US2352896A - Motor-operated cloth guider - Google Patents

Description

y 1944. R. HETHERINGTON MOTOR OPERATED CLOTH GUIDER Filed July so, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J y 1944; R. HETHERINGTONQ 2,352,896

MOTOR OPERATED CLOTFI GUIDER Filed July 30, 1940 37 Sheets-Shet 2 y 4, 1944. R. HETHERINGTON MOTOR OPERATED CLOTH GUIDER s Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 30, 1940 Patented July 4, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE' 3 Claims.

My invention relates to'electrically operated guiders for travelling stock.

One purpose of my invention is to rotate a thread, most desirably a steep thread within a nut using the progression caused by their relative axial movement to advance and their reversal to release a pressure element bringing or releasing pressure of a removable roll upon travelling stock intervening between it and a fixed roll.

A further purpose is to progress a plunger by thread means and to use the plunger to apply pressure to a movable roll. I

A further purpose is to use a rotary shaft to turn a propulsion thread and build up, or with reverse movement, release the pressure of a movable roll upon stock between it and a fixed roll.

A further purpose is to use a capacitor motor for rotating a threaded shaft to cause pressure through a movable roll upon travelling stock, using the reversal of the capacitor motor to release the pressure. The capacitor motor supplies both speed in starting and ease of reversal.

A further purpose is to provide an unusually delicate means of closing a switch on an electric guider, taking the place of the normal 'feelor finger. l

A further purpose is to use an oscillator within the path of movement of the travelling stock as 'a'means for directly closing a switch for motor movement of a movable roll, preferably using a capacitor motor to secure strong starting torque.

I :prefer 'to illustrate my invention by a few only of the forms known to me, selecting forms which are practical, effective and thoroughly reliable and which at the same time well illustrate the invention.

Figures '1, 2 and 3 are perspective views of one form of the invention.

Figures 4 and 5 are longitudinal sections of two forms of plunger which may be used.

- Figures 6 and 7 are a plan view and a section upon line 7-7 .ofFigure 6 showing a condenser and switch which'may be used.

- Figures Band 9 are perspectives of other forms of the invention.

' Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a portion of the structure of Figure '8.

' Fig-ure S is a sectional side elevation to enlarged scale showing a portion of the structure of Figure 8=-.

- Figure 10 is a top plan view of a wedge member, guides and spring which are seen in'Figure 9.

Figures 11' and 12 are top plan :viewsof wedge members, guides, and in Figure 11, a springwhich are seen in Figure 9 but to reduced scale and showing difierent forms. 1

Figure 13 is a diagrammatic view of connections used for a capacitor motor.

Figure 14 is a perspective view showing a detachable switch structure.

Figure 15 is a longitudinal section of the switch of Figure 14.

In the drawings "similar numerals indicate like parts. A

In the illustrations existing forms of guider frames have been used as a basis and my invention has been built up from them deliberately in order to show how my invention can be applied to existing apparatus with comparatively slight changes in these forms and with changes which moreover are made by adding bracketed motors, spinners or other connecting parts to brackets, tables, aprons, etc. already in existence in a given equipment. For this reason parts are shown on the frames and brackets illustrated which have no utility in my use of these frames andbrackets but which are present for a purpose with existing constructions in which my invention can displace to advantage-the present controls and operating parts.

'I make clear the above applicability because, in the practice of my invention in new constructions, it is my intention to use only those parts (such as brackets, tables, aprons, etc.) which are made use of by me in the illustrated constructions, omitting the parts which are unused in the present illustrations and generally smoothing out the appearance and reducing the cost of new constructions, as compared with those illustrated.

My invention has to do primarily with electrical appl-i-cationof power and release thereof to and from'the e'radle of a g-uider, whereby a-movable roll is pressed-against'the travelling stock or is released from pressure thereagainst.

'In the form of Figures 1 to 4,6 and? conventional-bracket Hi'is screwed to other machinery by base Ii. The apron I2 is attached to the bracket byallang'e l3. Bodily fixed and bodily movable rolls M and i5 are mounted-upon the bracket inthe usual way, the former by 'a spindle l6- and the latter by a cradle ll, havingarms I'Band IQ anelyoke 26, all suspended from the bracket by a bolt 2| andheld by nut 22. The cradle is supplied with a thrust plateor .-:anvi1 213. .For convenience of accommodation of my invention to the old construction shown the effec- J tive position of the anvil is lowered and carried to the rear by a bent plate or bar 24 whose end 25 receives the pressure normally applied to the anvil to move the cradle.

