US2897848A - Thread control for weft replenishing loom - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 4, 1959 A. CEDERLUND ET AL THREAD CONTROL FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM Filed Aug. 28, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS ALBERT CEDERLUND WILLIAM E. KIMMEL OSIAS J. LE BLANC ATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1959 A. CEDERLUND ET AL 2,897,848

THREAD CONTROL FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM Filed Aug. 28, 1957 5 Shets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS ATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1959 A. CEDERLUND ET AL 2,897,848

THREAD CONTROL FOR WEFT REPIJENISHING LOOM Fil ed Aug. 28, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. IO 20 1' 29 FIG. ll

INVENTORS ALBERT GEDERLUND VOIISIFLIAM E. KIMMEL I24 I30 l3l 2 AS J. LE BLANG ATTORNEY Aug. 4, 1959 A. CEDERLUND ET AL 2,897,848

THREAD CONTROL FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM Filed Aug. 28, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 20

FIG. l4

m c au mMA EM& H .n|vDK Z N N E .E R ECEL o VTMJ. "H W M A L S Awofl w Aug. 4, 1959 A. CEDERLUND ET AL 2,897,848

THREAD CONTROL FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOOM Filed Aug. 28, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS ALBERT .OEDERLUND WILLIAM E. KIMMEL OSIAS J. LE BLANC ATTORNEY United States Patent THREAD CONTROL 120R WEFT REPLENISHING Albert Cederlund, Worcester, William E. Kimmel, Millbury, and Osias J. Le Blane, North Oxford, Mesa, assignors to Crompton & Knowles Corporation, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 28, 1957, Serial No. 680,756

' 23 Claims. Cl. 139260) This invention relates to thread control mechanism for weft replenishing looms more particularly of the bobbin changing type and it is the general object of the invention to provide improved mechanism for withdrawing the thread of the outgoing bobbin from the shuttle box on bobbin transferring beats of the loom.

During a bobbin changing operation of a loom a thread extends from the selvage along the shuttle to and through the shuttle eye and then to the depleted bobbin in the shuttle. When the bobbin is discharged from the shuttle some provision is usually made for removing the thread to prevent it from being drawn into the warp shed. A thread cutter ordinarily cuts the thread at some point along its length between the selvage and the outgoing bobbin so that the latter can carry a part at least of the thread into the bobbin can and mechanism, then handles the remainder of the thread between the cutter and the selvage. In the present instance the thread cutter is located near the eye of the shuttle, thus enabling the outgoing bobbin to unthread the eye. There remains, however, a relatively long piece of thread from the cutter to the selvage and it is an important object of the present invention to provide improved means for removing this remaining part of the thread from the shuttle box so that it will not be in the path of the shuttle when the latter is next picked.

It is another important object of the present invention to provide reeving means for engaging this remainder of the thread and produce zig-zag bends in it so that the end of the thread near the cutter can be moved inwardly toward the cloth and out of the shuttle box. This feature of the invention employs movable reeving elements and at least one stationary reeving element against which the moving elements move the thread. v

It is a further object of the invention to make the moving elements in such manner that they can capture the thread and then present it to the stationary reeving element.

In order that some control may be' exercised over the thread extending from the cutter to the selvage in addition to the aforesaid reeving elements, it is a further object of the invention to provide a clamp to hold the thread after it has been removed from the shuttle box. The clamp preferably cooperates with one of the reeving elements.

The two members are normally in forward position in front of the rear edge of the stationary reeving element. At the time the magazine is set for a bobbin-changing operation the reeving member is moved rearwardly by setter means on the bobbin magazine and during the first part of this rearward motion the clamping member remains at rest, but as the reeving member continues to move rearwardly a lost motion force transmitter on it engages the clamping member and moves the latter to a position rearward of the stationary reeving element. The movable reeving elements preferably have inclined rear surfaces to engage the thread and first depress it and then allow it by its own'resilience to snap up in front Pate ted Aug. 4, 1959 of hooks on the elements, after which the reeving member is moved forwardly incident to resetting of the magazine first to establish clamping relation with the clamping member to hold the thread, after which the force transmitter causes the clamping member to move forwardly with the reeving member as the members are restored to their normal forward position.

The time for operation of the thread near the eye can be adjusted for different kinds of weft being woven but in any event it is desirable that the cutting be completed before the advancing thread engages the stationary reeving element and when elastic wefts are used it is desirable that the thread be clamped between the two members before operation of the cutter. It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved thread cutter so made that it can be adjusted to operate at the desired time.

