US2355540A

US2355540A - Picker motion for looms

Info

Publication number: US2355540A
Application number: US445799A
Authority: US
Inventors: Layton Le Roy; Edward W Shertz
Original assignee: Lansdowne Steel & Iron Co
Current assignee: Lansdowne Steel & Iron Co
Priority date: 1942-06-04
Filing date: 1942-06-04
Publication date: 1944-08-08
Anticipated expiration: 1961-08-08

Description

1944- LE ROY LAYTON ET AL 2,355,540

PICKER MOTION FOR LOOMS Filed June 4, 19 12 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1944- LE ROY LAYTON ET AL 2,355,540

PICKER MOTION FOR LOOMS Filed June 4, 19 .2 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fzwerzr$7- le R0 Lagfin Patented Aug. 8, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE 2,355,540 PICKER MOTION FOR LOOMS Le Roy Layton, Lansdowne, and Edward W.

Shertz, Upper Darby, Pa., assignors to Lansdowne Steel & Iron Company, Morton, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 4, 1942, Serial No. 445,799

11 Claims.

This invention relates to the picker mechanism of looms, and more particularly to looms of the wider, heavier types used in the weaving -of broad-loom carpets and wide rugs, etc.

pensive and at the present time replacements are I difficult, if not impossible, to obtain.

The present invention involves the use of pneumatic cylinders and complementary pistons, etc., operable by elastic fluid trapped in one end of the cylinder, between the cylinder head and the side of the piston facing said head, at all times during the reciprocation of the piston within the cylinder.

The trapped elastic fluid is maintained at a predetermined minimum pressure with the piston in, its remotely situated position with respect to the cylinder head, attained as a result of the piston having snapped its associated picker stick into action to. throw the shuttle across the loom. The pressure of the trapped elastic fluid is progressively increased as the piston is reversed in the cylinder and approaches the cylinder head, during the return movement of the picker stick and the piston to cocked position, ready for the next shuttle-throwing movement of the picker stick, at which time the pressure of the trapped elastic fluid is a maximum.

The construction and operation of the improved picker mechanism will be fully disclosed, in detail, hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of suflicient of a loom to illustrate the application of the present invention thereto;

Fig. 2 is a piping diagram; and I Fig. 3 is an enlarged face view of part of the mechanism of Fig. 1, with one of the elastic fluid cylinders shown in longitudinal section.

As previously noted, the invention resides broadly in supplanting the heavy springs commonlyused for operating the picker sticks which throw the shuttles across the warps of wide carpet looms, i. e., looms making carpet or rugs up to 18 feet in width.

These picker springs are usually of the tension type, made of round spring steel stock about to in diameter, with the coils about 4" in outside diameter and frequently from six to eight feet in length.

The springs are normally stretched between two picker strap levers I, I, to which the

picker straps

2,2 are respectively connected at the upper end of each, while the second end of each picker strap is secured to a picker stick 3, which,

through the usual picker carried thereby, strikes and drives the shuttle out of the shuttle box 4 at one side of the loom, across the loom through the open warp shed, into the shuttlebox at the opposite side of the loom.

The levers, I, I are normally rocked, alternately, in one direction by the springs, supra, and in the opposite direction by setting levers 5, 5 respectively which engage the strap levers ,I, I, and normally place the picker spring or springs under tension or compression, as the case may be, depending upon the picker mechanism of the particular loom involved.

The setting levers 5, 5 are connected to each other by a link 6, and to a crank I by a link 8, through which said levers receive their rocking motion. As each setting lever, in turn, completes its oscillatory motion in one direction and moves the associated strap lever I therewith, a trigger 9 engages a lug II) on the strap lever I and holds it cocked against the tension of the picker spring. As each setting lever 5 rocks in the opposite direction and leaves the associated strap lever I, an arm II on the setting lever 5, having an abutment screw I2, engages the tail I3 of the trigger 9 and releases the strap lever I. The spring then rocks the strap lever I and jerks the strap 2 which causes the picker stick 3 to hit the shuttle with a sudden hammer blow of suflicient force'to drive the shuttle across the loom.

