Abstract: An apparatus for driving a gripper belt in a rapier loom comprises a three-dimensional cam drive (1) for converting a rotational movement into a pivotal movement. The cam drive includes a rotatable cam carrier with a guide surface defining a closed curve (11), the closed curve having a generatrix (E) which is a circular arc. A pivot arm (5) engages the curved surface and pivots about an axis (3) of rotation through the center point of the generatrix. The apparatus is compact and it facilitates the adjustment of the stroke length of the gripper belt.

Abstract: When mispicking occurs, a weft yarn continuous with a mispicked weft yarn is inserted into the shed of warp yarns in a loop by the jetting of a main picking nozzle and auxiliary picking nozzles. A weft yarn retaining member is positioned in the loop of the weft yarn and the mispicked weft yarn is pulled to be removed from the picking side by way of the weft yarn. Given auxiliary picking nozzles stop jetting when the weft yarn is inserted in a loop so that the tip end of the loop of the inserted weft yarn is limited in the extent to which it moves in the picking direction, and thus does not extend substantially beyond the arriving side of the shed of warp yarns, so as to prevent entanglement thereof with various other members.

Abstract: A tetraxial fabric and a weaving machine for manufacturing the fabric. The tetraxial fabric is formed by the crisscross of warp yarns, weft yarns, and bias yarns having two different diagonal directions. A first set of warp yarns is overlaid by the weft yarns and, in turn, overlies the bias yarns. A second set of warp yarns, which alternate with the warp yarns in the first set, overlies the weft yarns and is, in turn, overlaid by the bias yarns. Due to the yarn formation, the fabric has a constant isotropy and evenness and can be made with a fill coefficient of up to 100%. The weaving machine for the manufacture of the tetraxial fabric can alternately produce, in the fabric formation area, two sheds between the warp yarns for passing the weft yarns at opposite sides with respect to the bias yarns.

Abstract: A releasable corner structure for a heddle frame includes a projection carried by a side support, wherein the projection is received in a hollow space of a frame stave and is clamped in position by a clamping screw. The clamped projection is in the form of a flat body formed in one piece with the side support, and defines an outer frame having an opening within which flexible vibration dampers are positioned to lie between the outer frame of the projection and a metallic member that fits within and is spaced from the sides of the frame opening. The metallic member is riveted to a U-shaped sheet-metal casing that is adapted to surround the outer frame with a slight clearance space. Into the open top of the U-shaped sheet metal casing is riveted a rigid ledge member, against which the clamping screw acts.

Abstract: A device or holding weft threads of a series-shed loom between a weft input side and a weft output side of a rotating rotor. The device includes one thread-holding device on the input side of the rotor, and one thread-holding device on the output side of the rotor, with at least one cutting device on the input side for severing inserted weft threads. Each weft thread holding device includes a device for clamping at least one weft thread at a first end on the input side, and at a second end on the output side. Each device for clamping includes a supporting surface extending substantially parallel to the central axis of rotation of the rotor and any device two endless conveyor belts lying over one another at least inside an angle of partial revolution of said rotor between said weft thread insertion angle to a weft thread discharge angle. The two conveyor belts are guided over guide rollers, so that an inlet slot for weft threads is produced in conjunction with the supporting surface.

Abstract: A surface fastener having a woven tape, wherein said tape includes a number of longitudinal locking regions and a number of longitudinal mesh regions alternately arranged across the width. Each said locking region is woven of weft threads of monofilaments and first and second warp threads, the second warp threads forming male or female engaging elements. Each of the mesh regions includes only the weft threads. Each locking region also includes fixing threads extending along opposite longitudinal edges thereof.

