Bladder type shuttle braking apparatus for looms

A shuttle braking apparatus for use in a shuttle box cell on a weaving loom having a selectively controllable source of pressurized fluid and in which a shuttle is picked along a shuttle raceway between two opposing shuttle box cells and in which the shuttle cells have a plurality of walls extending generally parallel to the shuttle raceway with the shuttle cell being aligned with the raceway for receiving a shuttle moving along the raceway, said braking apparatus having at least a portion thereof extending inwardly of at least one cell wall and comprising

• a support member joined to said cell wall;
• a shuttle engaging member having at least one surface for engaging a shuttle entering said cell;
• at least one selectively inflatable and deflatable bladder interposed between said support member and said shuttle engaging member for urging said shuttle engaging member inwardly of said cell upon inflation of said bladder by selective introduction of pressurized fluid thereinto, such that inflation of said bladder will urge said shuttle engaging member toward a position interfering with movement of a shuttle within said cell, whereby inflation of the bladder will serve to brake movement of a shuttle within the cell;
• and
• means for urging said bladder to a deflated condition upon selective release of said pressurized fluid therefrom to move said shuttle engaging member away from engagement with a shuttle within said cell when said bladder is deflated.