No. 647,8I5. . " Patented Apr. I7, I900.

w. F. DRAPER & c. F._ RUPER.

LET-DFF MECHANISM FOR Looms.‘
'(Applicatioxil?le'd Sept. 80, 1899.\
{no Model.) 2 sheotsfsheet l.
 NITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.»
WILLIAM F. DRAPER AND CHARLES F. ROPER, OF HOPEDALE, MASSA
CHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THE DRAPER ‘COMPANY, OF‘ SAME PLACE
AND PORTLAND, MAINE.

LET-OFF MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

SPEGIFICATIONpfor-ming part of Letters Patent No. 647,815, dated April 17, 1900.
Application ?led September. 30, 18 99. Serial No.~732,169. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern. as the tension of the warp is governed by

Be it known that we, WILLIAM F. DRAPER a spring the tension thereupon due to the
and CHARLES F. ROPER, citizens of the United spring grows continuously greater between
States, and residents of llopedale, in the the full and the nearly-empty beam. This
county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, increased tension results in narrower cloth, 55
have invented an Improvement in Let-On" in thin places at the time of change of ?ll~
Mechanism for Looms, of which the following ing, and in greater warp breakage. _In our
description, in connection with the accompa present invention'we have provided means
nying drawings, is a speci?cation, like letters whereby with the same or substantially the
IO on, the drawings representing like parts. same movement of the whip-roll the actuat
There are two types of let~off motions very ing-pawl will be gradually set to take up an
largely used in this country, the one type de increasing number of teeth on the ratchet as
pending upon or being governed automat the diameter of the warp mass on the beam
ically by the tension of the warp, the other decreases, so that the advantage as to ten
depending upon friction applied to the warp- ‘ sion. between different picks in the same inch 65
beam. Our present invention relates to the of cloth is retained and extended, giving sub
former type, and we have herein shown it as stantially the same tension of cloth during
applied to the well-known “Bartlett” let-off each pick from the full to the empty beam.
motion, now substantially the standard, in Figure 1 is a left-hand side elevation of a
20 which the whip-roll or warp-guide is either portion of a loom with one embodiment of
‘depressed or moved forward at each pick by our invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a
the tension of the warp, a suitable connec rear elevation, partly broken out, of the mech
tion setting a pawl cooperating with a ratchet anism shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged
in such manner that a greater or less number sectional detail on the line cc 00, Fig. 2, look
25 of teeth willvbe delivered when the pawl is ing toward the right. Fig. 4. is also an en 75
moved forward to a fixed point. The greater larged section on the line as w, butlooking to
the tension the larger the number of teeth‘ the left, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a transverse
which will be taken by the pawl when it sectional detail on the line as’, Fig. 2.
is set, the movement of the pawl to a fixed The loom-frame A, warp-beam B, having a
point each time being accomplished by means large gear B’ attached thereto, the whip-roll
of a rod or link connecting the pawl-carrier ~W 9 mounted in arms W’ J secured toa rock
and some part of the lay. " The ratchet is con
shaft W2, mounted on the frame, the rocker
nected by gearing with the loom-beam, and arm W3, fast on the said rock-shaft, the har
the latter delivers the warp proportionately nesses H, and lease-rods L may be and are
35 to the number of teeth included in the move substantially of well-known or usual con 85
ment of the pawl. This let~oif motion pro struction.
duces substantially even or uniform goods, A rocking stud wx on the free end of the
so far as variations within a short length of arm W3 has extended through it a rod or link
cloth are concerned; but it is defective in a, secured by a set-screw a’, said rod having
one direction. As the warp mass on the beam fast upon it a collar a2, against which bears
decreases in diameter a greater number of one end of the tension-spring S, shown as
teeth of the ratchet must be included in the coiled around the rod and at its other end
stroke of the pawl in order to let 01f the same bearing against an ear I) on a bracket bx, se—
amount of yarn, so that’ the pawl has to be cured to the loom side, the rod passing loosely
45 set by the tension‘ of the warp to take sub through a slot 17’ in the ear. The end of the‘ 95,
stantially three times as many teeth when the rod a extended through the ear is pivotally
beam is nearly empty as when it is full. In connected at a3 with one member 0 of a com
other words, the whip-roll must move three pound pawl-carrier,said member being shown
times as far at each pick when the beam is as a depending arm fulcrumed at its upper
nearly empty as when the beam is full, and end at c’ on the bracket 72>< and having a lon
 2 . ‘ 7 647,815 ,

