US2432157A - Pneumatic thread remover for looms - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 9, 1947. L. J. HooPr-:R ET AL PNEUMATIC THREAD REMOVER FOR LOOMS Filed Dec. 15, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS LESLIE J. HOU/ER GEORGE' N. PETERSON www ATTORNEY Dec. 9, 1947. L. J. HooPER Er AL VI'NIIUM-TIC THREAD REMOVER FOR LOOMS Filed DSC. 13, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 Olmo 2 \32 6 III Ill.

INVENTORS LESLIE J. HOOPE? Patented Dec. 9, 1947 PNEUMATIC THREAD REMOVER FOR LOOMS Leslie .3. Hooper, Holden, and George N. Peterson,

Grafton, Mass.,

assignors to Crompton &`

Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 13, 1946, Serial No. 715,952

22 Claims.

This invention relates t improvements in pneumatic thread removers for looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide a remover which is efficient in operation and also prevents retrograde movement of the thread after it has entered the remover.

In weft replenishing looms it is necessary to remove the weft end which extends from the bobbin expelled at the time of a weft replenishing operation, and this has been done in the past by means of pneumatic tubes or the like which are moved into thread catching and removing position by the transferrer mechanism. These tubes as heretofore made have not had provision for holding the weft end except by movable clamps or the like which are generally inaccessible for repair or ad- Justment, and serve to block the air passage. Unless the thread is held against retrograde movement it is likely to move out of the tube and become whipped into the warp shed and thus defeat the purpose of the remover.

It is an important object of our present invention to construct a thread remover in such manner that the free end of the thread when transported pneumatically into the thread remover will be Wrapped around anchor means which hold it. The anchor means may be in the form of a spindle extending along an air passage for the thread, and the thread may be Wrapped on the spindle by a column of air rotating around it.

In order to cause rotation of the air stream it is another object of the invention to introduce the air tangentially into an air chamber preferably of cylindrical form and provided with an axial outlet along which the spindle extends. In this way the free end of the thread is rst drawn into the intake mouth, then into the air chamber, and then whirled around the spindle several times and wrapped on it. The thread extends from the spindle which holds it to the selvage and is kept taut. When the thread is later out at the selvage the cut end is drawn into the intake mouth and the end previously wrapped on the spindle is unwound, or slackened, so that the whole length of thread can be moved pneumatically to a thread collector.

The spindle preferably has a slight taper and is so disposed that its diameter diminishes in the direction in which air flows through theoutlet passage, which is preferably cylindrical. We have found that if the outlet passage is too large in diameter with respect to the spindle the wrapping is insufcient, and if the air passage is too small it is difficult to get suiiicient air through it to move 2 the thread. When the spindle and outlet passage are made more or less as set forth hereinafter and shown in the drawings we find that the thread is eifectively coiled on and held by the Spindle.

In the operation of a pneumatic thread control system it is important that the partial vacuum be held as near atmospheric pressure as possible to prevent consumption of excess power by the air pump or other means for creating subatmospheric pressures. It is another object of the invention to construct a thread remover in such manner that it will make most eiiicient use of the air which is drawn into its intake mouth, and thereby permit the use of a low pressure pump.

In order to adopt the remover for use with various sizes and types of yarn it is another object of the invention to provide means by which the tapered spindle can be adjusted lengthwise of the outlet passage to vary the size of the space around the spindle along which the thread passes. The holder for the spindle may be transparent, if desired, to enable the operator t0 determine when the correct adjustment has been attained.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, our invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of our invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of a loom With our invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a plan View on an enlarged scale looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation looking in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 2 showing the thread remover in normal or non-operating position,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of part of the thread remover shown in Fig. 3,

Fig, 5 is a rear elevation looking in the direction of arrow 5, Fig. 4, f

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the thread remover showing the intake passage and air chamber and looking toward the outlet passage,

Fig. 7 is a vertical section on line 1 1 of Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig- 1, the loom frame It has top and bottom shafts II and I2 respectively, connected by the usual gears I3 and I4. A driving gear I5 fast on the top shaft meshes with a driving pinion I6 operated by an electric motor M which may be supported in any manner, as by a bracket I1 bolted to the loom frame.