Certain types of weft replenishing looms designed more particularly for weaving pick and pick fabrics employ shifting shuttle boxes at the magazine end of the loom and a Weft detector on a slide mounted to rise and fall as the shuttle boxes rise and fall. It is a further object of the invention to mount operator means for the cutter on this or a similar slide when the invention is used with shifting shuttle boxes at the magazine end. This feature of the invention may include mounting the cutter mecha nism on the shuttle boxes.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved thread cutter mounted on shifting shuttle boxes to remain in register with one of the boxes as they rise and fall and provide for operating the cutter only at such times as the boxes are in their high position.

If there should be a slight down motion of the shuttle boxes at the time of transfer due to the force exerted by the transferrer arm the cutter would move down with the boxes and lose its registry with the aforesaid operator means. In order to prevent this condition it is a still further object of the invention to keep the cutter and operator means properly related by providing a support for the boxes which will prevent the aforesaid down motion of the boxes and preserve registry of the cutter mechanism with its operator means.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example embodiments of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through part of a weft replenishing loom having the invention applied thereto and showing the reserve bobbin magazine, the shuttle boxes in their raised position, and the thread clamping and capturing members in their normal forward position,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed front elevation looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1, showing the aforesaid clamping and reeving members and the manner in which they are mounted,

Fig. 3 is a View on an enlarged scale of part of the structure shown in Fig. 1 wherein the clamping and capturing members are in their rearmost positions,

Fig. 4 is a detailed horizontal section on line 4-4, Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed horizontal section on line 55, Fig. 1, showing the aforesaid members in their forward position and indicating the path traversed Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the twomembers in their rearmost position,

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing the lay advanced from the position shown in Fig. 7 and indicating the manner of resetting the members at the conclusion of the weft replenishing operation,

Fig. 9 is a detailed perspective view of the movable thread reeving elements a part of one of which is'the previously mentioned lost motion force transmitter,

Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the shuttle box and ad-' jacent parts showing the thread cutter,

Fig. 11 is a detail horizontal section on line 11-11, Fig. 10,

Fig. 12 is a plan view looking in the direction of arrow 12, Fig. 10, showing the cutter in its forward noncutting' position,

Fig. 13 is a detail end elevation partly in section looking in the direction of arrow 13, Fig. 12,

Fig 14 is a vertical section on line 14-44, Fig. 12, showing the cutter in normal noncutting position,

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 14 but showing the cutter in operating position,

Fig. 16 is an enlarged side elevation view from the right-hand end of the loom showing parts of the control means for the thread cutter,

Fig. 17 is a detail rear elevation looking inthe direction of arrow 17, Fig. 16,

Figs. 18 and 19 are diagrammatic views showing certain parts of Fig. 16 in different positions,

Fig. 20 is a detail enlarged vertical section on line 20-20, Fig. 10, showing the shuttle box support in normal position in full lines and in supporting position in dotted lines,

Fig. 21 is a detail side elevation looking in the direction of arrow 21, Fig. 10, showing the position the support assumes if the shuttle boxes are not properly lifted on a weft replenishing beat, and

Fig. 22 is an enlarged detail section on line. 2222, Fig. 10.

Referring to Fig. 1, the loom includes a, stationary breastbeam 1 and a backwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay 2 on which is mounted a gang G of shuttle boxes having upper and lower cells or boxes 3 and 4 respectively. These shuttle boxes can be shifted vertically on a layend 5 fixed to the lay by usual means so that either of the shuttle boxes can, be in active picking position. Gang G is shown in raised position with the top shuttle box 3 and the shuttle S in it in transfer position.

The weft replenishing mechanism includes a magazine M which in the present instance is provided with four, stacks 6, 7, 8 and 9 respectively of reserve bobbins. The magazine includes in its construction a lower shaft 10 capable of back and forth sliding movements induced by a pattern controlled lever 11 and capable also of rocking so that it can initiate release of a bobbin from Whichever of the four stacks it happens to register. The rocking motion of the shaft or color slide 10 is controlledby' a weft detector (not shown) of usual construction for the type of loom shown and rising and falling in register with box 3 as the gang G rises and falls. Whenever the. detector indicates exhaustion of weft in the shuttle box 3 as the latter is rising from its low to its high position the color slide will initiate a bobbin changing operation on the forward beat of the lay and by weII known means a top shaft 12 will thereafter be rocked. The forward end of shaft 12, at the right in Fig. 1, is operatively con nected to a depending rod 14 which is pushed down. when shaft 12 rocks and is operatively connected to a transfer latch 15 which is swung up to transfer position about a stud 16 on part of the transferrer arm 13.

