Weaving method and apparatus

In a weaving apparatus including shed forming means for forming sheds of warp threads successively at a first location on a loom, shed moving means for continuously moving said sheds away from said first location and toward a second location spaced a distance from said first location such that said sheds move in a direction generally parallel to said warp threads, shed retaining means for retaining a plurality of said sheds during the continuous movement of said sheds from said first location toward said second location, and inserting means for inserting weft threads into said retained sheds during the continuous movement of said retained sheds from said first location toward said second location such that each of said retained sheds has a weft thread inserted thereinto;

• the improvement wherein said retaining means retains said sheds by inserting shed-retaining members into each of said sheds such that said shed-retaining members form a plurality of continuous substantially closed channels, each channel being formed in a corresponding one of said retained sheds, and said inserting means includes a plurality of fluid jets arranged to insert said weft threads into said channels formed by said shed retaining means such that each fluid jet is substantially constrained within a corresponding one of said channels by associated shed-retaining members during the insertion of a respective weft thread and each weft thread is substantially constrained within a corresponding one of said channels by associated shed-retaining members until its respective retained shed is released, said improvement further comprising first imparting means for imparting movement to said fluid jets such that said fluid jets move alongside said retaining sheds and such that said fluid jets move in generally the same direction as said retained sheds during the insertion of said weft threads thereinto and first synchronizing means for synchronizing the movement of said fluid jets with said retained sheds such that each fluid jet moves conjointly with a corresponding one of said retained sheds during the insertion of a respective weft thread thereinto, whereby a predetermined number of said weft threads can be inserted substantially simultaneously into a corresponding number of said retained sheds.

In weaving apparatus including shed forming means for forming sheds of warp threads successively at a first location on a loom, shed moving means for continuously moving said sheds away from said first location and toward a second location spaced a distance from said first location such that said sheds move in a direction generally parallel to said warp threads, shed-retaining means for retaining a plurality of said sheds during the continuous movement of said sheds from said first location toward said second location, and inserting means for inserting weft threads into said retained sheds during the continuous movement of said retained sheds from said first location toward said second location such that each of said retained sheds has a weft thread inserted thereinto;

• the improvement wherein said weft thread inserting means includes a plurality of fluid jets and said shed-retaining means includes a plurality of independently operable groups of shed-retaining members, each group of shed-retaining members retaining a corresponding one of said sheds and each shed-retaining member being a split ring which is insertable between adjacent warp threads and into a corresponding one of said sheds defined, at least in part, by an elevated warp thread and a depressed warp thread, said split ring having an upper surface which, in a first position of said shed-retaining member, is engageable with said elevated warp thread and which, in a second position of said shed-retaining member, is disengageable from said elevated warp thread and a lower surface which, in said first position of said shed-retaining member, is engageable with said depressed warp thread and which, in said second position of said shed-retaining member, is disengageable from said depressed warp thread, said improvement further comprising first imparting means for imparting movement to said fluid jets such that said fluid jets move in generally the same direction as said retained sheds during the insertion of said weft threads thereinto, first synchronizing means for synchronizing the movement of said fluid jets with said retained sheds such that each fluid jet moves conjointly with a corresponding one of said retained sheds during the insertion of a respective weft thread thereinto, whereby a predetermined number of said weft threads can be inserted substantially simultaneously into a corresponding member of said retained sheds, and constraining means for constraining each fluid jet substantially within a corresponding one of said retained sheds, said constraining means including a plurality of continuous substantially closed channels, each channel passing through a corresponding one of said retained sheds and being formed in a corresponding one of said groups of shed-retaining members when each of said shed-retaining members thereof is in its said first position.

In a shed-retaining member for use in connection with the loom weaving of warp and weft threads into cloth of the type wherein said loom has shed-forming means for elevating some of said warp threads and depressing other of said warp threads in accordance with a predetermined pattern, said shed-retaining member being readily insertable between adjacent warp threads and into a shed defined by said elevated warp threads and said depressed warp threads and having an upper surface which, in a first position of said shed-retaining member, is engageable with an elevated warp thread and a lower surface which, in said first position of said shed-retaining member, is engageable with a depressed warp thread, said upper surface being disengageable from said elevated warp thread when said shed-retaining member is in a second position and said lower surface being disengageable from said depressed warp thread when said shed-retaining member is in a second position, the improvement wherein said shed-retaining member is a split ring which includes a bore extending axially therethrough so as to receive a weft thread inserted through said shed-retaining member when said shed-retaining member is in its said first position and a slot extending from an outer surface of said split ring to said bore so as to permit the removal of said weft thread from said bore when said shed-retaining member is in its said second position.

A method of retaining a shed formed from a plurality of warp threads by elevating some of said warp threads by elevating some of said warp threads and depressing other of said warp threads in accordance with a predetermined pattern to form a shed between said elevated warp threads and said depressed warp threads, comprising the steps of providing first and second guide-forming members, each of said first and second guide-forming members including a bore passing therethrough and said first and second guide-forming members being movable between a first position in which said first and second guide-forming members are arranged generally parallel to said warp threads so that said first and second guide-forming members can be inserted into and withdrawn from said shed between adjacent warp threads and a second position in which said first and second guide-forming members are arranged generally transversely of said warp threads in direct engagement with each other so that said bores of said first and second guide-forming members cooperate with each other to form a continuous substantially closed weft thread guide located within said shed, and moving said first and second guide-forming members into direct engagement with said elevated and depressed warp threads when said first and second guide-forming members are in their said second positions, whereby said first and second guide-forming members function to maintain said elevated and depressed warp threads in elevated and depressed positions, respectively, to thereby retain said shed after its formation while simultaneously functioning as weft guides.

A method of retaining a shed formed from a plurality of warp threads by elevating some of said warp threads and depressing other of said warp threads in accordance with a predetermined pattern to form a shed between said elevated warp threads and said depressed warp threads, comprising the steps of providing first and second guide-forming members, each of said first and second guide-forming members including a bore passing therethrough;

• alternately inserting said first and second guide-forming members into said shed between adjacent warp threads;
• moving said first and second guide-forming members into direct engagement with each other after their insertion into said shed;
• aligning said bore of said first guide-forming member with said bore of said second guide-forming member, whereby said bores cooperate to form a continuous substantially closed channel capable of receiving a weft thread inserted through said shed generally transversely of said warp threads;
• moving said first and second guide-forming members into direct engagement with said elevated and depressed warp threads, whereby said first and second guide-forming members function to maintain said elevated and depressed warp threads in elevated and depressed positions, respectively, to thereby retain said shed after its formation while simultaneously functioning as weft guides.

A shed retainer for insertion into a shed formed from a plurality of warp threads by elevating some of said warp threads and depressing other of said warp threads in accordance with a predetermined pattern, comprising a first shed-retaining member and a second shed-retaining member, each of said first and second shed-retaining members having a bore passing therethrough;

• inserting means for alternately inserting said first and second shed-retaining members into said shed between adjacent warp threads;
• first moving means for moving said first and second shed-retaining members into engagement with each other after their insertion into said shed;
• aligning means for aligning said bore of said first shed-retaining member with said bore of said second shed-retaining member when said first and second shed-retaining members are in engagement with each other, whereby said bores cooperate with said first and second shed retaining members to form a continuous substantially closed channel capable of receiving a weft thread inserted through said shed generally transversely of said warp threads;
• and first removing means for alternately removing said first and second shed-retaining members from said shed between adjacent warp threads.