US2336876A - Picking mechanism for looms - Google Patents

Description

. 14, 1943. F. M. MAGEE PICKING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed July 7, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FRE DERIQK M.MAG-EE ATTORNEY Dec. 14, 1943. M, A E 2,336,876

PICKING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed July '7, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FREDERICK M. MAGEE ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 14, 1943 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 2,336,876 rroKrNc MECHANISM Fora LOOMS Application July 7, 1942, Serial No. 449,999

9 Claims.

This invention relates to picking mechanisms for looms and it is the general object of the-invention to utilize the lay of the loom to provide the operating force for the picking mechanism.

The usual loom is constructed with a top or crank shaft for reciprocating the lay and has also a bottom shaft for operating the picking mechanism. The two shafts are geared together so that the bottom shaft makes one revolution every second pick of the loom and the picking arms on it actuate the picker sticks at the opposite ends of the loom in alternation. It is an important object of my present invention to eliminate the bottom shaft and provide picking arms which are operated by a force derived from the lay as the latter moves rearwardly.

Looms of the automatic multicolor type usually have a single shuttle box on one end of the lay and shifting shuttle boxes on the opposite end. The shifting boxes are so constructed that the picker mechanism extends through the actively placed cell on the picking stroke and must be moved into a non-interfering position before the boxes can shift. It is a further object of my invention to provide a lay actuated picking mechanism so controlled as to disable the picker mechanism on those beats of the lay when the shuttle boxes shift and thus prevent interference be-' tween the picker and boxes. This result may be accomplished by providing means for permitting picking at the drop box end on alternate picks only of the loom. This same mechanism may also be used at the single shuttle box end of the loom if desired.

It is a more specific object of my present invention to provide a system of links operated by the lay and connected tothe picker stick in such a way that the force imparted to the shuttleincreases during the picking stroke. This increase is due partly to the fact that the lay motion is accelerating at the time of picking and due partly to the hinged links which are attached by a cone, nector to the picker stick.

. With these and other objects in view whic will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a box loom having certain features of my invention applied to both ends thereof,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1, showing the lay in front,

center position preparatory to a backward stroke to effect picking,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal detailed section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section on line A@ of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1 looking toward the shifting shuttle box end of the loom,

' Fig. 6 is a detailed horizontal section on line 6-5 of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is a detailed side elevation of one of the picking cams employed in my invention.

Referring particularly-to Figs. 1 and 5, I have shown a loom frame If! and a lay l I mounted onswords 52 supported by a rocker shaft l3 journaled in the lower part of the loom frame. The shaft l4 corresponding to the usual top shaft has cranks for connectors If by which the lay is driven. As the shaft makes a complete rotation the lay passes through the usual front, top, back and center positions for each pick or beat of the loom. The right hand side of the lay is provided with a single shuttle box B while the left end of the loom is provided with a gang G of shifting shuttle boxes mounted on a box lifter rod Hi the vertical position of which is determined by any approved form of shuttle box operating mechanism.

Theright end of the rocker shaft I3 is pro vided with a rocker foot 20 on which is pivoted the lower end of the right hand picker stick 2|, and in similar manner the left end of the rocker shaft is provided with a second foot'ZZ on which is pivoted the lower end of the left hand pickershuttle cells designated at 30, 3|, 32 and 33. The

gang G is a rigid structure having a back wall 34 provided with a longitudinal slot 35. for each of the shuttle cells to receive the picker 26 when the latter has a picking stroke. The wall 34 does not extend entirely to the outer end of the gang G as viewed in Fig. 1 but terminates short of the position occupied by the picker as shown center position on theensuing backward stroke.-

The boxes will not ordinarily shift until a shut tle received from the box B has entered one or another of the shuttle cells of gang G from box B, and the picker 2s should'bei m cca position at the beginning of the box shifting period. as

not to interfere either with the shift or entry of a shuttle into any of the shuttle cells.

jlower end of a bottom link 12.

In carrying my invention into effect I. provide a system of linkage for each of the picker sticks and actuate the linkage by the lay asthe latter moves rearwardly. The right hand rocker foot 20, see Fig. 1, is provided with an upper extension 40 pivoted at 4! to the lower end of a bottom link 42 the upper end of which is jointed or pivoted as at 43 to the lower end of a second or upper link 4-4. Asweep stick 45 is attached to'the pi-votal connection 43 at its'left end and is pro:- vided at its outer end with the usual lug strap'46 which surrounds the picker stick 2|. 'While' I have shown a sweep stick connected directly to the pivot 43, I do not wish necessarily to be thus limited since itis sufficient! if the sweep stick is connectedtothe links" in such a way as to move with the latter".