A stand 20 secured to a fixed part of the magazine extends rearwardly and supports a pivot stud 21 somewhat longer than the usual stud. Mounted for rocking on this stud is a lever 22 one arm of which is provided with a slot 23 along which is adjustably secured a stud 24 serving as a pivot for the lower end of a rod 25 the 2,897,848 a MM 4 upper end of which is connected to a short arm 26 secured to the previously mentioned shaft 12. Lever 22 has two depending arms 27 between which a casting 28 is pivoted on stud 29 carried by the arms 27. The casting 28 extends downwardly from stud 29 as shown in Fig. 2 and may be considered as setter means having a back and forth motion incident to a replenishing operation.

The matter thus far described except as noted hereinafter is of common construction and operates in the usual manner as shown for instance in Patent No. 2,391,- 602. When the magazine is set for transfer rocking of shaft 12 raises the fed 25 to move the casting 28 rearwardly around stud 21 and at the same time the rod 14 is depressed to lift the latch 15 from its normal downwardly inclined position shown in Fig. 16 to its raised transfer position for engagement with a bunter 30 on the shuttle gang G, see Figs. 10 and 12. This setting occurs while the lay is still rearward of its forward position and as the lay approaches its front center position the latch is engaged by the bunter to lower the transferrer arm 13 for the purpose of moving a fresh bobbin drawn from the magazine into the shuttle S in box 3.

An important feature of the present invention concerns means for removing the thread of the outgoing bobbin incident to a bobbin transfer operation and in carrying this part of the invention into effect a clamping member 35 is mounted to pivot on an extension of stud 21, see Fig. 2, between collars 36 secured to the stud. The lower end of this member 35 has a body R of friction material, such as soft rubber, secured to it on the side thereof facing toward gang G and away fromthe cloth (not shown). A screw 37 on member 35 passes through a slot 38 in a flat sheet metal link 39 pivoted on a stationary stud 40 and also through two friction discs 41 and 42 on opposite sides of the link 39. The screw causes the discs to holdthe member 35 frictionally in any position to which it can be moved but permits the member to move in a back and forth direction as will be described.

Secured to the previously mentioned casting 28 is a thread capturing and movable reeving member 43 which in the present instance is made of two parts 44 and 45. The part 44 may conveniently be made of a pressed sheet metal stamping and has an upper attaching body 46 which is secured by screws 47 to the lower part of casting 28. An arm 49 extends forwardly from end 46 and is provided with a laterally bent wing 50 in which is mounted an operating screw 51 in alignment with a lug 52 on the member 35. Behind the wing 50 is a second laterally bent wing 53 which is behind the clamping member 35.

The part 45 is secured to an intermediate portion of part 44 by screws 56. The lower end of the part 44 and the part 45 may be considered to be thread capturing and movable reeving elements on the member 43 and each element has a forwardly and downwardly inclined rear edge 57 and a notch 58 formed by a hook 59 at the lower forward edge thereof.

A stationary reeving element 65 has a rearwardl-y facing edge 67 for engagement with the thread. This element may be made of sheet metal and is bolted at 66 to a stationary stand 62 as indicated in Figs. 2, 4 and 5. This element aligns with a space 68 between the two movable reeving elements 44 and 45. There is also provided a shock absorbing bunter 69 aligned with the member 35 and held in stationary but back and forth adjusted position by a screw 64 screw threaded into a lateral flange 63 on stand 62. The previously mentioned stationary stud 40 is also mounted on stand 62.

