pro- 'videan automatically threading shuttle which will Vovercome the above mentioned difficulties. To this end, the threading block is provided with a threading passage or groove which is substantially straight and unobstructed and which will remain substantially constant in width under all vconditions and which is provided with a thread trap close to its outer end. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the outer end of the threading groove in the block terminates rear# wardly of the' outer end wall of` the block receiving recess to provide an effective and satisfactory thread trap which will prevent un-l threading of the shuttle. `v

Another object o f the invention is to improve generally on the construction and Voperation of automatically threading shuttles. To this end, the threading block is formed without any overhanging or overlapping parts which would require bending into position. As a re- Vsult,manufacture ofthe block is facilitated and less expensive metals, such, for example, as cast iron, can be used while at the same time providing athread block which operates vmore certainly than prior blocks both in ease ofthreading and freedom from unthreading'. With the above and other objects'and features in view, the invention will be described with ref'- erence to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferredembodimentof the invention and in Which- Fig. lis ka plan view of the outerend of an automatically threading lshuttle embodying the present invention; Y

Fig. 2 is a view in cross section taken along the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in rend elevation of the threading block looking toward the inner end thereof;

Fig. 4 is a View in front elevation of` the threading block;

Fig. 5 is .view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the shuttle'partially threaded prior to the end of the rst pick of the shuttle; and

Fig. 6 is a view in front elevation ofthe shuttle shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a view in section taken along the line vri-vn of Fig.v 5.

The shuttle illustrated inv the drawing comprises a shuttle body 2 provided with a longitudinal cavity 4 in which a filling carrier such, for

- example, as a bobbin 6, is releasably held in the cavity 4 by any suitable means (not shownlto permit automatic replacing of the'bobbin when the lling F thereon has become substantially exhausted.

The shuttle body2 is recessed at 8 to receive a threading block I 0.` The recess 8 includes a front wall Il, a rear wall l2 vand an outer end wall I4. The front wall Il andthe rear wall I2 are substantially parallel to yeach other and to the longitudinal axis of the lshuttle body 2. The

effective thread trap which will front wall of the shuttle body is cut away at I6 to provide for a side delivery eye. The body is also provided with a thread guiding groove Il which extends outwardly and forwardly to the point of the shuttle and has a curved surface,

its top portion which extends longitudinallyiof f the shuttle. Above the thread passagev24rand the slot 26, the rear side wall 20 is concaved longitudinally to form a rear thread `guiding wall 28 for guiding the filling thread F into and through the slot 26 and into the thread passage 24. The front wall 22 is similarly shaped at 30 to form a guide wall for the filling thread F.

The entrance or inne-r end of the threading block -I is provided with a pair of friction members or tension pads 32 of well known construction which are -yieldingly urged into contact with eachother by adjustable springs (not shown) and receive between them the filling thread F and tension the filling' thread.

'I'he front guide wall 22 is preferably concaved and rounded to form an outWardl-ydirected hook 34 adjacent tothe outer end of theslotr26 which is effective to direct the filling thread F laterally awayfrom the `slot 26 if the shuttle becomes partially unthreaded. f

The construction described above is old and well 'known in the art further herein.

The outer end of the rear w-a1l20-of the threading block I0 is substantially straight and terminates at the outer wallV I4 of `the threading block recess 8 and rearwardly of the groove I'I. The forward face 36 of the rear wall 20 is inclined slightly downwardly and rearwardly as best shown in .Fig.2 yof the drawing and is located rearwardly of the forward edge of the -outer end wall I4 of the threading block recess -8. As illustrated best Vin Fig. 2, the entire forward face 36 is located rearwardly of said forward edge but it is apparent that, if so desired, only -the lower portion thereof need `be so located.

The front wall 22 of the block II) is extended outwardly to constitute a horn 38 which at its outer end vportion is provided with an inclined rear face which is spaced from and parallel to the forward face 36 of the rear wall 2li of the threading block I0. The slot 40 formed between the horn 38 and the forward face 36 of the rear wall 20 is inclined downwardly and rearwardly and the slot 40, except at the upper end portion thereof, is located rearwardly of the forward edge of the outer end wall I4 of the recess 8. Thus, at least, the lower end portion of said slot is located rearwardly of said forward'- edge to form an prevent unthreading of the shuttle.

