Rapier, method for drawing in a weft yarn with such a rapier and weaving loom comprising such a rapier

A rapier for drawing-in a weft yarn from a pick-up position into a shed of a weaving loom, along a drawing-in path, the rapier including

• a rapier head mounted at one end of the rapier, said rapier head extending along a main longitudinal axis of the rapier and being driven, along the drawing-in path, by a drive;
• a clamp for catching a weft yarn, said clamp being mounted in the rapier head and being operable between an open configuration and a closed configuration;
• an actuator mounted on the rapier for actuating the clamp;
• and
• a movement transforming mechanism for transforming an output movement of the actuator into an opening or a closing movement of the clamp,
• wherein the actuator is an electric motor and wherein an output shaft of the motor rotates around a rotation axis parallel to the main longitudinal axis of the rapier, wherein the movement transforming mechanism is configured to operate the clamp from its closed configuration to its open configuration when the output shaft of the electric motor rotates in a first direction around the rotation axis and to operate the clamp from its open configuration to its closed configuration when the output shaft of the electric motor rotates is a second direction, opposite to the first direction, around the rotation axis, wherein the movement transforming mechanism includes a slider movable in translation along a direction parallel to the main longitudinal axis, between a first longitudinal position and a second longitudinal position, said slider being configured to operate the clamp from its closed configuration to its open configuration when the slider moves from its first longitudinal position to its second longitudinal position and to operate the clamp from its open configuration to its closed configuration when the slider moves from its second longitudinal position to its first longitudinal position, and wherein
• the slider is equipped with a nut, integral or fixed in rotation with the slider, and the electric motor is equipped with a threaded rod engaged in the nut;
• or
• the electric motor is equipped with a nut, integral or fixed in rotation with the electric motor, and the slider is equipped with a threaded rod engaged in the nut, so that the rotation movement of an output shaft of the electric motor is converted into a translation movement of the slider.