Normally the members 35 and 43 are in the position shown in Fig. l with their lower forward ends at a considerable distance forward of the edge 67 of the stationary reeving element 65. In the operation of the loom a shuttle will enter the shuttle box 3 and the gang G will then rise and during this rising the weft detector (not shown) will initiate a transferring operation, if needed, when the lay reaches its front center position immediately following boxing of the shuttle. This initiation of transfer causes rocking of the shaft 12 which lifts the transfer latch to transferring position and also raises the rod 25 so that the member 43 is positively moved rearwardly. During the first part of this rearward motion the member 43 moves to a position rearward of the member 35 until the screw 51 engages the lug 52 on member 35, see Fig. 6, after which continued rearward movement of the member 43 causes motion of the clamping member 35 in a rearward direction to the position shown in Fig. 3. The members will remain momentarily in this position, the lay still being in a rear position. The thread T extending to the cloth at the left of Fig. 12 from the shuttle S, which is now in raised position, extends over a rod 60 on gang G which is nearer the selvage of the cloth than the clamping member 35 and as the lay advances the thread moves down along the inclined edges 57 and then, due to its tension, snaps up into the space between the members and in front of notches 58, see Fig. 7. As the lay moves forwardly a resetting screw 70 on it will engage a part 71 freely movable on the stud 21 but connected operatively to the casting 28 by the stud 29, and move the member 43 forwardly and also move the screw 51 away from the clamp member 35. The latter, however, will be held in position by the friction discs engaging the link 39 so that the member 35 will remain in rear position during the first part of the forward motion of the member 43 and until the part 44 clamps the thread against the friction material R on the clamping member 35 to hold the thread. At about this time the wing 53 will engage the rear edge of the clamp 35 and thereafter the two members will move forwardly together toward the rear edge 67 of the stationary reeving element.

As the members continue their forward motion the thread will be caused to reeve around the element 65 by the two movable reeving elements as indicated in Fig. 5. The thread is thereby pulled along a zig-zag path and its free end is drawn toward the reeving elements. When the lay reaches its front center the members are back in their normal position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 8 and the thread will be disposed as shown in Fig. with a part of it extending from the element 44 and the rubber friction material toward the adjacent selvage while the other part of the thread passes forwardly along the adjacent surface of the part 44, then rearward around the edge 67 of the stationary reeving element 65, then forwardly around the movable reeving element 45 and then toward the shuttle box gang. In this way the thread is pulled from the shuttle box out of the path of the.

shuttle S when the latter is next picked.

It should be understood that the thread has already been cut, as will presently be described, at a point adjacent the shuttle eye E and also that a fresh bobbin has been transferred into the shuttle S. At some subsequent beat of the loom the thread will be cut by any approved form of temple cutter (not shown) close to the selvag'e and the two ends of the thread will then depend from the two members, being still clamped between its ends. At the next transfer when the two members again separate the thread will be free to drop, this separation of the two members ordinarily occurring when the lay is in a relatively rearward position so that the thread can fall free along edge 67 without becoming entangled with the lay.

The cutter mechanism designated generally at C is located near the outer end of the shuttle box gang G so that it can enter a slot 80 in the shuttle binder 81 for the top box cell 3 and also pass through a slot 82 in the front wall of the shuttle S in cell 3, or at least enter a depression which is cut into the shuttle wall so that the upper and lower blades 83 and 84 can pass behind the thread which will be extending along the front wall of the shuttle.

For operating the cutter a shaft 85 having an axis substantially parallel to the axes of boxes 3 and 4 is mounted for rotation in bearings 86 and 87 secured to the gang G as indicated in Fig. 10. This shaft has secured thereto in a manner to be described an arm 88 made in two parts one of which 90 is fixed to the shaft and the other of which 91 extends forwardly and is se cured to part 90 for adjustment therealong by adjusting screws 92 which provide for varying the forward position of the downwardly and forwardly inclined surface 93 on part 91.

The loom includes in its construction a vertical slide 95 operated by a rod 96 which moves vertically with the gang G. The slide is mounted for vertical reciprocating motion in a stationary guide 97 and carries the previously mentioned but not shown weft detector. Secured to the slide 95 for vertical adjustment thereon is a bearing member 98, see Fig. 17, having pivoted thereon at 99 the lower end of a locking arm 100. An operator 103 for arm 88 is pivoted to bearing 98 at 104. This operator is provided on its right-hand side, Fig. 17, with a laterally extending stud 105 which cooperates with the lock 100 when a cutting operation is called. On the opposite side of the operator at its rear end is mounted a roll 106 for engagement with the arm 88. The operator normally rests on a support lug 107 extending laterally from hearing 98 under the operator.

The lock .100 has an upwardly extending horn 108 rearward of a positioner 109 on the transferrer latch 15. A spring 110 operatively connecting the slide 95 and lock serves normally to hold a shoulder 111 of the lock against the slide but permits the lock to move rearwardly, to the right, as viewed in Fig. 19. The lock has a downwardly and rearwardly facing notch 112 to receive lock pin 105.

