US2713357A - Shuttle check for loom - Google Patents

Description

G. N. PETERSON SHUTTLE CHECK FOR LOOM Filed May 27, 1953 July 19, 1955 United States Patent() SHUTTLE CHECK FOR LOOM George N. Peterson, Grafton, Mass., assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 27, 1953, Serial No. 357,755 12 claims. (c1. 139-186) This invention relates to a shuttle box providing checking means for a shuttle and it is the general object of the invention to provide checking means which isbrought into action by the shuttle itself as it vmoves in the shuttle box. i

Looms operating with stationary weft supplies ordi= narily employ small shuttles which are propelledv at high speed. Because of the rate at which the shuttles travel and their size the usual type of shuttle checks found on broad looms employing much larger shuttles are not satisfactory due partly at least to angular motion of the usual shuttle check or brake. Such looms ordinarily have a form of shuttle guide to direct the shuttle through the warp shed and the shuttle box must be capable of delivering a shuttle in accurate alignment with the guides.

It is an importantv object of the present invention to provide a shuttle box adapted more particularly for a small thread gripper shuttle wherein one side of the shuttle box is formed as a checking member mounted for movement lengthwise of the shuttle box and is associated with control means, which may include inclined plane means, which forces the checking member against the shuttle incident to its lengthwise movement and maintains it parallel to the shuttle box axis. The checking member is set into lengthwise motion by operating means moved by the shuttle and having connection with the checking member. The operating means extends into the path of the shuttle to be moved by the latter incident to its movement into the shuttle box.

It is a further object of the invention to provide the shuttle checking member with means which will permit it to move lengthwise of the shuttle box but at the same time remain under control of the inclined plane means.

It is a still further objectief the invention to provide return means which will restore the movable shuttle check-v ing member to its normal position along the length of the shuttle box when the shuttle is picked.

In a modified form of the invention the shuttle box is l made with a wall which is also movable lengthwise of the shuttle box and has operating means similar to that of the checking member to be engaged by the shuttle for the purpose of moving the wall simultaneously with the checking member. In this form of the invention any heat which may be developed incident to frictional sliding of' surfaces will be developed at points spaced from the shuttle and the latter can be made of metal without risk that heat resulting from frictional resistance will be developed directly in it.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example two embodiments of the invention and in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of part of a loom having the preferred form of the invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing part of the structure set forth in Fig. 1, the shuttle being indicated as ompletely boxed,

,... 2,713,357 Ice Patented July 19 1955 Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse vertical sections on lines 3-3 and 4-4, respectively, Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on line 5--5, Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the relation of the parts upon entrance of a shuttle into the shuttle box and also just before the checking member starts to move lengthwise of the shuttle box,

Fig. 7 is a view on a reduced scale similar to Fig. 2 but showing the modified form of the invention,

Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged transverse sections on lines 8.-8 and 9--9, respectively, Fig. 7, and

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner of operation of the modied form of the invention.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the loom frame 1 supports a breast beam 2 to which is secured a shuttle box support 3. The loom is provided with shuttle guides 4 to direct the shuttle S in its flight across the ,loom toward a shuttle box designated generally at B. The loom mayA operate with a stationary supply of weft 5 and a weft presenter 6 which holds the weft or filling thread F in position for attachment to the shuttle. The details of the presenter and shuttle are omitted herein but can be made n in any approved form.

tive purposes to show one manner in which the invention can be utilized. The shuttle box to be set forth hereinafter however is not necessarily limited in its use to such parts of the loom as have already been described.

ln carrying the preferred form of the invention into effect the support 3 has a bracket 10 bolted thereto as at l1 to support a horizontal plate 12 secured in adjusted back and forth position on plate 12 by screws 13. The plate will generally be horizontal and support the several parts which form the shuttle box. The plate may have a slot 14 for a picker stick or the like 15, although the particular mechanism for picking the shuttle out of the shuttle box B need not necessarily use the stick and slot such as set forth for instance in Figs. 3 and 4.

