Positioning and holding mechanisms for filling yarns in a shuttleless loom

In a shuttleless loom, preferably for weaving repeating patterned fabrics, including rapier means for inserting picks of selected ones of a plurality of filling yarns into the fabric, a filling yarn pattern control means for selectively presenting desired filling yarns at predetermined intervals at the feed-in side of said loom to said rapier means in accordance with the pattern of the fabric, cutter means on the feed-in side of said loom for cutting the selected filling yarn when received by said rapier means so that said rapier means inserts a free end of the selected filling yarn, and selvage trimming means positioned downstream of the beat-up point of the fabric for trimming the loose ends of filling yarns extending outwardly from the woven fabric as the fabric is fed forwardly in said loom;

• the improvement of means for positioning and holding the loose cut and uncut ends of filling yarns for trimming by said selvage trimming means and, preferably, for continuing to hold under tension the ends of those filling yarns on the feed-in side of said loom for which a repeat pick has not yet been called for in the repeating pattern of the fabric after cutting thereof by said selvage trimming means, said positioning and holding means comprising
• means positioned between the beat-up point of the fabric and said selvage trimming means, comprising a wheel member mounted adjacent and above the selvage of the fabric for free rotation in the direction of travel of the fabric in said loom and a driven shaft mounted under the fabric and extending transversely thereof and being rotated in the direction of travel of the fabric through said loom and forming a generally loose nip with said wheel member, for receiving the cut and uncut ends of the filling yarns extending from the woven fabric after having been inserted therein by said rapier means in the nip formed between said wheel member and said shaft during forward travel of the fabric through said loom and for gripping and positioning generally outwardly such ends of the filling yarns during rotation of said wheel member and said shaft, and
• vacuum holding and removal means positioned subsequent to said wheel member and shaft and adjacent said selvage trimming means and including a nozzle portion having an open front for receiving from said wheel member and shaft the outwardly positioned cut and uncut ends of the filling yarns extending from the woven fabric and an open side facing the fabric and extending from said open front along said nozzle portion to a location adjacent said selvage trimming means for holding the ends of the filling yarns during cutting by said selvage trimming means, said vacuum means and said wheel member and shaft preferably cooperating for continuing to hold under tension the ends of those filling yarns for which a repeat pick has not yet been called for after cutting thereof by said selvage trimming means, and said vacuum means further operating for removing loose portions of the filling yarns after being completely cut off.

In a shuttleless loom for weaving repeating patterned fabrics including a rigid double-rapier means for inserting picks of selected ones of a plurality of filling yarns into the fabric, a filling yarn pattern control means for selectively presenting desired filling yarns at predetermined intervals at the feed-in side of said loom to said rapier means in accordance with the repeating pattern of the fabric, cutter means on the feed-in side of said loom for cutting the selected filling yarn when received by said rapier means so that said rapier means inserts a free end of the selected filling yarn, and selvage trimming means positioned on each side of the woven fabric downstream of the beat-up point for trimming the loose ends of filling yarns extending outwardly from each side of the woven fabric as the fabric is fed forwardly in said loom;

• the improvement of means on each side of the fabric for positioning and holding the loose cut and uncut ends of filling yarns for trimming by said selvage trimming means and for continuing to hold under tension the ends of those filling yarns on the feed-in side of said loom for which a repeat pick has not yet been called for in the repeating pattern of the fabric after cutting thereof by said selvage trimming means, each of said positioning and holding means on each side of the fabric comprising
• means positioned between the beat-up point of the fabric and said selvage trimming means for gripping and positioning generally outwardly the cut and uncut ends of the filling yarn extending from the woven fabric on the feed-in side of said loom and the cut ends of the filling yarns extending from the woven fabric on the other side of said loom, and
• vacuum holding and removal means positioned subsequent to said gripping and positioning means and adjacent said selvage trimming means for receiving from said gripping and positioning means the outwardly positioned cut and uncut ends of the filling yarns extending from the woven fabric on the feed-in side of said loom and the cut ends of the filling yarns extending from the woven fabric on the other side of said loom, for holding such ends of filling yarns during cutting by said selvage trimming means, for cooperating with said gripping and positioning means for continuing to hold under tension the ends of those filling yarns on the feed-in side of said loom for which a repeat pick has not yet been called for after cutting thereof by said selvage trimming means and for removing loose portions of the filling yarns after being completely cut off.