US664380A - Friction let-off. - Google Patents

Description

u Patented Dec. 25, |900.. T. BRINDLEA &. M.y 0. STEERE.

FRICTION LET-OFF.

(Application filed May 12, 1900.)

'(Na Model.)

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS BRINDLE AND MERRILL STEERE, OF PAWTUCKET,RHODE ISLAND.

FRICTION LET-OFF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664.380, dated December 25, 1900.

Application filed May 12, 1900.

To rtl/Z whom, it mor/1y concern:

Be it 'known that we, THOMAS BRINDLE and MERRILL O. STEERE, citizens of the United States, residing at Pawtucket, in the county of Providence'and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Friction-Lever, of which the followingis a specification.

Our invention relates to friction-levers for looms, and more particularly to that class of such levers which are self-adjusting, and has for its object to produce a device of this kind which will be very compact and simple and which can be applied to the loom with but little trouble and which will utilize a compound lever adjusting the friction or engagement with the warp-beam, and is thereby rendered very efcient and sensitive.

With this object in View our invention consists in the improved construction and Vnovel arrangement of partsof a friction-lever, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawing we have shown a perspective view of ourinvention in position for use, so much of a loom being shown as is necessary to show the manner of securing our' attachment thereto.

A In practicing our invention we support the Warp-beam l, which may be of the ordinary construction, upon two standards 2 2, which are secured at their ends to the wood girths 3 or other suitable portion of the loom by means of screws or bolts. The upper and lower endsof the standards are provided with oppositely-extending arms 4 and 5, at the outer ends of which are fulcrumed the levers 6 and 7, respectively. The middle portion of each of the standards is provided with an open-sided journal-bearing 8 for the reception of the journal or axle of the warp-beam. Each of the levers is provided with a friction shoe or brake 9 in position to engage with the heads of the Warp-beam upon diametrically opposite sides of its center, and the outer ends of the beams are connected, respectively, by means of an adjustable rod 10. Journaled in the opposite ends of the upper levers, which we shall call the long levers, is a roll 11, over which the warp-threads l2 pass from the warp-beam to the harness.

Pivotally secured to the longlevers between the roll ll and the friction-shoes Q are two Serial No. 16,472. (No model.)

short levers 13, the outer ends of which are held in position by means of a cross-beam 14, upon which the weights l5 are suspended. Journaled in the ends of the short levers beyond the cross-beam is a roll 16, under which.

mal -condition the brakes are so adjusted asy to permit the warp-beam to turn so freely that the tension upon the threads will not be sufficient to hold the short lever at its highest point, but will let it swing downward upon its pivots to a greater or less extent, as shown by dotted lines in the figure. If the beam should turn more freely, the slack in the threads will be taken up by the further downward movement of the rolls, and if it should not turn freely enough the tension upon the threads will grad ually.raise the weights until the friction upon the beam is overcome and more thread is given off, when the weights will again be lowered, thus tending to always have the warp-threads pass under the roll at the outer ends of the short lever with substantially the same tension. By adjusting the tension" of the brakes upon the warpbeam and by varying the weights upon the short lever any desired tension may be given to the warp-threads, according to the nature of the goods being woven. The operative face of each of the brakes is preferably flat, so as to engage with the periphery of the ordinary drum, thereby avoiding the use of the grooves which are necessary with the ordinary rope brakes, and, if desired, one or both of the brakes can be provided with a flange for engaging with the side of the drum to prevent the brake from slipping off sidewise.

While We have shown and described our improvement as applicable to narrow looms, it is evident that it will be as equally applicable to looms of all widths. With a loom equipped with our improved compound selfadjusting friction-lever it is impossible to have breakages or smashes of the warp-yarn during the process of weaving, and the opera# IOO tion of the brake is not affected by the atmosphere, which sometimes interferes very materially with the usual construction of suchk friction devices. By providing the standards with the open-sided sockets or journal-bearings the warp-beams can be easily changed, as all that is necessary is to lift the empty one out and drop in the-full one.

As above described, it will be seen that our improved friction-lever is peculiarly adapted for what 'are known as narrow looms, or looms for weaving ribbons, Suspenders, and other narrow pieces, and especially with those using elastic material in the warp. evident that slight changes or alterations can be made in the form and constructionof our friction-roller, and we reserve the right to make such changes and alterations therein as will come within the scope of our invention.

' Having thus fully described our invention,

what we claim as new, and desire to secure byy Letters Patent, is-

1. In a friction device for looms, the cornbination, with standards adapted to be secured to the loom, each of which is provided with a journal-bearing for the support of the beam, of oppositely-extending levers pivotally secured tothe supports upon opposite sides of the journal-bearings, means for connecting the ends of the levers upon opposite It is ,also

sides of the journal-bearings, a friction-shoe 'upon each lever in position to engage with the warp-beam, a roll in the ends of the upper levers, and a roll yieldingly supported beyond Y the roll in the ends of the lever, substantially as described.

2. ln a friction-lever for looms, the combination, with two standards, the ends of which are provided with means for securing it in position and with oppositely-extending arms, and the central portion is provided with a journal-bearing, of a lever fulcrumed at the end of each arm, a brake on each lever in position to engage with the head of the warpbeam, an adjustable rod secured to the corresponding ends of the levers for each head, a roll journaled in the opposite ends of the upperlevers, short levers secured to the long.,r levers between said roll and the frictionbrakes, a cross-beam at the outer end of said short levers, vweights upon said cross-beam, and a roll journaled in said short levers beyond the cross-beam, substantially as described.

THOMAS BRINDLE. `MERRILL O. STEERE.

Witnesses:

FREDERIC A. GREENE, SAML. T. DOUGLAS.

Images