The motor 26 seen in the figures is desirably a reversible motor in order that the screw plunger which I use may be operated positively in both directions. Both direct current and alternating current reversibl motors, as well as switches by which to connect and reverse them are well known in the art and need no description here. However both types and their circuit connections have been discussed in my Patent No. 2,178,231 of October 31, 1939. (See Figures 6 and 20.)

The motor may be either direct or alternating. A capacitor motor is illustrated. The motor may be unidirectional, according to the character of its work; for example, whether a thread be of low enough pitch to require power release or a steep thread with or without special release means. The capacitor motor has advantage, whether it be reversible or not, as used, in the high torque provided.

The motor 26 is mounted upon any suitable base 21 so as to bring it axially in line with the plate, strap or bar 24 connected to the yoke or anvil so as to be in convenient position for engagement by a plunger operated by the motor.

No novelty is claimed for the capacitor motor nor are the connections new by which it is started, stopped, and reversed with a high torque in each initial movement. The motor in Figures 1, 2 and 3 is intended to be capable at least of re- Verse movement but whether or not this reverse movement will be needed will depend upon the conditions of service, as indicated.

The motor base 21 carries a switch 28 by which the motor circuit is opened and closed through the medium of a feeler finger 29 operated in the usual way.

The feeler finger is pivoted at 30 and operates through its arm 3|. When it moves in counterclockwise direction by reason of movement of the travelling stock bodily to one side, the springretracted switch plunger 32 is operated to direct current passing through the switch in one direction in order to secure pressure upon the mov able roll and through it against the fixed roll with the stock between. With movement of the feeler finger in clockwise direction the pressure is released.

In Figure 4 I show a thread-directed pressure plunger 33 suitable for my purpose. The motor armature shaft 34 is steadied in one (rear) head 35 of a non-rotatable plunger casing 36. The shaft rotates a screw 31 supported by the head 35 of the casing and the nut 38 movable longitudinally of the casing. The casing is supported from the table in any suitable manner.

The nut 38 is free to advance and retract but is held against rotary movement by plates 39 engaging its non-circular surface.

The nut 38 supports the plunger 33 which is movable forward (to the left in Figure 4) and back within a front head 40, with the force and effect that the plunger is operated in and out of the casing with rotation of the thread shaft.

- The plunger 33 engages the plate, strap or bar 24 to cause the movable roll to be pressed toward the fixed roll.

The capacitor motor shown is wired from any suitable source connecting it to the condenser through the switch so as to cause the motor to rotate in one direction or the other with supply of current to the motor. The switch is operated so as to cause rotation of the motor in counterclockwise or clockwise direction as the case may be, causing the plunger to operate accordingly.

In the form shown in Figure 5 a construction is shown corresponding generally with the structure shown in Figure 15 of my Patent No. 2,178,- 231 of October 31, 1939. In this form the shaft 34 is a motor shaft driven by any reversible motor. It is preferably driven by a capacitor motor 4!, the capacitator motor being selected again because not only can it be reversed readily but it starts both forwardly and in reverse with high torque. The current may be continued indefinitely to maintain the turning torque. The

sleeve 42 carrying thread 43 turns within fixed bearing 44. The thread is connected with the shaft so as to be rotated by it.

The thread engages a nut 45 which is free to advance and retract axially. The nut has a noncircular exterior. Fixed guides 46 hold it against turning. This allows the nut to advance and to be retracted upon the thread. The nut carries a pin 41 which impinges upon the anvil of the cradle by which the movable roll is supported.

The condenser 48 is connected to the capacitor motor in the usual way.

- The usual guide or guard plates l0 appear in Figures 1, 2 and 3 except that one of these has been omitted in Figure 3.

In Figures 8 and 9 my invention has been applied to a different kind of bracket from that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, both forms being well known in the practical electric guider art.

I have shown the guider bracket, etc. as it is now used in order to identify the device and to show the capability of applying the invention to it. However I have made no effort to describe the parts of the bracket assembly which are not used by me since for my purpose they are not required and for new construction they would be omitted.

The bracket [0 and its associated parts sup.- port fixed and movable rolls I4 and I5. The latter is mounted in a cradle 50 which swings within bearings 5|. The swinging motion is effected by pressure upon or against an arm 52 secured to any convenient part of the cradle such as shaft 53. The pressure upon the arm 52 thus becomes effective to swing the cradle.

