Abstract: An apparatus and method for effecting a warp change in weaving machines involves clamping the warp yarns of a new warp on a tying-in frame by way of clamping members. In addition, the warp yarns of the woven-out warp, the end portion of which has previously been pulled forwards over a specific length, are lifted over the tying-in frame and laid onto a roller assigned to the clamping members. The warp yarns of the woven-out warp are then fixed on the roller and pulled back out of the weaving machine over the specific length as a result of the rotation of this roller. These operations can be carried out by a single person, so that the warp change is simplified substantially. The tying-in frame and roller are mounted on a common carrier which is mountable on a warp-beam transport unit.

Abstract: A process for weaving using a reed having vertically aligned upper and lower reed portions with the reed portions being relatively movable in a weft direction. The process includes transferring warp yarns between the reed portions, moving the transferred warp yarns in the weft direction to define a selected array of warp yarns, and then shedding the array of warp yarns for insertion of weft yarn. A weaving loom head is also provided including a reed having vertically aligned upper and lower reed portions, a plurality of healds each releasably engagable with an individual warp yarn for moving selected warp yarns from one reed portion to the other, and a selectively operable drive mechanism for causing relative movement between the reed portions by a predetermined spacing in the weft direction. Weaves may accordingly be produced including warp threads extending parallel to and/or inclined to the fabric take-off direction. Inclination of the warp threads may be in a horizontal and/or vertical plane.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for inspecting and guiding a web utilizes a curved outer convex cloth guiding surface (A) on arcuate sections such as extrusions provided respectively at the top and bottom of the viewing area for guiding cloth and for forming a housing for the light box wherein an inner housing surface (B) is provided opposite the cloth guiding surface (A) on each extrusion. Depending receiving members (C) are provided at each respective end of the arcuate extrusions for serving as a receptacle for guiding and positioning a plexiglass viewing member and back sheet metal wall for forming a light box. A force applying member (D) is provided for controlling sag or bow in an extrusion. Apparatus and method is illustrated including diverging grooves for spreading the web as it passes over the upper section, and circuitry is provided conserving energy by limiting the time the circuitry is energized.

Abstract: A garment with sleeves comprising a stretchable, knitted fabric, wherein an underbust area of the garment comprises a high-gauge knitting with relatively high density, shoulders and upper back area of the garment comprise a low-gauge knitting with relatively low density, and cuff areas of the garment comprise a medium-gauge knitting with relatively medium density.

Abstract: An elongated blade (20) has a slot (22) for receiving a contact bar (15) and an eyelet (30) at one end for receiving passing yarn (11). The eyelet (30) has a curled lip (34). The upper end of the slot has a slanted, or oblique, edge (23) which forms an angle with each side of the slot (22). A flange which includes an oblique edge flange (24) and side edge flanges (26, 28), extends around the perimeter slot (22) except at the intersection of the oblique edge (23) and the longer side of the slot. In one preferred embodiment of the drop wire (10), the blade is twisted (32) between the slot (22) and the eyelet (30) to position the eyelet (30) and slot (22) 90.degree. with respect to one another. In another embodiment (12), the blade is flat.

Abstract: A woven or knitted cotton fabric having a supple and flexible hand made of a spun yarn of 5's to 250's English count including cotton fibers; each of which has an effective fiber length of at most 1.8 inches and a micronaire fineness of at most 3.8 .mu.g/inch; the average of bending rigidity values (B) in the warp or wale direction and weft or course direction of the fabric as measured by a KES-FB2 tester being in the range of 0.002 to 0.100 gf.cm.sup.2 /cm; and the average of shear stiffness values (G) in the warp or wale direction and weft or course direction of the fabric as measured by a KES-FB1 tester being in the range of 0.2 to 1.70 gf/cm.degree.

Abstract: A universal planetary feeder for feeding a wire which includes an elongate hollow body defining a wire feed axis and adapted for high speed rotation about the axis, and a pair of planetary rollers associated with the body so as to be rotatable together with the body about the feed axis and which are mounted about the feed axis in mutually skewed respective orientations. The planetary rollers define circumferential peripheral feed surfaces spaced from each other about the feed axis and are configured for simultaneous engagements with a wire along preselected lines of contact. Each of the feed surfaces is intersected at right angles by a plane which is offset from the feed axis by an offset angle.

