Abstract: A method and an apparatus for detecting foreign fibers in a moving textile material, in particular in moving threads, yarns or slivers, include providing a probe for picking up triboelectric signals from the moving textile material and comparing the output of the probe with a reference value to provide a signal representative of detection of a foreign fiber in the textile material. The apparatus may be used in a card, a drawing bench, a ring spinning machine, an air-jet spinning machine, an open-end spinning machine, a chemical spinning machine, a bobbin winding machine a doubling machine, a combing machine, a bobbin frame, a texturing machine or a loom.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a detector (1) of foreign fibres and to a corresponding detection method, which can be used for detecting foreign fibres and foreign materials in a measurement object (5) in the textile industry, for example in yarns, slithers and unformed fiber bands on, for example, weaving machines, spinning machines, bobbin winding machines, doubling machines, cards, drawing benches and bobbin frames . . . . The principle of the detection is based on the fact that a measurement object (5) and foreign fibres or materials which are situated in the measurement object (5) absorb the light emitted into the measurement volume (4) by a light source (2) to different extents. All the light in the measurement volume (4), or a representative sample thereof, is measured by photodetectors (3) and converted into a photoelectric signal.

Abstract: A loom having an optical weft detector which includes a light emitter and a light detector for picking up light reflected by a weft thread in a guide duct formed by blades of the reed, is mounted on the side of the reed which faces away from the guide duct and outside the blades, the detection zone of the light detector being spatially limited to the light reflected by the weft thread in the guide duct.