US686904A - Filling-replenishing mechanism for looms. - Google Patents

Description

No. 686,904. Pate'ntd Nov. I9, |90I. J. NORTHRDP.

FILLING REPLENISHING MECHANISM FUR LOOMS.

(Application led Apr. 29, 1901.)

(No ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet l` No. 686,904. Patented Nov. I9, I90I. J. NURTHROP.

FILLING BEPLENISHING MECHANISM FUR LOOMS.

(Application led Apr. 29, 1901.) (No McdelJ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNTED STATES f OFFICE.

JONAS NORTIIROP, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER COMPANY, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

FILLING-REPLENISHING MECHANISM FQR LOOMS.

SPEGIFECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,904, dated November 19, 1901. Application filed April 29, 1901. Serial No. 57,890. (N0 model- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JONAS NORTHROP, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Hopedale, county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Automatic Filling- Replonishing Mechanisms for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to looms provided with automatic filling-replenishing mechanism of the type wherein the' change of filling is effected when a feeler detects the exhaustion of the filling in the shuttle to a predetermined extent.

In a former United States' Patent, No. 646,866, granted to me April 3, 1900, the operative movement of the feeler is effected by or through the shuttle as it enters the shuttle-box, and the feeler is so constructed that the volume of the filling in the shuttle is determined by measuring its diameter. In my present invention I have also made the feeling movement of the feeler dependent upon the entrance of the shuttle in the shuttlebox, but in a novel manner, an actuatingspring being permitted to effect feeling movement by or through the entrance of the shuttle in the shuttle-box. The volume of filling in the shuttle-box is determined by measuring its diameter in my present invention; but instead of having the feeler straddle the filling mass and engage the same at two points on opposite sides of its longitudinal axis, as in my said patent, I have provided for the engagement with the filling at only one side of its longitudinal axis. Such construction obviates certain practical objections which sometimes occur with the meehanism described in my patent.

Various other features of my invention will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure l is a top or plan view centrally broken out of a loom having one embodiment of my present invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the left-hand end of the lay with a portion of the shuttle-box and the feeler and adjacent mechanism. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional detail on the line x fr, Fig. 1, looking to the right and showing a portion of the means for determining the time of operation of the iilling-replenishing mechanism. Fig. 4 is a top or plan view of one end of the shuttle, showing a cam thereon, to be referred to. Fig. 5 is a side elevation ot' the end of the shuttle shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail in side elevation of the shoe which cooperates with the shuttle to effect feeling movement of the feeler. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail of the resetting device, showing normal and abnormal positions thereof by full and dot-ted lines, respectively.

Referring to Fig. l, the loomframe A, breast-beam A40, thelayA3, the shipper-lever S and its notched holding-plate H, attached to the breast-beam, the filling-feeder F to receive the filling-carriers b, the transferrer f', and the operating or controlling rock-shaft d', adapted to be rotated in the direction of the arrow 20, Fig. 3, to effect a change of filling and normally held in the position shown in said figure oy the spring s2, are and may be all as shown in said Patent No. 646,866, referred to, the parts operating substantially asset forth in said patent.

The iilling-replenishing mechanism is located at one side of the loom and is adapted to transfer a fresh supplyof filling to the shuttle S when the latter is in the adjacent shuttle-box, while the feeler itself is mounted in my present invention upon the front Wall B2 of the shuttle-box BX.

The front wall of the shuttle-box BX is shown as provided With a longitudinal aperture or slot b2, for a purpose to be described, and said wall has secured to or forming a part of it, at or near its outer end, an upturned stand or bracket b3, in which is mounted a short rock-shaft b, transverse to the length of the shuttle-box and extended outwardly in front of the stand b3. At its inner end the rock-shaft has fast upon it a shoe b5, having its lower longitudinal edge slightly conveXed in the direction of its length, as at h6, (see Fig. 6,) and the shoe is provided with a lateral outwardly-extended lug or projection b7, for a purpose to be described. The rook-shaft IOO has pivot-ally mounted upon it an arm be, provided at its extremity with an enlargement b9, which I shall hereinafter term a bunter, the same being adapted to swing in a substantially vertical plane in front of the front wall of the shuttle-box and to at times extend in front of and act as a closure for the aperture b2.

The feeler is shown as an arm a, secured to the arm 798 and bent inwardly and then extended in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the shuttle-box, the free end of the arm being shown best inv Fig. 2 as bent into a substantially U-shaped form at a to contact intermittingly with the filling in the shuttle, the latter being open at its top and bottom, as in the patent referred to.

The swinging movement of the feeler and bunter will be effected in unison by virtue of their connection; but the feeler by virtue of its position will move into and out of the shuttle when the latter is in the shuttle-box BX, while the bunter moves up and down in"- side of the front wall of the shuttle-box.

