US2951511A

US2951511A - Bobbin chute for looms

Info

Publication number: US2951511A
Application number: US795970A
Authority: US
Inventors: Oscar H Hollifield; James E Drury
Original assignee: JAMES E DRURY; OSCAR H HOLLIFIELD
Current assignee: JAMES E DRURY; OSCAR H HOLLIFIELD
Priority date: 1959-02-27
Filing date: 1959-02-27
Publication date: 1960-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 1977-09-06

Description

Sept. 6, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I m N z m 3! 5 3 OscARHfloLuFlELu O O and JAMES E. DRURY,

8 Q0 INVENTORS BY gulf-ow,

ATTORNEYS 5615i. 1960 o. H. HOLLIFIELD ETAL 2,951,511

BOBBIN CHUTE FOR LOOMS Filed Feb. 27, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENT ORS OSCAR H. 'HOLUHE-LD andJAM s E. DRURY BY 5QL fieflLW+ ATTORNEYS P 1960 o. H. HOLLIFIELD ETAL 2,951,511

BOBBIN CHUTE FOR LOOMS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 27, 1959 INVENTORS IIHhII W OSCAR. H. HoLuHELD and JAMES E. DRUEY BY nil-,-%e9&, Ad

ATTORNEY-5 United States Patent Q BOBBIN CHUTE FOR LOOMS Oscar H. Hollifield, P.O. Box 112, and James E. Drury,

P.0. Box 72, both of Faith, N.C., assignors of seventyfive percent to said Oscar H. Hollifield, and twenty-five percent to said James E. Drury Filed Feb. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 795,970

3 Claims. (Cl. 139-255) This invention relates to improvements in bobbin chutes for weft replenishing looms of the type provided with a transfer mechanism adapted to expel a depleted bobbin from the shuttle and into the chute to guide the expelled bobbin into a bobbin receiver or can.

Bobbin chutes of the prior art may be grouped into two general classes; i.e., the type which is carried by the reciprocating lay and supported in fixed position beneath the shuttle box and the type which is supported on a stationary portion of the loom and is located in bobbin receiving position only when the lay is moved to its forward or bobbin expelling position. When the bobbin chute is carried by the lay, it may limit or otherwise interfere with the stroke of the picker stick when the same is actuated to send the shuttle across the lay. When the bobbin chute is carried by the frame of the loom, it will not interfere with operation of the picker stick since the same is actuated when the lay is in its rearmost position, away from the stationary bobbin chute. However, if the picker stick is not properly positioned when the lay moves forwardly during a beat-up stroke, the picker stick will engage and damage of fixed bobbin chute or at least displace the chute so that it is no longer positioned properly to receive expelled bobbins from the shuttle box.

With the foregoing in mind, it is the primary object of this invention to provide an improved bobbin chute comprising a bobbin guiding portion which is normally carried in a fixed position on the frame of the loom and a yieldable bobbin receiving portion extending from one end of the fixed guiding portion to initially receive the bobbins expelled from the shuttle whereby the yieldable bobbin receiving portion will prevent damage to the chute when contacted by any malfunctioning part of the loom as the lay moves to beat-up position.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a bobbin chute having a bobbin guiding portion which is adjustably supported in a fixed position relative to the loom frame and a bobbin receiving portion hingedly secured thereto, the bobbin receiving portion being resiliently held in a position to normally extend beneath the shuttle box of the lay when it is in its forward or beatup position so that the bobbin receiving portion will receive the bobbins expelled from the shuttle during normal operation of the loom.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a two-part bobbin chute comprising a bobbin guiding portion fixed on the loom and positioned to guide bobbins downwardly and outwardly from the shuttle box and a yieldable bobbin receiving portion or mouth forming an extension of the bobbin guiding portion, the bobbin receiving and guiding portions being disposed at an acute angle so that only the bobbin receiving portion is positioned beneath the shuttle box when the lay is in a forward or beat-up position.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds,

2,951,51 l Patented Sept. 6, 1960 when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation of the right-hand side of the loom and showing the improved bobbin chute in the position normally employed when the lay is in its forward or beat-up position;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the bobbin magazine, the lay and the bobbin chute shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 except showing the bobbin receiving portion of the bobbin chute yielding, as when contacted by a malfunctioning picker stick during forward reciprocation of the lay;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 except showing the bobbin receiving portion of the bobbin chute yielding, as when it is engaged by a bobbin accidentally discharged from the bobbin magazine during forward reciprocation of the lay;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the improved bobbin chute removed from the loom and looking in the direction of the arrow 5 in Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the bobbin chute shown in Figure 5 with the yieldable mouth being shown in open or bobbin receiving posit-ion in solid lines and in partially closed position in dash-dot lines; and