The loom has a lay 20 provided with a shuttle box 2I to receive a shuttle S, see Fig. 2. A magazine 22 preferably though not necessarily of the rocking type is supported on a stand 23 rxed to the loom frame and has a tranferrer arm 24 to which is pivoted a transferrer latch 25 for engagement with a bunter 26 on the lay 25 at the time of weft replenishment.

The shuttle box has a shuttle binder 30 slotted at 3| to receive a thread cutter 32 which cooperates with a plate 33 on the front wall of the shuttle to cut the weft thread T leading from bobbin B, through delivery eye 34, and across the plate. At the time of replenishment when the cutting occurs the left end of the thread will be attached to the fabric F and its free end will extend between the shuttle and the binder. When the shuttle is next picked the free end becomes loose and can be whipped into the shed unless prevented from doing so.

The transferrer arm is pivotally mounted on a relatively large stud 35 fixed to the stand or support 23, and mounted also for angular movement on this stud is a carrier 36 aording slidable support for a rod 31 urged rearwardly by a compression spring 3B and limited as to rearward movement by engagement of a stop collar 39 with the carrier. The rear part of rod 31 is provided with a head 4Q which supports the structure to be described hereinafter and forming an important part of the present invention. An air pump 42 is driven by a belt 43 from the motor M and serves to create subatmospheric pressures Within a conduit 44.

The matter thus far described operates in the usual manner and may be made in known manner. When the transierrer arm descends it serves as operating means to lower the carrier 35 and also head as the lay approaches its front center position. As the lay recedes a resetting rod 45 raises the carrier 36 to reset the head in its normal high position. The lay may be provided with a mass of soft deformable material 46, such as plush, located between the shuttle box and the selvage and across which the weft end T extends from the selvage to the shuttle.

In "carrying the present invention into effect we provide means by which the free end of the thread T can be attracted pneumatically and attached temporarily to holding or anchor means in such manner as to prevent retrograde movement and hold it taut out of the path of the shuttle. Accordingly, the head 40 is provided with a hollow casing having a substantially circular or cylindrical thread compartment or chamber 5| closed at one end by a cap 52 secured to the casing by bolts 53. The other end of the chamber, at the left in Fig. rI, is defined by a, wall 54 on casing 5E). The thread chamber 5| communi- Cates with two air passages one of which is the inlet bore 55 of a tube 56 fast with respect to and depending from the casing 56. Bore 55 enters chamber 5| tangentially in the manner shown in Fig. 6. A thread lifting tongue 51 is secured to the bottom of tube 56 and is inclined downwardly and forwardly below passage 55.

The second or outlet passage 60 leads from the chamber 5| preferably along the axis thereof, or concentrically therewith, and opens into a pipe 6| secured by the bolts 53 to the casing 55. The casing therefore has a circular or cylindrical chamber 5| communicating tangentially with an inlet air passage 55 and axially with another or outlet passage 60.

Cap 52 has secured thereto a thread anchor means, shown here as a spindle or pin 66, which extends from the cap across the chamber 5| preferably axially of it and of the air passage 60, as shown in Fig. '1. This anchor pin should preferably be tapered with its smaller end pointing away from chamber 5|. The pin therefore grows smaller in the direction of air ilow from the chamber 5| to the pipe 6|. The taper of the pin is preferably gradual and about as shown in Fig. 7 A cylindrical pin, or one having a substantially larger taper than that shown can be made to operate, but we find that the best operation results if the pin has a slight taper.

