US2380233A - Hand loom - Google Patents

Description

July 10, 1945. p, w, GREENWQQD 2,380,233

HAND Lodm Filed Dec. 15, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 10, 1945. 3, w GREENWQOD 2,380,233

HAND LOOM Filed Dec. 15, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r ga- Z/ 2 26 --48 Patented Jilly 10, 1945 UNlTED STATES T OFFICE 2,380,233 nann LOOM Donald W. Greenwood, .Wheaton, Ill. Appllcatlorfnecember 15. 1942, Serial No. 469,064

(Cl. ice-3s) 13 claims.

This invention relates to improvements in weaving looms of the type commonly referred to a as hand looms. More particularly, it relates to improved mechanism for mounting and operat-' ing the heddle frames of such looms, and for dis-.

tributlng the forces applied for lifting and for lowering the frames against the resistance of number of treadles to produce more intricate weaves.

Another object is to provide an arrangement such that the actuating force applied to a heddle frame may be initiated at any location along its extent without appreciable tilting of-the frame.

the warp so that endwise tiltingof individual heddle frames may be avoided even though the middle of the warp is located to one side or the other of the middle of the frames.

In hand looms, a plurality of-heddle frames are mounted for vertical reciprocationwith one or more of the frames moving upward "simultafollowing each cross-travel of the shuttle, to beat each newly laid weft thread into the fell where it becomes a part of the woven fabric.

Ordinarily the heddle frames are actuated by cord connections of the individual frames to treadles which are actuated by the weaver and which must exert an actuating pull on the frame and particularly a freely suspended vone as is usually the case in a hand loom, close to the middle thereof in order for the frame 'to function properly, assuming the resistance of the warp to shed-forming to be distributed equally on both sides of the middle of the frame. Hence the treadles must be crowded together in the middle region of theloom. As a consequence, the use of more than four heddle frames and consequent extension of the variations in the .weave has been possible only by such concentration of treadles in the middle region as to sacrifice convenience and ease of operation of the, loom or to extend the treadle zone with consequent difficulties in applying the treadle forces properly frames. a

It isamong the objects of the present invento the tion to substantially increase the capabilities of her and may be selectively connected to one or the other of two treadles for producing a plain basket weave or other more or less regular weave, or they may be variously connected to a larger The up-pull, and preferably also the down-pull. is transmitted from a treadle to a heddle frame through a floating lam, and is applied to the frame at opposite end regions thereof through translators which equalize the forces at the two end regions. Such a construction constitutes a further object of the invention.

Another important feature resides in the floating character of the lams as contrasted with the heretofore pivoted lams.

' 'Still another object isto provide for quick and I easy shifting of the treadle connections to the frames when it is desired to change from on variety of weave to another.

A further object is to mount my improved force-distributing and translating mechanism re miovably on the loom for its easy removal to facilitate threading of a new warp through the loom.

Yet another feature to provide apermanent Y flexible sheet on the cloth beam having means at its free end for receiving the knotted leading ends of threads of a new warp, for carrying the warp end to the clothbeam. V It is, moreover, an important object generally to improve the structure and operation of hand looms.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a weaving loom embodying features of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing my improved heddle frame operating mechanism applied to'a single frame; 5 Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevation of one of the translators and its connection to a heddle frame, showing a neutral solid line position of the'frameand an elevated broken line position thereof and also showing howthe stroke of a translator is varied to obtain equal movement of all heddles;

Figure 5 is a perspective of the frame of the loom of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional detail in perspective showing a convenient means for removable connection of the leading ends of the warp I threads to a flexible sheet, for initiating winding of the woven fabric on the cloth beam of the loom;

Figure 7 is a front elevation similar to Figure fled so long as the four quadrangulu-ly-related critical points of the translator are provided 1 but showing two sets of translators for ensur ing equal movement of each end of a heddle in I opposite directions; and

dies.

Referring to the drawings, a frame which preferably. is of rugged wood construction comprises the four corner uprights ll connected by side beams l2, l4 andendbeams II, II and 2|, asbest seen in Figure 5. At each side of the frame, at

a mid location between corner uprights II, an additional'upright 22 extends to a height substantially above the corner uprights. Brackets 2i on these uprights 22 removably support a translator housing 28 which extends from side to side of the loom. Housing 2| hasside' walls ,rm and 21b and end walls 20a and at but it's 'top and bottom are open.

