US2512428A - Weft stop motion for narrow ware looms - Google Patents

Description

June 20, 1950 O s. Hu c s 2,512,428

WEFT STOP MOTION FOR NARROW WARE LOOMS Filed Feb. 2, 1949 INVENTOR ALLAN S. HUTOHINS.

ATTORNEY.

Patented June 20, 195

WEFT STOP MOTION FOR NARROW WARE LOOMS Allan S. Hutchins, Oakham, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 2, 1949, Serial No. 74,069

12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in weft stop motions for narrow ware looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide such a motion which will be effective to stop the loom either upon weft breakage or weft slackness preceding substantial depletion of weft.

Narrow ware looms ordinarily operate with a large number of relatively small shuttles which are reciprocated on the lay by rack and pinion mechanism. The lay has a series of spaced shuttle clocks between which the warp sheds are located. The weft of each shuttle is usually wound on a small spool or quill which is rotatably mounted on the shuttle, and in the course of loom operation the thread from a quill may become either broken or sufficiently depleted to require replenishment. Narrow ware looms are ordinarily not equipped with any form of weft stop motion and considerable attention on the part of the weaver is required to watch the weft and stop the loom before any of the shuttles become depleted.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a weft stop motion including a weighted arm or the like normally sustained by the weft but moving by gravity to an indicating or stopping position when the weft either breaks or becomes unduly slack. The weighted arm or detecting member when in stopping position is moved by the shuttle to close an electric switch, preferably located on the lay, thereby initiating loom stoppage. I

The shuttle blocks of narrow ware lays are generally arranged in such manner that each block receives first one shuttle and then another shuttle. It is a further object of the invention to provide a weft stopping means so located with respect to a shuttle block as to be effective to stop the loom if breakage occurs in either of the two shuttles which may be received by the shuttle block.

Narrow ware shuttles ordinarily have spring tension means including eyes through which the weft is threaded when passing from the quill to the delivery eye on the bow of the shuttle. These tensions are ordinarily extended to produce the proper degree of tautness of the thread and the latter is therefore able to support the aforesaid weighted detector arm. Heretofore it has been customary to wind the entire length of weft on I the quills in one direction so that as the weft unwinds it is kept taut by the tension means throughout the whole time that the shuttle is weaving.

It is another object of the present invention to provide the quill with weft part of which has a reverse wind so that when this part of the weft is reached during the depletion of weft on the quill the thread will suddenly become slack although not broken and due to this slackness the weighted detector will be free to fall and effect loom stoppage. It is not necessary that all of the quills have this reverse wind, since the rate of consumption of the weft is likely to be the same for all shuttles, and it will sufiice if only one quill has the reverse wind.

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

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

Fig. l is a front elevation of part of the lay of the narrow ware loom having the invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan View of one of the shuttles and its shuttle block looking in the direction of arrow '2, Fig. 1, and showing the detector arm in normal or raised position,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3, Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a view similar to a part of Fig. 2 but showing the detector arm in stopping position,

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a stopping electric circuit which can be used with the invention,

Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views showing the reverse wind on the quill,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the weighted detector members which when in fallen position effects loom stoppage, and

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view taken in a direction across the quill showing the detector member and related parts.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the loom lay L has a beam Ill in which a rack II is mounted for horizontal reciprocation by any of the wellknown narrow ware shuttle motions not illustrated herein. This rack meshes with a series of pinions which in turn mesh with the shuttles. As shown in Fig. 1 four spaced shuttle blocks l2, 53, hi and I5 are mounted on the lay and each shuttle block has rotatable therein one of the sheaves IB meshing with the rack l I. Each block has shuttle guiding slots or grooves I1 and I8 and the blocks are so arranged that the curved slot i! of one block will be concentric with the curved slot I8 of an adjacent block. The shuttles have the usual racks not shown on their under sides to mesh with the sheaves so that as the rack H is reciprocated the shuttles move from one block to another across warp spaces H] in which are located beat-up reeds 20. In Fig. 1 shuttles SI, S2, S3 and 54 are shown in the blocks 12 to l5, respectively, in readiness for movement to the left.