The lower end of tube 56 is so formed as to provide an intake mouth 10 located above tongue 51 and communicating with inlet passage 55. This mouth receives the thread T, and may be made either as shown herein, or as made heretofore. Tongue 51 enters the plush 46 and extends below the level of the thread resting on the plush when the remover is in operating position. A thread collector 15, Fig. 1, is connected pneumatically with tube 44 so that subatmospheric pressures exist within it, and the collector is connected to tube 6| by a conduit 16 shown in Fig. 3. The thread collector and the tubes connected to it may be of usual construction. The usual temple cutter 12 is located near the fabric.

In operation, the head 46 will normally be in the raised position shown in Fig. 3 and pump 42 will cause a column of air to enter the intake mouth 16 and ow along bore 55 and enter tangentially into chamber 5|, where it travels in a curved path around pin 66, and then escapes through the bore 621. The air rotates clockwise in chamber 5| and around the anchor pin 66 as viewed in Fig. 6. Since in the present instance the air pump 42 runs continuously the column of air will travel as described so long as motor M operates. We are not limited, however, `to a continuously running pump.

When a replenishing operation is called the transferrer latch 25 will be raised to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, thereby depressing the transferrer arm and the casing 56 as the lay approaches front center. This operation places thc remover intermediate the fabric and the point of cutting by cutter 32. The lip 51 will enter the deformable material 46 behind the thread T as the casing 55 reaches its lowest position. Cutter 32 then severs the thread at a point near the shuttle eye, the empty bobbin leaves the shuttle and a free end of thread T remains bteween the shuttle and binder. As the lay recedes the thread T is moved rearwardly by the lay and plush 46 and is guided toward the intake mouth 10 by the tongue 51. As soon as the free end of the thread is released by picking of the shuttle from the box 2| it will be transported pneumatically upwardly along the passage 55 into the chamber 5|, and given a circular motion corresponding to that of the air within the chamber. This circular movement causes the thread to wrap around the anchor pin or spindle 66 and thereby establish a frictional holding contact with the pin which resists downward movement of the thread along the passage 55 when head 4D is later raised by rod 45 along a path transverse of the lay and thread. Since the thread has its left end, Fig. 2, still connected to the fabric, it will be held taut.

The amount of wrap of the thread on the pin 66 and its location thereon will depend somewhat upon the length ofV the thread. If the latter be of considerable length it may wrap around that part of the pin located within the passage 66, but in any event there Will be sufficient wrapping to hold the thread, and continued flow of air in passage 60 will tend to keep the thread wrapped on the pin.

At some subsequent time the thread will be cut by the temple cutter i2, and the end thus released will be drawn up into passage 55 and will be given a motion in a direction to unwind the coils of thread previously wrapped on pin 65. The thread therefore is free to travel along the passage 6E) into the tube 6l and thence to the thread collector. Cutting at the selvage slackens the coils on the pin, and they may slide on" the latter without being unwound. From this it will appear that we provide in eifect a self-releasing lock for the thread which holds it taut so long as it is attached to the selvage, but releases the thread when it is severed by cutter l2. This result is accomplished without employing any moving parts other than the rotating column of air which passes around the anchor pin SS.

We find also that because of the construction shown particularly in Figs. 6 and 7, the rotating air within the chamber 5i acts somewhat as a check to prevent too rapid leakage of air into Vthe system. The cross section of the passage lili available for movement of air around the pin 65 is preferably less than that of the bore or passage 55, and because of the taper of pin 65 this cross section is a minimum where the passage 6? communicates with the chamber 5t. Air therefore leaves the chamber 5l at a relatively high rate and exerts considerable pull on the thread.

