US2390962A - Positively actuated thread holder for looms - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 11, 1945. E. A. SANTON POSITIVELY ACTUATED THRE AD HOLDER FOR LOOMS Filed June 17, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3mm @Wv Ow-EMNWYW uw. [/7 M Dec. 11, 1945. E. A. SANTON POSITIVELY ACTUATED THREAD HOLDER FOR LOOMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 17, 1944 Patented Dec. 11, 1945 POSITIVELY AGTUATED HULDEE FOR LOOMS' Elliot A; Santon, Worcester, Mass, assig nor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass a. corporation of Massachusetts Application June 17, 1944, Serial No. 540,777

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in weft replenishing looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide improved means for taking up the slack in weft ends extending from bobbins awaiting transfer in a magazine.

In the usual multicolor weft replenishing loom there are several vertical stacks of bobbins the weft ends of which extend to a thread holder located beyond the magazine and serving. as an anchorage for the thread of the transferred bobbin to assist in the shuttle threading operation during the pick subsequent to a. bobbin transfer. The weft ends extend above the lay and should be held out of its path to avoid breakage; This general result has been accomplished heretofore by the use of meshing gears which turn during loom operation to draw the weft ends away from the bobbins and thereby tighten them. When the yarn on the bobbins is coarse the geared members heretofore used do not always operate successfully to tighten their weft ends because of the size of the bundle of threads between them. When a transfer is initiated in such a loom the bobbins of one or another of the stacks fall as the bottom bobbin moves into a cradle preparatory to delivery therefrom for movement to a, common transfer position when a transfer is called. As the bobbins move downwardly their weft ends are slackened and unless provision is made for taking up this slackness the threads will eventually be broken by the lay. 7

It is an important object of my present invention to provide means for positively driving the meshing thread engaging gears or elements incident to each descent of bobbins in the magazine so that whenever slackness occurs due to downward motion of the bobbins the gears will be turned to tighten the threads.

In the type of loom to which my invention more particularly relates indication of weft exhaustion is given on one pick coincident with movement of a bobbin into a cradle and descent of the superposed bobbins, and transfer is called on a subsequent pick of the loom when the empty shuttle returns to a position under the magazine. If at this time the shuttle should not be properly placed for transfer revoking mechanism will cancel the called transfer and the released bobbin will later be dropped into the bobbin can. Under these conditions there is no transfer, but the bobbins in the selected stack have nevertheless descended and their weft ends have become slackened. It is a further object of my present invention to take up this slaclmess of the weft ends extending from the descending bobbins independently of the transfer mechanism so that the weft ends will be kept taut even though a calledtransfer isrevoked.

Multi-stack magazines are ordinarily made with a top shaft which has an oscillating niovejment when a cradle delivers its bobbin upon call for transfer. This shaft rocks away from its normal position to set the magazine for transfer when the bobbin is delivered, and is subsequently returned to normal position to reset the magazine. It is a more particular object of my present invention to provide operating connection between the aforesaidsh'aft and the thread engagin gears causing the latter to turn in a direction totake' up slackness in the weft en s whenever the shaft has the aforesaid oscillation. The oscillation of the shaft occurs after" the bobbins have fallen in their stack coincident with bobbin delivery, and I can therefore utilize the shaft to operate the thread gears when it has either its initial motion to set the magazine for transfer, or has its resetting movement to restore the magazine to normal position, whether the resetting follows a normal transfer or is effected at revocation of transfer by a misplaced shuttle; Y

With these and other objects in View which willappear as the description proceeds, myinvention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts'hereinafterdescribed and set forth.

In the accompanying" drawin s, wherein two fOr'mS' Of my invention af set forth.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a weft replenishing loom having the referred forniof" my invention applied thereto. H n V Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig; 1', snowing the bobbin magazine,

Fig. 3 is a detailed rear elevation lookingin the; direction of" arrow 3, Fig. 2; parts being omitted and the bobbin releaser actuator being'partly' in section,

Figs. 4 and 5- are diagrammatic views showing. the weft ends respectively before and after their bobbins have descende ii a stack Fig; 6 is'aii enlarged Side elevation looking. in the direction of arrow 6,. Fig. 1, showing the thread holder case and' operating parts for the thread engagin geared elements,

Fig. 7 is a vertical section online T-I df Fig- 6;.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged rear elevation of the preferred form of arm and assoc'iatedpartsmounted on the top shaft of the magazine and by means of which the driving m'eclianism for the geared elements is operated;

Fig.9 is a view'similar to Fig. 3' but showingthe modified fonn of the invention,

Fig. is a, view similar to Fig. 8 but showing the modified form of operating arm, and

Fig. 11 is a vertical section on line Il-ll of Fig. 6.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown a loomframe l0 having a lay l l and shuttle S under a magazine M which in the present instance is arranged to carry four vertical stacks of reserve bobbins I, II, III and IV reading from front or right of Fig. 2 to back. Shuttle picking mechanism is indicated generally at P and the thread holder is indicated at H. The magazine is provided with inner and outer bobbin guiding end plates l2 and I3, respectively, held together by the usual tie rods one of which is shown at M. The bobbins extend between the end plates and are arranged to move downwardly by gravity as successive replenishing operations of the loom occur.