Abstract: A heddle for use in a weaving loom has an end-loop configured at one or both ends thereof for mounting on a slide bar of a harness frame. The heddle includes a substantially flat width section which is substantially parallel to the warp threads in a weaving loom when the heddle is mounted on the slide bar of a harness frame within the loom. An eye is disposed through the width section and is defined by a first side segment and a second side segment. The side segments are oppositely laterally disposed a predetermined distance relative to the width section so that a plane through the eye forms a predetermined angle with the plane of the width section. The side segments are also formed so that a plane through each of the side segments also forms a predetermined angle with the plane of the eye. In a preferred embodiment, the side segments are formed parallel to the width section.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for coupling and uncoupling a plurality of heald shafts (31) to and from their corresponding shaft rods (2) in a shaft drive. Male and female coupling parts (3, 5) are connected to each heald shaft and shaft rod, respectively, and a locking element 4 is pivotally mounted within the female coupling part to lock these parts together. Two drive units (7, 8) pivot two U-shaped shackles (9, 10) from an open position into a closed position. This movement unlocks each locking element so that each male coupling part and heald shaft can be vertically removed from its female coupling part. At the same time, the shackles secure each female coupling part so that they will remain in position to receive the next heald shaft.

Abstract: A device for coupling two outer parts (3) to a third part (2) disposed therebetween. The device includes a plurality of fasteners 7 each threadably mounted to an opening (9) in one of the outer parts and a cylindrical recess (6a) in the third part. Each fastener 7 has a conical head 7a that rests against the opening in the outer part. The outer parts project over the cylindrical recess so that an annular cavity is formed between the head of the fastener and the third part. Thus, the head of the fastener elastically deforms the outer part into the annular cavity so that additional forces may be transmitted from the outer part to the third part. In addition, the inner surface of each outer part is parallel to the third part so that the third part may be replaced without any effective movement of the outer parts.

Abstract: A sensor is provided to measure the diameter of a wire, and a radius of curvature of the center of the core wire of the wire is found from the obtained wire diameter and the radius of a measuring roller. The number of revolutions of the measuring roller is determined according to the radius of curvature. An appropriate radius of curvature is found for each wire to be processed, and an accurate number of revolutions can be found irrespective of the type of wire. Accordingly, the wire feeding accuracy is improved, and the preparation work is simplified.

Abstract: In a three-dimensional fabric as woven on a rotor-carrier type 3D fabric weaving machine, there is provided a reinforcing three-dimensional fabric for composite material, which is imparted with unevenly functioning characteristics by arbitrarily changing the thread orientation angle in part of the fabric structure. In the weaving process of the three-dimensional fabric, a large number of threads, which are oriented with an angle of inclination relative to the longitudinal direction of the fabric, are folded back at the surface of the fabric as they are continuously interwoven in the longitudinal direction thereof, and varied orientation angle portions are formed in part of the sectional area of the fabric by partially changing the angle of inclination of thread portions which continuously extend between adjacent weave portions of the fabric.

Abstract: A taker gripper for loom use, of the type in which a wedge moves axially within a hook. The weft to be drawn, and which is wedged into the narrow V recess formed on one side between the wedge and the hook, is also maintained elastically pressed against the shallow recess that is provided in the outer lower surface of the hook by an elastic blade. The elastic blade, moreover, is fixed by its rear end to the wedge or to the gripper body. The inner surface of the hook on the side opposite the side that comprises the narrow V recess is formed so that it diverges from the corresponding surface of the wedge and from the direction of wedge axial movement.

Abstract: A faulty weft yarn removing apparatus for a loom, having weft yarn extracting devices disposed on the picking side and receiving side of a fabric, respectively, capable of removing the faulty weft yarns (Y1, Y2) smoothly even when the phenomena of long pick and broken pick both occur. A control circuit determines the long pick or the broken pick when the yarn signals (S1, S2) transmitted from the weft yarn feelers are present, first actuates a weft yarn extracting device disposed on the picking side and if there is a yarn signal (S2) after a specified time passes, actuates the weft yarn extracting device on the receiving side. The weft yarn extracting device is capable of removing the faulty weft yarn (Y1) to the picking side of the fabric and the weft yarn extracting device is capable of removing the faulty weft yarn (Y2) to the receiving side of the fabric.