A spring S5, secured at one end tothe lay and at its other end to the bunter-arm b9, as herein shown, effects the feeling movement of the feeler, it being understood that on such movement the feeler will move toward and engage the lling at one side of the longitudinal axis of the lling-ca'rrier to determine the volume of the filling mass by measuring its radius, and on such feelingl movement the feeler will be arrested by the filling until the latter is exhausted to a predetermined extent,and until such time the'downward movement of the bunter will be insufficient to move it in front of the aperture b2; but when the filling has been sufficiently exhausted to fail to arrest the movement of the feeler at such time the bunter will move down in front of the aperture into operative position for a purpose to be described. f

A spring s, stronger than the spring 35,. is secured at one end to the rock-shaft b4 and at its other end to the stand b3, the winding of the spring being such as to normally mfai'ntain the feeler and bunter in dotted-line' pe"- sition,Y Fig. 2, with a shoulder 5 on the feele'rarm in engagement with* a stop 6 on the stand, and at such timethe shoe b5 will be depressed so that the stud or projection 57, whichv projects beneath the feeler-arm a, will lift it and hold it in dotted-line position, Fig. 2,- with the spring 35 stretched.

Referring to Figs. t and 5, the end of the shuttle, which isl provided with the holdingjaws hX for the head of the filling-carrier, is

herein shown as cut away on its side to'leave a cam-shaped shoulder 71.5, which preferably is protected by a metal plate 71;, secured to the shuttle in any suitable manner, as by a screw 71,7, Fig. 4. Now when the shuttle' enters the shuttle-box BX the cam will engage the lower edge of the shoe b5 and will rock the said shoe in opposition to the action of the spring s6 into the position shown in full lines, Fig. 2, and the stud 57 will be withdrawn from engagement with the feeler-arm, so that the action of the spring s6, which I shall term the retractile spring, is neutralized and the spring S5 is free to act to move lthe feeler into the shuttle to feel the'fllling therein.

As the shuttle is thrown out of the shuttle-box BX the retractile spring s6 immediately acts to return the shoe to normal position and through the stud 797 to lift the feeler into normal position.

The rock-shaft d is provided with an upturned arm d5, Fig. 3, on the upper end of which is'pivotally mounted a latch d, which is rearwardly extended across the breastbeam, said latch when in its operative position being adapted to be engaged by a shoulderw on the weft-hammer W. An upturned ear C77 on the latch is provided with a transverse projection d8, which normally rests upon a wear-plate 90, secured to one end of a substantially L-shaped detent C79 d10, fulcrumed on a vertical pivot 0712, mounted on a bracket HX, secured to the-holding-plate H, as shown in' Fig. 1. The arm dg of the detent is extended rearwardly and is adapted to enter the aperture b2 in the front wall B2 of the shuttle-box at eachy forward beat of the lay until av change of lling is to be effected, and so long as the arm di can enter said aperture the detent will not be moved from operative position (shown inv Fig. l) and the latch d6 will be maintained inoperative or out of the path of the shoulder w ou the weft-hammer. The usual filling-fork mX is pivotally mounted on a slide m, supported in aguide 7920, and the fillingk-,fork is provided with a loop-like tail m3 to'coperate with the usual hook m4, carried by the weft-hammer, when upon failure of the filling the fork is not tilted, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, the outer end ofthe slide havinga hooked portion m40 to engage the correspondingly-shaped end d4 of an upturned arm d4, fast on the rock-shaft d', substantially as in United States Patent No. 662,320, dated Novem-ber 20, 1900. The guide 7720 forms part of a stand A12, bolted to the breast-beam and having an u pturned portion provided with a horizontal face b3", (see Fig.

3,) on which the plate 90 of the detent slides. So long as the detent retains the latch d6 inoperativer` there will be no change of filling, unless effected by or through the filling-fork IIO mx, if th'e'fi-llin-g breaks; but when the iilling f in the shuttle has been sufficiently exhausted to permit the feeler a to move down past the filling-carrier far enough to position the bunt-er b in front of the aperture b2 the said bunter will engage the rearwardly-extended arm d ofv the' detent and the latter will be rocked on its pivot in the direction of the arrow 50, Fig..1,withdrawing the plate 90 from beneaththe prjeonon d8, and the latch win drop so that it will be in the path of the shoulder w on the outward stroke of the weft-hammer, and thereby the arm d5 will be swung outward, rocking the shaft d in the direction of the arrow 20, and a change of filling will be effected in well-known manner 4inclined and laterally-extended head c', the

under face of which normally rests on the outer edge of the shelf 53,0. (See Figs. 3 and 7.) When the plate 90 is withdrawn from beneath the projection d8, the latter drops onto the horizontal shelf h3, and so below the upper end of the inclined head c of the resetting device, aud when the latch d6 is moved outwardly or to the right (viewing Fig. 3) by or through the action of the weft-ham mer the projection d8 will pass underneath and engage the under inclined surface of the head c and will act to tilt the resetting device c upwardly on its fulcrum cX (see dotted line,

