Abstract: A semi-automatic loader for needle boards (2) includes a filling device (51) that presents felting needles (17) arranged at a ratio that is consistent with the ratio of holes of a needle board. A machine operator can then grasp the felting needles (17) by means of a multiple collet chuck (45) and set them in groups in the rows of holes of the needle board (2). This provides a loading method featuring extremely high productivity.

Abstract: A new shaft drive provides for a switch-on and switch-off of individual heald shafts even at high working speeds. For this purpose switching pawls are provided which couple an eccentric with permanently revolving and/or back-and-forth oscillating disks. Measures for improving the controllability of such a clutch device are the control of the switching pawls by slot guides, associating bi-stabile biasing devices with the switching pawls and/or dividing the switching function into individual switching pawls (27a, 27b) which are associated individually with differently running disks (21, 22). Preferably, one of the two disks executes a continuous rotary motion, while the respective other disk performs only an oscillating motion which determines the heald shaft motion during the resting phases thereof.

Abstract: A novel shaft gear for harmonious engagement and disengagement of individual heddle shafts and for deriving their motion from the rotary motion of a single input shaft has a coupling system with two input elements. While one of the input elements serves to drive the output element of the coupling system permanently, the other input element serves solely to synchronize the output element briefly with the first input element. The switchover takes place in the brief synchronous phases, in selected angular regions that correspond to the top or bottom reversal point of the heddle shaft. For the switchover, such novel shaft drive mechanisms do not require any stoppage of motion for the input shaft or the shaft drive mechanism.