The thread remover may at times operate with ne yarns and at other times with coarse thicker yarns. In order to adapt the anchor pin for use with a variety of yarns we provide for its adjustment along passage G for the purpose of changing the size of the air space within the outlet passage. Accordingly, the spindle or pin 66 has a threaded shank all threaded into a tapped bore 8l in a boss 82 on cap 52. A screw driver slot 83 and check nut 55 permit alteration in the position of the anchor pin along the bore 6D. If the pin be moved to the right, Fig. 7, the air space around it in passage Si? will be enlarged to accommodate large diameter threads. If, on the other hand, the pin `be set farther into the bore the air space around it will be reduced for better operation with ne yarns. The screw threads on shank 8B should preferably be coniined to tapped bore 8l and not extend into chamber 5l. By making the casing 5S) of transparent material as a plastic, the behavior of the thread can be seen and the pin adjusted accordingly.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we have provided simple means whereby air pneumatically transporting a thread along a path or route in the hollow casing causes the thread to wrap around an anchor means or pin located preferably in the chamber 5|. The thread is thus held against retrograde movement out of the thread remover. This result we obtain by causing air and the free end of the thread to enter a circular or cylindrical chamber tangentially and then leave the chamber by a passage substantialy concentric with the aXis of the chamber. rIhe anchor pin extends along this axis and has the thread Wrapped around it because of the rotating air. When the thread is cut at the selvage it is slackened and enters the chamber til in such a direction as to unwrap the previous wrappings and therefore release the thread so that it can travel along passage @d and tube 6| to the thread collector l5. however, slide cir the pin without unwinding. Furthermore, the construction and relation of the passages 55 and Si) to the chamber 5l is such as The coils due to their slackness may,

to serve somewhat in the capacity of a check valve to prevent too great a leakage of air into the pneumatic system. We have found that the anchor pin 66 should have a smooth surface and be tapered. Axial adjustment of the anchor pin permits accommodation of the remover to various types of yarn. It is desirable that the pin enter the passage 65, but it need not necessarily project beyond it to the extent shown in Fig. 7.

Having thus described our 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 or the invention and We do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what we claim is:

1. In a pneumatic thread remover for a loom having a thread one end of which remains attached to the cloth and the other end of which is free after a weft replenishing operation, a casing having air inlet and outlet passages and an air chamber between said passages so constructed that air entering the chamber from the inlet pas- .sage is caused to follow a rotary path, and thread anchor means disposed in the chamber in such position that the free end of the thread in following along said path is wrapped around said anchor means.

2. In a pneumatic thread remover for a loom having a thread one end of which remains attached to the cloth and the other end 0I" which is free after a weft replenishing operation, hollow means providing a thread and air chamber connected to inlet and outlet air and thread passages, and thread anchor means in said chamber, said chamber being constructed in such manner that air entering the chamber from the inlet passage follows a rotary path around said anchor means to wrap around the latter the free end of the thread.

3. In a pneumatic thread remover for a loom having a thread one end of which remains attached to the cloth and the other end of which is free after a weft replenishing operation, hollow means providing an air path from an intake f mouth to an outlet passage, thread anchor means in said air path, and means causing air moving along said path from the intake mouth to follow a route around the anchor means.

4. In a pneumatic thread remover for a loom having a thread one end of which remains attached to the cloth and the other end of which is free after a weft replenishing operation, hollow means providing a substantially circular air chamber and an intake air and thread passage entering the chamber tangentially thereto so that air and a thread entering the chamber from the intake passage move in a circular path in the chamber, and anchor means within the chamber around which the air and thread move to wrap the latter on the anchor means.

5. A pneumatic thread remover for a thread having one end attached to cloth in a loom and having the other end free, said remover providing an inclosed substantially cylindrical air and thread chamber and an intake passage for the free end of the thread entering the chamber tangentially thereto and an outlet passage leading axially from the chamber, and anchor means for said free end of the thread extending axially of the chamber and around which air and said free end of the thread move when passing from the intake passage into the chamber and thence to the outlet passage, whereby the thread is Wrapped around the anchor means.