Fig. 7) until the projection passes out from beneath the lower edge of the head, whereupon the device c immediately resumes its normal position. (Shown in full lines, Fig. '7.) When the rock-shaft d is returned to its normal position after change of filling is effected, the latch d6 is moved to the left, (viewing Fig. 3,) and then the projection d8 engages and rides up over the outer inclined face of the head c and drops off the upper edge of the same onto the plate 90 of the detent, the latter by that time having returned to the position shown in Fig. 3, the resetting device c also returning to its normal position as s con as the projection (Z8 has passed from beneath the lower edge of the head c', as above stated, and the parts are thus reset ready for the next operation of the filling-replenishing mechanism.

By the construction herein shown I obviate the use of a shuttle having a side aperture in its side wall, and the detent is only moved when the actuation of the filling-replenishin g mechanism is to be effected. Furthermore, the feeler in my present invention is not called upon to perform any function other than that of feeling the filling in the shuttle, the bunter, which is controlled as to its position by or through the feeler, coperating with the detent to release the latch at the proper time.

In my prior patent, which I have hereinbefore referred to, the calipering of the diameter of the filling mass by the feeler is effected by causing the feeler to intermittingly engage the feeling at two points on opposite sides of its longitudinal axis; but this sometimes proves objectionable in practice, as

there is a tendency to jam the feeler and the filling-carrier.

By measuring the radius as in the present structure I entirely obviate any possibility of jamming or catching of the feeler on the filling mass in the shuttle, because the feeler contacts with the filling at only one side of the longitudinal axis of the filling-carrier.

The shuttle is in my present invention made to directly control the feeling movement of the feeler rather than by the operation of an intermediate device, such as the picker in my patent referred to, and a somewhat more accurate operation of the feeler is thus eected with a closer timing of the feeler movement with the boxing of the shuttle.

The construction of the various parts hereinbefore described is simple, strong, and durable, and not likely to get out of order.

Having fully described 1nyinvention,what

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters l. In a loom, lthe lay, a shuttle-box thereon having an aperture in its front Wall, automatic iilling-replenishing mechanism, controlling means therefor including a normallyoperative detent adapted to intermittingly enter the aperture, combined with a feeler to intermittingly determine thevolume of filling in the shuttle, and a bunter governed by the feeler and adapted to move across the aperture in the shuttle-box wall to engage and move the detent into inoperative position when the filling in the shuttle is exhausted to a predetermined extent.

2. In a loom, the lay, a shuttle-box thereon having an aperture in its front wall, afeeler and a bunter, operatively connected and pivotally mounted on the shuttlebox, and means to intermittingly effect movement of the feeler into the shuttle when in the shuttlc-box to determine the volume of the filling in the shuttle, the bunter moving outside of the front Wall of the shuttle-box and across the aperture therein when the filling in the shuttle is exhausted to a predetermined extent, combined With automatic filling-replenishing mechanism and controlling means therefor, including a latch and a detent normally maintaining the latch inoperative and adapted to intermittingly enter the aperture in the shuttle-box wall until the latter is crossed by the bunter.

3. In a loom, the lay, a shuttle-box thereon having an aperture in its side wall, and a shuttle havin'gtan open top, filling-replenishing mechanism and means to determine the time of its operation, including a pivotallymounted Ls-shaped detent, one end of which is adapted to intermittingly enter the aperture in the shuttle-box wall, combined with a feeler mounted on the shuttle-box and movable by the entrance of the shuttle into the box to engage and feel the filling in the shuttle, and means controlled by the feeler to close IOO the aperture in the shuttle-box wall and cooperate with the detent, to render the same inoperative, when the filling in the shuttle is exhausted to a predetermined extent,

4. In a loom, the lay having a shuttle-box, a normally-inoperative feeler and a connected bunter, both mounted on the shuttle-box, and movable on opposite sides of the front Wall thereof, the latter having an aperture therein, a shuttle, and means governed by the entrance of the shuttle into the shuttle-box to effect movement of the feeler to engage and be arrested by the filling in the shuttle until it is exhausted to a predetermined extent,combined with fillin g-replenishin g mechanism, and means to determine the time of its operation, said means including a mem ber to coperate with the bunter when the filling has been exhausted to the predetermined extent, and said bunter is interposed between the aperture in the sh uttle-box Wall and said member.