Abstract: In order to avoid or at least minimize weft thread breaking in an air nozzle loom, the supply of pressurized air to the relay nozzles is controlled in such a manner that the velocity of the blowing air is diminished toward the end of the weft thread insertion channel near its exit end. As a result, the tension on the weft thread is correspondingly reduced and the diminishing of the blowing air velocity can take into account any dynamic characteristics of the particular type of thread being inserted. Additionally, upon completion of the travelling weft thread insertion field, a weft thread tensioning field is imposed on the weft thread for properly tensioning the weft thread for the beat up. The tensioning following the insertion is applied only by selected nozzles or groups of nozzles, for example, by a group in the center of the weaving width and by a group toward the exit end of the insertion channel.

Abstract: A heald supporting frame constituted by a pair of horizontal cross-members for supporting the healds which are mutually rigidly locked by removable side members. The cross-members of the frame are formed by box-like structures made of composite material, in the ends of which inserts with high mechanical strength, made of metallic or composite material, are embedded so as to couple them, and the side members, as well as bushes for connecting the frame to the loom, are mechanically fixed to the inserts.

Abstract: An adjustable connection link is provided between the dobby and the first crank lever of the control rods of each loom heddle frame. The connection link consists of two tubular bars of hollow aluminum alloy section pieces, preferably of rectangular cross-section. There is at least one internal rib that is perpendicular to the major sides of the rectangle. The section pieces, moreover, are cut away along opposing sides at their adjacent ends in order to expose the corresponding parts of their internal ribs. These are kept pressed, one against the other, in an adjustable position by a bolt. The bolt is threaded into one end of the section piece and passes through a slotted hole in the corresponding end of the other section piece.

Abstract: A rapier tape gripper loom having inserter rapier tapes driving inserter and taker gripper heads has the warp threads only provide gripper head support over at least part of the insertion path. The insertion path occupies a width of the shed defined by the path of insertion and retraction of the gripper heads. It is the warp threads of the lower shed which act exclusively as direct support to the gripper heads over the part of the insertion path. During the insertion of the weft yarn, at least one bearer member supports the warp threads alongside of but not in the insertion path. This support effected by the at least one bearer member is outside the insertion path over which the gripper heads travel, leaving the warp threads as adjacently supported by the bearer member as the sole supporting members for the gripper heads.

Abstract: A profiled cross-section three-dimensional woven fabric having a plurality of woven, mutually intersecting filaments woven in longitudinal, transverse and vertical planes, with transverse planes of different widths and vertical planes of different height within a cross-section of the woven fabric perpendicular to the longitudinal woven filament planes. The woven filament in the transverse planes moving upward or downward while transversely reciprocating over a width which changes with the width of the woven filaments in each longitudinal woven plane and being disposed between vertically adjacent planes of longitudinal filaments. The woven filaments in the vertical planes moving longitudinally to the height of disposition of the longitudinal and transverse filaments in a plane perpendicular to the transverse filaments and being continuously disposed between longitudinally adjacent layers of transverse filaments, clamping the transverse and longitudinal filaments to unite them together.

Abstract: A thread feeding system including a thread regulator having a fixed housing, a hollow rotatable shaft extending through the fixed housing, a rotatable winding section secured to the rotatable shaft, an angled thread duct extending through the thread regulator, an inlet positioned at an upstream end of the duct, and ejectors positioned along the duct portions. The ejectors supply a working medium from a pressurized working medium source to the duct to facilitate threading of a thread through the thread duct. The inlet receives a free end of the thread from a thread spool assembly positioned upstream from the thread regulator. The feeding system also includes an arrangement for controlling the ejectors so that the ejectors generate a pressure proximate to the inlet to develop a flow of the working medium into the inlet, and an arrangement for feeding the thread through the thread regulator in a pulsating manner to insure that the free end of the thread passes unobstructed through the thread duct.

Abstract: An easily movable output brake system forms part of or cooperates with a yarn feeder (13) comprising a spatially fixed body supporting a yarn store, from which body a yarn (11) can be drawn off even at advanced speed through an output channel (10). The system comprises a first member (9) which is arranged in a bearing and which, in the functional operation of the system, by means of a surface clamps the yarn being drawn off against a counterstay member (15). The members (9, 15) are designed to effect a yarn-cleaning function dependent on the yarn rotation upon drawing-off, with simultaneous prevention of considerable accumulation of lint, particles etc., in respect of the members. The mobility of the system is obtained by the selection of the components in question.