6. A pneumatic thread remover for a thread having one end attached to cloth in a loom and having the other end free, said remover providing an inclosed substantially cylindrical air and thread chamber having opposite sides and an intake passage for the free end of the thread entering the chamber tangentially thereto and an outlet passage leading axially from the chamber, said outlet passage communicating with the chamber at one side thereof, and a thread anchor pin secured to the other side of the chamber and extending axially of the chamber toward the outlet passage, air and the free end of the thread when entering the chamber from the intake passage moving circularly around the pin to wrap the thread thereon.

7. A pneumatic thread remover for a thread having one end thereof attached to cloth in a loom and having the other end free, said remover providing an inclosed substantially cylindrical air and thread chamber and an intake passage for the free end of the thread entering the chamber tangentially thereof and an outlet passage leading axially from the chamber, and a thread anchor pin Within said chamber extending axially thereof toward said outlet passage and tapered toward the latter, air and the free end of the thread when entering the chamber from the intake passage moving circularly around the pin to wrap said free end thereon.

8. A pneumatic thread remover for a thread having one end thereof attached to cloth in a loom and having the other end free, said remover comprising a hollow casing providing an inclosed substantially cylindrical air and thread chamber and an intake passage entering the chamber tangentially thereof, and an outlet passage leading axially from the chamber, and a thread anchor spindle supported by said casing in the chamber extending axially of the latter and into said outlet passage, air and the free end of the thread when entering the chamber from the inlet passage moving circularly around the spindle to Wrap said free end thereof.

9. A pneumatic thread remover for a thread having one end thereof attached to cloth in a loom and having the end thereof free, said remover comprising a hollow casing providing an inclosed substantially cylindrical air and thread chamber and an intake passage entering the chamber tangentially thereof and an outlet pasf sage leading axially from the chamber and in which subatmospheric pressures exist, and va thread anchor pin secured to said casing extending axially of and across the chamber and into said outlet passage, said pin being tapered so that the part thereof in the outlet passage is smaller than the part thereof in said chamber, air and said free end of the thread when entering the chamber from the intake passage due to the subatmospheric pressure in the outlet passage moving circularly around the pin to wrap said free end thereon.

l0. In a weft replenishing loom in which a thread attached to the cloth is severed at a point spaced from the cloth, thereby having a free end, a hollow pneumatic thread remover within which subatmospheric pressures exist and having an intake mouth, said remover being normally in a position with the mouth spaced from the thread but movable to place the mouth in a receiving position adjacent to the thread intermediate said point and the cloth, thread anchor means Within the remover, operating means for the remover moving the mouth from normal to receiving position, means within the remover causing air When moving the thread into the remover through the mouth to wrap the free end of the thread around said anchor means, and means thereafter operative to return the remover to normal position While the thread is attached to the cloth, said anchor means and cloth cooperating to keep the thread taut.

1l. In a weit replenishing loom having a thread attached to the cloth, a pneumatic thread remover having an intake mouth adjacent to the thread and communicating with a chamber within the remover, a thread anchor within the remover, means to create subatmospheric pressures within the remover, said chamber being so formed that air moving the thread into the mouth and chamber causes the thread t0 Wrap around the anchor, and means to move the remover in a direction transverse of the thread while the thread is attached to the cloth and wrapped around said anchor.

12. In a loom having a thread attached to the cloth and extending along the lay and moving rearwardly therewith, a pneumatic thread remover having an intake mouth behind the thread and in position to receive the latter as the lay moves rearwardly, said remover having a hollow chamber therein communicating with the mouth and within which subatmospheric pressures exist, a thread anchor within the chamber, said chamber being so formed that air moving the thread through the mouth and into the chamber and transporting the thread causes the latter to wrap around the anchor, and means moving the remover transversely of the lay after the latter by movement thereof has moved the thread to the mouth and while the thread is attached to the cloth and is wrapped around said anchor.

13. In a loom having a thread attached to the cloth, a pneumatic thread remover having an intake mouth in position to receive the thread, said remover having a hollow chamber therein communicating with the mouth and in which subatmospheric pressures exist, and a thread anchor in said chamber, said chamber being so formed that air pneumatically drawing the thread into the mouth and chamber due to said subatmospheric pressures causes the thread to wrap around said anchor, the thread thereupon having the ends thereof held by the cloth and anchor.

