Mobile weft clamps for a shuttle box loom

A device adapted to be mounted on each side of a weaving loom in generally opposing relationship to a loom batten wherein the loom includes shuttles which are movable between shuttle boxes on each side of the loom batten and wherein controls are provided for operation of the loom batten and shuttle boxes, the device being positioned generally between the selvedge of fabric being made in the loom and adjacent shuttle box and which device further maintains weft yarns under tension leaving a loop shed defined by weft yarns wherein the device comprises in combination:

• a) a series of extendable members in a number equal to the number of shuttles of the loom, said extendable members extending parallel to the warp yarns and being vertically spaced with respect to one another;
• b) a clamp provided at the end of each of said extendable members and including means to grip weft yarn which has been deposited by one of said shuttles and which releases the yarn when said one of said shuttles emerges from an adjacent shuttle box;
• c) adjustable support means for raising and lowering said extendable members in a vertical plane;
• d) means associated with said extendable members for selectively moving each of said clamps to a first extended position in which said clamps are disposed adjacent to the batten so as to enable the clamps to seize weft yarn which has just been deposited, a retracted position in which said clamps are positioned outside the reciprocating movement of the batten, and a mean position for which said clamps lie at a short distance from the batten to enable weft yarns to be released as the shuttles enter into the shed;
• and
• e) an automatic control means for actuating said adjustable support means and said means associated with each of said extendable members in synchronism with the controls for the batten and the shuttle boxes.