US2455149A - Bobbin magazine for weft replenishing looms - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 30, 1948. R. G. TURNER 2,455,149

l i B-OBBIN MAGAZINE FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Filed June 28, 1947 .2 'Sheets-Sheet `l 26 INVENTQR R10/1A R0 6.Y TUR/v51? 6%, www

ATTORNEY NOV. 30, 1948. R, G TURNER 2,455,149

BOBBIN MAGAZINE FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS ,Filed June 28, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R10/4A R0 '6. TUR/VER .ATTORNE Patented Nov. 30, 1948 BBBIN MAGAZINE FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS Richard G. Turner, Worcester, Mass., assgnor to Cromptont Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 28, 1947, Serial No. 757,875

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in weft replenishing looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide an improved reserve bobbin magazine.

The diameter of the weft wound on the reserve bobbins in a weft replenishing mechanism may be larger than, equal to, or smaller than the diameter oi the bobbin butts. Furthermore, in the weaving of certain types of fabrics it is not permissible to have knots or the like in the weft because of blemishes which they would produce in the iinished fabric. When the yarn breaks during the winding of a bobbin to be used in the weaving of such fabrics the bobbin is removed from the winding machine and sent to the loom, even though the bobbin be only partly wound. Under such conditions the magazine will contain bobbins some of which are fully wound and others of which have only a short mass of weft thereon. The full and partly wound bobbins, regardless of their weft diameter, will not stack properly, vand the upper bobbins will have their tips so far below their butts that they fall outof the magazine.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a bobbin magazine withv readily adjustable guideways for both the butts and tips of the bobbins so that by a simple manual operation the weaver can adjust the widths of the guideways to a condition which will enable the bobbins to lie substantially horizontally and therefore feed downwardly toward transfer position without falling out of the magazine. Thus, if several partly filled bobbins are in the magazine the tip guideways can be made narrow to raise the tips and prevent objectionable tilting of the upper bobbins.

Since the bobbin conditions change from time to time as new bobbins are placed in the maga-zine it is desirable that the widths of the guideways be readily adjustable, and it is a further object of the invention to accomplish this result by means of yielding locks which can be moved quickly and easily to alter the widths of the guideways.

In the weaving of fabrics requiring two shuttles a rocking magazine may be employed which can be shifted to place the lowest bobbin in either of the two bobbin stacks in transfer position. This requires a pivot for the magazine and also generally requires that the outer or bobbin tip engaging plate of the magazine be supported from the inner or butt engaging plate of the magazine. When magazines of this type are made large enough to accommodate a considerable'number of bobbins it is found that the outer plate tends to vibrate,V and to correct this condition it is a further object of the present invention to provide anti-vibration guides, such as rolls, positioned to engage the inner plate of the magazine.

It is occasionally desirable to be able to effect slight adjustments in the vertical position of the magazine and to accomplish this result it is a iurther object of the present invention to form the aforesaid pivot of the magazine as an eccentric to enable the magazine to be raised or lowered to place the bottom bobbins in transfer position correctly with respect to the shuttle on the lay. Any horizontal displacement of the lower end of the magazine caused by adjustment of the eccentric can be corrected by adjustable stops which determine the two extreme angular positions to which the magazine can be swung.

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

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention isset forth,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the forward part of a loom equipped with `a'rnagazine made according to the present invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the magazine looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1,

Figs.y 3 and 4 are side elevations, partly. in section, looking in the directions of arrows 3 and ll, respectively, of Fig. 2, Fig. 3 being enlarged, y

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectionon line 5-5 of Fig. 3 showing the adjustment for one of the butt guideways, ,l

Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 6-6 of Fig. 1, showing the adjustment for one of the tip guideways,

Fig.l '7 is an enlarged vertical section on line 1 1, Fig. 2,.

Fig". 8 is a Vertical section on' line 8 8, Fig. 7,

Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical section on line 9-9, Fig. 3,

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view showing the normal relation of bo-bbin butts and tips whenthe bobbins are fully wound, the weft and butt diameters being the same,

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic front elevation of a magazine containing partly filled bobbins as they appear before adjustment ot the tip guideway, and

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11 but showing the bobbin tips raised subsequent to reduction in the width ofthe tip guideway. l

Referring to Fig.Y the loom frame lo has down their respective front and back guideways by gravity toward transfer positions, one at the bottom of each of the bobbinstacks, as will be apparent in Fig. 3, to permit ya transfer arm i to transfer the bobbin under it in transfer position into one or the other of two alternately active shuttles only one of which is shown at S. The shuttle when at the replenishing end of the loom occupies shuttle box 2I on lay L.

