Weaving Machine with an Apparatus as well as Method for Holding, Feeding and Inserting Weft Threads in a Loom Shed

Method for holding, feeding and inserting weft threads (1, 2) in a loom shed (7) of a weaving machine, wherein at least two weft threads (1, 2) and at least one gripper (6) for the insertion of the weft threads (1, 2) are present, as well as with at least one first and one second clamp (11, 12) as well as with at least one first and one second drive (25, 29), with which the clamps are moved independently of one another on different motion paths (35, 36) into different positions (16-18, 19-21), furthermore with means (15) for cutting the inserted weft thread (1, 2), wherein successive weaving cycles of the weaving machine include the following method steps:

• moving the first clamp (11) with an end of first weft thread (1) clamped therein out of a ready position (18) of the first clamp into a feed position (16) of the first clamp;
• grasping the first weft thread (1) by the gripper (6);
• inserting the first weft thread (1) into the loom shed (7);
• moving the first clamp (11) into a transfer position (17) of the first clamp;
• beating-up the first weft thread (1) against a beat-up line (10) of the weaving machine by means of a beat-up motion of a weaving reed (9);
• taking over the first weft thread (1) by the first clamp (11);
• cutting the first weft thread (1) so that a new first weft thread end arises;
• moving the first clamp (11) with the new end of the first weft thread (1) clamped therein out of the transfer position (17) of the first clamp into the ready position (18) of the first clamp;
• moving the second clamp (12) with an end of a second weft thread (2) clamped therein out of a ready position (21) of the second clamp into a feed position (19) of the second clamp;
• grasping the second weft thread (2) by the gripper (6);
• inserting the second weft thread (2) into the loom shed (7);
• moving the second clamp (12) into a transfer position (20) of the second clamp;
• beating-up the second weft thread (2) against the beat-up line (10) of the weaving machine by means of a beating-up motion of the weaving reed (9);
• taking over the second weft thread (2) by the second clamp (12);
• cutting the second weft thread (2) so that a new second weft thread end arises;
• moving the second clamp (12) with the new end of the second weft thread (2) clamped therein out of the transfer position (20) of the second clamp into the ready position (21) of the second clamp;
• wherein the method is characterized in that the drives (25, 29) of the clamps are embodied and arranged on the weaving machine in such a manner so that the motion path (35, 36) of each clamp comprises a shape that is closed in itself, and that each clamp (11, 12) is moved by means of the associated drive (25, 29) into three positions arranged one after another along the respective motion path (35, 36), namely the feed position (16, 19), the transfer position (17, 20) and the ready position (18, 21), and that the respective clamp (11, 12) is moved from the ready position (18, 21) into the feed positions (16, 19) without thereby coming into the intermediately located transfer position (17, 20), wherein the motion beginning of the motion of at least one of the two clamps (11, 12) out of its ready position (18, 21) into its feed position (16, 19) in the weaving cycle of the weaving machine lies in a time segment that extends from the beginning of the beat-up motion of the weaving reed (9) until the beat-up of the previously inserted weft thread (1, 2) against the beat-up line (10) of the weaving machine.