In the present instance, the heavy picker spring is supplanted by a pair of pneumatic units I5, I5, each of which includes an air cylinder IS with a piston II therein. The piston is con-- nected to one end of a rod I8 which slides through a head I9 in the irmer end of the cylinder IS. The piston rod I8 is connected to a rear cross head 20, by a tapered point and socket joint 2|. The rear cross head 20 is connected,

'by

rods

22, 22 to a front cross head 23 which is connected by a link 24 to the strap lever I.

2 l A There is one-unit II for each picker stick at each side of the loom.

The rods 2:, .22 are slidably mounted in a pair of brackets 26, N, which are secured to a crow beam 2 of the frame of the loom and which As each strap lever l is rocked into cocked position, by rocking of the setting lever I in one direction to its maximum extent, the piston [1, moving in the cylinder I toward the head 21, progressively increases the pressure in the progressively decreasing space a: to about 190 pounds.

As the setting lever B rocks in the opposite, direction to its maximum extent, the abutment screw l2 in the arm ll of said lever, engages the tail I3 of the latch or trigger 9 and releases said trigger from the lug III of the strap lever -I. This releases and permits the piston H to move rapidly toward the head l9, thereby operating the strap lever l to throw the shuttle in the manner noted above.

Should any of the fluid in the space a: leak around the piston and cause the pressure in the space :2: to drop below the initial,140 pounds per square inch, an automatic pressure regulating valve in the line 28 will open the line 2' to the supply line 3 I, whereby the compressor which feeds the line ll will build up the pressure again to 140 p. s. i. in the cylinder I. A check valve 32 in the line 28, between the regulating valve Ill and the cylinder l6 holds the fluid in the space :2 against backing up in the line It under the high pressure developed in the space a: when the lever l is cooked.

Assuming that the line 3| carries a pressure greater than the initial 140 p. s. i. and less than the developed pressure of 190 p. s. i., it is sometimes desirable to develop an initial pressure of greater than 140 p. s. i. in starting up the loom at the beginlng of a working day. This is done 3 in a cup 31 carried by a bracket 38 which is secured to the loom beam 26. 1

The power applied to the picker sticks by the' piston I! may be varied, if desired, by changing the operating positions of pistons in the cylinders I5 with respect to the heads 21 of said cylinders. It will be obvious that the closer the piston approaches the head 21, the higher the compression of the fluid trapped between the piston and the head, and consequently the greater the power applied to the picker stick when the latch 9 is released. Conversely, the further the piston is carried away from the head 21, the lower becomes the compression of the trapped fluid and the lesser is the power applied when the latch is released. With the stroke of the piston being constant and the limits of reciprocation thereof changed within the cylinder I5, it will be seen that varying degrees of power may be transmitted to the picker sticks, and the speed and manner of operation may be changed accordingly.

Any suitable means may be provided for changing the operating locality of the piston within the cylinder l5, such, for example, as interchange of piston rods II of greateror lesser lengths or by threading a long piston rod and employing looking nuts at opposite sides respectively of the cross head 20, through which such long threaded rod wouldpass.

We claim:

1. A picker motion for looms, comprising a closed fluidic system including a cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, means for trapping elastic fluid in one end of said cylinder, means for moving said piston toward said end of the cylinder to compress said fluid therein, means for retaining said piston in its flu d compressing position, and means for releasing said piston to effect driving of a shuttle across said loom under impetus of said compressed fluid.

2. A picker motion for looms, comprising a closed fluidic system including a cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, means for trapping elastic fluid in one end of said cylinder, an axial extension on said piston projecting outwardly beyond the opposite end of said cylinder,

means engagin the outer end of said extension for moving sai piston toward the first said end of the cylinder to compress said fluid therein, means for retaining said piston in its fluid compressing position, and means for releasing said piston to effect driving of a shuttle across said loom under impetus of said compressed fluid.

3. A picker motion for looms, comprising 9. cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, means for trapping elastic fluid in one end of said cylinder, an axial extension on the piston pro- Jecting through and out the opposite end of the cylinder, a cross-head engaged by the outer end of said extension, a second cross-head beyond the flrst said end of the cylinder, rods connecting said cross heads, means connected to said second cross-head for moving said piston toward the flrst said end of the cylinder to compress said fluid therein, means for retaining said piston in its fluid compressing position, and means for releasing said piston to effect driving of a shuttle across said loom under impetus of said compressed fluid.