The right hand part of the loom frame is provided with a bearing 50 through which extendsby and i'n'oving withthe lay structure. The cam. has a low dwell 5|, see Fig, '7, a riser or incline:

62 comprising the operating surface, andahigh dwell '63. sively by therolLGB during the rearward movement of the lay, the roll passing under the team to rock the latter and thereforeth'e arm53 in. a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2' to lift arm 53 and thev universal joint 54 to raise link 44.

When the link 44 rises the pivot 43 and. therefore the'sweepstick 45 moves tothe l-eft to give: the picker stick its picking stroke. 4-2 and are normally at such an anglethat upward motion of the arm 53 will give'the'sweep stick 45 a suflicien-t movement for picking as the links move from the full to the dotted line position of- Fig. 1. The shuttle in box Bis thus picked to the'opposite side'of the loom, and the,

riserSZ- will be solocated'that the picking stroke occurs approximately at the top center position ofthelay. f 7

As the. lay continues to move rear'wardly the roll 5!) will engage thehigh dwell '63 the effect of which isto hold the cam 52 and arm 53 in high position to maintain thepicker stick in it'sinwardposition which it occupies at the end of thepickingstroke. As the lay next "moves for} wardly the roll \i i-ll'meve froin under the riser These surfaces are engaged succes The links B2 and the cam will fall to its normal position under action of the usual picker stick return spring 65. In the mechanism thus far described the picker stick 2! will operate on each backward stroke of the lay but on alternate picks the box B will be empty and the corresponding strokes of the stick will be idle.

Much ofv the mechanism for operating the left hand picker stick 23 is the same as that already described. The rocker foot 22 has an upward extension 'Hlwhich is pivoted as at H to the A pivotal connection 13' is provided between the upper end of the bottom link 12 and the lower end of the top link 14 and is connected at pivot 13 to the sweep stick 15 carrying the lug strap 16 which surrounds the picker stick 23. The upper end of link 14 is connected to a universal joint Ti mounted on an arm 18 similar to arm 53 and secured to a small shaft F9 rockably mounted in the left hand part of the loom frame. The shaft 19' has secured thereto a cam which is similar'in its construction to the cam 52 shown in Fig. 7, and cooperates with a roll mounted on and moving with the lay.

Inasmuch as the picker 26 must be out of the path of thegang G whenthe latter starts to shift I provide a'control for the roll 85 which permitsit to be moved into and out of operating position with respect to cam 80-. A shaft 86 is mounted on bearings 8! extending rearwardly from the lay swords l2. The roll 60 is rotatably mounted on the rightend of the shaft as viewed in Fig. 1, and the roll 85 is mounted for'rotation and also longitudinal movement along the left end of the shaft. The roll 85 is capable of two transversepositions with respect to the loom in one of which it can operate the cam 89 andin the other of which it passes to one side of the cam without moving it.

Roll 85- is provided with a hub 84, see Fig. 6, grooved as at 88 to receive'the forked end 89 of the upperarm of a lever 90 pivoted on a stud 9| supported by the left handlay sword I2. The lower end of lever 99 extends to a point close to the rocker shaft l3 and is pivoted as at 93 to a second lever 94' movable about an inclined stud 95 projecting upwardly from a bracket 96 secured to'the: loom frame. A spring 9! connecting lever 94 and the adjacent loomside tends to move the levers 90 and 94 in sucha direction as to locate the roll 85 in alignment with the cam 80. The fit at the pivots SH, 93 and 95 is sufficiently loose to permit movement of the lay without interfering with the motion of levers 9D and 94.

In order that the lever 94 may be operated toeffect picking on alternate picks at the shifting shuttle box end of'the loom I secure a gear I00 to the top shaft M and a second gear IEH meshingwith it and rotatable freely on a stud I02 fixed with the loom frame. Gear Hll has twice the pitch diameter of gear H10 and therefore completes a revolution every other pick of theloom.