Figure 7 is a rear elevation of the bobbin chute, looking at the opposite side of the chute from that shown in Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, the improved bobbin chute is shown associated with a weft replenishing loom of the multicolor type having a bobbin magazine, broadly referred to at 10. The magazine 10 has a series of

vertical compartments

11, 12, 13 and 14 in which vertical stacks of bobbins B are located.

The lower ends of the compartments 11 through 14 are provided with corresponding bobbin releasing cradles indicated at 16 through 19. The cradles 16 through 19 are oscillated in a predetermined order, to release a bobbin from any one of the compartments 11 through 14 prior to the exhaustion of the weft yarn on a bobbin carried by the shuttle. A bobbin released from one of the compartments will roll downwardly on inclined tracks 20 and 21 where it will be resiliently held immediately above the shuttle when the lay is in its extreme forward orbeat-up position, as shown in Figures 1 through 4.

The magazine 10 is supported on a bracket 22 fixed on the forward upper portion of the loom frame 23 and the bracket 22 supports one end of a shaft 25 on which a transfer arm 26 is oscillatably mounted. The transfer arm 26 is provided with a downwardly extending arm 30 having a dog 31 pivotally connected thereto in a conventional manner. The loom is provided with the usual filling detecting mechanism, not shown, which is adapted to raise the dog 31 to substantially a horizontal position where it will be engaged by a hunter 32 carried by the front portion of the lay 33 (Figure 2). When the hunter 32 contacts the dog 31, forward motion of the lay 33 will actuate the transfer arm 26 to force a filled bobbin into the shuttle S and force the exhausted bobbin downwardly, out of the shuttle and into a opening in the lower surface of the shuttle box.

The lay 33 is mounted in a conventional manner on the upper ends of a pair of swords 34, only one of which is shown in the drawings. The lower ends of the swords 34 are pivotally connected to the frame of the loom and their upper ends are reciprocated forwardly and rearwardly by means of connecting arms 35 pivotally con nected thereto at their front ends as at 36 and their rear ends being connected to the conventional crank shaft, not shown, of the loom. Each end of the lay 33 has the upper end of a picker stick 37 mounted for movement therein and the picker stick is operated in the usual manner to throw the shuttle S from one side of the lay to the other.

Itis with the type of loom thus far described that the present invention is shown associated although it is to be understood that the improved bobbin chute may be easily applied to a replenishing loom of the type employing a circular bobbin battery for single color weaving if desired.

The improved bobbin chute comprises a fixed bobbin guiding portion indicated broadly at 40 and a yieldable mouth or bobbin receiving portion indicated broadly at 41, the bobbin receiving portion being supported on the fixed bobbin guiding portion 40. The fixed bobbin guiding portion 40 is adjustably supported on the loom by an arm 45, the upper end of which is adjustably secured in a support collar 46 (Figure l) fixed on the shaft 25 and the lower end of the arm 45 is adjustably secured in a bracket 50 as by set screws 51. The bracket 50 is provided with outwardly extending cars 52 (Figures and 6) which are suitably secured to a front wall 54 of the fixed guiding chute 40 in any suitable manner such as by screws 53.

In addition to the front wall 54, the fixed bobbin guiding portion 40 includes a rear wall 55 and interconnected

end walls

56 and 57. It will be noted that the front and

rear walls

54 and 55 are inclined from the vertical in a direction rearwardly of the loom and toward the lay 33 while the

end walls

56 and 57 are inclined from the vertical in a direction inwardly toward the side frame 23 of the loom. Thus, any bobbin received in the yieldable mouth 41, in a manner to be later described, will be led downwardly and forwardly from the lay 33 and away from the side frame 23. As the bobbins pass through the fixed bobbin guiding portion 40, they are directed into a bobbin receiving container or can 60 positioned adjacent the lower end of the fixed bobbin guiding portion 40.

