Abstract: A circular spreader for spreading tubular textile goods includes a spreader arrangement with an inlet mandrel and an outlet mandrel at opposite ends thereof inside the tubular goods, an inlet support structure arranged around the inlet mandrel outside of the tubular goods with an inlet guide gap therebetween, and an outlet support structure arranged around the outlet mandrel outside of the tubular goods with an outlet guide gap therebetween. The mandrels and the support structures are magnetic, to magnetically repel each other across the guide gaps. The components may be permanent magnets or electromagnets, or have separate discrete magnets provided thereon. The spreader arrangement is supported by magnetic levitation relative to the support structures, without direct contact therebetween. The tubular goods pass through the guide gaps with low friction, no pressing force exerted thereon, and no impairment of the structure or quality thereof.

Abstract: A method and apparatus continuously monitor the functional condition of the successive bearings of the tenter clips or claws of a tenter chain as the bearings roll along a contact surface of the endless guide rail of a tentering machine. A sensing arrangement is integrated into the guide rail in the area of the contact surface thereof. The sensing arrangement senses a physical value indicative of the presence and condition of the respective bearing passing by the sensing arrangement. The sensing arrangement may include a pressurized air outlet and an adjacent pressure measuring channel connected to a pressure sensor to sense the back pressure created by a passing bearing. The sensing arrangement may alternatively include an electromagnetic eddy current sensor, or an optoelectronic light beam sensor.

Abstract: A circular spreader for spreading tubular textile goods includes a spreader arrangement with an inlet mandrel and an outlet mandrel at opposite ends thereof inside the tubular goods, an inlet support structure arranged around the inlet mandrel outside of the tubular goods with an inlet guide gap therebetween, and an outlet support structure arranged around the outlet mandrel outside of the tubular goods with an outlet guide gap therebetween. The mandrels and the support structures are magnetic, to magnetically repel each other across the guide gaps. The components may be permanent magnets or electromagnets, or have separate discrete magnets provided thereon. The spreader arrangement is supported by magnetic levitation relative to the support structures, without direct contact therebetween. The tubular goods pass through the guide gaps with low friction, no pressing force exerted thereon, and no impairment of the structure or quality thereof.

Abstract: A supply spool supplies a weft thread through an adjustable actuated thread brake and a thread tension sensor to a weft thread accumulator, from which an accumulated insertion length of the thread is provided to a weft insertion device. The tension sensor provides a measured actual thread tension signal to a control arrangement, which compares the actual tension to a selected rated tension, and, dependent on the deviation therebetween, provides a control signal to an actuator of the thread brake, so that the actual thread tension constantly corresponds to the selected rated tension. Another sensor provides a signal indicating a change from an empty spool to a full spool. Responsive thereto, the control arrangement actuates the thread brake to an adjustable starting brake setting as a coarse adjustment. Then the self-regulating fine adjustment is continued. A constant winding tension and thread accumulation length are achieved in the thread accumulator.

Abstract: The shed of a fluidic weaving loom is not changed simultaneously for all warp threads, but rather continuously starting at the weft entrance and continuing helically, so to speak, to the exit of the warp shed. This sequential shed closure takes place with a so-called domino effect along a helical line curved in space, whereby additional time is gained for stretching the inserted weft thread and temporarily stopping the shed formation or shedding is avoided.

Abstract: A multilayer plastic film having a heat-sealable surface layer is initially provided at a process temperature above a heat-sealing temperature of the surface layer. To prevent the surface layer from adhering onto a deflection roller, this layer must be cooled below the heat-sealing temperature. A cooling arrangement is positioned directly upstream from the deflection roller and blows cold air onto the heat-sealable surface layer. Thereby, the surface layer is rapidly cooled below the heat-sealing temperature, while most of the multilayer film is not substantially cooled and remains close to the process temperature. A counter-heater may heat the opposite surface of the plastic film as the cooling arrangement cools the heat-sealable surface layer.

