US2117304A - Electric feeler mechanism for looms - Google Patents

Description

May 17, 1938. s Q D D 2,117,304

ELECTRIC FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed June 15, 1957 fiv'z jemof'f fihjer wood, 0.170 \J.

Patented May 17, 1938 PATENT oFFicE ELECTRIC FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Sherwood 0. Dodge, Medford, Mass., assignor to .Guaranteed Parts, Inc., Allston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 15, 1937, Serial No. 148,287

8 Claims.

members and metal sleeve or coating form a part,

are sometimes objected to because of the presence l}. of the circuit closing member upon the bobbin and the possibility that sparks may be generated by reason of the engagement of the contact members with said circuit closing member which might injure the filling and cause the latter to break befor replenishment. Metal sleeves, furthermore, 20 often become loosened from the bobbin by reason of a shrinkage of the wood of which the bobbin is constructed, and a metallic coating upon the bobbin may be easily damaged by careless handling of said bobbins.

The object therefore of this invention is to provide an electric feeler mechanism embodying therein a structure which permits the electric circuit to be closed at the bobbin without requiring the presence of a circuit closing member or material upon said bobbin, thereby eliminating the bobbin from the electric circuit.

The invention consists in an electric feeler mechanism as set forth in the following specification and particularly as pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of a feeler mechanism embodying my invention, together with a portion of a bobbin or filling carrier with the filling thereon, the electric contact or feeler members contacting with said filling, and the electric circuit being open between said members.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the feeler mechanism with the electric contact or feeler members thereof contacting with a bobbin upon which the n11- ing is substantially exhausted, thereby causing the electric circuit through the device to be closed between said contact members.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the feeler mechanism.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the outer or detecting end portion of the flexibleelectric contact or feeler member.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged plan view of an alternate type of contact or feeler member.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

In the drawing, referring particularly to Figs. 5 1 to 4 inclusive, 6 represents a bracket which is rigidly secured to a stud 1 or other suitable member'forming a part of the frame of a loom by means of a screw 8. A sleeve 9 is rotatably secured to the top of the bracket 5 by means of a 10 screw Ni, and a feeler mechanism II embodying therein a casing l2 constructed of insulating material is rigidly secured to the sleeve 9 by being clamped against a shouldered portion l3 thereof by means of a nut M. The casing l2 and sleeve 9 when clamped together may be rocked in unison upon the bracket 6 through a horizontal plane.

Yieldingly mounted in a similar manner in the casing l2 are electric contact or feeler members l5 and I6 which are positioned in parallel relation to each other and spaced a short distance apart. Each feeler member is mounted to slide in a bearing portion ll of the casing I2 and a metal bushing IS, the portion l1 forming a bearing for the front portion of the feeler member and the bushing l8 forming a bearing for the rear portion of said feeler member. Each feeler member has a shouldered portion 19 formed integral therewith located within a recess provided in the casing l 2, and a spring 2| surrounds the rear pormanner upon a bobbin 23 as illustrated in Fig. l,

or with the surface of the bobbin itself when the filling has become substantially exhausted therefrom as illustrated in Fig. 2. It is intended that the feeler mechanism of this invention shall be utilized in connection with a bobbin having a body portion which is constructed entirely of wood. The electric contact or feeler member l6 embodies therein a straight rod similar to that of which the feeler member I5 is formed, but shorter in length, a tip portion 24, and an intervening 5O closed coil helical spring 25; and the novelty in this invention resides in the construction of the tip portion 24 and means which permits said tip portion to contact at its outer extremity with the filling 22 which is wound around the bobbin 23 as illustrated in Fig. 1, and to slide along the smooth bare periphery of said bobbin into contact with the feeler member I5 when the filling has become substantially exhausted from said bobbin as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The feeler tip 24 is approximately 8 shaped in formation, being reversely bent at 26 and 21 to form a loop 28, and terminating in a tapered portion; and said feeler tip is secured to the helical spring 25 and the latter is secured to the rod I6 as disclosed in Patent No. 1,791,557 granted to me and dated February 10, 1931, and to which reference may be had if it is so desired. A guide member 29 of U shaped formation and constructed of insulating material is secured to the bent portion 21 of the feeler tip 24 by means of a rivet 30 which passes through the loop 28, and said guide member extends from said feeler tip 24 around the contact member I5 laterally in a manner to guide the feeler tip 24 into contact with the contact member I5 as illustrated in Fig. 2 when the filling is nearly exhausted from the bobbin. Under these conditions a direct electric contact is made between the tip 24 of the contact member I6, and the contact member I5.

The source of electric current is connected to the device by wires 3| and 32 which are attached to the bushings I8 in which an end of the contact members I5 and I6 are mounted to slide.

During the operation of the device if there is interference of any kind tending to rock the feeler mechanism in either direction through a horizontal plane upon the pivot screw ID, the moment that the feeler mechanism is free from this interference, it will be automatically returnedto its normal position by means of a helical spring 33 mounted in a recess 34 provided in the top surface of the bracket 6, said spring engaging the tip portion 35 of a screw 36 which is mounted in the casing I2 and which projects between adjacent convolutions of the spring in a manner to return the casing to its normal position from either di-- rection.