The yieldable mouth or bobbin receiving portion 41 includes a wall 61 which is hingedly connected to the upper edge of the rear wall 55 of the fixed bobbin guiding portion 40 by hinges 62 and 63 and the portion 41 also includes a pair of triangularly shaped

end walls

64 and 65. The wall 61 of the yieldable mouth 41 is normally positioned in alinement with and forms an extension to the wall 55 of the fixed portion 40. Referring to Figure 5, the

end walls

64, 65 extend at the same angle as the

end walls

56, 57 but are offset so that when the mouth 41 is moved to partially closed position (Figures 3 and 4), the wall 65 will pass inside of the portion 45 while the end wall 64 will pass outside of the wall 56 (Figure 6), so that the

end walls

64, 65 will move in juxtaposition to the

end walls

56, 57 of the fixed bobbin guiding portion 40.

It will be noted in Figures 1 and 2 that when the lay 33 is in beat-up position the upper edge of the wall 61 of the mouth 41 is normally positioned closely adjacent, without engaging, the cut away front surface of the lay 53 and the wall 61 is inclined at an acute angle of preferably forty-five degrees. Due to the angular disposition of the portions 40 and 41, the wall 61 is positioned closely beneath the shuttle S and thus when a bobbin is expelled from the shuttle, it will fall only a short distance before engaging the wall 61. Since the bobbin falls only a short distance, there is little danger that the bobbin will not remain in a horizontal position, thus reducing the possibility of damage to the expelled bobbin. The mouth portion 41 is resiliently held in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 by a tension spring 70, one end of which is suitably connected to a spring perch plate 71 fixed on and extending beyond the end of the front wall 54 of the fixed portion 46. The other end of the spring 76 is suitably connected to the free end of an L-shaped spring perch plate 72 (Figure 7). The L-shaped spring perch plate 72 is suitably secured to the wall 61 of the yieldable mouth 41 as by screws 73 and extends across and in engagement with a portion of the rear wall 55 of the fixed portion 40.

The tension spring 70 resiliently holds the free end of the L-shaped spring perch plate 72 against the rear wall 55 so that the

walls

61 and 55 are held in alinement (Figure 2). When any external force is applied to the Wall 61 of the yieldable mouth 41, the spring 7!} will be stretched and allow the mouth 41 to move to partially closed position, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. Since the wall 61 is positioned at an angle relative to the front of the lay, any object brought forward with movement of the lay 33 will not be caught between the lay and the wall 61 unless it is engaged by the top edge of the wall 61.

There are several conditions that may cause the yield able portion 41 to be engaged by other parts of the loom, the more common of which are shown in Figures 3 and 4. The condition illustrated in Figure 3 is when the picker stick return spring has been broken so that the picker stick does not properly return to its normal position upon expelling the shuttle from the shuttle box, when the lay 33 is in its rearmost position. Thus, when the lay 33 is moved forwardly, the picker stick 37 is positioned in the shuttle box so that its shank will engage the leading or rearmost upper edge of the wall 61 and cause the yieldable mouth 41 to yield against the spring 70 to substantially the position shown in Figure 3. In a condition such as this, if the improved bobbin guide chute were not provided with a yieldable mouth, the picker stick 37 would be damaged, the chute would be bent or moved out of normal position so that it would not subsequently receive bobbins discharged by the transfer mechanism.

In Figure 4 the yieldable mouth 41 is shown being depressed by a bobbin engaging the wall 61 in what is commonly known in the art as a condition called falling bobbins. The falling bobbin condition is caused by a malfunction of the bobbin magazine 10 so that the bobbins are released from the lower end thereof prior to the lay 33 reaching its forwardmost position. As a bobbin falls it may be in position to engage the wall 61 when the lay 33 moves to beat-up position. With the yieldable mouth 41, the present improved bobbin chute will not be damaged as would be the case if the chute were made in one solid piece without the yieldable mouth 41.

The fixed portion 46 has a wide range of adjustment both horizontally and vertically, making possible the use of the present improved bobbin chute on many different types of looms, Also, due to the position of the chute, the bobbins are led downwardly and outwardly away from the lay 33 as soon as they are expelled from the shuttle S so that they are guided from the time they leave the shuttle, until they are deposited in the bobbin receiving can 66. Of course, the front end of the portion 46 can be extended so that the bobbin receiving can 66 may be positioned further from the lay, if desired.