It will be apparent from 1 that during the runnin of the loom each block supports two shuttles alternately. Thus, block it is shown in Fig. l as supporting shuttle S3 for one beat-up of the lay, but on the next pick shuttle S3 will have moved to block 15 and shuttle .552 will have moved from block Hi to block ill. Block [4 therefore supports the shuttles S2 and S3, first one and then the other,- during successive beat-up motions of the lay, andthis is true of all except the end shuttle blocks.

Each shuttle as shown more particularly in Fig. 2 has a quill compartment 25 across which extends a pin 25 on which is rotatably mounted a quill or spool 21. The weft W is wound on 'thexquilland .a tension .pad'ZS is pressed against wthecback of the weft on the quill .-.to.resist rota- .tionof the.quill..on.the.r.od 25-and help tension .the weft. Theshuttle hasmovable tension eyes :30, 3| .and.32.and-a weftdelivery eye.33.

weftextends fromthe top of the quill to and .through the tension eyes .31], .31 and .32 in the order named .andthen outthedelivery eye 33. .It :is not thought necessary .to show the pull back springs associated with the eyes .3il32,

since they are well understood and it is thought sufficient to state that during loom operation these eyes will be extended as shown in Fig. 2 and keep the weft taut.

The matter thusfar describedis of common construction innarrow ware' looms and of itself forms no part of the present invention.

In carrying the invention into effect -.rneans are provided byrwhich-the loom can be stopped it the-weft'W either breaks or becomes slack to a degree which cannot be compensated for by retraction of the tension-eyes 3B'32. This stopping means is preferablyapplied-to-each of the shuttles, but certain featuresof my invention do not require that each shuttle -be-thus equi ppedi Fig. 4, is below-detector 3-B,--while link 4-3 at the left is above it, and 'these links limit angular motion of the detector-relatively to the shuttle. Each eye 3'! and'33 is located between its corresponding coils ll and'endwise motion of detector member 36 onmodfiisthus limited.

Secured to'thelaybeam-is 'an electric switch 45 having an upright arm "'46 extending from a switch box dlheld infixed position on the lay. Arm 46 is normally in backor non-stopping position, ortoward the quillilythus enabling switch 25 to be normally open. If desired a resilient holding or'detent wire"5il maybe secured to the box fl, *as'"at"5l,'a.nd extends rearwardly -and-has an inclined end-'orfingertl normally forward of arm 4.6.

Under-normal'conditions the weft-will pass -under the 'forward'part 55 of-the detector mem- The ber 38 in front of rod 35. So long as the weft is taut, as indicated in Fig. 2, it holds the detector 36 in raised non-stopping position with the weft engaging detector part 55 above the switch arm 18 and the switch therefore remains in its open position.

When the weft breaks, asiindicated in Fig. 4, the detector wire 35 by its weight falls to a position under the rod 35 against stop link t2, and

.as the shuttle moves one or the other of two bent .or cam sections 56 on detector 36 will pass be- "hind and engage the upright arm 45 and move it forwardly to stopping position, thereby closing switch 15. .The stop or limiting link it, by its engagement with detector 35 near its eye 3?, prevents the detector 36 from moving rearwardly beyond its normal or operating position when engaging the upright arm :38. As the switch arm it moves forwardly the detent 5i? snaps behind it and holds it. in its forward or closed position.

When switch '.is,,closed ;.the electric circuit shown .in Fig; 5 :is closed, this pcircuit including wsecondaryliil aof .a.transformer T, the switch t5, -wire .59, a solenoid 60, ,a. stationary contact 5 l plate 62 on. a.-s'hip.per lever=fi3.and wire 64 to the ground. :Since the.other;side .of the secondary -58 is also .groundedathis circuit :will be energized,

zwhereuponithe solenoidliftsa link .65 into the -pathof .a regularly oscillating .lever .66, whereuponthe-zlatter .movesathe :link to'the right as .viewed,:in,Fi g...5; androcksthe shipper lever 63 .tothe right :to ieffectnloomstoppage and at the ..sa.me time breahcontactibetween :plate 62 and --contact 18!. For. detailsof the stopping mechanism reference imaybe .had .to :prior Patent No. 1,873,465.