The face of gear I BI is provided with a cam I03 for engagementwith the upper right hand end of lever 94' as shown in Fig. 5. This cam has a relatively long high area I04 and a shorter low area The high area I04 rocks the levers 90 and 94 in such-a direction as to move the roll 85 to its inoperative position out of alignment with cam 80, while thespring 91 hung between lever 94 and the loom frame gives the levers an opposite movementto move roll 85 to its operative position in alignment with cam 80. The lengths of the high and. low dwells are such, and'are so related with respect to the gearing and position of the lay, that the roll 85 is not moved to its operative position by spring 91 until the lay is on front center on those picks of the loom When the gang G shifts. As a result of this relationship there is no operating connection between cam 80 and roll 85 when the box shifting interval starts and the return spring Illl of the picker stick 23 can therefore move the latter and the picker 25 to their outermost positions out of interfering position relatively to gang G before the box shifting interval begins.

As the box shifting interval continues during the first part of the backward motion of the lay, the roll 85 will engage cam 88 to raise it and cause an operation of the links 12 and 14 similar to the operation already described for links 42 and 44 to give the picker stick 23 its picking stroke. This stroke does not start until the gang G is completely shifted. At some time subsequent to the picking stroke the high dwell I06 acts to move the roll 85 to inoperative position and maintain it at that position until the lay is on front center during the next box shifting interval.

In order that some adjustment may be afforded for varying the force of picking I may employ the construction shown in Fig. 7 wherein the riser 62 is held in position by two set screws I H and I I2. These set screws are at right angles to each other and extend through slotted webs N3 of the cam 52, thus permitting the riser to be moved either toward or from the rod 88 for increasing or decreasing, respectively, the force of picking, or for permitting the riser to be moved up or down for the purpose of making the ick late or early.

While I have shown a lay as carrying an actuator immovable relatively thereto for cooperation with a movable part on the loomside, yet I do not wish to be limited to this construction inasmuch as it is sufiicient if one of the cooperating parts is on the lay and the other is on the loom frame and movement of the lay effects movement of the part Which is connected to the picker stick linkage. It is to be understood that if desired the roll 52 may be controlled in the same manner as the roll 85 should it be desired to actuate picker stick 2| on alternate picks only of the loom.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple form of picking mechanism operated by a force derived from the lay and transmitted from the latter through a system of links to the picker stick. It will further be seen that the selector or controller for roll 85 shifts at such times as to cause the picker stick 23 to operate on alternate beats of the lay. It will also be seen that by having one end of the two jointed normally oblique links connected to an anchored pivot while the other link is connected to a movable operating arm the picker stick is given an accelerated movement as the two links approach alignment. This acceleration is contributed to in part by the effect of straightening the links 42 and 44, or 12 and 14, but also to the fact that the lay speed is increasing as the rolls engage their cams.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In picking mechanism for a loom having a lay reciprocating between front and back center positions, a picker stick mounted on the lay to be given a picking stroke, a pair of links jointed at their adjacent ends, a connection between the picker stick and the jointed ends of said links, means normally to support that end of one of said links remote from the other link so that said links are normally angularly disposed with respect to each other, and means operated by the lay and connected to said other link to move said links toward a position of alignment and thereby move the jointed ends of said links and said connection to give the picker stick a picking stroke.

2. In picking mechanism for a loom having a frame member and .a lay member reciprocating between front and back center positions, a picker stick mounted on the lay to b given a picking stroke, a pair of links having adjacent ends pivoted to each other and connected to the picker stick and mounted for relative angular movement with respect to each other, a cam movably mounted on one of said members, means on the other member to rock said cam as the lay member moves rearwardly, and connections between said cam and one of said links operative when said cam is rocked to move said links toward mutual alignment and thereby giv the picker stick a picking stroke.

3. In picking mechanism for a loom having a frame and a lay reciprocating between front and back center positions, a picker stick mounted on the lay to be given a picking stroke, a pair of normally angularly disposed links the adjacent ends of which are jointed, a connection between the picker stick and the jointed ends of the links, means to mount one of said links for pivotal movement about an axis held against movement toward the other link, a cam movably mounted on the loom frame and operatively connected to said other link, and means on the lay operative during backward movement of the latter to move said cam and cause said links to move toward a position of alignment with respect to each other and thereby move the jointed ends of said links .and said connection to give the picker stick a picking stroke.