The shuttle box B includes in its construction a front wall 20 provided with transverse slots 21 to receive screws 22 which are tapped into the base plate 12 as shown for instance in Fig. 3. The wall 20 has a rear shuttle engaging surface 23 which as shown herein is concave or V-` shaped in cross section, see Fig. 3. In the preferred form of the invention the wall 2t) is held stationary on the plate 12 and the shuttle engaging surface 23 will be parallel toA the aligned guides 4 so that the shuttle S when moved out of the shuttle box can be delivered correctly to the guides.

The wall 20 forms one side of the shuttle box and as` shown herein will engage the front edge 24 of the shuttle S.

YThe rear part of the shuttle box includes a shuttle checking member 30 which is mounted for sliding motion on plate-12 lengthwise of the shuttle box. The member 30 has a shuttle engaging surface 31 which may be similar to surface 23 and parallel thereto. The shuttle' has a rear edge 32 parallel to its front edge 24 to engage the surface 31 when the shuttle is in the shuttle box.

Operating means are provided whereby motion of the"l shuttle as it approaches the end of its travel into the shuttle box can cause lengthwise movement of the checking member 30. As set forth herein this operating means may be an integral part or lug 34 extending into the shuttle box and across the path traversed by the shuttle. A spring 35 interposed between an upright pin 36 on the checking member 30 and a pin 37 projecting upwardlyv from stop lug 38 on the plate 12 tends normally to hold 12 as shown for instance in Fig. 3 to hold the guide 40 for lateral adjustment but normally against transverse and lengthwise motion relative to the shuttle box. Secured to the top of the guide member are right and left retaining plates 43 and 44, respectively, which are held in position on the guide means by screws 45 and overhang the rear part of the checking member 30.

The checking member Sil has on the side thereof opposite its shuttle engaging surface 31 a surface 46 which is inclined toward the axis of the shuttle box and in. the direction of motion of the shuttle as it enters the box B, or in a direction from the inner shuttle receiving end 47 of the shuttle box toward the outer end 48 thereof. In similar manner the guide means 4% has an inclined surface Si) which is parallel to the inclined surface 46. Between the two surfaces 46 and 5? there may be interposed a plurality of anti-friction elements S1, such as balls, carried if desired by a cage 52 which supports the elements as a unit. Transverse tension springs S extend between pins S6 extending upwardly from checking member and pins 57 extending upwardly from the guide means 40. These springs 55 hold the movable inclined edge 46 against the balls 51 and hold the latter against the xed inclined surface and have the effect of causing these inclined surfaces to remain parallel when the checking member is moved lengthwise of the shuttle box. The inclined surfaces 46 and 50 are in efl'ect control means which determine the character of motion of the checking member as it moves toward the outer end of the shuttle box.

In the operation of the form of the invention thus far described the checking member 30 will normally be held against stop 38 by spring 35, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6, prior to entry of the shuttle S into the shuttle box. adjacent to but spaced somewhat inwardly from the outer end 48 of the shuttle box. As the shuttle approaches the shuttle box, having been picked from the right hand side of the loom as contemplated in Fig. 6, it will leave the guides 4 from the full line position shown in Fig. 6 and pass between the surfaces 23 and 31 until its advancing end engages the lug 34, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 6. During this travel of the shuttle into the shuttle box the checking member 30 will remain substantially at rest, but as soon as the shuttle engages t ment of the inclined surface 46 along the anti-friction :t

elements in a direction parallel to inclined surface 50 and the members 30 and 40 will cooperate with the operating means and shuttle to cause a bodily transverse motion of the member 3i) relative to the shuttle box which will force surface 31 against edge 32 of the shuttle which in turn will force edge 24 of the shuttle against surface 23 of the front box wall. During transverse motion of member 30 its shuttle engaging surface 31 will remain parallel to wall 20. The shuttle will therefore be subjected to a lateral force which will stop it very promptly. The antifriction elements may be omitted if desired.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 7 the checking member 30 and guide unit 4t) and part associated therewith will be the same as described in connection with the preferred form, but the front wall member 60 will be made so it can slide lengthwise of the shuttle box along a second guide member 61 fastened to the base plate 12 in a manner similar to the wall 20. A spring 62 acts as indicated in Fig. 7 to hold the sliding front wall. 60 to the right against a stop 63 on part 12 and retaining plates 64 and 65 similar to plates 43 and 44 will be secured to part 61 and overhang the sliding wall 60. In order that the wall 69 may be moved by the shuttle it is provided with an operating means, such as The operating means such as the lug 34 will be lug 67 similar to lug 34, which extends into the path of the shuttle to be engaged and moved by the latter.

