US2892470A - Method and means in looms for holding the weft end of a bobbin to be introduced into the shuttle - Google Patents

Description

J1me 1959 K G E c NLlussoN ET AL 2,892,470

OMS F HOLDING T METHOD AND'MEANS' IN HE WEFT END OF A BOBBIN TO BE INTROD D INTO THE SHUTTLE Filed Dec. 4,- 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 1959 K. G. E. CORNELIUSSON ET AL 2,392,470

METHOD AND MEANS IN LOOMS FOR HOLDING THE WEFT END OF A BOBBIN TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE SHUTTLE Filed Dec. 4, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J1me 9 K. c. E; CORNELIUISSON ET AL 2,892,470

METHOD AND MEANS IN LOOMS FOR HOLDING THE WEFT END OF A BOBBIN TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE SHUTTLE Filed Dec. 4, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.4

62 59 5s s6 61 so 51 Y 37 w 39 57 3s 49 42 2s 17 A E 15 Fig.5

June 1959 K. G. E. CORNELIUSSON ET AL 2,892,470

METHOD AND MEANS IN LOOMSFOR HOLDING THE WEFT END OF A BOBBIN TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THE SHUTTLE 1 Filed Dec. 4, 1956 V 4 Sheets-Shet 4 United States Patent METHOD AND MEANS IN LOOMS FOR HOLDING THE WEFT END OF A BOBBIN TO BE INTRO- DUCED INTO TI-m SHUTTLE Karl Gustav Erik Corneliusson, Vavaren, Viskafors, Lennart Rune Damm, Solliden, Viskafors, Nils Daniel Landqvist, Ryobacken, Rydboholm, Bengt Gunnar Linnarson, Hogsater, Viskafors, and Nils Gustaf Svansson, Vildmarken, Viskafors, Sweden, assignors to Rydboholms Aktiebolag, Rydboholm, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Application December 4, 1956, Serial No. 626,145

Claims priority, application Sweden May 28, 1956 11 Claims. (Cl. 139-257) The invention relates to improvements in a method and means in looms for holding the weft end of a bobbin to be introduced into the shuttle.

In weft-replenishing looms the reserve bobbins are placed in magazines or hoppers from which one bobbin at a time is automatically advanced into a transfer position where it is introduced into the shuttle to replace the emptied bobbin. The first time the shuttle with the fresh bobbin is picked, the weft end must be held in a stationary support outside the selvage of the fabric. For that purpose the weft ends of the bobbins are generally fixed to the bobbin magazine. For instance, the most usual magazine in looms for a one-color or single color Weft comprises a drum adapted to receive and hold 24 bobbins around its periphery, and the weft ends of these bobbins are knotted centrally to one end wall of the drum manually. Thus, the initial mounting of the bobbins in the magazine involves a considerable amount of work that is further increased because for practical reasons magazines with manually knotted Weft ends can only contain a rather limited number of bobbins, so that they have to be refilled often.

An object of the invention is to provide a method that makes it possible to automatically catch and hold the weft end of a bobbin to be introduced into the shuttle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method by which the surface of a bobbin to be introduced into the shuttle is subjected to a flow of air acting to whirl up or lift the weft end and to introduce it into a mechanism where it is caught and held automatically.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method -of catching the weft end of a bobbin located in transfer position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method by which the weft end of a bobbin to be introduced into the shuttle is lifted or whirled up by supplying a flow of 'air to the surface of the bobbin, whereupon said weft end is sucked into the gripping mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a casing dimensioned to receive at least a portion of a bobbin. The casing is combined with means for directing a flow of air thro'ughit and has also means for catching and holding the weft endof a bobbin introduced into it by a relative motion between the casing and the bobbin.

, The flow of air used to whirl up the weft end may be suction; such a method is highly effective and reliable under all circumstances. It is also preferable to catch the weft end of the bobbingin transfer position, whereby it is possible to have all the bobbins loosely stored in 2,892,470 Patented June 30, 1959 out inconvenience be dimensioned to receive for instance 10 times as many bobbins as the magazines previously used, whereby the refilling work will be highly simplified. However, it is also possible to catch and hold the weft end of a bobbin located at a given place within the magazine, preferably near its outlet.-

The invention will be described more indetail with reference to-the accompanying drawings which showan embodiment applied to a loom of the conventional type.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation view, partly in section of, a bobbin magazine and a transfer mechanism, as seen in a vertical plane perpendicular to the path of the shuttle.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the mechanism in Figure 1 but showing certain members of the transfer mechanism in a different operative position.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the deviceof Figure 1.