Abstract: In a loom with a mechanical weft insertion the motion of each individual warp thread on its way from an uppermost position to a lowermost position and vice verse is controlled individually by a jacquard in such a way, that the motion profile includes a shed stopping in a weft entrance section and simultaneously in a weft exit section of a weaving width of the loom. Shed stopping is avoided at least in the center of the warp shed, namely in an intermediate section between the weft entrance and exit sections of the weaving width of a loom thereby providing sufficient time for the rapiers or grippers to be withdrawn from the shed without damaging the warp threads.

Abstract: An arrangement for supplying air with a controlled pressure to the main weft insertion nozzles of an air jet loom includes a single servovalve connected between a pressurized air source, an air vent, and a pressure manifold, and individual shut-off valves respectively interposed in branch lines connected from the pressure manifold to the individual nozzles. A pressure sensor measures the actual pressure provided to the manifold. An electronic controller receives a pressure control signal and controls the servovalve responsive to any difference between the pressure control signal and the actual measured pressure signal. The arrangement is simple, economical, and rapidly reacting, to avoid the need of individual throttle valves or pressure regulators for the individual nozzles.

Abstract: The heald shafts of a power loom are driven by electric D.C. or A.C. motors which have an external rotor or an armature connected to the respective heald shaft through two articulated couplings, for example snap locks, and a push-pull rod. The motors receive control signals from a computerized controller for reversing the motion direction of the external rotor or armature. The stators of the motors are rigidly mounted on a fixed axis secured to the loom frame.

Abstract: A yarn cutting device for mechanical looms, having two mutually movable blades which are arranged on a mounting surface, at least one of the blades being operable by a drive. The drive is constructed as an electrically energized linear motor, whereby a compact flat construction is achieved which has few movable parts. One of the blade carriers is a rotor of the linear motor.

Abstract: The heald shafts of a power loom are driven by electric D.C. or A.C. motors which have a external rotor or an armature connected to the respective heald shaft through two articulated couplings, for example snap locks, and a push-pull rod. The motors receive control signals from a computerized controller for reversing the motion direction of the external rotor or armature. The stators of the motors are rigidly mounted on a fixed axis secured to the loom frame.

Abstract: A valve arrangement of a loom includes valve modules held between flange plates and sharing a common inlet feeding into a common inner valve space. A valve outlet of each valve module leads to an insertion nozzle or nozzle group, and is controlled by a valve disk actuated by a piezoelectric actuator to rapidly dynamically adjust the pressure profile. A quality parameter, characteristic of the thread insertion flight time of each weft thread, is stored in a data bank and has a nominal pressure profile for achieving a nominal thread flight time allocated thereto. The actual thread flight time of each weft thread is measured and compared with the stored nominal thread flight time. A control signal responsive to the time difference is provided to the valve arrangement to control the piezoelectric actuator so as to adjust the pressure and/or the quantity of the pressure medium provided through the valve module to the connected insertion nozzle.

Abstract: An apparatus for dosing lubricant into a compressed air flow includes a lubricant container, a pneumatically operated lubricant pump, an injection channel, a non-return valve interposed between the outlet of the pump and the injection channel, and an electronic sensor cooperating with or coupled to the non-return valve so that the sensor emits an electrical signal responsive and corresponding to the stroke travel of the non-return valve. When the pump carries out a lubricant injection cycle, the pressurized lubricant pushes open the non-return valve, flows into the injection channel and from there into a main channel through which compressed air flows. The travel of the valve is sensed by the sensor, and the sensor signal indicates whether the lubricant injection was proper or faulty, e.g. if the proper amount of lubricant was injected.