In this modiiied form of the invention the shuttle entering the box will move into the shuttle box and engage both the lugs 34 and 67 to move the members 36 and 60 simultaneously lengthwise of the shuttle box in the direction of travel of the shuttle, or from the full line to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 10. In

' this modified form there will be no appreciable relative motion between the edges 24 and 32 of the shuttle and :he lengthwise movable box parts 30 and 60. As the member 30 moves transversely of the shuttle box the wall member 60 will be forced forwardly against a fixed surface 70 parallel to the box axis on the shuttle box member 61. Any heat which is developed by frictional sliding of part 60 along surface 70, or resulting from movement of inclined surface 46, will therefore be developed at points spaced from the shuttle. When the shuttle is picked out of the modied form of box shown in Fig. 7 the spring 35 will act as already described and in addition spring 62 will return the slide wall 60 to the right, or in engagement with stop 63 as shown in Fig. 7.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention sets forth simple means wherein the shuttle when moving into the shuttle box causes a combined lengthwise and transverse motion of the shuttle checking member 30 with respect to the shuttle box. It will further be seen that the parallelism of the surfaces 46 and 50 is maintained during lengthwise motion of the member 30 and for this reason the shuttle engaging surface 31 will remain parallel to the surface 24 on the shuttle wall and a close fit between these surfaces and the contacting sides of the shuttle will be maintained throughout the checking operation. Also, the springs permit the bodily transverse and lengthwise motion of the checking member 30 with respect to the shuttle box and the spring 35 restores the checking member to normal position when the shuttle is picked. In the modified form of the invention the shuttle wall slides and is returned to its normal position by spring 62, and the wall has operating means, such as the lug 67, to be moved by the advancing shuttle. The inclined surfaces on the checking and guide members may be considered to be control means which control the motion of the checking member and cause it to move toward the shuttle box wall when being moved toward the outer end of the shuttle box by the shuttle.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

l. In a shuttle box having an inner receiving end and an outer end toward which a shuttle travels after entering the receiving end, the shuttle box having parallel front and back sides, a wall extending along one side of the shuttle box, a checking member extending along the opposite side of the shuttle box mounted for lengthwise movement with respect to the shuttle box and having a shuttle engaging surface parallel to said wall, operating means associated with the checking member located along the path of the shuttle beyond said inner end of the shuttle box to be moved by the shuttle after the latter has entered said inner end of the box and is traveling toward said outer end of the box and when so moved causing said lengthwise movement of the checking member, and control means cooperating with said operating means and the shuttle effective when the checking member has said lengthwise movement to give the checking member a lateral bodily movement toward said wall to exert a stopping force on the shuttle and maintain said surface on the checking member parallel to said wall and the shuttle during said lateral movement.

2. The shuttle. box set forth in claim 1 wherein said control means includes two parallel surfaces inclined toward the axis of the shuttle box in the direction of motion of the shuttle into the shuttle box, one of said inclined surfaces being stationary with respect to the shuttle box and the other inclined surface being on the checking member.

3. In a shuttle box for the shuttle of a loom, a wall extending along one side of the shuttle box, a shuttle checking member extending along the opposite side of the shuttle box mounted for bodily movement lengthwise of the shuttle box, said wall and member having shuttle engaging surfaces substantially parallel to the axis of the shuttle box, operating means extending into the shuttle box moved by the shuttle incident to entry of the shuttle into the shuttle box and when thus moved effecting movement of the checking member lengthwise of the shuttle box in the direction of motion of the shuttle, and a guide member for the checking member on the shuttle box held against lengthwise movement relative to the shuttle box, said members having surfaces inclined toward the axis of the shuttle box and in said direction of motion of the shuttle cooperating when the checking member has said lengthwise movement thereof to effect bodily transverse movement of the checking member toward the shuttle to force the latter against said wall while maintaining the shuttle engaging surface of the checking member parallel t0 the axis of the shuttle box.

