US2534487A - Picker stick - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 19, 1950 T. R. WAGELEY PICKER suck 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 3, 1948 Will, u w .0

Tevis Wagelqy Dec. 19, 1950 T. R. WAGELEY 2,534,437

PICKER STICK Filed March 5, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 vlllgl ggg qlllllll/ ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 19, 1950 PICKER STICK Tevis R. Wageley, Martin'sburg, W. Va, assignor of one-half to Dunn Woolen Company, Martinsburg,W. Va.

Application March 3, 1948, Serial No. 12,799

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in protection devices for picker sticks for looms and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to improved safety fasteners for such picker sticks.

It is well-known that the picker stick which is employed on looms for the purpose of casting the shuttle across the warp often has its motion accidently interrupted such as by the defective working of the box motion 01' other causes and under such conditions the picker stick is likely .to become broken and rendered inoperative. Such damage to the picker stick, furthermore, usually results in serious damage to other working parts of the loom and the shuttles.

Efforts have been made in the past to minimize the likelihood of injury to picker sticks by the incorporation of safety fasteners or other releasing devices in the picker stick or its pivotal support whereby to release the picker stick in the event it becomes caught in operation. Such devices have been ineffective in that the picker stick often accidently becomes released during its normal operation, particularly upon the occasion of bumper impact, and operation of the loom must be interrupted until the stick is replaced. Any attempt to adjust the device so that the picker stick will not become dislodged upon bumper impact necessarily results in such tight tension on the latch or other fastening means that the picker stick will not be released when it is necessary.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to avoid the foregoing and other defects of prior art devices and to provide a picker stick safety construction which is operative to release the picker stick only at necessary times during its cycle of movement and which will prevent release of the picker stick after it has made its sweep and encounters impact with the bumper. Thus, the invention contemplates a safety latch construction whereby the picker stick cannot accidently become dislodged.

A further object and advantage of the invention is to provide such a device which is composed of a minimum number of parts and which is simple in construction and positive in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the principles of the invention has been selected for exemplification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a picker stick iii) and support therefore constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows but with the rocking arm removed.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view, similar to Fig. 1, but showin the picker stick in its outermost position and the position of the parts after release of the safety mechanism; and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view, similar to Fig. 2, but taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, the picker stick I0 is provided at its upper or free end with the usual picker 12. the inward thrust of which causes the throw of the shuttle, indicated at A, across the warp. The picker stick l0 receives intermittent oscillatory motion from the usual reciprocating bar or sweep stick which is connected to the picker stick in any suitable manner, such as by the lug strap l4 shown.

The. lower end of picker stick la is pivotally attached to a traveling stud Hi. The stud I6 is supported for sliding movement in a guide frame l8 which'is channeled to receive the enlarged or base portion ll of the stud l6 and which is itself secured by the stud Hi to the rocking arm of the loom. indicated at 2a.

A bumper impact collar 22 embraces a portion of the. picker stick ID at. its pivot point and is secured to the stud It by nut 24 for pivotal movement together with the picker stick. The bumper impact device 22 is provided with an integral laterally projecting lug 26, as shown, the purpose of which will be later apparent.

The traveling stud I6 is normally held in stationary position by a locking key 28 having a flanged outer end which abuts a lug 30 carried by the guide frame [8 and which is provided at its inner end with a beveled projection 32 which seats normally in a recess 34 provided in the traveling base portion l1 integral with the stud I6. The locking key 28 and traveling stud base I! are normally held in engagement, as shown in Fig. 2, by means of bolt 38 and spring 36, the tension of which may be adjusted by nut 40. Locking collar 28 is further provided with an integral laterally extending lug 42 which is offset from the plane of and underlies the lug '26 carried by bumper impact collar 22.

The operation of the various parts of the device above described will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. At'the time of impact with the bumper, upon inward or forward thrust of the picker stick ill, the lug 26 which pivots with the picker stick will overlie the lug 42 as shown in Fig. 1 whereby to prevent the tendency of stud base I! and locking collar 28 to separate as the result of the impact whereby to avoid undesired accidental release of the picker stick 10. However, upon outward thrust of the picker by rearward pivotal movement of the picker stick ID, the various parts will assume the position wherein the locking lug 26 moves pivotally to a position offset from and free of the lug 42 so that the locking key 28 is free to resist the tension of spring 36 and release the traveling stud 16 in the event the picker becomes caught, thus to release the picker stick It] to prevent damage to the parts. The operation is such that when the picker stick l reaches its outwardmost position, the lug 25 has been pivoted so as to permit the key 28 to move against the tension of the spring 36. The action of the spring 35 is suflicient under normal operating conditions to keep the key 28 in its locked relation with the lug 38 and the projection 32 seated in the recess 34. However, when the picker stick It is caught or meets an obstruction at its extreme outward position, the movement or force imparted to the stick lli by the reciprocating bar M overcomes the tension of the spring 36 so that the key 28 and the projection 32 are released from their fixed positions permitting the flange l? of the bolt It to ride in the slide [8 so that the pivot previously provided by the bolt It moves and is no longer operative. The picker stick will then, in effect, be inoperative. It will be apparent that the device of the invention is operable as a safety means to release the picker stick it upon any abrupt interruption of its sweeping motion and is also operable as a lock to prevent accidental release of the picker stick as the result of bumper impact whereby to avoid unnecessary interruption of the operation of the loom.

It will be understood that the precise structure herein shown and described is exemplary only oi the principles of the invention which embrace such modified construction and arrangement of parts as are embodied Within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a picker stick movable in a path which includes a position of bumper impact, slidable pivot means for supporting said picker stick, means for holding said pivot means in a fixed pivotal axis, said holding means being releasable to permit sliding movement of said pivot means away from its fixed axis, and means to prevent release of said holding means when the picker stick is in bumper impact position.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the release preventing means is carried by the picker stick.

3. In combination with a loom including a picker stick movable in a path which includes a position of bumper impact, a track secured to the loom adjacent the base of the picker stick, a pivot support for the picker stick slidably mounted on said track, means for holding said picker stick support on a fixed pivotal axis, said holding means being releasable to permit sliding movement of said support along said track away from its fixed axis, and means to prevent release of said holding means when the picker stick is in bumper impact position.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the release preventing means is carried by the picker stick.

5. In a picker stick, means for supporting the picker stick on a pivotal fixed axis for describing a path of picking motion, means operable to release the picker stick from its fixed pivotal axis when its path of motion is interrupted, and means for preventing operation of said releasing means during a selected portion of said path.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein the path of picking motion includes a position of bumper impact and the release preventing means is operable only when the picker stick is in substantially such position.

TEVIS R. WAGELEY.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 665,904 Heibel Jan. 15, 1901 742,695 Marcy Oct. 27, 1903 1,488,532 Douglass Apr. 1, 1924 2,527,385 Alix Oct. 24, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 18,786 Great Britain of 1894

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