4. A picker motion for looms, comprising a cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, means for trapping elastic fluid in one end of said cylinder, an axial extension on the piston projecting through and beyond the opposite end of the cylinder, a picker lever operably connected to the outer end of said extension, means for moving said piston toward the first said end of the cylinder to compress said fluid therein, means engageable with said lever for retaining said piston in its fluid compressing position, and means for relasing said lever to permit said piston to efl'ect driving of a shuttle across said loom under impetus of said compressed fluid.

5. A picker motion for looms, comprising a cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, means for trapping elastic fluid in one end of said cylinder, an axial extension on said piston projecting through and beyond the opposite end ofsaid cylinder, a picker le'ver operatively connected to the outer end of said extension, means picker stick.

engageable with said lever for moving said piston toward the first said end of the cylinder to compress said'fluid therein, means engageable with said lever for retaining said piston in its fluid compressing position, and means for releasing said lever to permit said piston to effect driving of a shuttle across said loom under impetus of said compressed fluid.

6. A picker motionfor looms, comprising a picker stick, a cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder and 'operably connected to said picker stick, means for trapping elastic fluid in one end of said cylinder, means for moving the piston toward said end of said cylinder to compress said fluid, means for retaining said piston in, said fluid compressing position, and means for releasing said piston to permit the compressed fluid to efiect driving of the piston toward the opposite end of said cylinder and actuate said picker stick.

7. A picker motion for looms, comprising a picker stick, a picker lever connected to said picker stick, a cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder and operably connected to said picker lever, means for trappng elastic fluid in one end of said cylinder, means engageable with said lever for moving the piston toward said end of said cylinder to compresssaid fluid, means engageable with said lever for retaining said piston in said fluid compressing position, and means for releasing said lever to permit/the compressed fluid to effect driving of the piston toward the opposite end of said cylinder and actuate said 8. A picker motion for looms, comprising a picker stick, a picker lever connectedto said picker stick, a cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder and operably connected to said picker lever,means for trapping elastic fluid in one end of said cylinder, means engageable with said lever for moving the piston toward said end of said cylinder to compress said fluid, means engageable with said lever for retaining said pis-,-

ton in said fluid compressing position, and means carried by said lever engageable means for releasing said lever to permit the compressed fluid to.

eflect driving of the piston toward the opposite 'end of said cylinder and actuate said picker stick.

9. A picker motion for looms, comprising a picker stick, a picker lev'er connected to said stick, a cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder and operably connected to said picker lever, means for trapping elastic fluid in one end of said cylinder, a constantly oscillating lever engageable with said picker lever for moving the piston toward said end of said cylinder to'comsite end of said cylinder and actuate said picker stick. V

10. A picker motion for looms, comprising a picker stick, a picker lever connected to said picker stick, a cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a piston rod connected to said pistor. ,nd extending beyond one end of said cylinder, across-head on the outer end of said piston rod, a second cross-head beyond the opposite end of said cylinder, tie rods connecting said cross-' heads, a link connecting said picker lever to the second said cross-head, means for trapping elastic fluid in the second said end of said cylinder between said end and said piston, an oscillating lever engagable with said picker lever for moving the piston toward said second end of said cylinder to compress said fluid, 'a latch engageable with said picker lever for retaining said piston in said fluid compressing position, and an arm on said oscillating lever engageable with said latch for releasing said piston to permit the compressed fluid to eflect driving of the piston toward the first said end of said cylinder and actuate said picker stick.

11. A picker motion for looms, comprising a picker stick, a cylinder. a supporting bracket for the cylinder at each end thereof, a head closing each end of the cylinder, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a piston rod extending axially from.

one side of the-piston through and beyond the head at one end of the cylinder, breathing ports in said cylinder at said one end of the cylinder, means for admitting elastic fluid to said cylinder between the head at the opposite end thereof and said piston, a cross head beyond each of said brackets, a pair of tie rods slidably mounted in said brackets and rigidly connecting said crossheads, means connecting one of said cross-heads, means'connecting one of said cross-heads to the outer end of said piston rod, means connected to the other of said cross-heads for moving the piston toward said opposite end of said cylinder, to compress said fluid, means for retaining said piston in said fluid compressing position, and means for releasing said piston to permit the compressed fluid to efl'ect driving of the piston toward the opposite end of said cylinder and actuate said picker stick. i LE ROY LAY'I'ON.

EDWARD W. SHERTZ.