The-motor 54 here may be a direct or alternating current motor of normal type (except as it may be desirable to secure additional starting torque by using a capacitor motor), and need not be a reversing motor. A capacitor motor is shown. It is mounted by means of a base 55. Though in the feeler-finger form of electric switch control the switch can be controlled to make contact for rotation in, one direction and reverse at opposite ends of the feeler finger movement with open circuit in positions between (see Figure '7 of my said patent) suiting to opposite directions of motor travel, the form-of switch op eration in Figures 8, 8a and 8b herein is better suited to unidirectional motor operation, requiring opening and closing only of the motor circuit. This involves mechanical retraction of the parts.

In the illustration I have indicated rack and pinion operation of a pressure-applying member because it is the simplest and most convenient form.

The motor shaft 56 carries a gear or pinion 51 which engages with a rack 58 of a rack-andcam unit, the parts of the rack and cam being beneath the rack at .59 and is secured against lifting by rollers BI] and 6|, the rollers 59,60 and BI being .supportedfrom the motor casing.

r The cam part of the unit backs at 62 against vertical guides 63 and 64 which desirably are rollers and which are attached to the apron .65 by bolts 66. Whether the guides be posts merely or rollers they are provided with flanges 6i and 63 so as to make them effectively spools.

The face of the cam is in the form of a wedge 10. The unit is provided with a dwell $9. The wedge or cam is spring-urged at l! and the spring is anchored at 12 by means of a screw. The extent of spring urge is adjustable by means of a hand-wheel 13 to thread the screw into and out of the threaded plate i l. The spring is swiveled to the screw.

The spring H normally pulls the wedge against a roller carried by a yoke Hi fastened to a plate "which is connected with the cradle as by arm 52 so that the spring H places a predetermined but adjustable pressure upon the movable roll against the travelling stock intervening between it and the fixed roll. Thisnormal spring pressure. is on all the time except when it is released by rotation of the motor armature and consequent release pull of the rack and wedge.

In Figure 11 the wedge is set by the motor and is released by the spring.

The feeler finger of Figures 1, 2 and 3 is replaced by a delicate rotor (spinner) it. This rotor is mounted preferably rigidly upon a shaft 79 supported in suitable bearings 88 and hi so that its conical surface 82 is engaged by the travelling stock when the travelling stock moves bodily too far toward the observer in Figure 3.

The rotor is light in weight. As best seen in Figures 8a and 8b, the spinner is conical at 83 with its smaller end farther from the observer in Figure 8. The larger end is shown assubstantially parallel to the stock at 8:3. As the stock shifts bodily toward the observer in Figure 8 it is diverted from its plane by the slope of the cone. This stretches and hence tightens the stock which therefore frictionally engages the rotor or spinner with a pressure that increases with increase of diameter of the part of the cone engaged. The lightness of the rotor makes it effectively a spinner capable of turning with very slight engagement by the travelling stock.

The shaft 85 is rigidly connected with a transversely extending lever arm 85 capable of being oscillated in a clockwise direction in Figure 8 when the travelling stock engages it. When this lever arm 86 swings in clockwise direction in Figure 8 it engages the spring retracted plunger 81 of a switch 88, closing the switch circuit and passing the current through the motor. Ihe motor armature is rotated in counterclockwise direction, pulling the wedge to the left in Figures 9 and 10 and releasing the spring pressure which normally causes gripping of the stock between the rolls. In Figure 11 the same direction of pull applies wedge pressure to the cradle and the spring releases the pressure when the motor is stopped. With a reversing motor and a single pole double throw switch, with either direction of wedge no spring is needed and the wedge is applied.

Arm 52 is comparable in its function with the bar 24 carried by the anvil of Figures 1 to 3, in that swinging of the arm swings the cradle and with it swings the movable roll toward or away Figures 1, 2 and 3 causes openingfirst andsubsequently reversal of a normally. closed circuit through the motor when the travelling stock shifts unduly to the left in Figure 2 and engages with the feeler finger. The opening of the circuit releasesthe motor to permit reverse operation by other means, such as by a spring, or continued movement of the stock may be made to reverse the motor if it be a reversible motor. Reversal of a capacitor motor is contemplated in Figures 1 to 3 with the effect that, after counterclockwise application of the screw pressure, the reversal of the motor the screw of Figure 4. is operated in clockwise direction to withdraw the nut plunger from pressure engagement with the cradle (i. c. with a part connected with the cradle), allowing the movable roll to resume its normal pressure against the travellingv stock passing between the fixed and movable rolls. .The feeler finger is held against the stock by any suitable sprin :not shown.