A usual warp beam or roller II is mounted in suitable bearings-at the rear corner uprights II whence the warp W is drawn upward and over the rear top cross beam 20 and forward through the floating heddle frames 22 and through the dents 24 of beater reed II which coact with a shuttle (not shown) to organize the warp and,

' weft threads into cloth which is drawn over the breast-beam It to a usual cloth' beam or roller 82 mounted in suitable side. hearings on the upper side bars id of the frame. The cloth beam II ,is. equipped with a ratchet II with which springurged pawls 42, one on-hand lever lrand one on bar ll of the frame, coact to wind the cloth 0 on beam 32 as lever 44 is intermittently lifted by the operator. The lever drops back by gravity to its normal unoperated position of Figure 2 after each manual lifting thereof, the pawl riding idly over the teeth of the ratchet as the lever falls. A stop pin limits the downward travel of lever 44.

The loom is adapted to weave webs of various widths up to its capacity and for narrow webs the warp is not necessarily located in the middle of the heddle frames nor is the tension necessar ly equal in all ,warp threads and neither, for many designs, are the warp threads controlled by a heddle frame in which the warp threads are distributed equally on both sides of the middle of the heddle frame. Hence, when the frame is shifted to form a shed of the warp threads it controls, there can be a strong tendency for the warp to tilt the heddle frame.

According to the invention, the heddle frames 22 are suspended from transistors 40 which are rotatably mounted in the housing ,2. on uprights 22. The translators are arranged in groups at opposite ends of the housing, each group having as many translators as there are heddle frames. Eight translators in each group are here shown, cog to eight heddle frames, although a smaller or larger even number of transistors may be employed. Each translator of onegroup is connected to a corresponding translator of the other group so that the interconnected translators have corresponding movements but in oppomte directions. The translators of the respective groups are arranged face to face between the side walls 21a'and 21b of the housing 20 and are individually freely rotatable on axles SI passed through and carried by the side walls 210 and 21b and each translator is represented as a square plate of suitable mrterial such as wood or metal,

Referring more particularly to Figures'i, 3 and 4, each of the four corners I, llr. It, b of eachtranslatorllhasaflexibiecordattachedto itasbyascreweye ll screwedlntoeachcorner of the translator. The vertically pposite corners of each translator of one group are connected to the vertically opposite upper and lower corners of a corresponding translator of the other group by the crossed, relatively taut cords or cables '2, l4 so-that a clockwise rotation of either translator produces counterclockwise rotation of the other; That is to say, the cord 82 is conneci'ed to the top corner to! say the left hand translator and the bottom corner llb 01' the corresponding right hand translator while the cord It is connected between the bottom corner b oftherighthandtranslatorandthetopcorner t of the left hand translator. w

The horizontally opposite corners of eacl translator (Figures land 3) are connected by the cords II, II, respectively, to a heddle frame and to a horizontal floating lam ll located below the heddle frame. The inner corner llr of the left hand and I of the right hand interconnected translators aredirectly connected to the top rail of the same heddle frame by separate cords linear opposite ends of the frame and the remaining outer corners ill and 4811 of each translator are directly connected to the lam by separate cords it near oppositeendsofthelam. Thereisasebflrate lam I. for each heddleframe, coasting with a separate interconnected pair of translators ll. lnl'igure2eighttranslatorsllareshowngrouped on the axle ll, andvit' should be understood'that each is to be connected to one of eight heddle frames,- althoughonly two. such frames are illustratedinFigurez. 1

Each lam ll extends approximately from side toside oftheloom andmaybeprovided'onits under-edge with a series of eyelets .2 to any selected one of which one end of a cord Il may be secured. Theotherendoftheoordwillbesecured to an eyelet ll on that treadle I, of the series of treadles, which is directly below the said connection of the cord tolam OI.-

By employing floating lams, the direct or indirect cord connection of a heddle frame thereto may be at any location along the 1am, and the lam is maintained horizontal so that equal movement of a heddle frame by a treadle will result regardless of the location of application of force to the lam.