14. In a loom having a thread attached to the cloth, a hollow pneumatic thread remover having an intake mouth in position to receive the thread and communicating with the interior of the remover within which subatmospheric pressures exist, and a thread anchor Within the remover, the interior of the remover being so formed that air moving the thread into the mouth and into said interior of the chamber due to said subatmospheric pressures causes the thread to wrap around the anchor.

15. In a loom having a thread attached to the cloth, a hollow pneumatic thread remover having an air chamber therein communicating with an inlet passage having an intake mouth positioned to receive the thread and communicating with an outlet passage in which subatmospheric pressures exist, and a thread anchor in said chamber, the latter being so formed that air pneumatically transporting the thread and moving into the inlet passage and through the chamber and to the outlet passage due to subatmospheric pressures in the latter causes the thread to wrap around said anchor.

16. In a loom having a thread attached to the cloth, a hollow pneumatic thread remover having an air chamber therein, a thread anchor in said chamber, pneumatic means including air transporting the thread to move through said chamber, the latter being so formed as to cause the air moving therethrough to wrap the thread on the anchor.

17. In a loom having a thread attached to the cloth, a hollow pneumatic thread remover having an air chamber therein communicating with an inlet passage having an intake mouth positioned to receive the thread and communicating with an outlet passage in which subatmospheric pressures exist, and a thread anchor in said chamber, the latter being so formed that air pneumatically transporting the thread and moving into the inlet passage and through the chamber and tothe outlet passage due to subatmospheric pressures in the latter causes the thread to wrap around said anchor, and a thread cutter operating thereafter to cut the thread from the cloth, whereupon air moving through said chamber causes the thread to unwrap from said anchor.

18. In a loom having a thread attached to the cloth, a hollow pneumatic thread remover having an air chamber therein communicating with an inlet passage having an intake mouth positioned to receive the thread and communicating with an outlet passage in which subatmospheric pressures exist, and a thread anchor in said chamber, the latter being so formed that air pneumatically transporting the thread and moving into the inlet passage and through the chamber and to the outlet passage due to subatmospheric pressures in the latter causes the thread to wrap around said anchor, air moving through the outlet passage causing the thread to unwrap from said anchor when the thread is subsequently cut from the cloth.

19. In a loom having a thread attached to the cloth, a hollow pneumatic thread remover having an air chamber therein, a thread anchor in said chamber, and pneumatic means inducing air transporting the thread to move through said chamber, the latter being so formed as to cause the air moving therethrough to Wrap the thread on the anchor, air continuing to move through said chamber effective to unwrap the thread from the anchor when the thread is severed from the cloth.

20. In a loom having a thread attached at one end thereof to the cloth, the thread having an end which becomes free incident to a weft replenishing operation of the loom, a thread anchor, pneumatic means wrapping the free end around the anchor, and means thereafter cutting the thread from the cloth, said pneumatic means thereupon unwrapping the thread from said anchor.

21. In a loom having a thread one end of which is attached to the cloth and the other end of which is free, a thread anchor, pneumatic means causing said free end to rotate around and Wrap on said anchor, and means thereafter cutting said one end from the cloth, whereupon said pneumatic means causes said one end to rotate around said anchor and unwrap that part of the thread previously wrapped on the anchor.

22. In a loom having a thread one end of which is attached to the cloth and the other end of which is free, a thread anchor, pneumatic means causing said free end to rotate around and Wrap on said anchor, the cloth and anchor thereupon cooperating to hold the thread taut, and means thereafter cutting the thread from the cloth and slackening said one end, whereupon said pneumatic means unwraps that part of the thread Wrapped on said anchor.

LESLIE J. HOOPER. GEORGE N. PETERSON.

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