Abstract: A rocker valve comprising a rocker valve mechanism in a valve body. The mechanism comprises a single pivot arm to which first and second plungers are pivotally fixed to act in opposition. The rocker valve includes a flexible seal member extending laterally across the first and second fluid ports and having a first sealing region attached to a plunger head of the first plunger and a second sealing region attached to a plunger head of the second plunger. When the single pivot arm is pivoted relative to the valve body, a rotation of at least one of the first and second plungers about its respective fixed pivot is constrained solely by the flexible seal member such that a lateral position of the plunger head is automatically adjusted by the flexible seal member to balance tensile forces in the flexible seal member around the plunger head.

Abstract: The present invention provides a rocker valve comprising a valve body including first and second fluid ports and a rocker valve mechanism in the valve body. The mechanism comprises a single pivot arm rotatable relative to the valve body, and first and second plungers pivotally fixed to the single pivot arm. The second plunger acts in opposition to the first plunger when the single pivot arm is pivoted relative to the valve body. The rocker valve includes a flexible seal member extending laterally across the first and second fluid ports. The flexible seal member has a first sealing region attached to the first plunger and a second sealing region attached to the second plunger and is movable by the first and second plungers between a first position in which the first fluid ports is closed by the first sealing region, and a second position in which the second fluid port is closed by the second sealing region.

Abstract: A rocker valve mechanism (125) is provided according to the invention. The rocker valve mechanism (125) includes a port portion (110) including a plurality of ports (113-115), a first plunger (130), and a second plunger (131) acting in opposition and moving substantially in parallel with the first plunger (130). The rocker valve mechanism (125) is biased toward a first position blocking a third port (115) and configured to be actuated to a second position blocking a first port (113).

Abstract: A rocker valve mechanism (125) is provided according to the invention. The rocker valve mechanism (125) includes a port portion (110) including a plurality of ports (113-115), a first plunger (130), and a second plunger (131) acting in oppositio and moving substantially in parallel with the first plunger (130). The rocker valve mechanism (125) is biased toward a first position blocking a third port (115) and configured to be actuated to a second position blocking a first port (113).

Abstract: In a loom a weft filament is fed from a supply and inserted in a weft direction through a warp so as to project from a downstream edge of the warp and the presence of the filament is detected by a sensor at the downstream edge. If no presence is detected, a deweaving device is operated that in a deweaving step strips the filament from the warp and ejects it therefrom past the sensor. A controller is connected to the sensor and loom for shutting down the loom when the sensor detects that no filament is ejected by the deweaver during and immediately after the deweaving step, shutting down the loom when the sensor detects a filament immediately after the deweaving step, and restarting the loom when the sensor detects a filament during but not immediately after the deweaving step.

Abstract: A weft filament is inserted as a pick in a weft direction into a shed formed between groups of warp filaments extending and generally traveling in a warp direction, and is beaten into the warp filaments by a comb to form a woven textile. A defective pick is removed from the warp filaments by a system comprising at least one stripping nozzle directed generally upstream in the warp direction and connected to a supply that feeds compressed gas to the nozzle so the gas is expelled therefrom as a jet directed generally upstream in the warp direction over the defective pick to dislodge same from the warp filaments. The defective pick is then withdrawn in the weft direction from the shed after it is dislodged from the warp filaments by the nozzle.

Abstract: In a shuttleless loom a weft filament is inserted pneumatically in a weft direction through a warp shed by a nozzle on one side of the shed and is caught by a pneumatic aspirator aligned in the direction on the other side of the shed from the nozzle. A mechanical brake aligned in the direction on the other side of the loom with the aspirator, either immediately upstream or downstream therefrom, mechanically engages and holds the yarn after same has been caught by the aspirator. This brake can be formed by a tube with an internal brake element defining a nonstraight passage or can be a pinch brake to one side of a guide arrangement that pushes the filament laterally into the pinch brake once the filament is all the way through the aspirator and some tension is applied upstream in the filament.

Abstract: This pneumatic supply device is designed for shuttle-free weaving machines with the picking of one or more weft threads (1, 2) by elements such as picking nozzles (5, 6) and nozzle relays (10), supplied with compressed air in accordance with predetermined sequences. A robot (25) connected to a picking sequence program support (26) drives, on one hand, electrovalves (12, 16) disposed in the compressed air inlets (13, 17) to the picking elements (5, 6, 10) and, on the other hand, switching members (20, 21) enabling these picking elements (5, 6, 10) to be supplied at at least two different pressures (P1, P2; p1, p2) selected as a function of the characteristics of the weft threads (1, 2) to be inserted. The switching members (20, 21) are, for example, proportional pressure reducers enabling the control of the air pressure in a tank (18, 22).

Abstract: A sequential cleaning device for a loom ensures sequential cleaning by blowing compressed air or possibly by suction, at various points of a loom. The device comprises, upstream of a utilization circuit leading to various points to be cleaned, a pneumatic control circuit connected to a compressed air inlet. The circuit comprises, in a main pneumatic line a first distributor which is normally closed, and controlled mechanically and a second distributor which is normally open and controlled pneumatically. Controlling the opening of the first distributor may be effected by a rotary member forming a cam of the loom. Controlling the closure of the second distributor is ensured by a branch supply line in which pneumatic delay means are incorporated.

Abstract: A flow distributor for a fluid circuit is especially applicable for use in a shuttleless loom with pneumatic insertion of the weft and comprises a body of revolution, produced from two parts assembled coaxially and forming therebetween an annular inner chamber defined by a conical wall and by a frusto-conical wall. The annular chamber connects a tubular mouthpiece for the inlet of fluid disposed on the central axis body with a plurality of outlet holes provided concentrically and at regular angular intervals around the central axis and able to receive screw-threaded couplings. This flow distributor is especially used for supplying compressed air to groups of relay nozzles on a shuttleless loom.

Abstract: A thread clamp, designed for periodically retaining a weft yarn in a loom of the shuttleless type, comprises a housing with a stationary insert having front and rear recesses spanned by respective membranes defining therewith two chambers of variable volume, the membranes being interconnected by a stem passing with clearance through a passage in the insert. One end of the stem, projecting beyond the front membrane, carries a movable jaw normally held against a confronting fixed jaw by a biasing spring disposed in the front compartment. The rear chamber, whose membrane is of larger effective diameter than that of the front chamber, can be expanded by the admission of air under pressure through one or more passages in the insert, the difference in membrane area being sufficient to let the resulting pressure differential in the two chambers overcome the force of the biasing spring to separate the movable jaw from the fixed jaw.