.noid:li(l npona-bri'eiclosure of switch 45 such as might occurduring vtheshort time that a shuttle is relatively stationary in one of the shuttle boxes. Before-restarting the loom the weaverwill release arm 46 from the detent.

One feature ;of the invention is set forth in .Fig. i1, where it :Will be seen that a stopping .switchis .provided foreveryother shuttle box.

The switch thus far described and-indicated at '45, is-associated with shuttle block, but there will be another similar switch 18 in front of shuttle-block t2, and similarlythere may be a switch for-every secondshuttle block. From an block I l and its detector will also be able to .close switch $55- if itswef-tis broken or slackened. "The-switch "#5 is centrally "located-with respect toblock 14 along the "length of the "lay, and this relationship is 'true' of the "other switch and the shuttles, 'beingsimilar andtheir guide slots I? and l'8'being alike "for eachblock; each-shuttle when moving to a-shuttle block associated with aswitch 'boxwill beable to effect loom stoppage if its "detector 36 is in down position.

Another feature er the 'invention relates to stopping 1 by effecting a slack-ness of the thread "when a predetermined condition of weft depletion has been reached. Figs. 6 and '7 showdia- "grammatically the way in which 'the weft is after loom stoppage. ;'is located centrally of every second shuttle .u-hd on the quill when this feature of the in-Y; Vent ionis used. The barrel 'Hof the quillhas. a, few residual wraps 12 of weft wound thereon.' These wraps need not be many in number but will represent a sufficient length of threadto, prevent complete exhaustion of the quillbfoife'. theloom can be stopped by the stopping mecha-I nisms. This inner body of weft is wound on; the" have been shown with curved guidej'slots but;

the invention is not limited to such slots. When" they are used centrifugal force aids gravity to" barrel in a right hand direction, starting" at a2 point 13, see Fig. 6, and ceiling around the'barrell ll for several turns in a clockwise direction The weft is then reversed as at 14 and wrapped around the barrel in the opposite orcountericlockwise direction forseveral turns to produce a second bodyor layer 15 of weft which ends at apoint l6. Fromthe latterpoint the weft :is again wound in a clockwise direction untilthe quill is full of weft to provide an outerlayer H.

The quill thus formed will have a small'inner winding of weft of one hand and a much larger, outer winding of the same hand, and there will be an intermediate winding ofthe reverse hand;

If the reverse winding is made lon enough it :may be possible to dispense with the inner layer, '12.

When a full quill wound as indicated in Fig. 6 is moved back and forth through the warp ished it will turn in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 6 and the tension eyes 32 "will keep the thread sufliciently tautto hold the detector 36 in the elevated position shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6. As Weaving continues rand the outer layer 11 of regular wound weft used up the reverse winding is reached, wherezupon conditions become as indicated in Fig.7 :and the yarn forming the reverse winds will lloosen and produce more slackness than the tension eyes 3B32 can take up. The detector wire 35 will thereupon drop to its stopping or r'indic atlng position shown in full lines in Fig. '7. lLuom stoppage will then result as already de- .:scribed, but the weft of the quill will be intact :so that no mispick will occur in the cloth. 'If desired, the winding arrangement shown in Figs move the detector 36 to'stoppingposition.

Having thus described the invention it will be seen that changes and modifications of the fore going specific disclosure maybe made without" departing from the spirit and scope of the" invention. I

What is claimed as new is: 1. Ina ,weft detecting system for a narrow ware loom having a'lay provided "withshuttle' blocks, a normally open electric switch'on lay in front of one of said" blocks, ashuttle' moving to said one block from'another lfloclb during loom operation, a, detector. on the shuttle? normallyfheld in non-stopping position away from the switch by the weft in the shuttle whenthe weft is taut but moving to stopping-position when the .weft breaks or is unduly slack, the detector when in stopping positionand due to motion of the shuttle from said other block to 6 and '7 can be used for all the shuttles, but this IWlll not be necessary if all the quills have at Iileast as much weft as is represented by layers .11 and 15 at the start of weaving. In that event :a single quill will suffice and when its reverse "winding is reached there will still be enough weft on the other quills to last until the loom :is stopped. The weaver can then renew the weft in all the shuttles.