Figures 4 and 5 are details showing the thread catching device in two different positions, as seen from the right in Figure 1.

Figures 6-8 are detailed views on an enlarged scale of the thread catching sleeve in three different positions.

Referring to Fig. l, the bobbin magazine consists of a box-like structure 11 secured to the frame 10 of the loom and containing a number of shelves 12 arranged one above the other. The shelves are mounted slanting slightly towards a substantially vertical passage 13 provided along one end wall of the box, said passage being only a little wider than the greatest diameter of the full bobbins. An outlet chute 14 extends from the bottom of the box to form a continuation of the passage 13 and the bobbins are advanced through the chute in a single row piled on top of each other. The lower part of the chute, as seen in cross section, is bent at an angle of about 45 to the horizontal plane. The lowermost bobbin lying immediately beside the lower, open end of the chute is retained in a known way by means of flat springs, not shown, which engage the ends of the bobbin from two opposite sides.

From the magazine one bobbin at a time is to be ad vanced into transfer position, i.e. the position from which the bobbin can be depressed into the shuttle, when it is necessary to shift bobbins. For this purpose a carriage 15 (Figs. 2, 4 and 5) is slidable in a horizontal guide 16 provided on the frame 10 below the magazine. The carriage 15 is fixed to the piston rod 17 of a compressed-air cylinder 18 thereby to be moved to a transfer position,

in which it is located under a transfer arm 27 (Figs. 1 and 2) described hereinafter, from a position immediately below the outlet end of the chute 14. Normally the carriage contains a bobbin and is located in the transfer position. When a transfer operation has taken place the carriage is temporarily moved tov the opposite end position for receiving a fresh bobbin. A rod 20 projecting from the carriage is adapted to hit one end of a bell crank 21, when the carriage approaches its position under the outlet end of the chute 14 whereby the bell crank 21 is turned counter-clockwise (Figs. 1 and 2) around a shaft 23 against the action of a spring 22. The other end of the bell crank carries a hammer 24 normally located over the lowermost bobbin in the magazine. When the bell crank is swung this hammer 24 is moved downwards through an opening provided in the chute for this purpose, and the lowermost bobbin is thus delivered into the carriage where its butt end is caught between a pair of springs 25 (Figs. 4 and 5). The carriage is then immediately returned to transfer position and the hammer 24 returns to its raised position, so that the remaining bobbins in the magazine are free to slide down one step.

When a transfer has to-take place the bobbin in transfer position isdelivered intothe shuttle by means of the transfer arm-27 mentioned above. Asthis arm and the pertaining mechanism are of a known construction, they will need no detailed description. The transfer arm 27 isrotatably journalled on a shaft 26 and normally held in its raised position by-means of a spring, not shown. Said raised position is shown byfull lines in Figs. 1 and 2 'A latch 29 is pivoted at 28 to a depending part of the transfer arm and has a notch at its free end which is normally'directedin a downwardly direction. During the reciprocating movement ofthe shuttle the bobbin passes under a weft detector which, when the bobbin has been emptied, iniparts an impulse to a mechanism causing the latch :29 to swing upwardly. In this position, which is shown-by dotted-lines in Fig-1, the end of the latch 29 is hit by a hunter 30 provided for this purpose on the reciproeating lay 31, whereby the transfer arm 27 is caused to swing-n a clockwise direction to engage the bobbin by means of ahead 19. The bobbin is thus do livererlintothe shuttle which is nowlocated ina holder 32 mounted upon thelay31. The empty bobbin is simultaneously ejected by the fresh bobbin entering the shuttle. After the transfer operation the latch 29 returns to its depending'position andthe normal operation of the loom continues. i i 4 Quring its movement into operative position the trans fer .ariii27 actuates a micro switch 33 which starts an eleclt'ric inotor', not shown. This motor drives a timing ambassador shown, which synchronizes the movetso'i the various mechanisms. The first function of Lthe-t'imeris to adjust, with some delay, a valve-controlling'the supply ofeompressed air to, the cylinder 18. Ac- :cordingly compressed air is supplied through a conduit 34toth e left end of the cylinder, so that the piston rod 17 moves in a direction inwardly of the cylinder. The carriage 15 is thus .moved to its right end position to re- ;ceivethe lowermost bobbin of the magazine, as previously described. The carriage is thenirnmediately returned to the transfer position in that the timer again adjusts the eontrol valve so that compressed .air is supplied to the right end of the cylinder 18 through a conduit 35.

