Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for gripping a weft thread. This apparatus comprises an element for braking a weft thread, representing a tire placed on the periphery of a disk and a gripping block partially embracing the tire, the latter being fabricated from a material with a coefficient of friction against the thread exceeding that of the material of the gripping block.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of and apparatus for supplying weft thread carriers. In this method a thread is wound in the form of coils onto a spool of a carrier whereupon the carriers along with the thread are admitted into a weaving zone whereby an elongated section of the thread is formed to be sequentially separated from the coils, with the elongated section being thereafter pulled in a direction opposite to that of feed and, while being pulled the elongated section is arranged on a straight line connecting a thread guide and a braking point which, to compensate for the length of the pulled portion of the straight section, is moved away from the thread guide by a distance equal to this length.

Abstract: In the proposed apparatus for winding a weft thread onto spools of carriers, there is provided a disk rotatable in the horizontal plane on which are mounted constantly meshed satellite gears and winding members rotated by these satellite gears which engage, in a zone of winding of the weft thread, a stationary toothed sector arranged coaxially with the rotatable disk. In addition, provided in the apparatus are also a device for retaining the winding members in a preset position after the satellite gears disengage from the toothed sector and a device for gradual starting of the winding members and for stopping them in a predetermined position which precludes impacts and breakage of teeth at the engagement of the satellite gears with the toothed sector. This arrangement makes it possible to increase the speed of winding of the weft thread onto the spools of the carriers and to wind a required amount of the weft thread onto the spools of the carriers.

Abstract: The apparatus relates to travelling-wave looms, wherein weft thread carriers are conveyed along a closed trajectory of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,893. The apparatus includes a rotatable disk carrying rotatable winding members, lower grips for the end of the weft thread, a package holder and upper grips for the weft thread. Above the disk, beneath the upper grip for the weft thread, a mechanism for conveying the weft thread in a direction opposite to the downward movement thereof in the process of threading is mounted. This mechanism comprises a rod located in the zone wherein the carriers initially encounter the winding members. The weft thread is conveyed upwardly through the disk when a length of the thread defined between the upper grip and the thread guide provided in the disk encounters the rod during coordinated rotation of the disk with the weft thread carriers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of and apparatus for threading the weft thread carriers and may be most effectively used on travelling-wave looms. In this method, the weft thread is introduced into a thread tensioner while the last coil thereof is being wound with gripping before a straight section is formed, after which the thread is shifted by being unwound from a bobbin in the direction of feed, with the carrier admitted into the looming-up zone at this time, this shifting being maintained up to the moment of separation of the straight section from the coils. In an apparatus for realizing this method, there is provided a stationary cam for jaws located in a central angle of a disk within a sector limited by a region of divergence of mechanical trajectories of the disk and a conveyer and a region corresponding to the last turn of the threadguide around its axis which is close to the axis of rotation of the disk and shifted relative to the axis of symmetry of the carrier spool.