gitudinal guideway c2 in its outer face, Figs. transverse stud e’, the opposite ends of which
2 and -5. ‘ l ' , ' enter the guideways'c2 d2 of said members, re
A hub A’ on the frame, Fig. 2, forms a bear spectively; The arms E’ E2 form a bell-crank
ing for a'pinion-shaft BX, having fast there lever, and when the beam is full, as in Fig.
on at its inner end a pinion B2, inmesh with 1, the arm IE2 will be raised and the stud e’,
the. ‘beam-gear B’. The shaft is extended which is the connection between the mem
> through and beyond the loom side and has bers c and d, will be at its highest point, and
‘ loosely mounted upon it the let-o? ratchet B3, the stroke of the pawl dx will be governed by
and between the latter and the loom side the the throw of the member ‘a. ' As ‘the yarn is 75
IO hub d’ of the other member at of the pawl wound o?, however, the diameter of the mass
WX constantly decreases and the roll E>< will
_ carrier is loosely mounted on the shaft, said
member (1 being‘ upturned alongside of the move toward‘ the axis of the beam and the
, member 0 and having in its face adjacent rear‘v end of the arm E2 will descend, so that
thereto a longitudinal guideway d2, Figs. 2 the connection '6’ will move away from the
,IS and 5. A let-0E pawl dx is mounted on the fulcrum c’ of the member 0 and toward the
' member (:1 and pressed ‘upon the'teeth of the fulcrum of the'member d—viz., the pinion
ratchet in any convenient manner, as by a shaft, BX. ‘This results in increasing the
’ spring
v 8X, Fig. 2. A short arm (13 depends throw of the member d, and consequently in
from the hubd’ and has pivotally connected creases the stroke of the pawl, by setting its
20 with it a slide-bar (14, supported in» a bearing starting-point farther back along theratchet,
A10 on the'loom side, said-‘slide-bar having sothat a‘ greater number of teeth will be de
'adjustably mounted upon it a collar d“, Fig. livered, ‘although the thrower swing of the
l. A link d°,'connected,preferably,to the lay member c remains substantially constant, va
sword AX, is rearwardly extended and u-p-' rying slightly, of course, for variations in the 90
25 turned to form an eye (17, embracing thejslide warp tension. Thus while the movement of
bar 014 back of the collar (15, the forward beat the whip-roll remains substantially the same
of the lay bringing the eye 017 against the collar _ 1 the pawl will be set back a gradually-increas
and moving the slide-bar in the direction of, ing distance as the yarn winds on‘? to compen
arrow 5. Such movement of the bar swings sate for the constantly-decreasing diameter
themember d of‘the compound pawl-carrier of the yarn mass; ' ' ' . ' ' '

cd to the left, Fig. 1, and imparts the feed. It will be remembered that the ratchet is
stroke to the pawl dx, it being manifest that loose on the pinion-shaft BX, and as the move
the termination of such stroke of the pawl ment'of the beam at each pick must be very
will always be at the same point. The start slight speed-reducing gearing is interposed be I00
ing-point of the feed stroke of the pawl is tween the ratchet-wheel and the pinion-shaft,
.35 variable and in our present invention is con-‘ ' one form of such gearing ‘used inthe Bart~
' trolled by the tension ofv the warp ‘and also lett let-off motion including a worm-gear
by the diameter of the wound mass of yarn and worm-shaft; but‘h'erein we have repre-‘
on the beam. The greater the tension of the sented a more compact form of reducing gear
.40 ing.v (Shown onan enlarged scale in Fig. 3.)
warp the greater will be the depression of‘ the .
whip-rollat each pick, and consequently the The shaft B?‘ has fast upon it the hub .gx of
, greater will be ‘the are through which the an annular internal gear g, herein shown as
member 0 is'swung by the’roda. N owif the having eleven teeth and‘meshing with a gear
members 0 and d of the pawl-carrier be con 9’ of ten teeth, the gear g’ being loosely mount~ I10