i "A rather long compressed-air cylinder 3 6 which is parallel to the advanced bobbins, has one end mounted in a fixed frame portion 37 (Figs. 3, 4, 5). The piston ,rod 38 of the cylinder is, by means of a cross link 39, connected to a parallel rod 40 slidably journalled in the frameportion 37. The opposite end of the rod 40 carries a bracket 42 which depends vertically. A sleeve 43, which will be described in detail below, is mounted in axial alignment with the bobbin 44 located in transfer position. The sleeve is connected with a rather thick tube 45 directed radially to the sleeve and carried in horizontal position by the bracket 42.

The sleeve 43 is shown in longitudinal section in Figs. Internally it has a central section-with adiameter .only slightly larger than the largest diameter of the filled :bobbin. From this central section the sleeve widens out- 491's connected to a source of compressed air by means ofa flexible hose 5 and communicates by .Way of a valve T1 .d es cribed :b elo\v with an annular channel 52 in the sleeve. portion turnedtowards the Anurnber lofloutle't channels 53 connect the channel 52 with the interior of han er The channels 53 are equally P 3.54 fou -t t e .im ph y a d d r t ob iq e y I ards tothe central sleeve portion.

A .sli ghtly tapered plug 54 shaped and dimensioned to fitsniq ly intheendo he sleev opposite from the bobmovement of the sleeve.

4. bin 44 is mounted in axial alignment with the sleeve. The rear end of the plug is fixed to a bracket 55 depend ing from and firmly connected to one end of a rod 56 which is parallel to the rod 40. The rod 56, which has preferably a square cross section to be secured against rotation, is slidably journalled in two supports 41 and 57 mounted to the exterior of the cylinder 36. Next to the bracket 55 the rod 56 has a-section 58 of a larger-cross section, whereby its displacement to the right in Figs. 3-5 is limited by the support 57. Further constructional details are best described in connection withthe operation of the device.

In the initial position the piston rod 38 is fully retracted in the cylinder 36, as shown in Fig. 3, and the sleeve is thus'in'its normal end position, the plug 54 being wedged into it. At some suitable moment after a transfer operationand when afresh bobbin has been-advancedinto transfer position, the abovementioned timing mechanism causes the opening of a valve supplying compressed air through the conduit 59 to the rearend of the cylinder 36. The piston rod 38 and the rod 40 connected therewith as well as the sleeve 43 now move outwards or upwards in Fig. 3. At the beginning also the plug 54 is brought along owing to its engagement with thesleeve. The plug is stopped in the position shown in Fig. 4 in that the abutment 58 on the rod 56 engages the support 57, and the empty sleeve continues its movement towards the bobbin 44 located in transfer position.

When the sleeve advances over the bobbin,-the valve 51 must be adjusted to allow compressed air to be-supplied through the channels 53 opening into the sleeve. The valve 51, which is mounted at the upper end of the bracket 42, has a valve member 60 opening when depressed against the action of a spring. The projectng end of said valve member 60 carries a roller which follows a cam surface at the underside of .a horizontal camming member 61 which is mounted on the supports'5'7, 41. The arrangement is such that the valve member 60 is depressed to open the valve 51 as soon as the fore end of the sleeve 43 advances over the tip of the bobbin, whereupon the valve 51 is kept open as long as any portion of the sleeve surrounds the bobbin. Fig. 6 shows the sleeve, as it approaches its right end position.