In a construction like that of Figures 1-3, the under edge of each heddle frame 22 similarly may be provided with a series of eyelets II for selective direct connection by a cord 12 to a particular treadle it or a plurality of heddle frames and a plurality of lams may be connected to one treadle and a plurality of different heddle frames and a plurality of different lams connected to another treadle, as illustrated in Fig. 8.

although here again the structure may be modi- 76 weaves and patterns are involved, less than the the breast beam l8 and asaaass" an tre'adles would be connected for operating heddle frames. For an ordinary basket weave, all of theeight heddle frames, or any even. less number of them if less are used in threadinz the warp, may be connected to two treadles. -For increasing complexity of weaves, an increasing number of treadles will be brought into service.

In the embodiments of Figures 1-5, my improved force-distributing. translators 48 are em- P ed only in connection with 'the lifting of tent and also eliminating any tendency ofthe heddleframes to move sidewise. Hence, the full heddle framesTI. Preferably, however, a second set of translators I8, and a housing ll therefor,

- will be provided for a similar equalizing and transinnermost comer of a translator 16, so that a down-pull applied to alam 80 at any point along it, will be transmitted to the heddle frame equally through the two cords 86, 8.8. The same facility for connection of the lams 80 to selected treadles 88' applies here equally as has been described in connection with the upper set of translators.

- In operation, the warp W extends from the roll on the warp beam 8! up and over the rear transverse beam whence the warp threads extend forward and are threaded through the heddles of the heddle frames 32 and between the vertical dents 34 of the swingable reed or beater 36 which is shown pivoted low down on the frame as at 31. From the beater the warp threads continue forward and, having been combined with weft threads at the fell, the woven fa ric extends thence over ownward and rearward to the cloth beam 88 upon which it is wound. If an ordinary basket weave is desired, such of the heddle frames as will actuate alternate warp threads will be connected by their cords 12 di-- rectly to thesame'treadle. '68, and indirectly through cords 56, translators 48, cords 58,'lams 60 and cords 64 to a second treadle 68. Hence, depression of either connected treadle 68 will cause one half the number of connected heddle frames 32 to move downward while the remainder move ends of the frames or anywherealong their exwidth of the loom is available for distribution of operating treadles, any desired number of which may be brought into service in connection with the production of desired weaves and patterns.

- As to the operation of thetranslators and lams, assume, for instance, that the second pedal from the left, Figure 1, is depressed. This pedal is connected directly to the left hand portion of a 'lain 60. Due to this connection, the lam pulls down more strongly on left hand cable 58 than on right hand cable 88. The pull on left hand cable rotates the connected translator 48 counterclockwise. thereby raising the left hand end of the upward, to form the shed through which the bobbin' operates to lay in a weft thread. Depression of the other connected treadle 68 reverses the direction of travel of each group of heddle frames.

Obviously, any desired number of the heddle frames may be rendered inoperative merely by passing the warp threads between the heddles thereof without threading them through the heddle'eyes.

When a more complex weave is desiredrthe heddle frames .may be connected as before to two treadles 68, and also the heddle frames may be variously connected directly and indirectly to other treadles as needed to form the variations of the pattern. In such a case the treadles will be operated in proper sequence to produce the desired weaves and designs.

, It will be obvious that the invention provides an arrangement such that lip-pull or down-pull appliedto the heddle frames is distributed approximately equally at opposite end regions of each frame, eliminating or greatly reducing any tendency toward endwise'tilting of the frames associatedheddle frame. At the same time, said translator pulls on cable 52 of the crossed pair 52; 54, and rotates the associated righthand translator clockwise, thereby supplementing the weaker pull ofthe-lam' on this translator. The

result is that, both translators exert equal forces on the ends of the heddle frame to raise it uniformly at each end without tilting it... So far as equal movements at each end of the heddle frame are concerned, lt'is not essential that the lam be floating. It can be pivoted at one end as has been the case heretofore and its connection with one translator eliminated. In such case, however, the heddle frames would have different amounts of lift since the leverage of each treadle through lam arrangedfaisherein illustrated and described. I If ,notcompensated for, however, there can be some difference inthe extent of movement of the,

different heddle frames, when a large number are used, because the connection from a 1am preferably is brought down vertically to the associated treadle. Thus the connection between the front lam and its treadle is a greater distance from the common pivotal axis of the treadles than is the connection of the last lam with its treadle. Since the treadles are of equal length and the strokes of the free ends of all treadles preferably are equal, the first lam and hence its associated heddle frame can have a somewhat greater movement than the more rearwardly disposed heddle frame or, preferably the stroke of the .rearwardheddle frames may be progressively greater than that of the forward frames. The movement or stroke of all heddle frames can be adjusted and equalized by suitably adjusting the leverage of the trans lators on theheddle frames as illustrated in Fig- I 481- is suitably different, in different translators,

to equalize the stroke of all heddle; frames or to attain the mentioned progressive increase of stroke of rearward frames.