The bobbins have butts or heads 22, a mass of yarn Y, and tips 23. The lower part of the yinner plate I4 is provided with a spacer lug 2 5 which separates the lowest bobbins of the'two stacks,

and front and back bobbin butt: supports 26 and 21, respectively, may be mounted in usual manner to yield whenever the lowest bobbin in the associated guideway or stack is being transferred. In similar manner, the tips of the bobbins may be held by yielding supports 28 and 29 mounted pivotally on the outer magazine plate I5.

The magazine is'ordinarily at rest inthe position shown in Fig. l, but can rock about stud I2. When a, replenishing operation is to occur the magazine will remain in its normal position if the .rear lowest bobbin B' is to be transferred, but if the lowest bobbin B is to be transferred the magazine will be rocked. The rocking mechanism includes a rod 30 pivotally connected'to plate I4, a second rod 3| operated by the shifting shuttle box motion (not shown), and a bell crank lever 32.

Except as indicated hereinafter the matterthus far described may be of the usual construction and operates in the usual manner. I

As already stated, the magazine can operate with various types of bobbins which, because of the diameter of their yarn masses or amount of yarn thereon, may not stack properly or feed properly down their guideways toward transfer position. The yarn diameter may begreater or less than the butt diameter or equal toit, and the bobbins may be either fully wound with weft extending practically the Vfull length thereof, or only partly wound. The magazine may thusbe supplied with an assortment of bobbins, some full and others only partly full. If alarge number of partly full bobbins are present the tip ends of the upper bobbins will slant downwardly far enough so that they can roll out of the magazine and with such a group of bobbins it will be desirable to make the tip guideways narrow. If the yarn ldiameter is less than the butt diameter it will then be additionally; desirable to Awiden the butt guideways. l

lln order to adapt the lmagazine for proper operation with these various types of bobbins I make each of the guideways adjustable as to width. Considering the forward butt guideway I6, for instance, the inner magazine plate I4 is formed with an integral flange or wall for the right hand parts of the bobbin butts in the left stack as viewed in Fig. 3, and the lower left part of guideway I6 may also be defined by a second integral flange or wall 36. The upper left hand part of the guideway, however, is formed by a plate I5 vto define the bobbin tip guideways.

4 movable wall 31 the lower end of which is pivoted as at 38 to the plate I4.

The upper part of the movable wall 31 is held in position byA means shown more particularly in Fig. 5. Th'eplate I4 is provided with a horizontal slot 46 and a series of holding teeth 4I on the inner or left hand side thereof, as viewed in Fig. 2. rThe wall 31 has a flange 42 lying fiat against the surface 43 of plate i4. Bolt 45 passes through the flange 42 and slot 40 and has .its outer end surrounded by a compression spring 46 located in the cylindrical shell or cup 131 of a yielding lock or holding member G8. The latter has teeth 49 which are normally urged into holding relationwith teeth 4I by the spring.

The movable back wall 50 for the rear guideway I1 is similar to the wall 31 except that its pivot 5I is lower than pivot 38. It is also held adjust/ably in position by mechanism similar to that shown in Fig. 5.

In like manner, the outer magazine plate I5 yis provided with adjustable front and back walls and 5G, respectively, to cooperate with flanges or walls 51 and 58, respectively, integral with The walls 55 and 56 are pivoted as at B0 and have bolts 6I, see Fig. 6, provided with the same character of fittings shown in Fig. 5 and passing through slots 52 in plate l5.

From the matter thus far described it will be apparent that each of the adjustable Walls 31, 50, 55 and56 can be moved readily from one position to another merely by movement of the `adjustable clamping or locking members 48 in directions to release teeth 49 from teeth 4I. After the walls have been moved to their new positions the members 48 can be released, whereupon their springs will reengage teeth 4I and 49 to hold the movable walls in their adjusted positions.

' lDiagrammatic Fig. 10 shows the normal arrangement of the bobbins when they areall fully wound and of a given weft diameter, as for instance when the latter equals the butt diameter. Both the butt and tip guideways. will be flared so that their walls diverge upwardly to permit the bobbins to be staggered to prevent rolling due to loom vibration. If the bobbins should not all be fully wound, and two of them have short masses of weft as in Fig. 11, the top bobbins will be tilted and will tend to fall out of the magazine.