45 nected between the fulcra of said members, ed on an eccentric hub 92, fast on theratchet
the memberd will be rocked by, the member B3, an arm 93, secured to the hub of gear g’,
a, and if such point of'connection be varied having a longitudinalslot 94in its free end to
the throw'of the pawl will be varied corre embracethe rock-shaft E, permitting slight
spondingly, and we have devised means for > rocking and longitudinal movement of the, 115
varying the position of this connection. ac arm.‘ Rotation of the ratchet in the direc
cording to the diameter of vthe yarn mass. tion of arrow 10, Fig. 3, imparts a circular
A sleeve-bearing A2 on the inner side of movement'to the‘ gear 9', its rotation being
the loom-frame (see Fig. 2),supports a rock prevented by the arm 93, and the gear trav
shaft E, extended beyond the loom side and - els along the internal gear g, rotating the lat I20
55 having fast upon it at its inner end an up ter inthe same direction; but owing to the
turned arm E’, provided at or near its upper ‘ di?erence in the number of teeth of the two
end witha roll EX, ‘which rests upon the pe gears the internal gear will fall back or ro~
riphery of the yarn mass W>< on the beam. tate more slowly than the driving-gear g’, and
Beyond the loom ‘side said rock-shaft has fast the pinion-shaft l3>< will be slowly rotated, 125
upon it a second arm E2, rearwardly extended. the speed of the beam being still further re
and upturned at its inner end and pivotally. duced by the pinion B,2,in mesh with the large
connected at e, Fig. 4, with the lower end of gear B’ on the beam. ' '
an upturned radius-bar E3,‘bent to clear the The gearing described is simple, very com
pinion-shaft BX. The upper end of the. ra-1 pact, and e?ective. . 1
65 dius-bar extends between the members c'and d - A suitable friction-clamp is herein shown
of thepawl-carrier and is provided with a cooperating with the'ratchet B’, the latter
 647,815 3,‘
having fast upon its outer face a peripher of the pawl, and means to move the set-pawl '
ally-flanged hub b1", having a band (J12 of felt forward to‘ a fixed point at each pick.
or other suitable material around it (see Fig. 3. In a loom, the warp-beam, a ratchet, a
4) to be embraced by a two—part clamp 613 b“, cooperating pawl having a variable stroke, 70
as herein shown, pivotally connected at Z915 connections between the ratchet and the
and held from rotation by an arm 1916 on one beam, to positively rotate the latter and let
of the parts slotted at If? to embrace the rock off the yarn, and means governed by the di
shaft E. The separated ends of the clamp ameter of the yarn mass on the beam to de 75
members are connected by a draw-bar I)“, termine the length of the active stroke of the
IO headed at 619 and with a spring .910 between it pawl. — _
and the adjacent part of the member 614, Fig. 4. In a loom, the warp- beam, means, in
4, the other end of the clam p-bar passing cluding a ratchet to rotate it positively, a co
loosely through the upturned part of the mem operating pawl, a pawl- carrier comprising 80
ber b13 and having a locking-cam I)20 mounted two adjacent members fulcrumed at their
upon it to lock the clamp in operative'posi opposite ends", a connection between said'm
tion, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4:. By lifting members and movable longitudinally thereof,
the handle 1322 of the cam in the direction of means controlled by the warp tension to
arrow 20, Fig. 4, the clamp will be released, so swing one of the members and thereby, 85
that the ratchet can be readily rotated by through the connection, swing the other mem
20 hand when necessary. ' ber on which the pawl is mounted, to set the
Our invention is not restricted to the pre pawl, and means to move said connection to
cise construction and arrangement herein ward the fulcrum of the latter member as the
shown and described, as we have shown one yarn mass on the beam decreases, to increase
practical embodiment of our invention with the swing of said member and the length of
25 out attempting to illustrate the various modi the active stroke of the pawl.
?cations thereof which could be readily de 5. In a loom, the warp-beam, a whip-roll,
vised. means including a ratchet and pawl, to rotate
Any other suitable friction-clamp may be the beam, a two-part pawl-carrier, a rela
used instead of that herein shown, and other tively- movable connection betweenthem, 95
forms of reducing-gearing may be used, if de connections between one of said members and
sired, without departing from the spirit and the whip-roll, to move said members propor
scope of our invention. tionally to the warp tension when setting the
The pawl- carrier hereinbefore described pawl, means controlled by the diameter of 100
serves to set the pawl, and, as will be mani the yarn mass on the beam to correspond
35 fest, the operation of such setting means is ingly vary the position of the connection be
controlled by the resultant effect of two sep tween the members of the pawl-carrier, to
arate factors at each pick—viz., the warp thereby determine the ?nal movement of the
tension and the diameter of the yarn mass on member on which the pawl is mounted, and
the warp-beam. m5
an actuating device to move said member
40 The actuating means for rotating the warp positively in the opposite direction and rotate
beam' includes the ratchet and pawl and the ratchet.
_ the connections between the pawl-carrier and 6. Ina loom, the warp-beam having an at
the lay. . tached gear, a pinion in mesh therewith, a 110
It may be stated that the spring S moves pinion-shaft, a ratchet loose on the. shaft,
45 the whip-roll against the tension of the warp. speed - reducing gearing intermediate the
Having described our invention, what we ratchet and the shaft, one member of said
claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters gearing being fast on the shaft and the other
Patent, is- ' . member mounted on and actuated by the I15
1. In let-off mechanism for looms, the warp— ratchet, and means to actuate the ratchet in
beam, means to rotate it, including a ratchet accordance with the warp tension and the di
and pawl, an actuating device to move the ameter of the yarn mass at each pick.
pawl to a ?xed point at each pick, and means 7. In a loom, the warp-beam having an at
controlled by the warp tension and the di tached gear, a pinion in mesh therewith, a I20
ameter of the yarn mass on the beam to de pinion -shaft, a ratchet loose on the shaft,
55 termine the starting-point of each stroke of speed-reducing means between the ratchet
the pawl. and shaft, comprising a non-rotatable gear
2. In let-off mechanism for looms,the warp mounted loosely and eccentrically on the
be'am, means to rotate it positively, includ ratchet, and an annular internal gear in mesh I25
ing a ratchet and a pawl,,a compound pawl therewith and fast on the shaft, an actuat
carrier, a relatively-movable connect-ion for ing-pawl for the ratchet, and setting means ‘
the members thereof, means governed by the for the pawl, operated by or through the
warp tension to move one of said members in warp tension and controlled by variation in
setting the pawl, a controlling device depend the diameter of the yarn mass on the beam.
ent upon the diameter of the yarn mass on '8. In let-off mechanism for looms, a ratchet
.65 the beam to determine the position of the having an eccentric and a concentric hub, a
connection between the members of the pawl non-rotatable gear mounted loosely' on the co
carrier, and thereby to complete the setting centric hub, a friction-clamp cooperating with
'4 ‘ v ‘ 647,815