The stacks I-IV are provided with bobbin releasers indicated at l5, I6, I7 and i8, respectively. These releasers are adapted for actuation by a selector which includes in its construction a longitudinally slidable rod 2| the position of which is determined in usual manner by the shuttle box mechanism not shown at the opposite end of the loom. By means of a rod 22 controlled by the detector not shown the selector is rocked in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3 whenever the weft detector indicates weft exhaustion and on the next subsequent pick the selector is rocked in the opposite direction.

Each of the releasers has upper and lower lifting lugs 25 and 26, respectively, for operation by the selector when registering with the latter. When the selector rocks clockwise it lifts one of the lugs 25 tojelevate thecorresponding releaser, whereupon the associated cradle rocks in one direction to receive the bobbin above it, and when the releaser is depressed the cradle rocks in the opposite direction to deliver the previously received bobbin. There is a cradle at the bottom of each stack for controlling delivery of bobbins therefrom, and all the cradles deliver their bobbins to a common transfer position indicated at T in Fi 2. v

The cradles are normally empty and the weft ends W of'the superposed bobbins are taut, as indicated'in Fig. 4, but when a releaser rises its cradle rocks to the position shown in Fig. 5, thereby allowing the superposed bobbins to fall with resultant slackness of the weft ends, as indicated in Fig. 5. The descent of the bobbins causing this slackness occurs when the detector initiates a replenishing operation by causing the selector 20 to rock clockwise as viewed in Fig. 3.

The top of each releaser is provided with a dog 32 which is in the idle position shown in Fig. 3 when the releaser is down, but when the releaser is raised the dog swings outwardly from end plate l2, or to the right, to operating'position. These dogs are for the purpose of operating the aforesaid oscillating shaft or member shown at 35 in Figs. 2 and 3. This shaft has secured thereto a shelf 36, see Fig. 3, which extends horizontally and is conm'lon to the releaser dogs. The shaft 35 is normally at rest but when a raised magazine end frame I2. The shuttle feeler carries a pin 42 cooperating in well-known manner with the rear bobbin butt support not shown. When rod 38 is lowered the pin 42 is moved downwardly for thgpurpose of permitting the bobbin support to hold a bobbin in transfer position T. Well-known means not shown herein subsequently returns the shaft 35 to its normal position with the shelf 36 elevated so that it can be depressed again when the next replenishing operation is called.

In the operation of the matter thus far described indication of exhaustion of weft in the running shuttle will cause the selector to raise one or another of the releasers to initiate a. replenishing operation. The releaser remains in raised position while the exhausted shuttle is picked to the opposite side of the loom, and upon return of the exhausted shuttle the selector depresses the previously raised releaser to deliver a bobbin for transfer and thereby call a replenishing operation. If the shuttle upon its return is properly boxed the called replenishing operation will be completed by a transfer of the bobbin in transfer position into the shuttle, but if the shuttle is not properly placed the shuttle feeler will lift part 40 and raise rod 38 to restore shaft 35 to its normal position, thereby raising rod 31 to prevent transfer. In the upward movement of the rod 38, however, the pin 42 rises and effects release of the untransferred bobbin from the magazine.

It is not thought necessary to illustrate allof the foregoing, since the bobbin support, shuttle feeler, and pin 42 may be similar to correspondin parts shown in Ryon Patent No; 1,307,024, and the general features of the magazine may be as shown in Ryon Patent No. 1,030,748. The rod 31 may operate as suggested in Gordon Patent No. 1,953,- 648. These parts do not enter directly into the operation of my invention, but do indicate that 2. called replenishment is not necessarily followed by a transfer.

The thread holder H comprises a housing 45 on which are rotatably mounted front and back geared elements 46 and 41, respectively, between which extend the Weft ends W of the bobbins B in the magazine. Thegears or geared elements 46 and 41 are turned in a direction tending to draw the weft ends W away from the bobbins, thereby keeping the weft ends taut to prevent them from falling into the path of the lay. The thread holder may be made somewhat as indicated in patent to Payne No. 1,842,7 31. l

The matter thus far described is of common construction and of itself forms no part of my present invention.

