Abstract: A controlled weft thread presenting and clamping arrangement minimizes weft thread waste and ensures proper tensioning of the weft thread during its presentation to the insertion gripper, in a gripper loom for weaving with plural different weft threads. The arrangement includes a control shaft (13) that has a drive key (14) protruding therefrom in a reference plane (7), and that is rotatably supported on a support bracket (10, 11, 12), which may be mounted on the loom. Weft thread presenting levers (15) each carrying a respective clamp (16) are movably arranged on the shaft (13), which passes through a hole in each of the presenting levers (15). A translational drive (22) acts on a presenting lever support (17) to translationally move all of the presenting levers (15) in unison together axially along the shaft (13) until a selected lever (15) is positioned in the reference plane (7), with the lever's drive groove 15B engaged on the drive key (14) of the shaft (13).

Abstract: A weft thread brake for shuttleless looms has a controllable braking effect. For this purpose, two rows of thread guide eyes are arranged in parallel to each other and between the thread supply reels or coils on the one hand and the thread presenting mechanism on the other hand. Brake leaf springs are arranged individually or in pairs for each weft thread, whereby these leaf springs reach approximately in the direction of the respective weft thread movement and into the space between the two parallel rows of thread guide eyes for cooperation with a common control rail which simultaneously presses all threads of a group of threads against the respective brake leaf spring. The braking action is individually adjustable for each weft thread by properly selecting the characteristics of the respective brake leaf spring or leaf springs.

Abstract: Weft threads are presented to a gripper in shuttleless looms by needles, each guided by at least one straight guide held askew in a needle guide carrier (9). These straight needle guides due to their askew arrangement make sure that all needles together are located in and displaceable in a fan type plane twisted in space. In the working position for presenting a weft thread each needle eye is located on a short line (7) extending approximately in parallel to a gripper path. Thus, all weft threads in their presenting position are close to each other in a narrow presenting zone within the reach of the gripper path for a sure gripping at the beginning of the forward gripper motion. At its beginning the gripper speed is still slow so that the weft threads are gripped gently. The straight needle guides held askew in the at least one guide carrier (9) form a row of guides which is slanted by a given angle relative to the gripper path to form the fan type plane twisted in space.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improvement in a cloth take-up motion for looms with gradual or intermittent taking-up of cloth in which a take-up roller is adapted to be driven by drive shaft means and gear system means, and wherein the drive shaft executes one revolution with each weft insertion, the improvement comprising crank means and pin means on said drive shaft means, Maltese cross means in which said pin means is adapted to engage, and reduction gear means connecting said Maltese cross means with said take-up roller.