Under these conditions the tip guideway will be too wide, and itsmovable wall will be moved toward the xed wall, thereby causing the tips to rise as they come more nearly into vertical alignment. The bobbins will then be in positions such as shown in Fig. 12, and will be in proper position for correct downward feeding.

A similar adjustment can be made if4 the yarn diameters are larger than the butt diameters and some of the' bobbins are only partly wound. If movement Aof the adjustable tip wall does not give all the correction needed the movable butt wall can be moved away from its xed wall. These adjustments can be made even if the yarn diameter equals the butt diameter, provided some of the bobbins are only partly full of weft.

It will therefore be seen that full and partly wound bobbins can be placed in the magazine stacks in any order and the movable walls adjusted to effect substantial horizontal alignment of the bobbins. These adjustments are able to move the bobbins as described due to the fact that the butt and tip guideways are normally flared upwardly, thus permitting adjustment of aries-,149

the 'movable walls toward their xed walls.

The inner and 'outer magazine plates are held together by a brace '65 having feet 66 secured tothe plates' and joined by a horizontal section Bf! the length of' which determines the distance between the magazine plates. The feet are suitably secured to their respective places as at 58 so that the outer plate I5 derives its entire support from the inner plate I4.

The second feature oi the invention relates to steadying or vibration preventing means for 'the magazine. As shown-in Figs. 3 and 7, the magazine support il is provided with two antivfibration members lo made as shown in Fig. 8. E'ach support has a shank threaded into the 'support H and held in adjusted longitudinal position bya lock nut 1l. The end of each member Til adjacent to the inner magazine plate I4 is provided witn a ball 12 which bears against an antifriction plate 73 secured to the magazine plate and rolls freely in its socket t9 when the magazine rocks. These members 10 are located a considerable distance below the pivot stud l2 and vwhen properly set to engage plate 'I3 prevent objectionable vibration of the magazine, par-- ticularly the outer plate. Obviously other forms of anti-friction devices than the balls 'l2 can be utilized, but whatever form the members 10 take the magazine when rocked incident to a replenishing operation will be caused to move with a minimum 'of twisting, and the lowest bobbins B and B will be parallel to the shuttle box 2i.

The rod 3u is connected to the magazine at a point not far removed from the steadying members 'lo and this relationship results in proper movement of the outer magazine plate I5 when the magazine is rocked. A spring 'M acts to return the magazine to normal position subsequent to swinging by rod 30.

IThe third feature of the invention relates to the vertical adjustment of the magazine. As shown in Fig. '7, support Il is provided with a stopping lug 'i5 which is adapted for engagement with one or the other of the front and back stop screws 16 and l1, respectively, which are mounted on the inner magazine plate i4. These screws are adjustable so as to determine the correct transfer positions of the lowest bobbins in the front and back stacks.

The previously described stud I2 has a shank 3Q rockable in the hub I3 and has an eccentric end 8| passing through a hub 82 on the inside magazine plate lll. Nut 84 clamps the hub 82 against shoulder 85 of stud l2 and lock nut 86 holds the setting. The nuts when loosened permit turning of stud l2 so that the eccentric 8l can cause rising or falling of the magazine as a whole. As shown in Fig. 9 the magazine is in its lowest position adaptable to small weft diameters, but the magazine would be raised to provide added clearance if large diameter wefts are wound on the bobbins. If there should be any back and forth movement of the magazine due to turning of the eccentric the adjusting screws 'i6 and 'Il can be altered to locate the lowest bobbins in the magazine correctly for transfer.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a magazine wherein bobbins of various amounts of weft wound thereon can be aligned so they will remain in the magazine and feed downwardly in their stacks toward transfer position. Any one of several assortments of bobbins can be placed in the guideways at random and when so placed the movable guideway walls can 6 be adjusted as described to establish thefwfidths of the guideways best suited' to the bobbins. While the movable-guideway walls have been described in connection with a particular kind of holding device, such as the members 48, I do not wish necessarily thus to' be limited, since any,7 suitable holding means by which theI adjusted widths of the guideways may be retained will serve thepurpose of the present invention. It will also be noted that the. steadying members 'lill are adjustable toward vand from the magazine and are at a considerable distance below the pivot stud l2 and not far from the pointr at which a turning force `is applied to the magazine by rod 30. Wear plate 'i3 is not essential but is desirable. Also, the eccentric studV iZpermits a'vertical adjustment of the magazine with respect to theshuttlebox, and the adjustable stop screiilsv 'i3 and 'VI afford compensation for' any back and forth misplacement of the lowest bobbins in the magazine resulting fromv adjustment of the eccentric. i v