Heretofore the gears or geared elements 46 and 4! had been driven by various means, such as a Vibration motor set forth in the Payne patent, but when the weft ends W are heavy and there is a large bundle of them between the gears the releaser is depressed its dog 32 engages the shelf v to' rock the shaft 35 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3, whereupon a rod 31 is depressed to set the transfer mechanism not shown for operation, and a second rod 38 is also depressed. This second rod is connected to shuttle feeler mechanism a part of which is shown at 40 in Fig, 2 and pivoted at 4| with respect tothe turn the latter whenever shaft 35 has a given aee eea movement in the operation of the magazine. It'

is to be understood that shaft 35 has rocking movements in opposite directions whenever transfer is called, rocking in one direction, such as counter-clockwise in Fig. 3, when a bobbin is released from its cradle, and subsequently rocking in the opposite direction to reset the magazine. I may use either of these movements to operate the gears 53 and 4?.

Accordingly, in the preferred form of the invention in which the resetting movement of shaft 35 is utilized to operate the thread gears, I provide an arm 56 secured to the rear end of shaft 35 as at and mount a stud 52 in the upper end of a slot 53 in the arm. This stud is held in fixed position on the arm by a nut 54 at the properly adjusted distance from the shaft 35. The core 55 of a Bowden wire designated generally at. 55 is secured to the stud by set screw 51. The core extends through a sheath 58 one end of which may be held as at 59 to the inner magazine plate l2. The upper end of rod 38. may be pivoted as at 63 to the arm 55.

The wire 56 extends from the clip 59 along the rear part of the magazine and is attached as at 62 to a supporting arm 53 mounted on the tie rod M. The wire 53 extends along the arm 63 and through a lug 65 on the bottom thereof, being held in said lug by a set screw 35, see Fig. 6.

The casing 45 is secured to the bottom of the arm 63. as at 5? so that the casing and sheath 58 are held in fixed position relatively to each other.

The sheath and core enter the top wall in of the casing 45 and the core is secured as at ll to a head 12 pivoted at'l3 on a lever id within the casing 55. The lever M swings about a shaft 15 journaled on casing 45 and to which is secured the rear gear element ll. A ratchet wheel i5 is secured to the shaft 75 and is operated by a pawl 18 pivoted at 13 on the lever. The pawl may have a counter-weight 83 which acts to hold the pawl in operating position with respect to the ratchet wheel at the beginning of a working stroke of the pawl. The geared members 35 and s! are so related that turning of the rear element 4'! will cause turning of the forward element 46, hence rotation of the shaft 14 will rotate both of the geared elements.

Under normal conditions the arm 55 is in the position shown in Fig. 3 and the core 55 is in its forward position the effect of which is to hold the lever M in raised position with the pawl at the end of its working stroke, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 6. Whenever shaft 35 is rocked in a counter-clockwise direction upon call for replenishment as already described the wire core 55 is pushed rearwardly the effect of which is to lower the lever 1'4 and thereby give the pawl an idle stroke to the left, or to the dotted line position of Fig. 6. When the shaft 35 returns to its normal position upon resetting of the magazine the arm 50 is restored to the position shown in Fig. 3

and thereby pulls the core 55 forwardly, where- 0 upon lever 14 is rocked clockwise as seen in Fig. 6

to give the pawl a working stroke for the purpose of turning the ratchet wheel 16. The geared elements 46 and 41 are thus turned to take up the slackness which developed in the weft ends when the bobbins moved from the position in Fig. 4 to that in Fig. 5.

In the preferred form of the invention just described I have utilized the return movement of shaft 35 to normal position to provide the operating force for the pawl, but inasmuch as the slackness in the weft. ends shown in Fig. 5 occurs before shaft, has its first movement fromto arm 85 as at 85 in a manner very similar to that utilized in the preferred form of the invention. In this modification the parts within the casing will normally be in the position indicated in dotted lines with the pawl ready to start a working stroke upon movement of lever 14. When shaft 35 rocks at the time a bobbin is released from its cradle, arm 85 -will be moved downwardly. to exert a pull on core 55, thereby lifting lever M and giving the pawl '18 a working stroke to the full line position of Fig. 6 to turn the ratchet and thereby cause angular movement of the geared elements 46 and 51. When the shaft 35 returns to its normal position, arm .85 is raised and the pawl is given a reverse or idle return movement from the fullline to the dotted lin position of Fig. 6. It will thus be seen that in the modified form of the invention the first rocking of shaft 35 causes turning of the geared elements 46 and 41, and also the normal position of the pawl and its lever in the modified form is reversed from that which exists in the preferred form of the invention.

