Method and means for catching slubs in moving textile strands

Claim 1

A SLUB CATCHER FOR THREAD COMPRISING A FRAME, FIRST AND SECOND SPACED THREAD GUIDE MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FOR MOVEMENT OF THREAD THEREBETWEEN, A FIRST MEMBER HAVING A FRONT UPPER SURFACE THEREON AND A SLOT THEREIN EXTENDING AT AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD AND THROUGH THE LOWER PORTION OF WHICH SAID THREAD PASSES IN ITS NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND GUIDE MEANS, A SECOND SLOTTED MEMBER HAVING AN UPPER FACE EXTENDING AT AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD, THE LOWER EDGE OF THE SECOND MEMBER BEING SPACED ABOVE THE NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD AND BEING WITHIN THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD WHEN THE THREAD IS DEFLECTED UPWARDLY BY ENGAGEMENT OF A SLUB WITH THE FRONT SURFACE OF THE FIRST MEMBER WHEREBY THE SLUB PASSES OVER THE UPPERMOST EDGE OF THE FIRST MEMBER AND, AS THE THREAD IS THUS MOVED INTO THE SLOT OF THE SECOND SLOTTED MEMBER, THE SLUB MOVES INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SECOND SLOTTED MEMBER AND IS THEREBY ARRESTED TO PART THE THREAD.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF DETECTING SLUBS AND OTHER ENLARGEMENTS IN A MOVING TEXTILE THREAD COMPRISING PULLING THE THREAD IN A NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL THROUGH A FIRST SLIT AND ADJACENT TO A SECOND SLIT SPACED TO ONE SIDE OF THE NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD, SENSING THE PRESENCE OF A SLUB IN THE THREAD AND THEN DEFLECTING THE THREAD OUT BOF ITS NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL AT AN ANGLE ACUTE THERETO WHILE CAUSING THE SLUB TO WIPE THE SURFACES DEFINING THE FIRST SLIT, MOVING THE DEFLECTED THREAD INTO THE CONFINES OF THE SECOND SLIT WHILE MOVING THE SLUB AND ADJACENT PORTIONS OF THE DEFLECTED THREAD OUT OF THE FIRST SLIT, THEN MOVING THE SLUB THROUGH AN OPEN AIR SPACE AND INTO THE SECOND SLIT AT AN ANGLE ACUTE TO THE NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD AND THEN RESTRAINING THE SLUB FROM PASSAGE THROUGH THE SECOND SLIT, WHILE GUIDING THE SLUB ALONG AN INCLINED PATH RELATIVE TO THE NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD, AND THEN PARTING THE THREAD.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF DETECTING SLUBS AND OTHER ENLARGEMENTS IN A MOVING TEXTILE THREAD COMPRISING PULLING THE THREAD IN A NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL THROUGH A FIRST SLIT AND ADJACENT TO A SECOND SLIT SPACED TO ONE SIDE OF THE NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD, SENSING THE PRESENCE OF A SLUB IN THE THREAD AND THEN DEFLECTING THE THREAD OUT BOF ITS NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL AT AN ANGLE ACUTE THERETO WHILE CAUSING THE SLUB TO WIPE THE SURFACES DEFINING THE FIRST SLIT, MOVING THE DEFLECTED THREAD INTO THE CONFINES OF THE SECOND SLIT WHILE MOVING THE SLUB AND ADJACENT PORTIONS OF THE DEFLECTED THREAD OUT OF THE FIRST SLIT, THEN MOVING THE SLUB THROUGH AN OPEN AIR SPACE AND INTO THE SECOND SLIT AT AN ANGLE ACUTE TO THE NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD AND THEN RESTRAINING THE SLUB FROM PASSAGE THROUGH THE SECOND SLIT, WHILE GUIDING THE SLUB ALONG AN INCLINED PATH RELATIVE TO THE NORMAL PATH OF TRAVEL OF THE THREAD, AND THEN PARTING THE THREAD.