The cylinder 36 has such a length that the piston rod 38 pushes the sleeve 43 almost to the butt end of the bobbin 44. In this position a movable part, for instance the connection link 39, may be arranged to engage an impulse valve causing venting of the conduit 59 at the sametime as compressed air is instead supplied through aconduit 62 to the opposite or foremost end of the cylinder 36 whereby the piston rod 38 and consequently also the sleeve 43 are returned to their initial positions. In the operative end position of the sleeve, however, the connection link 39 or some other movable part may also actuate an impulse valve connecting the conduit .45, 46 with the source of vacuum, so that an effective suction power is obtained in the annular slot 48 during the return During the forward movement of the sleeve the flow of compressed air directed obliquely inwards causes the weft end located somewhere on the surface of the bobbin to be whirled up and when now a suction is generated in the annular slot 48 during the return movement of the sleeve, the weft end is sucked in through said slot into the annular channel 47, as shown in Fig. 7.

A continued movement of the sleeve to the left causes the spring-actuated valve member 60 to be released by the cam surface of the member 61 so that the supply of compressed air through the conduit 49 is interrupted, at the same time as the fore end of the sleeve passes over the tip of the bobbin. In the meantime the rear end of the sleeve has begun to pass over the plug 54 and when soon thereafter the plug engages the inside of the sleeve under wedgea ion t e ft end w s mu taneou y e d mped in the-slot 48, as apparent from Fig. 8. The sleeve is' now in the position in which it was separated from the plug during the first part of the forward motion. During the rest of the return movement to the initial position the plug is brought along and thereby wedged still more effectively.

The valve in the suction conduit can be closed as soon as the weft end has been caught by the plug, and this may be made at a desired moment either by means of the timing mechanism or because some of the movable parts actuates an impulse member provided for this purpose.

The bobbin 44 to be transferred has now its weft end anchored and is thus, ready for the next transfer operation. The thread catching device holds the weft end stationary during the transfer and at least the next stroke of the shuttle, preferably during several strokes, i.e. until a common cutting device cuts the weft end outside the selvage. Thereafter the sleeve is not put into operation until the next bobbin is in transfer position.

In the above specification no detailed description has been made of the timing mechanism, the various valves and their connections, as such devices nowadays are well known to a person skilled in the art. Moreover, these means may be varied in a plurality of manners while obtaining the same result or the same sequence of the various operative steps.

As mentioned above, it may also be possible within the scope of the invention to obtain the desired result by connecting the sleeve to the compressed-air conduit only or to the vacuum conduit only. Of course, the effect also to a certain extent depends on the air-pressure or suction pressure used. However, the embodiment described has proved to be the most advantageous one.

What we claim is:

1. A device for holding the loose end of the weft yarn of a filled bobbin to be introduced into the shuttle of a loom, comprising a sleeve having an inner diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of a filled bobbin and arranged in axial alignment with the bobbin located in transfer position, means for moving the sleeve in axial direction to a position at least partly enclosing the bobbin, means for directing a flow of air along the surface of the enclosed bobbin, whereby the loose end of the weft yarn is whirled up, means for catching the loose end within the sleeve and means for retracting the sleeve holding the weft yarn loose end from the enclosed bobbin.

2. A device for holding the loose end of the weft yarn of a filled bobbin to be introduced into the shuttle of a loom, comprising a sleeve having an inner diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of a filled bobbin and arranged in axial alignment with the bobbin located in transfer position, means for moving the sleeve in axial direction to a position at least partly enclosing the bobbin, means for directing a fiow of air along the surface of the enclosed bobbin, whereby the loose end of the weft yarn is whirled up, means for retracting the sleeve from the enclosed bobbin, and a member adapted to be introduced in the sleeve end remote from the bobbin to clamp the loose weft yarn end against the inner wall of the sleeve.

3. A device for holding the loose end of the weft yarn of a filled bobbin to be introduced into the shuttle of a loom, comprising a sleeve having an inner diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of a filled bobbin and arranged in axial alignment with the bobbin located in transfer position, means for moving the sleeve in axial direction to a position at least partly enclosing the bobbin, at least one nozzle for supply of compressed air mounted at the sleeve end facing the bobbin and directed to the interior of the sleeve, at least one nozzle connected to a source of vacuum and located at the inner wall of the sleeve, means for retracting the sleeve from the enclosed bobbin, and means for clamping the loose end of the weft yarn in the suction nozzle.