When a new warp is being threaded through the loom, the upper translator housing 26 with its translators 48 may be lifted off the brackets 24 to clear out the space between the reed 34 and beam 20. Also facilitating introduction of anew warp is ,a flexible sheet 88 having one and permanently attached to the cloth beam 38 and of length to extend. therefrom up over the breast beam l8, where its free end is provided with a tubular formation 90 having transverse slots 92 3 regardlessot whether the pull is initiated. below having a connection with an opposite endpart' of the associated heddle frame and each having crossed connections to the other member, a float,- ing lam disposed above and crosswise of said treadles having connections with said pivoted members on the outer side of the axes of the members and outside of the ends of the heddle frames operative upon the depression of said lam to turn'both pivoted Inembersin directions to move both ends of the associatedheddle frame in the same direction, and a substantially vertical connection between said lam and a treadle for depressing said lam. v

2. In a hand loom, a plurality of heddle frames,

outer portions of the translators being outward of the planes of the ends of frame,

r to the lam be.- tween its points of. suspension for effecting ve cal translatory movement-of'the lam in one di rection and equalised corresponding movement of the heddle frame in the oppositedirection.

5. In a hand loom having a floating heddle frame and a floating lam below the heddle frame, and means for equalizing the forces applied to the heddle frame, that improvement which consists in equalizing means comprising a pair of rectangular plates rotatably mounted on fixed axes above.

and toward opposite ends of the heddle frame and interconnected for rotation in opposite directions, connections between said rotatable plates and separately with said heddle frame and lam, from which connections said heddleiframe and lam are suspended, the heddle frame being directly connected to said rotatable plates at fixed points thereon inward of their axes and the lam being directly connected to said rotatable plates at fixed points thereon outward of their axes and a series of. treadles for operating said heddle frames, a pair of pivoted members for each heddle frame each mounted on a fixed axis, each member having a connection with an opposite end part of the associated heddle frame and each having crossed connections to the other member, a floating lam disposed above and crosswise of said treadles having rigid extent greater than that of the heddle frame and having connections with said pivoted members on the outer side of the axes of the members and operative upon the depression of said lam to turn both pivoted members in directions to move both ends of the associated heddle frame in the same direction, and a sub- 1 outward'of the planes of the ends of the heddle frame, and means for applying down-pull to the lam to effect -up-pull of the heddle frame.

6. In a hand loom, a plurality of floating heddle frames ands plurality of floating lama one below and coacting with each heddle frame, and a pair of'translators for each heddle, frame rotatably I mounted on fixed axes above the respective heddle frames at spaced locations along the heddle frames, the translators of each pair being interconnected for rotation in opposite directions, in-

ner confronting portions of each --pair of translators having direct suspending connection to the heddle frame directly therebelow, and corresponding outer portions of each pair of translators being outward of the planes of'the ends of the heddle frames and having direct suspending connection to the lam directly below and coacting with the heddle frame which is suspended from a horizontal floating lam below the frame and an actuating lever below the lam, the combination therewith of a pair of spaced apart translators rotatably supported on fixed axes above the heddle frame and interconnected at a plurality of points on each for rotation in opposite directions, means directly connecting corresponding diametrically opposite points on each translator respectively to the top edge of the heddle frame inward of the axes of the translators and to the lam outward of the axes of the translators and outward of the planes of the ends of the heddle frameland means connecting the 1am said lever, whereby a down-" wardly directed force incident to depression of said lever and applied to said lam is translated into an upwardly; directed force applied to and equalized at spaced locations along said heddle frame,

4. 1:1 a hand loom comprising a heddle frame and an actuating lever therefor, the combination therewith of a pair of spaced apart translators rotatably supported above the heddle frame and interconnected for rotation in opposite directions, upon inner confronting portions of which the said heddle frame is directly suspended, a floating lam suspended directly from corresponding outer portions of the translators and disposed horizontally between the heddle frame and said actuating lever and having rigidextent parallel to and from end to end of the heddle frame, and said that pair of translators, a pair of treadles pivotaliy mounted 'below and transversely of the lams, one treadle being directly connected to a plurality of heddle frames and lams and the other treadle being. directly connected to a plurality of different heddle frames andlams.