The general operation of the device hereinbefore specifically described is as follows: During alternate beat-up movements of the lay a shuttle with a bobbin 23 mounted therein will be located at the plain end of the lay as the latter reaches the limit of its beat-up stroke. At this time if there is plenty of filling 22 located upon the bobbin 23, when the contact members I5 and I6 are engaged by the filling said contact members will yield within the casing I2 in a well-known manner, and the tip portion 24 of the contact member IE will remain in its normal position spaced apart from the contact member I5 as illustrated in Fig. 1, and the electric circuit will be open therebetween. When, however, the filling becomes substantially exhausted from the bobbin 23 the smooth bare wood surface of said bobbin will contact with the extremity of the tip portion 24 and cause the helical spring 25 to bend, with the result that the extremity of said tip portion 24 will slide along the surface of the bobbin into contact with the contactmember I5 to close the electric circuit between the contact members I5 and I6 without including the bobbin in the electric circuit. The tip portion 24 is guided into contact with the contact member I5 by means of the guide member 29 which is constructed of insulating material. The closing of the electric circuit will cause a suitable mechanism to 'be actuated to either stop the loom in order that the bobbin 23 may be replaced manually, or to cause the actuation of a bobbin replenishing mechanism, whereby the bobbin is replaced automatically. 7

During the interval that the electric contact members are in engagement with the filling 22, if there is a movement of the bobbin which will tend to rock the feeler mechanism as a whole in either direction laterally through a horizontal plane, this rocking movement will occur without injuring the filling or causing unnecessary strain to either the contact members or their respective bearings.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a modified embodiment of the invention in which a contact or feeler member I6 is provided with a tip portion 3'! which terminates in an arcuate portion 38 provided with a plurality of teeth or notches 39 which are adepted to engage the filling upon a bobbin, or with the peripheral surface of said bobbin, when the filling is substantially exhausted therefrom. In other respects, the tip portion 31 is exactly like the tip portion 24 previously described and functions in exactly the same manner.

I claim:

1. In an electric feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a support having an insulating material embodied therein, two feeler members spaced apart laterally in said insulating material and both arranged to engage the filling upon a bobbin during va detecting beat, one of said feeler members having an independently movable end portion embodied therein arranged to contact with the other feeler member to close an electric circuit therebetween when engaged by the bare surface of a substantially exhausted bobbin.

2. In an electric feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a support including an insulating medium, an electric circuit including a pair of feeler members spaced apart side by side in said insulating medium and both arranged to engage the filling upon a bobbin during a detecting beat, one of said feeler members having an independently movable end portion embodied therein arranged to contact directly with the other feeler member to close the electric circuit therebetween when engaged by the bare surface of a substantially exhausted bobbin.

3. In an electric feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a support of insulating material, two feeler members positioned side by side and separated one from the other upon said support and both arranged to engage the filling upon a bobbin during a detecting beat, one of said feeler members having a flexible end portion embodied therein arranged to tip laterally into contact with the other feeler member and thereby close an electric circuit therebetween when engaged by the bare surface of a substantially exhausted bobbin.

4. In an electric feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a support of insulating material, two feeler members spaced apart side by side in said support and both arranged to engage the filling upon a bobbin during a detecting beat, one of said feeler members having a laterally movable end portion embodied therein arranged to contact directly with the other feeler member and thereby close an electric circuit therebetween when engaged by the bare surface of a substantially exhausted bobbin, and means to guide said movable end portion during its lateral movements.

5. In an electric feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a support including an insulating medium, a rigid feeler member and a flexible feeler member positioned apart side by side in said insulating medium and both arranged to engage the filling upon a bobbin during a detecting beat, said flexible feeler member having a laterally yieldable tip portion embodied therein arranged to bend into contact with the rigid feeler member to close an electric circuit therebetween when engaged by the bare surface of a substantially exhausted bobbin.

6. In an electric feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a support having an insulating medium embodied therein, a rigid feeler member and a flexible feeler member spaced apart laterally in said insulating medium and both arranged to engage the filling upon a bobbin during a detecting beat, said flexible feeler member embodying therein two parts, spaced apart longitudinally and flexible means interposed between said parts permitting a lateral movement of one relatively to the other and into contact with the rigid feeler member to close an electric circuit between the flexible and rigid feeler members when said members are engaged by the bare surface of a substantially exhausted bobbin.

7. In an electric feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a support including an insulating medium, a rigid feeler member and a flexible feeler member spaced apart in said insulating medium and both arranged to engage the filling upon a bobbin during a detecting beat, said flexible feeler member embodying therein two rigid parts spaced apart, and a helical spring securing said parts together and permitting a lateral movement of one relatively to the other and into contact with the rigid feeler member to close an electric circuit between the flexible and rigid feeler members when said members are engaged by the bare surface of a substantially exhausted bobbin.

8. In an electric feeler mechanism for looms, the combination of a support including an insulating medium, a rigid feeler member and a flexible feeler member spaced apart by said insulating medium and both arranged to engage the filling upon a bobbin during a detecting beat, said flexible feeler member embodying therein a rigid body portion and rigid tip portion spaced apart longitudinally, and flexible means interposed between said body and tip portions permitting a lateral movement of said tip portion into contact with said rigid feeler member to close an electric circuit between the rigid and flexible feeler members when said members are engaged by the bare surface of a substantially exhausted bobbin, and means to guide said tip portion during its lateral movements.

SHERWOOD 0. DODGE.

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