4. A device for holding the loose end of the weft yarn of a filled bobbin to be introduced into the shuttle of a loom, comprising a sleeve having an inner diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of afilled bobbin and arranged in axial alignment with the bobbin located in transfer position, means for moving the sleeve in axial direction to a position at least partly enclosing the bobbin, at least one nozzle for supply of compressed air mounted at the sleeve end facing the bobbin and directed to the interior of the sleeve, a peripheral slot in the inner wall of the sleeve, a channel in the sleeve connecting said slot with a source of vacuum, means for retracting the sleeve from the enclosed bobbin, and a plug adapted to be introduced through the sleeve end remote from the bobbin to clamp the loose end of the weft yarn in the slot.

5. A device for holding the loose end of the weft yarn of a filled bobbin to=be introduced into the shuttle of a loom, comprising a sleeve arranged in axial alignment with the bobbin located in transfer position, said sleeve being tapered inwardly from both ends onto a central section having a diameter only slightly larger than a. filled bobbin, means for moving the sleeve in axial direction to a position at least partly enclosing the bobbin, at least one suction nozzle in said central section of the sleeve, means for retracting the sleeve from the enclosed bobbin, and a tapered plug dimensioned to fit snugly in the sleeve end remote from the bobbin and adapted to be introduced through said sleeve and to clamp the loose end of the weft yarn in the suction nozzle.

6. A device according to claim 5, in which at least one nozzle for supply of compressed gas is mounted at the sleeve end facing the bobbin and directed to the interior of the sleeve.

7. A method for catching and holding the loose end of the yarn of a filled bobbin supported at one end and adapted to be introduced into the shuttle of a loom comprising the steps of enclosing circumferentially, in a given sequence, individual successively adjacent portions of the bobbin, during the enclosing of each successive portion subjecting the circumferential surface of each of the sections to a flow of air directed to flow axially of the bobbin and in a direction toward the free end of the bobbin thereby to seek out and release the loose end of the yarn on the filled bobbin and whirl it clear of the bobbin surface, catching the released loose end, anchoring it and holding it stationary during the transfer operation and at least the next successive stroke of the shuttle.

8. A method for catching and holding the loose end of the weft yarn of a filled bobbin adapted to be introduced into the shuttle of a loom and supported at one end, comprising subjecting the surface of the bobbin to a flow of air directed to flow substantially axially along the bobbin in the direction of its free end and distributed substantially around the circumference of the bobbin thereby to whirl up the weft yarn loose end and feed it to catching means, anchoring said loose end in the catching means and holding it stationary during the transfer operation and at least the next stroke of the shuttle.

9. A method for catching and holding the loose end of the weft yarn of a filled bobbin adapted to be introduced into the shuttle of a loom and supported at one end, comprising first subjecting the surface of the bobbin to a flow of compressed air directed to flow substantially axially along the bobbin toward its free end and distributed substantially around the circumference of the bobbin thereby to release the Weft yarn loose end and whirl it up, advancing the released loose end onto catching means by the application of suction thereto, and anchoring said loose end and holding'it stationary during the transfer operation and at least the next stroke of the shuttle.

10. A device for catching and holding the loose end of the weft yarn of a filled bobbin adapted to be introduced into the shuttle of a loom and supported at one end, comprising a casing dimensioned to receive at least a portion of the bobbin, means for moving the casing from an'iiniti'al p'ositioninto a position at least partly enclosing thebobbin, means defining at least one nozzle within the casing disposed to direct a flow of air along the surface of the bobbin toward its free end, thereby to whirl up the weft yarn loose end,- a member movable in- :relation to the casing and cooperating therewith to clamp the'loose end when released clear of the bobbin and means for returning the casing to its initial position holding the loose end of the weft yarnfrom' the bobbin.

11-. A device for catching and holding the loose end of the weft yarn of a filled bobbin adapted to be introduced into the shuttle of aloom' and supported atone end, comprisinga casing dimensioned to receive at least a portion of the bobbin, means for moving the casing from aninitial' position into a position enclosing circumferentially at least aportion of the bobbin, means 10 yarn from the enclosed bobbin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Smith Apr. '20, 1937

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