US59132A - Improvement in hand-looms - Google Patents

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-NrrED STATES YPRI-Erl'' OFFICE STEPHEN C. MENDENHALL AND SIMN SPARKS, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA,

ASSIGNORS T() STEPHEN C. MENDENHALL.

IMPROVEMENT IN kHAND-LOOMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,132, dated October 23, 1866.

` denhall, granted 29th August, 1865, and relates to a device for the instantaneous retraction of the cam and grooved hub, whereby a single cam of long sweep is enabled to operate on any desired number of treadles in succession, and yet to return automatically andV instantly to the starting position, so as to be ready at the proper moment to resume its action at the commencement of the series of treadles.

In the customary grooved hub employed for shifting the cam in looms, the necessary obliquity of the traverse or return groove, which crosses the others, causes it, in operating three or more treadles, to take up so much of the circumference of the hub as to seriously circumscribe that portion of the revolution allotted to the move-ment of the cam on the treadle, and consequently the duration of opening of the shed, while for more than four treadles it is from these causes wholly impracticable, whereas in the present improvement the cam can be` given its full sweep, and can be relied upon always to come promptly to time, no matter how many treadles may be employed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective View, representing the application of our improvement to a self-acting hand-loom. Figs. 2 and 3 represent successive positions of the cam.

The words right and left7 in the following specification refer to the right or left of the machine in respect to the operator.

The treadle cam-shaft A is journaled horizontally a suitable distance in rear of the hed- (lle-frame, and may be rotated by an endless chain, B, extending from the driver C to a spurred pulley or sprocket, D, on the right end ofthe cam-shaft. The said shaft A has a shoulder, a., and a feather, a', to permit a limited sliding motion of the cam, and lyet compel-its rotation with the shaft.

The driver C revolves on a stud-shaft, N, affixed adjustably to theV frame, so as to enable the tightening of the belt or chain.

The present illustration contains but four treadles, 1 2 3 4, and as many grooves in the cam-hub 5 but our plan enables the employment of a much larger number.

Our cam E has a short concentric depressed portion, e, which traverses without depressing the treadle dnrin g the retraction of the cam. From the portion e the cam rises rapidly at e to reach the long portion e", which, likethe portion e, is concentric, but is as much greater in radius as the desired stroke ofthe treadles.

The portion e" should occupy not less than two-thirds of the circuit of the cam, in order that the shed of the warp may be held open and clear of the woef-thread almost until the very instantkof the final stroke of the hatten in laying up the said thread. l.

The above provision is especially important in weaving many descriptions of woolen goods whose warp-threads abound in knots and other obstructions, which, when the shed is closed too soon, are liable to become entangled in the woot'. Y The portion e" terminates precipitonsly at 0', in order to allow each treadle in succession to'promptly resume its horizontal position, so as to slacken the shed at the precise juncture of time when the batten is approaching the end of its beat to lay up the woot-thread.

The cam E and its hub F, while made capable of being slid along the shaft A, are compelled to rotate in common with said shaft by means of a feather, a.

A spring, G, acts to return. the cam to its starting-point against the shoulder a and to hold it there, save when shifted by the action of the finger.

` The cam-hub has a series of grooves, l 2 3 4, which, for about seven-eighths of the circle, are in equidistant planes of revolution and communicate each with the one next in order by means of an oblique channel, l 2l 3.

Hinged to the cross-'rail H is a iin ger, I, which, when not specially disengaged, is pressed into the grooves of the hub by the action of a spring, J.

The bottom of the last groove, 4, terminates in a rise, K, which, as the rotation of the hub continues, elevates the fin ger clear of the periphery of the hub.

Lis a stop which momentarily detains the hub to give time for the en ga gement of asprin gcatch, M, whose duty it is to hold the finger I out of the grooves while Ithe cam and hub are shot hack to the first position by means of the retracting-spring G.

Projecting from the left end of the hub is a releasing-cam, O, which at the proper momen t, impinging against the spring-catch M, acts to disengage it from the finger, so as to allow the latter to drop again into the groove l in the hub. Butts or stops t' z" projecting from the fin ger I serve to lilnit its vibrations.

In order to insure an orderly and concerted action among all the parts with as little shafting or cog-gearing as possible, and yet enable the operator to stand square with and facing the front of the machine, and to afford a crankv motion on the plane parallel to the motion of the batten, and so that the crank shall be at its most el'ective position when the batten is in the act of striking up the woot-thread, I

have provided a driving spurred pulley or sprocket, C, and have connected the same to a similar sprocket, D, on the cam-shaft by means of an endless belt, B b, having metallic eyelets.

The winch or hand-crank C' is affixed at such position to the sprocket C, and the sprockets C and D are so connected by pitman P to the batten Q, as to bring the winch C' and the pit men P P all at or near their deadpoints, and with the weight of the operator bearing upon the winch C', so as to concentrate the greatest force at this special and importantjuncture of the operation, enabling the operator to lay up the Woof-thread firmly, and insuring a dense and heavy fabric without the necessity of fulling.

The eyeleted belt B b may b e formed of canvas or leather with metallic eyes, or may be simply a metallic chain.

The essential requisites of said belt are plivability without extensibility and the faculty of communicating positive motion from pulley to pulley.

We claim herein as new and of our invention-.

1. The peculiarly-shaped vcam E e a e 0', in the described combination with the grooved hub F, constructed as described, and a series of treadles,1 2 3 4, or more, constructed as described, whereby one cam is made to operate 'all the treadles, and also to keep the treadles depressed during almost the entire revolution of the cam.

2. The rise K and .stop L, inthe described combination with grooved cam-hub F, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with the cam E 0 e e 0 a-nd hub F, grooved as shown and described, the retracting-spring G.

4. The linger I, hinged to the crossrail H and provided with a spring, J, for the purpose set forth.

5. In the described combination, the yield ing and spring-sustained nger I and the spring-catch M for the momentary detention of the nger outside of the hub, as set forth.

6. The releasing-cam O,.iu the described combination with the spring-catch M and iinger I.

7. The combination of groovedcam-liub F and the yielding and sprin g-sustained fin ger I.

8. The arrangement of feathered and shouldered shaft A a a', cam E e e e" 6', grooved l1 ub F, rise K, stop L, releasing-cain O, springcatch M, and retracting-spring G.

9.. In combination with the elements of the clause immediately preceding, the spurred pulleys G and D, winch C', eyeleted belt or chain B b, pitmen P P, and hatten Q.

In testimony of which invention wc hereunto st our hands. a

l STEPHEN G. MENDENHALL. SIMON SPARKS. Witnesses GEO. H. KNIGHT, JonN FINLEY.

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