It will be obvious from the preceding that the operation of the thread holder geared elements in both forms of the invention is independent of transfer, since the arms 53 and 85 have their movements incident to each call for replenishment whether or not the call is completed. This is a significant relationship, inasmuch as the slackness of the weft ends shown in Fig. 5 results upon dropping of the bobbins when a transfer is called, and this slackness should be taken up even though revocation prevents subsequent transfer.

Front geared element 45, as shown-in Fig. .6, is rotatably mounted at 90 on a link 9! pivoted at 92 on the casing 45. A compression spring 93 between the casing and link 91 urges the front gear 46 rearwardly toward gear 41, but permits forward yielding of the front gear when a large bundle of weft ends is located between the gears.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided simple means by which the geared elements 46 and 41 are caused to turn to take up slackness in the weft ends W whenever a replenishing operation is called, and independently of whether transfer ensues. It will further be seen that the arm utilized in the preferred form of the invention causes the core to turn the geared elements upon return movement of a member, such as shaft 35, to its normal position, whereas in the modified form of the invention the geared elements are turned when the shaft 35 moves away from its normal position incident to call for transfer. While I have shown the shaft 35 as the specific source of the force which operates the geared elements I do not wish necessarily to be limited to this particular part of the magazine for the operation of my invention, since it is sufficient if the geared elements are turned by a part which has a motion when a bobbin is moved toward transfer position. It will further be seen that the geared elements are turned by a part which has a motion which always follows initiation of replenishment even though the completion of the replenishment is prevented by a misplaced shuttle.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a thread holder for a weft replenishing mechanism having a stack of reserve bobbins and a bobbin releaser which causes the bobbins to descend and thereby slacken their weft ends whenever the releaser is operated, a shaft mounted on the mechanism to operate the releaser and having an oscillating movement incident to each release of a bobbin from the stack, meshing geared elements between which the weft ends extend, and means operated by the shaft during said oscillating movement to turn the geared elements in a direction to draw the weft ends away from the bobbins.

2. In a weft replenishing loom having a stack of bobbins and a bobbin releaser therefor which causes the bobbins to move progressively toward transfer position as successive replenishing operations of the loom occur, the bobbins having weft ends extending between meshing geared elements rotatable to tension the weft ends, a shaft mounted on the loom to operate said releaser and having a rocking movement in one direction away from the normal position thereof incident to release of a bobbin from the stack and having a subsequent return rocking movement in the opposite direction back to the normal position thereof, and means connected to and operated by said shaft when the latter has one of said rocking movements thereof to cause said geared elements to turn in a direction to tension the weft ends.

3. In a weft replenishing loom having a stack of bobbins and a bobbin releaser therefor which causes the bobbins to move progressively toward transfer position as successive replenishing operations of the loom occur, the bobbins having weft ends extending between meshing geared elements rotatable to tension the weft ends, a shaft on the loom to operate said releaser and having a rocking movement in one direction when a bobbin is released from the stack and subsequently having a return rocking movement in the opposite direction, pawl and ratchet mechanism operatively connected to the geared elements, and operating connections between the shaft and the pawl causing the latter to have a movement in one direction with respect to the ratchet when the shaft has one of said rocking movements thereof and causing the pawl to have an opposite movement with respect to the ratchet when the shaft has the other rocking movement thereof, one of the movements of the pawl with respect to the ratchet causing the latter to turn said geared elemens in a direction to tension the weft ends.

4. In a weft replenishing loom having a stack of bobbins and a bobbin releaser therefor which causes the bobbins to move progressively toward transfer position as successive replenishing operations of the loom occur, the bobbins having weft ends extending between meshing geared elements rotatable to tension the weft ends, a shaft to operate said releaser and having an oscillation incident to each release of a bobbin from the stack, an arm secured to and moving with said shaft, a 'pawl and ratchet mechanism operatively connected to said geared elements, and means connecting the arm to the pawl causing the latter to turn the ratchet and effect movement of the geared elements in a direction to tension the weft ends during oscillation of said shaft.

5. In a weft replenishing loom having a stack of bobbins which move progressively toward transfer position as successive replenishing operations of the loom occur, the bobbins having weft ends extending between meshing geared elements rotatable to tension the weft ends, a shaft having an oscillation incident to each release of a bobbin from the stack, an arm secured to and moving with said shaft, a pawl and ratchet mechanism operatively connected to said geared elements, and a flexible wire inclosed within a flexible sheath operatively connecting the arm to the pawl and causing the latter to turn the ratchet to effect movement of the geared elements in a direction to tension the weft ends when said arm has one of the rocking movements thereof.

ELLIOT A. SANTON.

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