When the magazine is set for a transferring operation the transferrer latch i raised and the positioner 109 moves the horn 108 and lock 100 rearwardly so that the lock pin or stud 105 enters the notch 112 and the operator 103 is effectively locked against substantial upward motion. As the lay moves forwardiy the inclined surface 93 of arm 88 will be pushed down from the position shown in Fig. 14 to that of Fig. 15 by roll 106 to turn the shaft 85 in a counterclockwise direction against the action of a coil spring 113, see Fig. 10, interconnected between the bearing 87 and a collar 114 secured to the shaft 85. In this manner the shaft 85 is rocked whenever the lay moves forwardly on a bobbin-changing beat of the loom. On all other beats of the loom when latch 15 is down the inclined surface 93 gives the operator an idle upward motion, the lock 100 being forward in nonlocking position at these times.

Secured to shaft 85 is an upwardly extending arm having a slot 121 in its upper end which receives a stud 122 on a lever designated generally at 123 swingable about a vertical stud 124. This stud is rockable on a small two-armed support, see Fig. 13, secured at 126 to gang G and from which depends bearing 87, see Fig. 13. A coil spring 127 surrounding the stud 124 has one end attached to a collar 128 fixed to the stud at 129 and has its other end 130 turned down along an arm 131 pivoting on the stud and forming part of lever 123. A second lever arm 132 forming part of lever 123 is fixed at 133 to the lower end of stud 124 and has a stop 134 held yieldingly against arm 131, Fig. 11. The arms 131 and 132 are relatively movable against the action of spring 127 by separation of stop 134 from arm 131 should a shuttle in box 3 be misplaced when a cutting operation is called.

The lever arm 132 has an upturned end 135 which carries a pivot stud 136 for the upper blade 83. A pin 137 fixed to upturned end 135 cooperates with stud 136 to hold the lower blade 34 fixed on lever arm 132 and passes through a slot 138 in the pivoted upper blade. The movable blade 83 has a depending arm 140 which extends between an adjustable front stop 141 and a second rearward stop 142. These stops are on a plate 143 secured at 144 to the floor 145 of the top box 3, see Fig. 14. A cupped spring 146 on stud 136 holds blade 83 against blade 84. The cutter blades may be similar to those known in the art such as shown in Patent No. 2,642,095.

When'the shaft 85 rocks as already described the arm 132 moves rearwardly to project the rear ends of the cutter blades 83 and 84 into a cutting position and as arm 140 strikes stop 142 the top blade is moved down to cut the thread T. On the return forward motion of arm 132 the stop 141 acts on depending arm 140 to open the cutter by raising blade 83.

It is desirable that the cutting of the thread take place no later in the cycle of the loom on a transferring beat than the time when the thread engages the stationary reeving element 65. When weaving resilient or elastic yarns it is desirable that the cutting be delayed until after the thread has been clamped as already described. It is in order to take care of the various times of cutting that the member 91 is made adjustable back and forth with respect to the arm 9i). Angular adjustment of arm 88 relative to shaft 85 is provided for as shown in Fig. 22. An arm 147 secured to shaft 85 at 148 carries an adjusting screw 149 passing through a slot 149a in part 90 of arm 88. The screw affords means for varying the angle of arm 88 with respect to the shaft 85 to raise or lower the inclined surface 93 relatively to the operator roll 106. In actual practice it will be found that with some yarns the cutting can occur comparatively early in the forward stroke of the lay, but it is desirable that the cutting not take place until after the movable reeving elements have had a chance to capture the thread which extends over the supporting wire 60.

In order to prevent slight down motion of gang G at the time of bobbin transfer which would disturb the relation of the arm 88 with respect to roll 106 there is provided a support designated generally at 150 shown in Figs. 10, 20 and 21. An arm 151 secured at 152 for angular adjustment on shaft 85 depends from the latter and has a lateral pin 153 extending behind a head 154 forming part of the support 150. The head has a bearing 155 rockable on shaft 85 and has screw threaded into the lower end thereof a rod 156 for engagement with a plate 157 bolted at 158 to a forward flange 159 on the layend 5. A torsion spring 160 having its ends extended into arm 151 and bearing 155 respectively acts normally to hold head 154 against pin 153.