the concentric hub, a driving-shaft on which ratchet actuated by the pawl, and connections 20
the ratchet is rotatably mounted, an internal between the ratchet and the warp-beam.
gear fast on the‘ shaft and in mesh with the 10. In a loom, the lay; the warp-beam,
non-rotatable gear, said internal gear having‘ means to rotate it positively, including a
the greater number of teeth, whereby rota ratchet and a cooperating pawl, connections
tion' of the ratchet effects rotation of the shaft between the lay and pawl, to move the latter 25
at a reduced speed, and means to actuate the on its feed-stroke always to the same point,
ratchet. > ' - . ' a Y ' and means to vary the length of the feed
9. In let-0E mechanism for looms, the warp_ stroke proportionally to the Warp tension and
beam,‘ a two-part pawl-carrier the adjacent the amount of yarn on the beam at'each pick.
‘members of which are fulcru med at their op- ~ In testimony whereof we have signed our 30 -
posite ends,‘ a relatively-movable connection names to thisspeci?cation in the presence of
between them, a pawl mounted on one mem two subscribing witnesses.
ber, means connected with the other member WILLIAM F. DRAPER.
to swingit according to the warp tension and
thereby set the pawl, a controlling device for , CHARLES F. ROPER.
the connection, to move the latter toward the Witnesses:
fulcrum of thepawl member as the diameter, vGyno. OTIs' DRAPEB,
of the’ yarn mass on the, beam decreases, a’ ‘ERNEST W. W001).