Having thus described my invention it will be `seenthat changes and modicationsmay be'made therein by thoseskilled in the art without depart'- ing from thespirit and scope of the invention and I do no wish tobe limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

l. In a weft replenishing mechanism provided with bobbins which feed by gravity toward a transfer position'a guideway on said mechanism for the butts of -the bobbins, a guideway on said mechanism for the tipsy of the bobbins, and means associated with each guideway for increasing or decreasing the width thereof to permit bobbins in said guideways having varying amounts oi weft wound thereon to assume substantially horizontal positions.

2. In a weft replenishing mechanism provided with a stack of bobbins which move by gravity toward a horizontal transfer position, means on the mechanism dening a guideway for the butts of the bobbins, -other means on the mechanism dening a guideway for the tips of the bobbins, and adjusting means by which the width oi each guideway may be varied independently of fthe width o-f the other guideway for the purpose of causing bobbins having unequal amounts of weft wound thereon and which would normally be objecti-onably inclined to move toward horizontal positions.

3. In a weit replenishing mechanism operating with a plurality of bobbi-ns which move by gravity toward a horizontal transfer position, a wall permanently attached to said mechanism and forming one side of a bobbin butt guideway, a movable wall adjustably mounted on said mechanism forming the other side of said guideway for the butts of the bobbin, a second wall permanently connected to the mechanism forming one side of the guideway for lthe tips of the bobbins, and a second movable wall adjustably mounted on said mechanism forming the other side of the guideway for the tips of the bobbins, said ad-Y justable walls being capable independently of each other of assuming a plurality of positions with respect to their corresponding permanent walls to the end that bobbins in said guideways having varying amounts of yarn wound thereon and normally tending to have the tip ends below their butt ends may be caused to move toward horizontal posit-ions.

4. In a weft replenishing loo-m operating with a plurality of bobbins having varying amounts of weft wound thereon and all movable toward a horizontal transfer position by gravity, two walls permanently xed with respect to the mechanism and forming one side each of a bobbin butt guideway and a bobbin tip guidevvay, and two other Walls forming the other sides of said butt and tip guideways mounted for movement relatively` to the permanently xed Walls corresponding thereto and independently of each other to the end that the widths of both guideways mayr be adjusted for the purpose of causing said bobbins to move from inclined positions toward horizonltal positions.

\ 5. In a weft replenishing mechanism operating with a plurality of bobbins having unequal amounts of weft wound thereon and tending to move by gravity toward a common horizontal position, .two permanently xed walls on the mechanism, one for a bobbin butt guideway and the other for a bobbin tip guideWay, an adjustable wall on the mechanism for each guidevvay,

and readily releasable manually operable holding means for each adjustable wall whereby the latter can be moved relatively to the corresponding permanently fixed Wall for the purpose of readily varying the relative widths of said guideways .to the end that the Ktip ends of the bobbins can be raised relatively to their corresponding butt ends.

' 6. In a Weit replenishing mechanism provided with bobbins which feed by gravity toward a transfer position, a guideway on said mechanism for the butts of lthe bobbins, a guideway on said mechanism for the tips of the bobbins, and adjusting means by which the width of the bobbin tip guideway can be reduced to raise the tips of the bobbins when some of the latter are fully wound with weft and others are partly Wound with weft.

'7. In a weft replenishing mechanism provided with bobbins which feed by gravity toward a .transfer position, a bobbi-n butt guideway having walls normally diverging upwardly, a bobbin tip guideway also having Walls normally diverging upwardly, said Walls normally causing the bobbins to -be staggered relatively to each other, and means to adjust the Width of each guideway to the end that the width of the bobbin tip guideway can be reduced if some of the bobbins are `only partlyrw'ound with weft and the Width oi.' the bobbin butt guideway can be increased if the diameter of the yarn is less than the diameter of the butts.

RICHARD G. TURNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,381,796 Turner Aug. 7, 1945 2,391,602 Turner Dec. 25, 1945 2,437,627 Turner Mar. 9, 1948

Images