'I. Inc. hand loom comprising a heddle frame, a rigid horizontal lam below the frame longer than the frame and projecting beyond it at opposite ends and an actuating lever below the lam, the combination-therewith of a pair of spaced apart translators rotatably supported above the heddle frame on fixed axes and interconnected for rotation in opposite directions, means connecting corresponding diametrically opposite points on each translator respectively to the top edge of theheddle frame inward of the axis of the translator and to the lamoutward of the axis of the transand means connecting the lam to said lever, whereby a downwardly directed force incident to depression of said lever and applied to said lam is translated into an upwardly directed force applied to and equalized at spaced locations along said heddle frame, and a second treadle directly lator and outward of the ends of the heddle-frame,

heddle frames, means interconnecting corresponding translators of the two groups for equal rotation in opposite directions, means for connecting the individuals of an interconnected pair of translators to the same heddle frame at opposite end portions thereof and inward of the axes of 'the translators, a-floating lam for each heddle frame disposed horizontally below and projecting beyond the ends of its associated frame, means outward of the axes of the translators and outward of the ends of the heddle frames connecting opposite end portions of each lam tothe translators for the heddle frame with which the lam is associated, and means, including connections to a lam and a heddle frame, for applying downwardly directed force to a lam and simultaneously to a heddle frame not directly above or associated with that lam.

9. In a hand loom, a loom frame having a translator-frame support, heddle frames, trans- 20 lators for operating said heddle frames, treadles operating said translators, and a translator frame, in which said translators are journalled, removably positioned on said translator-frame support adjacent said heddle frames for removal and in- I sertion of said translators as a unit.

10. In a hand 100m, 8, heddle frame, a rigid lam below and parallel to the heddle frame and of length to project beyond the opposite ends of the heddle frame, a pair of translators rotatably mounted on fixed axes above opposite end portions of the heddle frame, said axes being transverse of the heddle frame and said translators being interconnected for rotation in opposite directions, and vertical connections between the 5 heddle frame and each translator inside its axis, and vertical connections between the lam and each translator. outside its axis, and outside the ends of the heddle frame, whereby the frame and the 1am are suspended from the translators, a

11. In a hand loom, a pair of pivoted members, a vertically-shiftable heddle frame suspended from said members, a lam suspended from said members and extending rigidly from end to end of the frame below said frame, the lam being suspended by means extending generally in vertical directions at locations outward from the ends of the heddle frame, a treadle connected to said 1am for vertically moving it and rotating said pivoted members, and tension cords extended in crossing relation between and connected to said pivoted members at points where both pivoted members are constrained to turn angularly by equal frame-shifting amounts in any one of their two opposite directions of rotation.

12. In a hand loom, upper and lower pairs of horizontally-spaced pivoted members, a vertically-shiftable heddle frame disposed between said upper and lower pairs and suspended from the upper pair and connected to the lower pair, two lams each suspended from a separate pair, a treadle connected to each lam, and tension cords extended between and connected to said pivoted member of each pair at points where both pivoted members are constrained to turn angularly by equal frame-shifting amounts in any one of their two opposite directions of rotation upon the depression of each treadle. I 13. In a hand loom, a pair of horizontallyspaced pivoted members each having a pair of horizontally-disposed, diametrically-opposed connection-points and a pair of vertically-disposed, diametrically-opposed connection-points, a vertically-shiftable heddle frame suspended from the confronting horizontally-disposed connectionpoints of the two members, a lam suspended from the opposed horizontally-disposed connectionpoints of the two members, a treadle operatively connected with said lam, and tension cords extended between and connected each with the upper one of the pair of vertically-disposed connection-points of one member and the lower one of such pair of the other member.

DONALD W. GREENWOOD.

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