Abstract: A shed-forming apparatus for doup weaves comprises for each warp thread pair a plate adapted to be pivoted back and forth and comprising on one side of its pivoting axis a bore for the passage of the stationary warp thread and on the opposite side of its pivoting axis slot for accommodating the wip thread. Two or more plates are connected to one another as well as to drive discs by bolts or the like positioned radially outwardly beyond the slot, the drive discs being in turn engaged by a drive rod of the shed-forming mechanism. The peripheral shape of the plates may be elliptical or ellipsoidal or it may be circular. The drive discs may also take the form of belt-driven cog wheels engaging matching teeth of a toothed belt connected to the drive means for the shed-forming plates.

Abstract: For the production of a tubular woven fabric having a floats-including weave, by using a circular loom, at least two shuttles are moved through sheds formed by warp threads. The warp threads are guided through thread eyes of thread guiding organs and are lifted and lowered by the thread guiding organs to form the shed. In order to be able to produce tubular woven fabrics of different types of floats-including weaves, free warp threads, i.e., warp threads that are loosely guided through between thread guiding organs carrying neighboring warp threads, additionally run between warp threads guided by the thread guiding organs. These loose warp threads cross the opened shed approximately in the middle thereof and are lifted by a guide means arranged on at least one shuttle and, as the method proceeds, are lowered by a guide means arranged on at least one shuttle.