Abstract: A drive mechanism for connecting the output drive of a tufting machine pattern control to the needle bar of the tufting machine includes a linkage having a pair of links each connected at one end to a plate fastened to the output drive rod of the pattern control and having second ends which are connected to a lever at spaced apart locations. One end of the lever is connected to the needle bar of the tufting machine. One of the links is substantially longer than the other link and the locations of the connection to the lever is such that the attachment of the lever to the needle bar produces substantially vertical straight line motion at that point as the needle bar reciprocates. Thus, the needle bar may be shifted laterally by the mechanism as determined by the pattern control, and yet reciprocates in a straight line path.

Abstract: A weft picking system for an air jet loom is provided with a microcomputer as a controller. The weft picking system comprises a weft traction device including a pair of rollers, one of which is driven by an inverter motor. A weft yarn fed from a weft measuring and storing device can be placed between the rollers to be drawn toward a weft posture regulating nozzle. The weft posture regulating nozzle is arranged to project the weft yarn into the shed of warp yarns and regulates the posture of the weft yarn under the influence of air jet ejected from the nozzle and from a plurality of sub-nozzles. The rollers always rotate during a weaving operation of the loom. A change-over device is provided to change the weft yarn from a first state of being placed between the rollers to a second state of separating from the rollers or vice versa.

Abstract: A drive system for a weaving loom includes at least one four-pivot three-link drive or preferably two such drives for transmitting drive power from a main loom shaft through a cam drive to a slay shaft coupled to the cam drive through the four-pivot three-link drive. The use of two four-pivot three link drives permits operating the weaving loom selectively for producing terry cloth and/or smooth fabric. Each of the four-pivot three-link drives (DL, DR) has four pivots or journals (A, B, C, D) and three links (24, 38, 43; 25, 40, 44). Each four-pivot three-link drive cooperates with a roller carrying cam follower (15) that is controlled by an eccentric cam assembly (7). Both four-pivot three-link drives effectively operate the slay shaft (46) of the loom. A control and engagement mechanism (33, 54) provides for the switching from one four-pivot three-link drive to the other and vice versa, whereby a switch-over from the production of one type of fabric to the other is facilitated.

Abstract: A weft yarn (1) leaving a stationary stock bobbin (2) is led through a compressed-air nozzle (6) and a deflector element (16) movable transversely to the direction of weft insertion (arrow 9), to the weft insertion mechanism (11) of a projectile loom. After each weft insertion the weft yarn (1) becomes deflected by the deflector element (16) from a yarn path (1a) running stretched into a cranked yarn path (1c) and returned towards the stretched yarn path (1a) during a following weft insertion. During a predetermined fraction of the weaving cycle which comprises the return of the weft yarn (1) into the stretched yarn path (1a), the compressed-air nozzle (6) is acted upon by compressed air so that the weft yarn (1) is additionally accelerated for a short time. After the return of the weft yarn (1) the compressed air feed to the compressed-air nozzle (1) becomes blocked during the remaining part of the weaving cycle.

Abstract: A metallized mesh fabric construction for use as the individual reflector panels of a radio frequency (RF) deployable parabolic reflector of the type which includes a plurality of panel supporting rib members which, upon deployment, unfurl in a spiral manner from a central hub to form the parabolic reflector surface. The mesh fabric includes silver coated nylon strands and stretch resistant plastic or synthetic strands interwoven in a "Marquisette" or "Leno" style weave. The stretch resistant strands of the mesh fabric are oriented along the chordal direction (i.e., transverse to the radial direction of the unfurlable ribs) in order to withstand the tension placed on the mesh fabric during deployment of the reflector and hence maintain the shape and accuracy of the reflector surface and resist creep. The weave has openings sized sufficiently large to minimize the effects of wind load yet sufficiently small to provide good reflective performance of radio frequencies up to and including X-Band frequencies.