"to close the switch. The resilient wire detent can if desired be used to hold the upright 1 .arm 46 in closed position, and will of course be released by the weaver before weaving is resumed Also, the detector switch block in such position that it can cooperate with either of two shuttles which are alternately supported by the block. Furthermore, the reverse 4 wind of the quill automatically produces an excess slackness of weft when a predetermined degree of weft consumption is reached, thereupon permitting the detector wire 36 to fall to stopping position even though the thread remains .intact. Only one quill with a reverse wind is "needed, provided all of the other quills have a said one'block effecting closure-"of said switch,"- and means effectingloom stopping incidentlto closure of said switch. 13; 2. In a weft detecting system f or'= a narrowware loom having a, lay provided -withf'shuttle blocks, a, normally open electric'switch on the layin frontof one of said blocks, a" shuttle move ing to said one block from another block during. loom operation; ,a detector on-th'e' shuttle-hora mally held in non-stopping position away f-rom the switch against the action of gravity'lby the weft when the latteris taut but moving by gravity to stoppingposition when the-weft breaks or is unduly slack, the detector when in stopping position and moved-why the shuttle fromother block to said one block effecting ciosu or said switch, and means effecting loom" stopping incident to closure of saidswitc h.

In a weft detecting system, for a narrow ware loom having a lay and 'shuttleblocks' spaced tnerealong, a shuttle moving in the general direction of the length of the lay fromone of said shuttle blocks to another of said shuttl'e "blocks, awef't detector in the shuttle'norinallyin non stopping position when the weft of the shuttle taut but moving to stopping position when the weft is broken orunduly slack, a normallyo'pen eiectric's'witch on the 'lay closed by the detector when the latter is' in stopping position and moved by the shuttle lengthwise of the lay tc engage the switch, and means to stop the loom incident to closure of said switch. i

4. In an electric weft detecting system for: narrow ware loom having a lay provided with 'a shuttle moving in the direction of the length 1-01 the lay, a 'normally'open electric 'switchon the lay, a weft detector in the shuttle normally held in non-stopping position when the weft of the shuttle is taut but moving to stopping position whenthe Weft is broken or slack, said detector when in stopping position and due to movement of the shuttle along the length of the lay effecting closure of said switch, and means. stopping the loom incident to closure of said switch.

5. In an electric weft detecting system for a narrow ware loom having a lay provided with a shuttle moving in a curved path, a normally open electric switch on the lay on the convex side of said path, a weft detector in the shuttle normally held in non-stopping position when the weft is taut and aided to move to stopping position by centrifugal force as the shuttle moves along said and hayiq ai qthe inz er art thex eof wound oiithe, {quill t ereva direction, detector" 6n" stb g positioni'wl lefi theweftis slack; theweft bihgjnbgiie i 'ta'ugf to support the detector 'in no" topping' posi on, the weft when sta'rting"to" s'a'id iii'ner part' thereof becoming ofjsuppo'rting the detector," whereuboh the detector moves to stopping"po-" I e; "fmeans" 'deperidex'it then the detector position to efiet loqm St'opf-f o iter windinfg a. weft; detetoi' iii the "shuttle held iii nonintli'geting position so long als witiitaut and. is 'being linwo iho. from: said oflter' wifidir'ig but moyihg tolindieating position diieto latk ness of the weft when the latter "during the windi l lg thereo; re aehes said winding of opposite and; nd' s ans f tfi j m t e n' r dent toihgjyemehtpI the detectoi to indi eatin position.

11. In a weit deteeting system for a narrow wai e loom operating witha sh1 1tt1e, a) weft quill rotatable on the shuttle hevizig'f ah outer 'layer of w eft wound or; the quill in one direction cav ei i hg an ir la ye of weft wound on the quill in' the oppos t glirectioma weitjdetector normally held inj nonfstopping position by weft whichis oimel yf afit h n llwi, 8, mm l ater h e t w len, nwi o I' a 5 nor layer becoming slack; Whreiiiaon the dtotor moves to stoppipg position; an clj'n'ieans effectihg lopm stoppa'ge when tlleldleteotor isin Stopping w l l 12. In,a. weft, detecting system for, a narrow were loom operetingl'with'a shuttle movingelo ng aj lay, a weft quilfroteltable on the shuttle haw- N9 retf ree e r itqd-

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