US3817293A

US3817293A - Loom stop motion

Info

Publication number: US3817293A
Application number: US00355721A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Childs
Original assignee: Rockwell International Corp
Current assignee: Draper Corp
Priority date: 1973-04-30
Filing date: 1973-04-30
Publication date: 1974-06-18
Anticipated expiration: 1991-06-18

Abstract

A flexible keeper device carried by the sliding feeler bar of a loom stop motion for maintaining the feeler bar in operating position within the motion''s sliding feeler bar holder, and by manually deforming the device permit unrestricted removal of the feeler bar from the feeler bar holder.

Description

llnite States Patent [191 Childs June 118, 1974 LOOM STOP MOTION [75] Inventor: Richard L. Childs, Mendon, Mass.

[73] Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

[22] Filed: Apr. 30, 1973 [21] App]. No.: 355,721

[52] 11.8. C1. 139/369 [51] Int. Cl D03d 51/28 [58] Field of Search 139/369, 358, 349, 353

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,026,941 5/1912 Baker 139/369 X 1,051,664 1/1913 Baker 139/369 Baker 139/369 1,433,558 10/1922 Livermore 139/369 1,538,625 v 5/1925 Davis et al. 139/369 2,322,385 6/1943 Payne 139/369 2,556,332 6/1951 Meadors, Jr. et a1 139/353 Primary Examiner-James Kee Chi 5 .7] ABSTRACT A flexible keeper device carried by the sliding feeler bar of a loom stop motion for maintaining the feeler bar in operating position within the motions sliding feeler bar holder, and by manually deforming the device permit unrestricted removal of the feeler bar from the feeler bar holder.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures LOOM STOP MOTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Warp stop motions for looms of the well known mechanical type employ a sliding feeler bar movable within a generally U-shaped feeler bar holder, both of which are notched at their top edges to cooperate in stopping the loom in the event a drop wire ceases to be held in an elevated position by its respective warp thread.

The known forms of sliding feeler bar holders are fabricated from separate members which include a body portion and opposed upwardly extending side walls which are fixed to the body portion by such means as spot welding. The combination of these separate members form a channel within which the feeler bar is caused to reciprocate during the performance of its intended function. The means for reciprocating the feeler bar in known mechanisms is by a stud member, assembled in the latter and disposed adjacent one end thereof so as to extend laterally from each side through aligned elongated slots provided in the opposed side walls of the feeler bar holder. A driving arm is operatively connected to the stud member which is efiective in sliding the feeler bar to and fro in a known manner.

An improved form of sliding feeler bar holder found to be highly desirable from an economic as well as a manufacturing standpoint is that of the roll formed concept. By this concept the entire holder is fabricated from a single member which forms the base portion and integral opposed side walls extending upwardly therefrom. The manufacture of feeler bar holders and their cooperating feeler bars are done on a production basis and as a final operation are cut to the appropriate length to accommodate the particular width of loom on which they will perform their intended function. The top edges of the side walls of the three piece welded feeler bar holder are not made with notches for a short distance adjacent that end provided with the drive means for reciprocating the feeler bar. During the manufacture of these side walls, they are subjected to a punching operation which forms the slots through which the stud member carried by the feeler bar is caused to extend and which serves as a connection to the aforementioned drive means.

The sliding feeler bar holders of the roll formed concept are formed with notches along the entire length of the bar and cannot be subjected to the punching operation to form the usual slots which provide the necessary clearance for connecting the feeler bar to its driving means. With notches being in the area where this slot is usually formed an attempt to form such a slot would be prohibited for the depth of the notches would interfere causing a break away of the side walls in this area.

After the feeler bar holders of the roll formed type are cut to a desired length, a recess is formed adjacent one end which communicates with the top edge of the side walls and is located in the same area where the usual slot is formed in the three piece welded type. The sliding feeler bar is provided with the usual stud member which connects it to the driving means to effect sliding reciprocation thereof within 'the feeler bar holder. Being horizontally disposed, the stud member is arranged to extend from each side of the feeler bar and serves to limit the reciprocal movement thereof by making contact with the vertical end surfaces of the recesses formed in the feeler bar holder.

The stud members for connecting the sliding feeler bar to the driving means for effecting its reciprocating movement also serves to attach the keeper member according to the invention to said sliding feeler bar. This keeper member serves to prevent the rising of the feeler bar within its respective holder during reciprocation thereof and also provides a simplified and improved means for readily removing it for the purpose of replacement or cleaning said holders.