If the gang G is in proper position, as implied in Fig. 20, the rod can swing over plate 157 to support the box when shaft 85 is rocked at the time of bobbin transfer and the arm 88 and operator roll 106 will be kept properly related or registered. If, on the other hand, the gang is not in its high position when transfer occurs, a condition which will occur only infrequently, the rod will engage plate 157 and spring 1613 will yield as shaft 85 turns.

When the thread cutter is to operate the transfer latch 15 will be raised and will move the lock 1% to the right, Fig. 10, over pin 105 on the operator and as the lay moves forwardly the inclined surface 93 on the arm 88 will engage the roll lilo and the latter, being held against its usual idle up motion, will depress the arm 88 and thereby rock the shaft 85 to cause swinging of the lever 123 to move the cutter mechanism to cutting position. The notch 112 which receives the pin 185 is undercut sufficiently so that the lock will be held in its rear holding position even though the transfer latch 15 is moved forwardly by the lay at the time of transfer. As the lay approaches its front center position the arm 38 will ride under the fixed roll 106 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 19. As the lay moves rearwardly following transfer the latch will still be held by the hunter for a short interval of time and will then be released and fall as usual,. whereupon thelock 100 will return 10 its for.- ward nonlock'ing position. If during the cutting operation the shuttle should not be properly positioned in box 3 so that the cutting blades strike a solid part of the shuttle then the spring which normally holds the two arms of lever 123 will yield to avoid damage to the shuttle or the blades.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention sets forth improved means for reeving a filling thread out of a shuttle box at the time of bobbin transfer. The two members 35 and 43 are normally forward but have a differential rearward motion which separates them to receive the thread between them and then on the return motion the member 43 reaches the member 35 and clamps the thread, after which the members when returning to their normal forward position effect reeving of the thread shown in Fig. 5. A thread cutter is mounted on a gang of shifting shuttle boxes and cannot operate when the boxes are in low position because of the fact that the lock 100 which is on the slide 95 will be too low to be acted on by the latch 15 even if the latter should be raised while the gang is down. The invention also sets forth an improved gang shuttle box having the cutter mechanism and the shaft mounted thereon. Furthermore, the support for the gang G which is positioned by rocking the shaft 85 will prevent the boxes from having a slight down motion which would otherwise result in misregistry of the arm 88 which would move down with the boxes and the operator roll 106 therefor which is mounted independently of the boxes and would not necessarily move down with them. Also, the invention sets forth an improved reeving and thread capturing member having a body for attachment to setter means, such as the casting 28, made with front and back force transmitters for the clamping member 35 so spaced as to provide for lost motion on the part of the member 43 with respect to the clamp member 35.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

I. In thread control means for a weft replenishing loom having a lay provided with a shuttle box to hold a shuttle and a thread cutter to cut the thread of a depleted bobbin in the shuttle adjacent to the shuttle eye on a weft replenishing beat of the loom, a thread clamping member normally in forward position but movable rearwardly, a movably mounted thread capturing and reeving member also normally in forward position having two elements spaced from each other in the direction of the length of the shuttle, one of said elements normally cooperating with the clamping member to hold a thread, a stationary reeving element intermediate said two elements having a thread engaging part rearward of said members when the latter are in normal position, operating means causing said capturing and reeving member incident to a replenishing operation to have a rear ward setting motion to a position rearward of said stationary element, force transmitting means comprising a lost motion connection between said members to move the clamping member to a position rearward of said stationary element during the latter portion only of said setting motion to separate the members to receive the thread between them, means carried by the lay thereafter giving the capturing and reeving member a forward return motion to advance the thread, the first portion of the return motion occurring while the clamping member is stationary to enable the latter member to cooperate with said one element to clamp the thread before the latter is moved into engagement with the stationary element, after which said lost motion connection causes the members to return to their normal forward position and causes said two elements to co operate with said stationary member to move the thread in a direction toward said stationary element.

2. The control means set forth in claim 1 wherein the clamping member and the thread capturing and reeving member are mounted to swing about a common pivot.

of the return motion of the capturing and reeving memher.

4. The control means set forth in claim 1 wherein friction means yieldingly holds the clamping member in any position to which it is moved by said force transmitting means.

5. The control means set forth in claim 1 wherein said thread engaging part of the stationary element is substantially vertical and so formed as to allow the thread to fall therefrom when the members separate incident to their next operation.

6. The control means set forth in claim 1 wherein the clamping member and said one element are located on the side of the stationary element opposite to the thread cutter.