Thus, the improved bobbin chute herein disclosed is provided with a fixed guiding portion which is adjustably supported on the loom frame and a yieldable bobbin receiving month which will yield when contacted by a malfunctioning portion of the loom or by any foreign objects. The yieldable mouth of the bobbin chute thus prevents damage to the malfunctioning part of the loom or to the bobbin chute itself and upon correction of malfunctioning part or removal of the obstruction, the yieldable mouth will return to its normal operative position to receive bobbins without the necessity of any adjustment.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

We claim: 7

1. An improved bobbin chute for weft replenishing looms having a reciprocating lay, a shuttle box at each end of said lay, a shuttle movable along said lay and between said shuttle boxes, a yarn supply bobbin carried by said shuttle, transfer means for expelling an empty bobbin from said shuttle and into said chute while positloning a filled bobbin in said shuttle, and a bobbin receiving can positioned to receive bobbins discharged from said bobbin chute, said bobbin chute comprising a bobbin guiding portion positioned to deposit bobbins in said bobbin receiving can, and a yieldable mouth portion extending from said bobbin guiding portion and positioned to receive bobbins expelled from said shuttle, said bobbin guiding portion comprising interconnected front, rear and end walls defining a passageway for directing expelled bobbins downwardly and outwardly from said shuttle and into said bobbin receiving can, support means connecting said front wall and said loom to support said bobbin guiding portion in a fixed position on said loom, said yieldable mouth portion comprising a rear wall and con nected end walls, the rear and end walls of said yieldable mouth portion being normally positioned in alinement with the rear and end walls of said bobbin guiding portion, means hingedly connecting said rear walls together, and resilient means normally holding said rear walls in alinement.

2. An improved bobbin chute for weft replenishing looms having a reciprocating lay, a shuttle box at each end of said lay, a shuttle movable along said lay and between said shuttle boxes, a yarn supply bobbin carried by said shuttle, transfer means for expelling an empty bobbin from said shuttle and into said chute while positioning a filled bobbin in said shuttle, and a bobbin receiving can positioned to receive bobbins discharged from said bobbin chute, said bobbin chute comprising a bobbin guiding portion positioned to deposit bobbins in said bobbin receiving can, and a yieldable mouth portion extending from said bobbin guiding portion and positioned to receive bobbins expelled from said shuttle, said bobbin guiding portion comprising interconnected front, rear and end walls defining a passageway for directing expelled bobbins downwardly and outwardly from said shuttle and into said bobbin receiving can, support means connecting said front wall and said loom to support said bobbin guiding portion in a fixed position on said loom, said yieldable mouth portion being substantially U-shaped and comprising a rear wall and interconnected end walls, the rear wall of said yieldable mouth portion normally being positioned in alinement with the rear wall of said bobbin guiding portion, means pivotally connecting said rear walls together, resilient means normally maintaining said rear walls in alinement, and said end walls of said yieldable mouth portion being so arranged relative to the end walls of said bobbin guiding portion whereby upon said yieldable mouth portion pivoting the end walls thereof will move in juxtaposition to the end walls of said bobbin guiding portion.

3. An improved bobbin chute for weft replenishing looms having a reciprocating lay, a shuttle box at each end of said lay, a shuttle movable along said lay and between said shuttle boxes, a yarn supply bobbin carried by said shuttle, transfer means for expelling an empty bobbin from said shuttle and into said chute while positioning a filled bobbin in said shuttle, and a bobbin receiving can positioned to receive bobbins discharged from said bobbin chute, said bobbin chute comprising a bobbin guiding portion positioned to deposit bobbins in said bobbin receiving can, and a yieldable mouth portion extending from said bobbin guiding portion and positioned to receive bobbins expelled from said shuttle, said bobbin guiding portion comprising interconnected front, rear and end walls defining a passageway for directing expelled bobbins downwardly and outwardly from said shuttle and into said bobbin receiving can, support means connecting said bobbin guiding portion and said loom to support said bobbin guiding portion in a fixed position on said loom, said yieldable mouth portion comprising a rear wall and connected end walls, the rear and end walls of said yieldable mouth portion being normally positioned in alinement with the rear and end walls of said bobbin guiding portion, means hingedly connecting said rear walls together, and resilient means normally holding said rear walls in alinement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,372,106 Tempest Mar. 22, 1921 1,466,847 Northrop Sept. 4, 1923 1,511,183 Davis Oct. 7, 1924