Removal of the feeler bar from feeler bar holders of the three piece welded type necessitates what is considered excessive down time of a loom for the driving stud member for each feeler bar must be removed before said feeler bar can be withdrawn from its holder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The sliding feeler bar keeper member comprising the invention is fabricated from a flexible material such as nylon and attaches to the side of the sliding feeler bar by means of the driving stud member which also interconnects said feeler bar with the means for effecting its reciprocating movement. The configuration of the keeper member is generally L shaped and adjacent its point of attachment to the sliding feeler bar is provided with a depending leg portion which extends downwardly from the recess formed in the feeler bar holder along one outer wall of the latter and terminates in a laterally extending foot portion disposed in close proximity with the underside of said feeler bar holder. This foot portion serves to prevent the rising of the feeler bar within its respective feeler bar holder during its reciprocating movement. Additionally the sliding feeler bar can be quickly and easily removed from the feeler bar holder by simply flexing the depending leg portion a distance sufficient for the foot portion to clear the underside of the sliding feeler bar holder.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved mechanical warp stop motion for looms of simplified construction, one that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and with long life expectancy.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means for maintaining the sliding feeler bar in its operating position within the sliding feeler bar holder and permit its quick and simplified removal therefrom.

These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent by reference to the appended claims and as the following detailed description proceeds in reference to the figures of drawing wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of a mechanical warp stop motion for looms showing the sliding feeler bar keeper member according to the invention applied thereto.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view partially in section of the apparatus in FIGS. 1 and 2, and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the sliding feeler bar keeper member.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As the general construction and operation of a mechanical warp stop motion for looms to which the present invention is applicable is well known and familiar to those conversant in the art, and as the invention is entirely concerned with a sliding feeler bar keeper member for such a stop motion, it is only considered necessary here to illustrate and describe those parts which are directly concerned with a preferred form of the present invention.

On FIG. 1 a portion of a sliding feeler bar is shown at and includes the usual notches 11 formed on the top thereof. This sliding feeler bar 10 is supported for reciprocating movement in a channel 13 (FIG. 2) of a sliding feeler bar holder generally indicated by numeral 14 which includes as shown in FIG. 3 a base portion 15 with upwardly directed spaced sidewalls l6 and 17 extending therefrom. The upper portion of each of the

sidewalls

16 and 17 are provided with notches l8 and in a well known manner cooperate with the notches ll of the sliding feeler bar 10 to stop the loom should the upper end of a drop wire 19 fail to be suspended by its warp thread 20 a sufficient distance above the reciprocating feeler bar and its respective holder. Normally there is provided a separate drop wire for each warp thread but for purpose of brevity only a single drop wire and warp thread have been shown.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 the sidewalls l6 and 17 are shown provided with

aligned recess

21 and 22 adjacent their ends which extends from the upper surfaces thereof downwardly to the base portion 15 and have a length which substantially equals the distance the sliding feeler bar is caused to reciprocate therebetween. The means for reciprocating the sliding feeler is attached adjacent one end of the latter within the area of the

recesses

21 and 22 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. This means for reciprocating the sliding feeler bar includes a shouldered stud member 23 having the shouldered portion thereof operatively connected to a driving arm 24 which is caused to reciprocate to and fro by means of its connection to a known type of driving lever not shown.

The threaded portion of stud member 23 extends through and beyond that side of the sliding feeler for opposite said stud members connection to the driving arm 24 and assembles into a threaded hole 25 of an integrally formed spacer or boss 26 provided on a keeper member generally indicated by numeral 27. This keeper member has a generally L-shaped body portion with a depending leg portion thereof being identified by numeral 28. Integral with the lower end of the leg portion 28 the keeper member terminates with a laterally extending lip or foot portion 29.

To summarize the operation the boss 26 on the keeper member 27 positions the latter so that the depending leg portion 28 thereof extends downwardly and in close proximity with the sidewall 16 of the sliding feeler bar holder 14. This positions the foot portion 29 in close proximity with the underside of the feeler bar holder and serves to prevent the rising or lifting of the sliding feeler bar during its function of reciprocating within the channel of said holder.

The keeper member 27 is fabricated from a flexible material such as nylon and to remove the sliding feeler bar 10 from the channel 13 one simply lifts the driving arm 24 out of contact with stud member 23 and then manually flexes the leg portion 28 away from sidewall 16 a distance sufficient for the foot portion 29 to clear the underside of the sliding feeler bar holder.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An improved warp stop motion for a loom comprising:

a. a feeler bar holder having a base portion with upwardly directed spaced sidewalls defining a channel;

b. a feeler bar carried in said channel for reciprocating movement by drive means operatively connected thereto;

c. keeper means for maintaining said feeler bar in said channel and permit its removal therefrom including:

l. a body portion with means for attachment to said feeler bar;

,c}. a downwardly extending flexible leg portion disposed immediately adjacent to one of said sidewalls; and

3. a laterally extending terminus foot portion movable with said feeler bar in close proximity with the underside of said feeler bar holder.

Claims

1. An improved warp stop motion for a loom comprising: a. a feeler bar holder having a base portion with upwardly directed spaced sidewalls defining a channel; b. a feeler bar carried in said channel for reciprocating movement by drive means operatively connected thereto; c. keeper means for maintaining said feeler bar in said channel and permit its removal therefrom including: 1. a body portion with means for attachment to said feeler bar; 2. a downwardly extending flexible leg portion disposed immediately adjacent to one of said sidewalls; and 3. a laterally extending terminus foot portion movable with said feeler bar in close proximity with the underside of said feeler bar holder.

2. a downwardly extending flexible leg portion disposed immediately adjacent to one of said sidewalls; and