4. In picking mechanism for a loom having a frame and a lay reciprocating between front and back center positions, a picker stick mounted on the lay to be given a picking stroke, a pair of jointed links having their adjacent ends connected to each other and to the picker stick, a cam movably mounted on the loom frame and extending transversely of the lay, a ball and socket joint operatively connecting said cam to that end of one of said links remote from the other link, means to mount the other link for movement in a plane parallel to that in which the picker stick swings, th link being normally angularly disposed with respect to each other, and means on the lay operative during backward movement of the latter to rock said cam and cause said links to move toward a position of mutual alignment and thereby give the picker stick a picking stroke.

5. In picking mechanism for a loom having a lay reciprocating between front and back center positions, a picker stick mounted on the lay to be given a picking stroke, a link th lower end of which is pivoted with respect to the lay, a second link the lower end of which is pivoted to the upper end of the first link, a connection between the picker stick and the mutually pivoted ends of said links, said links normally being angularly disposed with respect to each other, and means operated by the lay as the latter moves rearwardly to raise, the. upper end of the second link, and move said links to-. ward .a position of alignment to move said connection and thereby give the picker stick a picking stroke.

6. In picking mechanism for a loom having a frame and a lay reciprocating between front and back center positions and provided with a gang of shuttle boxes movable during a shifting period, picker means to cooperate with a shuttle in said gang and normally out of the path of shifting of said shuttle boxes, a rockable cam mounted onthe loom frame, a pair of links pivoted together and normally oblique with respect to each other, means to connect said links to said picker means, a support for one of said links, means to connect the other link to said cam, an actuator for the cam mounted on the lay for movement into and out of operating position with respect to the cam, and mechanism operative on those picks of the loom when the shifting period occurs to move the actuator out of operating relation with respect to said cam and move said actuator into operative relation with respect to said cam onthe intervening picks of the loom.

'7, In picking mechanism for a 100m having a frame member and a lay member reciprocating between front and back center positions, a gang of shuttle boXes shiftable during a shifting period occurring on alternate beats of the lay, picker means normally out of the path of shifting of the shuttle boxes but movable into the path of the shifting boxes when having a picking stroke, a rockable cam mounted on one of said members, a pair of links pivoted together and normally oblique with respect to each other, means to connect said links to said picker means, a support for one of said links, means to connect the other link to said cam, a cam actuator on the other of said members movable into and out of operative position with respect to said cam, and mechanism operative on those Picks of the loom when the shifting period for said shuttle boxes occurs to effect relative separation of the actuator from the cam to prevent actuation thereof, said mechanism operative on the intervening picks of the loom to cause cooperation between said actuator and cam to actuate the latter by a force derived from the lay member.

8. In picking mechanism for a loom having a reciprocating lay and shuttle boxes movable during shifting periods which occur on alternate beats of the lay, picker means to cooperate with the shuttles in said shifting shuttle boxes, one shuttle at a time, two mechanisms for cooperative relation with respect to each other to effect operation of the picker means, one of said mechanisms being mounted on the lay and moving with the latter to operate the other mechanism, the latter mechanism comprising normally oblique jointed links connected to the picker means, a support for on of the links, and means to operate the other link by a force derived from the first mechanism, and control means for one of said mechanisms to prevent cooperative relation of said mechanisms during those picks of the loom in-which the shifting period of the shuttle boxes occurs and caus cooperative relation between said mechanisms during the intervening picks of the loom.

9.'In picking mechanism for looms having a reciprocating lay provided with shuttle boxes which move relatively to the lay during a shifting period occurring on alternate beats of the lay, picker means to be given a picking stroke to pick a shuttle in said shuttle boxes, two mechanisms for cooperative relation one of which is mounted on and moves with the lay and the other of which comprises normally oblique jointed links connected to the picker means, a support for one of the links, and actuator means to operate the other links by a force derived from the first mechanism, said mechanisms effective to give the picker means a picking stroke by a force derived from the lay when said mechanisms have cooperative relation incident to lay movement, and control mechanism to effect relative movement of said first named mechanism and said actuator means to prevent cooperative relation thereof on those picks of the loom during which said shifting period occurs and cause cooperative relation between said first named mechanism and said actuator means on the intervening picks of the loom.

FREDERICK M. MAGEE.

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