7. The control means set forth in claim 1 wherein said elements on the capturing and reeving members each has an upwardly and rearwardly inclined edge to engage and depress the thread during the latter part of the setting motion thereof and also has a forwardly opening retaining hook to receive the thread.

8. In a combined thread reeving element and a lost motion force transmitter for the movable thread clamp of a given width on a weft replenishing loom provided with a stationary thread reevih g element and a setter means which has a back and forth motion incident to a replenishing operation, a flat body having provision for attachment to the setter means, a reeving element on the bottom of said body, and two force transmit-ting means projecting laterally from said body separated by a distance greater than said given width of the thread clamp.

9. The element and transmitter set forth in claim 8 wherein the element at the bottom of the body has the back thereof formed with a downwardly and forwardly inclined edge and has a notch formed in the front thereof.

10. The element and transmitter set forth in claim 9 wherein a second element is secured to said body below said provision for attachment to the setter means and spaced from the first element and having at the bottom thereof an inclined edge and notch similar to the edge and notch of the first element.

11. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a reserve bobbin magazine, vertically shifting shuttle boxes on the lay below the magazine, a third cutter mechanism, an operator for the cutter mechanism, and means causing the operator to actuate the cutter mechanism when the magazine is set for a replenishing operation and only when the boxes are in their raised position.

12. The loom set forth in claim 11 wherein the thread cutter mechanism is on the boxes and is in register with the top box for all vertical positions of the shuttle boxes.

13. The loom set forth in claim 11 wherein the means includes a lock for the operator normally ineffective to lock the operator but effective when the magazine is set for a replenishing operation to cause the operator to actuate the cutter mechanism.

14. The loom set forth in claim 11 wherein the cutter mechanism includes a shaft rockably mounted on the boxes and the operator causes rocking of the shaft to effect actuation of the cutter mechanism.

15. The loom set forth in claim 11 wherein the operator is mounted to move up and down as the boxes rise and fall and when in down position is incapable of being caused to actuate the cutter mechanism by said means.

16. In shuttle box mechanism for a loom having an operator, a shuttle box gang having upper and lower shuttle box cells, a shaft mounted on the gang rockable about an axis substantially parallel to the axes of the cells, an arm on the shaft for engagement with the operator to efiect rocking of the shaft, a thread cutter mechanism movably mounted on said gang from normal noncutting to cutting position, and operative connections between the shaft and cutter mechanism causing the latter to move to cutting position when the shaft is rocked.

17. The shuttle box mechanism set forth in claim 16 wherein resilient means operatively interposed between the gang and shaft normally acts to hold the cutter mechanism in noncutting position.

18. The shuttle box mechanism set forth in claim 16 wherein the shaft is rockable in bearings secured to the gang.

19. The shuttle box mechanism set forth in claim 16 wherein the gang has a floor for the upper shuttle box and the shaft rocks in a bearing secured to said floor.

20. The shuttle box mechanism set forth in claim 16 wherein the cutter mechanism is movable about a pivot the axis of which is. fixed with respect to the gang adjacent to one end of the latter.

21. In a weft replenishing loom having a lay and a gang of vertically shifting shuttle boxes and means to replenish a shuttle in a box of the gang, thread cutter mechanism on the gang having a part to be moved for actuation of the mechanism, an operator forward of the gang mounted independently of the gang to be in register with and cause movement of said part on a replenishing beat of the loom, and support means for the gang moved to gang supporting position relative to the lay when said part is moved to preserve registry of the part with said operator during a replenishing operation.

22. The loom set forth in claim 21 wherein said part and support are on a shaft mounted for rocking movement on said gang and operatively connected to the cutter mechanism, and the lay has a layend over which the support is moved when said part rocks the shaft.

23. In thread clamping and reeving mechanism for a weft replenishing loom having a reserve bobbin maga- Zine, a stand for attachment to the magazine, a stud projecting laterally from the stand, setter means movable pivotably on the stud, a thread clamping member mounted on the stud for pivotal movement thereon, a reeving member secured to and moving with the setter means including two reeving elements spaced from each other in the direction of the axis of the stud, and two lost motion force transmitting means on the reeving member spaced from each other in the direction of swing of said reeving member about the stud by a distance greater than the width of the clamping member measured in said direction of swing 'for engagement with the clamping member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,709,459 Kimmel May 31, 1955

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