Tension meters

Claim 2

A tension meter comprising a base, a pair of spaced filament engaging members fixed with respect to each other and each having a filament engaging surface, a third filament engaging member movably mounted on said base and disposed between said pair, said third member movable in a plane perpendicular to a reference line tangent to said surfaces of said pair, said members being adapted to engage a filament with said pair of members and said third member disposed on opposite sides of the filament, means connected to said third member for indicating the magnitude of its motion, first biasing means operative to cause said third member to deflect from a straight path of filament engaged by said members, and damping means for damping vibrations of said third member in said plane, said damping means comprising a cylinder, a piston disposed within said cylinder for sliding motion, means operatively connecting saId piston with said third member, and an adjustable valve in said cylinder.

Claim 3

A tension meter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said connecting means comprises a first member attached to said third filament engaging member and including a portion spaced apart from said third filament engaging member whereby said portion undergoes movement proportional to, but greater than, the motion of said third filament engaging member.

Claim 4

A tension meter as claimed in claim 2 wherein said connecting means further comprises a second member comprising a rod attached in a universal joint to each of said piston and said connecting means first member portion.

Claim 5

A tension meter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pair of spaced filament engaging members are mounted upon a support, said support being movably mounted on said base for movement between first and second positions, the filament engaging surface of said third filament engaging member lying on one side of said reference line when said support is in said first position and on the other side of said reference line when said support is in said second position.

Claim 6

A tension meter as claimed in claim 4 further including second biasing means biasing said support towards said first position.

Claim 7

A tension meter as claimed in claim 4 wherein said pair of members are mounted on a convexly curved surface, whereby friction against moving yarns is reduced.

Claim 8

A tension meter as claimed in claim 6 wherein said connecting means comprises a first member attached to said third filament engaging member and including a portion spaced apart from said third filament engaging member whereby said portion undergoes movement proportional to, but greater than, the motion of said third filament engaging member, said connecting means first member extending tangentially from said convexly curved surface.

Claim 9

A tension meter as claimed in claim 1 wherein said adjustable valve comprises an opening in said cylinder, barrier means mounted for movement with respect to said opening, and means for moving said barrier to alter the portion of said opening effectively masked by said barrier.

Claim 10

A tension meter comprising a base, first and second filament engaging members fixed with respect to each other and each having a filament engaging portion, said first and second spaced filament engaging members mounted upon a support, said support including a convexly curved surface from which said members project, a third filament engaging member movably mounted on said base and disposed between said first and second members, said members being adapted to engage a plurality of adjacent generally parallel filaments with said first and second members on one side of the filaments and said third member on the other side of the filaments, said support movably mounted on said base for movement between first and second positions, said third filament engaging member lying on one side of a reference line tangent to said filament engaging portions at the intersection thereof with said support when said support is in said first position and on the other side of said reference line when said support is in said second position, at least one of said first and second members including structure giving that member a substantial thickness in a direction generally perpendicular to said reference line, whereby insertion of said one of said members between two of a plurality of parallel filaments for measurement of the tension in a smaller plurality of said filaments causes the filaments included in said smaller plurality to be spaced apart from other filaments thus permitting the insertion of the other of said first and second members between the same two filaments, said tension meter further comprising damping means for damping vibrations of said third member, said damping means comprising a cylinder, a piston disposed within said cylinder for sliding motion, means operatively connecting said piston with said third member, and an adjustable valve in said cylinder.

Claim 11

A tension meter comprising a base, first and second filament engaging members fixed with respect to each other and each having a filament engaging portion, said first and second spaced filament engaging members mounted upon a support, said support including a convexly curved surface from which said members project, a third filament engaging member movably mounted on said base and disposed between said first and second members, said members being adapted to engage a plurality of adjacent generally parallel filaments with said first and second members on one side of the filaments and said third member on the other side of the filaments, said support movably mounted on said base for movement between first and second positions, said third filament engaging member lying on one side of a reference line tangent to said filament engaging portions at the intersection thereof with said support when said support is in said first position and on the other side of said reference line when said support is in said second position, at least one of said first and second members including structure giving that member a substantial thickness in a direction generally perpendicular to said reference line, whereby insertion of said one of said members between two of a plurality of parallel filaments for measurement of the tension in a smaller plurality of said filaments causes the filaments included in said smaller plurality to be spaced apart from other filaments thus permitting the insertion of the other of said first and second members between the same two filaments, said tension meter further comprising damping means for damping vibrations of said third member, said damping means comprising a cylinder, a piston disposed within said cylinder for sliding motion, means operatively connecting said piston with said third member, and an adjustable valve in said cylinder.

Claim 12

The improvement as claimed in claim 9 wherein said connecting means comprises a first member attached to said third filament engaging member and including a portion spaced apart from said third filament engaging member whereby said portion undergoes movement proportional to, but greater than, the motion of said third filament engaging member, said connecting means first member extending tangentially from said convexly curved surface.

Claim 13

In a tension meter comprising a base, first and second filament engaging members fixed with respect to each other and each having a filament engaging section and an end section, each said filament engaging section being mounted upon a support and including a filament engaging surface, said surfaces defining a reference line tangent to each said surface at the intersection thereof with said support, said support including a convexly curved surface from which said members project, a third filament engaging member mounted on said base and disposed between said first and second members, said support movably mounted on said base for movement between first and second positions, said third filament engaging member lying one one side of said reference line when said support is in said first position and on the other side of said reference line when said support is in said second position, said members being adapted to engage a plurality of adjacent generally parallel filaments with said first and second members on one side of the filaments and said third member on the other side of the filaments, the improvement wherein each of said first and second filament engaging members is cantilevered from said support with said end section remote from said support, each said filament engaging surface comprising a concave arcuated surface extending from a location on the respective filament engaging member adjacent said support to location spaced apart therefrom and unobstructed by other structure of the tension meter, each of said first and second members having a substantial thickness at the junction of said sections in a direction perpendicular to said reference line and including a convex arcuate surface on the respective member spaced apart from said concave arcuate surface, each of said end sections tapering from said substantial thickness to a lesser thickness.

Claim 14

In a tension meter comprising a base, first and second filament engaging members fixed with respect to each other and each having a filament engaging section and an end section, each said filament engaging section being mounted upon a support and including a filament engaging surface, said surfaces defining a reference line tangent to each said surface at the intersection thereof with said support, said support including a convexly curved surface from which said members project, a third filament engaging member mounted on said base and disposed between said first and second members, said support movably mounted on said base for movement between first and second positions, said third filament engaging member lying one one side of said reference line when said support is in said first position and on the other side of said reference line when said support is in said second position, said members being adapted to engage a plurality of adjacent generally parallel filaments with said first and second members on one side of the filaments and said third member on the other side of the filaments, the improvement wherein each of said first and second filament engaging members is cantilevered from said support with said end section remote from said support, each said filament engaging surface comprising a concave arcuated surface extending from a location on the respective filament engaging member adjacent said support to location spaced apart therefrom and unobstructed by other structure of the tension meter, each of said first and second members having a substantial thickness at the junction of said sections in a direction perpendicular to said reference line and including a convex arcuate surface on the respective member spaced apart from said concave arcuate surface, each of said end sections tapering from said substantial thickness to a lesser thickness.