Abstract: A papermakers forming fabric having two layers of CMD yarns interwoven with a system of MD yarns to form a multilayer fabric. The paper support surface CMD yarn layer has at least three times as many CMD yarns as the machine contact surface CMD yarn layer. The higher count of upper layer CMD yarns provides an improved paper forming/carrying surface with improved drainage characteristics.

Abstract: A method of weaving on a loom a multilayer paper forming fabric in an eight warp repeating pattern. The weaving is controlled to produce uniform drainage channels throughout the forming fabric. The paper forming fabric is formed to have a weft yarn dominant paper support surface and a weft yarn dominant running surface. The loom includes a reed which has a plurality of reed teeth which form dents. A single layer of side-by-side warp yarns are arranged through the dents of the reed so that each warp yarn engages with at least one reed tooth. A weft yarn of a first layer of weft yarns is woven with the warp yarn to form the weft dominant paper support and a weft yarn of a second layer of weft yarns is woven with the warp yarn to form the weft dominant running surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for weaving woven articles in a plurality of widths includes the steps of providing a weaving machine having at least one weaving head and harnesses controllably guiding a multiplicity of warp strands between first and second path planes that converge at the weaving head, a reed member reciprocally moving between the harnesses and the weaving head for packing a weft strand into the woven articles, the reed member having a multiplicity of slots for receiving and guiding the warp threads in planes intersecting the first and second path planes, the slots being closely spaced and defining a maximum weaving width W.sub.M of the weaving head, the woven articles being serially collected from the weaving head; separating the warp strands from the reed member into a first group and a second group, the first group including sufficient warp strands for forming the woven articles at a predetermined weaving width W.sub.

Abstract: A method for weaving airbag fabric for use in protecting vehicle occupants during a collision. The airbag fabric includes at least a portion of fabric woven with unsized warp and fill yarns by water-jet weaving at a weave construction of at least 47 warp and fill threads per inch comparable to that available by traditional Rapier weaving machines.

Abstract: A support for the reed of a seam-weaving machine for joining the ends of a flat-woven, paper-making fabric by means of a woven seam includes a reed having reed dents for the shifting of the auxiliary weft threads against the fell. The reed dents are pivotally mounted and press successively against the auxiliary weft thread to be shifted starting from the fabric end from which the auxiliary weft threads protrude as a warp fringe. In order that the reed dents are gradually shifted by the movement of the sley, the reed dents are staggerable in their position such that the points at which the reed dents touch the auxiliary weft thread to be shifted lie roughly on a straight or slightly curved line whose distance from the fell increases, starting from the point of emergence of the auxiliary weft thread from the fabric end.

Abstract: A loom with a leno-weaving device which can act completely within the loom heddle frames, with the two links of the leno-weaving device slidably supported within a slide guide. The slide guide extends from within the heddle frames, and is located above the reed, with the two links driven by a single cam drive and a pair of spring-loaded pushers. The spring-loaded pushers can extend into the heddle frames, and are connected to one end of the links, with the links thus raised and lowered within the heddle frames while being slidingly supported by the slide guide. An advantageous cam drive can also be provided which allows for switching of the mode of the operation, to switch the type of weaving being performed by axially moving a shaft upon which cams of the cam drive are mounted.

Abstract: A fabric anchor device for attachment to awnings or the like for holding awning retaining ropes. The device comprises a woven fabric strip having a central reinforcing spine defined by paired high tensile strength reinforcement warp yarns. The spine includes a series of mutually spaced apart attachment apertures, the respective reinforcement yarns lying on opposite sides of the apertures.

Abstract: A gripper device for a weaving loom having a drive shaft, which rotates in one direction of rotation and the other direction in an alternate manner, where the gripper device has a drive gear rotatably disposed on the drive shaft. This drive gear has a tooth system which is engageable to the tooth system of an assembly, which is non-rotatably disposed on said drive shaft. The gripper device also includes a mechanism for engaging both tooth systems to transmit the rotational movement of the drive shaft to the drive gear, thus moving and withdrawing the gripper device into and from a shed between warp threads.