Abstract: In an apparatus for heat treating a material web that enters and exits the apparatus through respective gaps, an air cushion generating unit includes a slot nozzle through which a ventilator blows a laminar flow of air, which then flows laminarly along a convexly curved surface of the unit, to form a laminar air cushion which flows directly along the material web through one of the gaps, then expands outside of this gap, and is sucked back into the air cushion generating unit and recirculated through the slot nozzle. The laminar air cushion steadily holds and supports the material web so that the mechanical gap size can be reduced while reducing losses of hot process air and still avoiding physical contact with the material web.

Abstract: A method and apparatus continuously monitor the functional condition of the successive bearings of the tenter clips or claws of a tenter chain as the bearings roll along a contact surface of the endless guide rail of a tentering machine. A sensing arrangement is integrated into the guide rail in the area of the contact surface thereof. The sensing arrangement senses a physical value indicative of the presence and condition of the respective bearing passing by the sensing arrangement. The sensing arrangement may include a pressurized air outlet and an adjacent pressure measuring channel connected to a pressure sensor to sense the back pressure created by a passing bearing. The sensing arrangement may alternatively include an electromagnetic eddy current sensor, or an optoelectronic light beam sensor.

Abstract: At least one of two flexible leaf springs that form a thread gap is controlled by a linearly moveable element of a linear motor or drive. Multi-thread brakes are formed by assembling a plurality of such brakes on a common support whereby a single stator may cooperate with a plurality of linearly moveable armatures forming a corresponding plurality of thread brakes or each thread brake may have its own stator and its own armature arranged in a row either linearly or along a curved support, whereby a compact structure is achieved.

Abstract: A reed in a loom is driven or oscillated back and forth to perform the beat-up motion by a direct reed drive that avoids using the main loom drive for operating the reed. The direct drive is an electromagnetic motor which uses as one of its components a reed support shaft (4) either as a rotor or as a stator. The reed support shaft acting as a rotor carries a reed slay which mounts the reed to the rotor. When the reed support shaft acts as a stator, the reed slay is mounted to separate rotor elements. In both instances the reed support shaft is part of a rotary or linear electromagnetic direct drive motor construction.

Abstract: Ground warp and pile warp thread sheets are supplied to a shed forming device. The ground warp and the pile warp are separately deflected over a deflecting rod upstream from the shed forming device. The deflecting rod supports the ground warp and directs the pile warp to cross and interpenetrate through the ground warp before deflecting the pile warp into the back shed. The deflecting rod is positively driven and controlled to pivot about a horizontal axis to provide a positive controlled partial compensation of the pile warp thread length variations. The pile warp also runs over a pile warp thread reserve and compensating device upstream from the thread crossing location to provide an additional passive uncontrolled compensation of the pile warp thread length variations and to provide a pile warp thread reserve during the pile loop formation and/or the shed changes in the weaving process.

Abstract: A ground warp thread sheet and a pile warp thread sheet are supplied to a shed forming device. Two stop motions on separate planes respectively monitor the pile warp and the ground warp. The ground warp and the pile warp are deflected over a deflecting rod upstream from the shed forming device. The deflecting rod supports the ground warp and directs the pile warp to cross and interpenetrate through the ground warp before being deflected into the back shed. The vertices of the ground warp and pile warp back sheds are thus located on opposite sides of the deflecting rod. The pile warp crosses through the ground warp directly upstream from the deflecting rod, at a steep angle, for example from 45 to 135 °.

Abstract: A weft thread pre-winder or pre-spooling device for an air jet loom includes a thread storage drum (6) made up of several drum segments (7) that are each adjustable in the radial direction so as to adjust the diameter and circumference of the thread storage drum. Thereby the amount of stored thread can be adjusted. Open gaps or interspaces (8) are formed between respective adjacent drum segments (7), and become larger or smaller depending on the radial adjustment of the segments. Especially for threads that form only a small thread balloon while being drawn-off from the thread storage drum, the threads would tend to get into these interspaces and become caught on the edges or corners of the drum segments, which would lead to energy losses in the thread and interfere with the proper weft insertion and thread transport.