5. In a loom, the lay, a shuttle having an open top, and a shuttle-box having an aperture in its front Wall, a filling-feeler mounted on the shuttle-box, means actuated by or through the shuttle to move the feeler through the open top of the shuttle and feel the filling therein, and a closure for the. said aperture governed bythe feeler, combined with fillingreplenishing mechanism controlled as to its operation upon movement of' the closure across the said aperture.

6. In a loom, the lay, a shuttle, a shuttlebox having an aperture in its front Wall, automatic filling-replenishing mechanism, and means to determine the time of its operation including a latch, and a detent to normally maintain the latch inoperative, said detent entering normally said aperture at each for- Ward beat of the lay, combined with a feeler, a bunter normally maintained by the feeler in inoperative position, and means to effect movement of the feeler to intermittingly determine the volume of the filling in the shuttle by measuring the radius ofthe filling mass, detection of predetermined exhaustion of filling by the feeler moving the bunter across the said aperture and into the path of and to move the detent on the forward beat of the lay, to thereby eect actuation of the lling-replenishing mechanism.

7. In a loom provided with automatic filling replenishing mechanism, a shuttle, a feeler to intermittingly engage and feel the lling in the shuttle, a spring to move the feeler toward the filling, a stronger retractile spring to maintain the feeler inoperative, and means actuated by or through the shuttle to neutralize the action of the retractile spring and permit the feeler to be yieldingly moved toward the filling.

8. In a loom, the lay, a shuttle-box having an aperture in its. front Wall, a shuttle, auto matic fillingreplenishiug mechanism, a pivotally-mounted feeler and a connected bunter, a spring to effect feeling movement of the feeler into engagement with the filling in the shuttle, a stronger retractile spring to Withdraw the feeler, means actuated by engagement with the shuttle to neutralize the eect of the retractile spring, and thereby permit yielding movement of the feeler until arrested by the filling, and a detent to be engaged and moved by said bunter when the latter is positioned in front of the aperture upon exhaustion of the filling to a predetermined extent.

9. In a loom, the lay, a shuttle-box, a shuttle having an open top, a transverse rockshaft mounted on the shuttle-box, a connected feeler and bunter pivotally mounted and extending on opposite sides of the front Wall of the shuttle-box, a spring to effect movement of and to bring the feeler into contact with the filling in the shuttle, a shoe fastened on the rock-shaft, and having a lug to engage and move the feeler out of the shuttle, a spring to rock the rock-shaft and cause the feeler to be retracted and the shuttle to engage the shoe and move it against its controlling-spring, and thereby permit the feelerspring to operate.

10. In a loom, the lay, a shuttle-box thereon having an aperture in its front Wall, a rockshaft mounted on the shuttle-box transversely thereto, and having a rigidly-attached shoe, a spring to rock the shaft in one direction, a feeler and a bunter, connected and loosely mounted on the rock-shaft, a spring to move the feeler into engagement with the filling in the shuttle, the shuttle having a cam on its exterior to engage the shoe and turn the rock-shaft against its controlling-spring when the shuttle enters the box, to thereby permit the feeler-sprng to operate, and a lug on the shoe to retract the feeler when the shoe is released by exit of the shuttle from the shuttlebox.

11. In a loom provided with automatic filling-replenishing mechanism, means to control the operation thereof including a rockshaft, an arm fast thereon, a latch pivotally mounted on said arm, a detent to normally maintain the latch inoperative, and the wefthammer to engage the latch when released by the detent, combined with means operated by or through the shuttle to intermittingly determine by measuring its radius, the volume of the filling in the shuttle, a shut-tle, and a bunter movable into position to engage the detent when the filling in the shuttle has been exhausted to a predetermined extent.

12. In a loom, the lay, a shuttle-box thereon, a feeler and a connected bunter pivotally mounted on the shuttle-box, a shuttle having an open top, a spring to move the feeler into the shuttle-box to feel the mass of filling therein at a point on one side of its longitudinal axis, and to be arrested by the filling IOO IOS

IIO

until exhausted to a predetermined extent, a filling in the shuttle has been exhausted to a lo stronger retraotile spring to Withdraw the predetermined extent.

feeler, and means operated by direct engage- In testimony whereof I have signed my ment with the shuttle to neutralize the acname to this specification in the presence of tion of the retraetile spring combined With tWo subscribing Witnesses.

filling-replenishing mechanism, and means to JONAS NORTHROP. determine the time of its operation, said Vitnesses: means including a member adapted to be en- GEORGE OTIs DRAPER,

gaged and moved by the bunter when the 1 ERNEST W. WOOD.

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