In the form shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10 the motor is normally without current and pressure is applied between the movable and fixed rolls by the pull of the spring and the pressure of the wedge pulled by it. With movement of thetravel ling stock toward theside of its path at which the particular guider is located, the spinner isoper ated to close the'motor switch, closing current through the motor and causing its armature to turn in counterclockwise direction. The gear upon the armature shaft draws the rack toward the left and releases the pressure between the two rolls. When current is cut off from the motor the spring seen in Figures 9 and 10 resets the wedge, again to establish the intended roll pressure. L-

In Figure 11 a fragment is shown, being part of such a construction as that of Figure lilwith the diiference that the wedge H faces the reverse direction from the wedge in Figure 10.

The effect of reversing the wedge in Figure 11 is to reverse the operation of the device, so that instead of pressure upon the cradle beingexerted by the spring at all times when the electric circuit is open and released by operation of the motor, the pressure is applied by the motor and when the motor is out off the pressure is released by the spring. This requires, of course, that the switch connection be altered so as to throw the current on the motor normally instead of having the motor free from current normally. With a cam which is steep the spring will not be required and in Figure 12 is omitted.

Even with a very slow cam the spring 72 will not be needed when a reversing motor is used to shift the cam positively in both directions. For this a capacitor motor is very desirable because of the added torque with which it starts its reversal. It can be kept on torque indefinitely as it has no armature or brushes and its coils are designed to carry the current.

With any reversing motor, direct or alternating, the wedge is operated in opposite directions according to the rotation of the motor, pressing the wedge home with one direction of rotation to apply pressure to the cradle and pulling the wedge free in the opposite direction of motor rotation. For this type of operation a single pole double throw switch is used of which an example appears in Figure 13. When it is not the intention to turn the motor positively in each of opposite directions a single pole single throw switch will answer. However, in the structure seen in Figure 12 omitting the spring, and in the construction seen in Figure 5 where the thread is not a pressure-reversing thread, and in the structure seen in Figure 4 if the pitch .be low enough so that the thread connection will not reverse on pressure, a single pole double throw switch and reversing motor of one kind or another are required.

In Figure 13 connections are shown for operating a capacitor motor actuated by a single pole double throw switch 88. The current supply line is seen at 89, 90. One side 90 is shown connecting through the switch direct to the common terminal. SI of an alternating current motor. The other supply line 89 connects through switch tongue or blade 92 with either terminal 93 or 94 of the switch connecting with one or the other of two leads 95 and 96 of the capacitor motor. Between each two of the terminals of the motor are placed condensers 91, 98 and 99.

In Figure 8b the spinner is connected frictionally with the switch operating member thrown by it through a spring I00 so that the spinner may rotate or oscillate much in excess of the amount of movement permitted for arm 86. The lever arm may thus be turned at the start of movement of the spinner and the switch may thus be thrown without interfering with the continued oscillation or rotation of the spinner under the influence of the travelling stock. In Figures 14 and 15 the switch i removably mounted by means of contacts IOI and I02. In this form a convenient plunger switch is shown in which contacts I03 and I04 are closed by a plate I06 carried by plunger I01, spring retracted at I08.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

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

1. In an electric guider, a bracket, fixed and movable roll mountings on the bracket, themovable roll being cradle carried, a motor having an armature, a plunger casing having a guiding and supporting opening in its front end, a threaded member carried by the motor armature, a nut plunger mounted on the threaded member adapted to operate the cradle, a plunger connected with the nut and guided in the aperture guides for the nut plunger located Within the casing preventing its rotation and means for closing an electric circuit through the motor in agreement with travelling stock position.

2. In an electric guider, bodily fixed and bodily movable rotatable rolls, a capacitor reversible motor including a condenser, a switch in the motor circuit, feeler finger means for closing, opening and reversing the motor connections, a threaded shaft driven by the motor, a non-rotatable plunger casin-g, a longitudinally movable plunger nut, guided in the casing against rotation and engaging the thread of the shaft, whereby rotation of the shaft causes plunger movement, a support for the front end of the nut in the casing and connections between the plunger and the movable roll whereby the movable roll is pressed against the stock with one direction of rotation and relieved therefrom with the opposite direction thereof.

3. In an electrical guider, a bodily fixed roll and a bodily movable roll, a motor, a plunger casing having an opening in its front end, a motor shaft within the casing, a thread upon the motor shaft, a nut engaging the threaded shaft, a guide for the nut secured to the interior wall of the casing and a hollow plunger fastened to the nut, extending out through the opening of the casing and adapted to operate the movable roll, the hollow plunger in retracted position of the nut surrounding the motor shaft.

ROBERT HETHERINGTON. v

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