With rthe above construction, a threading slot comprising the slots 26 and 40 is provided, which is unobstructed from its inner end adjacent to the tension pads 32 toits extreme outer end, thus providing a threading block which is easily threaded. Because of the location of the lower end portion of theouter end of the slot 40 rearwardly of the forwardedge of the outer end wall I4 of the recess `8, the shuttle cannot unthread after the first pick. The trapformed by the outand need not be described er vend wall I4 will prevent the filling from lift- 75.

ing upwardly by reason of a kink or twist in the filling yarn as it becomes loose or slackened when the shuttle is boxed at the end of the rst pick and the lay moves forwardly. Thus the partially threaded shuttle cannot become Unthreaded.

During the second pick the shuttle moves in the opposite direction and the filling F is pulled forwardly and under a depending horn 42 and passes out through the opening I6 formed in the front wall of the shuttle 2. It is apparent from the above, that the filling thread F is effectively trapped not only at the juncture of the wall I4 and the outer end of the slot 36 but is also trapped by the depending horn 42. Thus the shuttle 2 cannot become Unthreaded after the shuttle has been either partially or completely threaded.

While the illustrated embodiment of the invention has been found to be a practical form, it is evident that variations may be made in the threading block and i-n the shuttle itself without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters vPatent of the United States is: Y

1. vAn automatically threading loom shuttle comprising a shuttle body having a cavity therein for receiving alling carrier, a threading block fixed in a recess formed outwardly of the cavity in said shuttle body, vsaid threading block having a longitudinal thread passage communicating with said cavity, said shuttle body having a longitudinal thread groove extending outwardly and forwardly from said recess, said threading `block having a horn which projects outwardly from the threading block and has a rearwardly inclined surface, the lower rearward end portion of which surface terminates close-to .and behind the outer end wall of the block receiving recess, and a rear member having a surface parallel to and cooperating with said inclined .surface .on vthe horn to form a thread receiving slot, the lower rearward end portion of said slot lying behind the outer end wall of .the block receiving recess to form a thread trap to prevent unthreadingof the shuttle.

2. An automatically threading loom shuttle comprising a shuttle Vbody having a cavity therein for receiving a filling carrier, a threading block fixed in a recess formed outwardly of the cavity in said shuttle body, said threading block having a longitudinal thread passage communicating with said cavity, said shuttle body having a longitudinal thread groove extending outwardly and forwardly from said recess, said threading block having .a horn which projects from the threading block and having a fiat rearwardly inclined surface, the lower rearward end of which surface teminates close to and behind the outer end wall of the-block receiving recess and laterally of the longitudinal passage in the shuttle body, and a rear member having a surface parallel to and cooperating with said inclined surface on the horn to form a thread receiving slot, the lower rearward portion of said slot lying entirely behind the outer end wall of the block receiving -recess to form a thread trap to prevent unthreading of the shuttle.

3. An automatically threading loom shuttle comprising a shuttle body having a cavity therein for receiving a filling carrier, a threading block fixed in a recess formed outwardly of the cavity in said shuttle body, said threading block having a longitudinal thread passage communicating withsaid cavity, said shuttle body having a 1ongitudinal thread groove extending outwardly from said recess, said threading block having a horn which projects outwardly from the threading block and which is provided with a flat rearwardly and downwardly inclined surface, the rearward end portion of which terminates close to and behind the vouter end wall of the block receiving recess, and a rear member having a forward end surface portion parallel to and cooperating with said inclined surface on the horn to form a thread receivingfslot projected toward the front wall of the threading block recess at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the shuttle body to form a thread trap.

4. An automatically threading loom shuttle comprising a shuttle body having a cavity therein for receiving a lling carrier, a threading block xed in a recess formed outwardly of the cavity in said shuttle body and having a side delivery eye, said threading block having a longitudinal thread passage communicating with said cavity, said shuttle body having a' longitudinal thread groove extending outwardly from said recess, said threading block having a horn projecting outwardly from the threading"y block and which is provided with a rearwardly and downwardly inclined surface the rear lower` end of which terminates close to and behind the outer end wall of the block receiving recess and laterally away from the longitudinal passage in the shuttle body, and a side member having a forward surface parallel to and cooperating with said inclined surface on the horn to form a thread receiving slot inclined downwardly and away from the side delivery eye and projected toward the outer end wall of the threading block recess at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the shuttle body, said outer end wall of the recess cooperating with the forward end portion of said horn to form a thread trap to prevent unthreading of the shuttle.

JAMES GARDINER ALLEN.

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