Fabric monitoring means for power looms

Abstract

A power loom for the manufacture of woven fabrics, in particular woven wire fabrics and felts for use in papermaking machines, is provided with a computerized pattern recognition system for monitoring the warp, the fabric, the edge of the fabric, the density of the weft, and so on. The device includes a video camera and computerized image processing means. By analyzing a picture taken near an edge of the fabric, digital information concerning the position of the edge of the fabric, the weft density, and so on, can be obtained. The digital information is adapted to be used in an open or closed control system for positioning the edge of the fabric in correct position, after an interruption of fabric through the loom, before a restart of the fabric feed. Digital information concerning the actual weft density can be utilized as the actual value in a weft density control system using the driving means of the warp beam of the loom as the executive members via a tensile stress control applied to the fabric.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.