Weft feeding through an accumulator without substantial twist

Apparatus for the on-demand, low tension feeding of a filling member to weft insertion means of a loom without substantial twist, the demand for said filling member increasing rapidly as said loom accelerates from a stopped condition to process speed operation and decreasing rapidly as said loom decelerates from said process speed operation to said stopped condition, said filling member being taken up by said weft insertion means at a process speed take-up rate during said process speed operation, said apparatus comprising:

• filling member supply means for supplying said filling member without substantial twist at an average rate equal to said process speed take-up rate by said weft insertion means;
• a filling member accumulator having an inlet for receiving said filling member from said supply means and an outlet from which said filling member is withdrawn by said weft insertion means;
• said filling member accumulator having two generally evenly spaced-apart walls with the distance between said walls being such that said filling member forms serpentine folds within said filling member accumulator which advance into said accumulator as said filling member is received through said inlet;
• and
• control means for controlling said filling member supply means in response to said filling member being taken up by said weft insertion means and causing a sufficient amount of filling member to accumulate in said accumulator to meet the rapidly increasing demand for said filling member when said loom accelerates from said stopped condition to said process speed operation,
• said apparatus further comprising fluid advancing means acting on said filling member for advancing said filling member from said supply means into said inlet of said accumulator.

Apparatus for the on-demand, low tension feeding of a filling member to weft insertion means of a loom without substantial twist, the demand for said filling member increasing rapidly as said loom accelerates from a stopped condition to process speed operation and decreasing rapidly as said loom decelerates from said process speed operation to said stopped condition, said filling member being taken up by said weft insertion means at a process speed take-up rate during said process speed operation, said apparatus comprising:

• filling member supply means for supplying said filling member without substantial twist at an average rate equal to said process speed take-up rate by said weft insertion means;
• a filling member accumulator having an inlet for receiving said filling member from said supply means and an outlet from which said filling member is withdrawn by said weft insertion means;
• said filling member accumulator having two generally evenly spaced-apart walls with the distance between said walls being such that said filling member forms serpentine folds within said filling member accumulator which advance into said accumulator as said filling member is received through said inlet, the distance between the spaced-apart walls of said accumulator being between about 110% and about 175% of the width of the filling member;
• and
• control means for controlling said filling member supply means in response to said filling member being taken up by said weft insertion means and causing a sufficient amount of filling member to accumulate in said accumulator to meet the rapidly increasing demand for said filling member when said loom accelerates from said stopped condition to said process speed operation.

Apparatus for the on-demand, low tension feeding of a filling member to weft insertion means of a loom without substantial twist, the demand for said filling member increasing rapidly as said loom accelerates from a stopped condition to process speed operation and decreasing rapidly as said loom decelerates from said process speed operation to said stopped condition, said filling member being taken up by said weft insertion means at a process speed take-up rate during said process speed operation, said apparatus comprising:

• filling member supply means for supplying said filling member without substantial twist at an average rate equal to said process speed take-up rate by said weft insertion means;
• a filling member accumulator having an inlet for receiving said filling member from said supply means and an outlet from which said filling member is withdrawn by said weft insertion means;
• said filling member accumulator having two generally evenly spaced-apart walls with the distance between said walls being such that said filling member forms serpentine folds within said filling member accumulator which advance into said accumulator as said filling member is received through said inlet;
• and
• control means for controlling said filling member supply means in response to said filling member being taken up by said weft insertion means and causing a sufficient amount of filling member to accumulate in said accumulator to meet the rapidly increasing demand for said filling member when said loom accelerates from said stopped condition to said process speed operation,
• said filling member having an oblong cross-section and said apparatus further comprising means for preventing said filling member from twisting when said filling member is withdrawn from said outlet of said accumulator.

A process for the on-demand, low tension feeding of a filling member to weft insertion means of a loom without substantial twist, the demand for said filling member increasing rapidly as said loom accelerates from a stopped condition to process speed operation and decreasing rapidly as said loom decelerates from said process speed operation to said stopped condition, said filling member being taken up by said weft insertion means at a process speed take-up rate during said process speed operation, said process comprising:

• supplying said filling member without substantial twist at an average rate equal to said process speed take-up rate by said weft insertion means;
• advancing said filling member being supplied into a filling member accumulator having an inlet for receiving said filling member and an outlet from which said filling member is withdrawn from said accumulator by said weft insertion means, said advancing of said filling member into said accumulator comprising providing fluid advancing means adjacent said inlet, supplying a fluid to said fluid advancing means, receiving said filling member into said fluid advancing means, pulling said filling member by action of said fluid advancing means being supplied with said fluid to advance said filling member into said inlet of said accumulator;
• forming said filling member into serpentine folds as said filling member is advanced into said accumulator and advancing said folds toward said outlet;
• and
• controlling the supplying of said filling member in response to said filling member being taken up by said weft insertion means and causing a sufficient amount of said filling member to accumulate in said accumulator to meet the rapidly increasing demand for said filling member when said loom accelerates from said stopped condition to said process speed operation.