4. The shuttle box set forth in claim 3 wherein antifriction elements are interposed between the inclined surfaces of said checking and guide members.

5. The shuttle box set forth in claim 3 wherein resilient means act to maintain the inclinde surface on the checking member in the same position relative to the inclined surface on the guide member during said lengthwise movement of the checking member.

6. The shuttle box set forth in claim 3 wherein resilient means holds the checking member in normal position with said operating means positioned for engagement with the shuttle and yields to permit said lengthwise movement of the checking member and returns the latter to normal position when the shuttle leaves the shuttle box.

7. The shuttle box set forth in claim 3 wherein said wall is mounted to slider lengthwise of the shuttle box and has operating means similar to said operating mean of the checking member effective when moved by the shuttle to move the wall lengthwise of the shuttle box simultaneously with the checking member. n

8. The shuttle box set forth in claim 7 wherein a second guide member on the shuttle box is provided fc.' the wall along which the latter slides, any heat resulting from movement ofthe checking member relative to the first named guide member or movement of the wall along the second guide member being developed at points spaced from the shuttle.

9. In a shuttle box having an inner end to receive an approaching shuttle and having a shuttle engaging wall extending along one side thereof from the inner to the outer end of the box, a shuttle checking member on the other side of the shuttle box having a shuttle enga"- ing surface on one side thereof facing said wall and having on the opposite side thereof a surface inclined toward the outer end of the shuttle box and the axis of the latter, a guide member fixed with respect to the shuttle box having an inclined surface substantially parallel to said inclined surface of the checking member, and

means on the checking member extending into the path of the shuttle to be engaged by the latter and moved thereby and when thus moved effecting lengthwise movement of the checking member with respect to the shuttle box, said inclined surfaces on the checking member and guide member effecting movement of the checking member toward said wall and against the shuttle incident to movement of said operating means by the shuttle.

l0. ln a shuttle box having an inner end to receive an approaching shuttle and having a wall extending along one side thereof from the inner to the outer end of the box, a shuttle checking member mounted for lengthwise movement on the shuttle box having a shuttle engaging surface facing the wall on one side thereof and having on the opposite side thereof a surface inclined toward the axis of the shuttle box and the outer end of the latter, guide means having an inclined surface substantially parallel to said inclined surface on the checking member, and a part of said checking member adjacent to the outer end of the shuttle box extending into the path of the shuttle to be engaged by the latter and moved by the shuttle incident to its movement into the shuttle box to give a lengthwise movement to the checking member in the direction of motion of the shuttle, said inclined surfaces cooperating during said lengthwise movement of the checking member by the operating means to move the checking member transversely of the shuttle box to force the shuttle engaging surface on the checking member against the shuttle and in turn force the latter against the shuttle engaging surface of said wall.

l1. The shuttle box set forth in claim l0 wherein said wall is mounted for sliding movement with respect to the shuttle box in the direction of the length of the latter and is provided with a part similar to said part on the shuttle checking member extending into the path of the shuttle and moved by the latter to cause simultaneous movement of said wall with the checking member in a direction from the inner end to the outer end of the shuttle box.

l2. In a shuttle box having an inner end to receive the approaching shuttle and having a wall extending along one side thereof from the inner end to the outer end of the box, a checking member mounted for lengthwise movement with respect to the shuttle box having a surface facing said wall to engage the shuttle and having also a surface inclined toward the axis of the shuttle box and toward the outer end thereof, guide means fixed with respect to the shuttle box having an inclined surface parallel to said inclined surface on the checking member, said inclined surfaces being parallel and causing said checking member to move transversely of the shuttle box toward said wall and maintain said shuttle engaging surface of the checking member parallel to said wall when the checking member has a lengthwise movement toward the outer end of the shuttle box, and means associated with the checking member extending into the path of the shuttle engaged by the latter and moved thereby and when thus moved by the shuttle causing longitudinal movement of the shuttle checking member toward the outer end of said shuttle box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,556,037 Kennedy June 5, 1951

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