Piezoelectric type needle selector for jacquard weaving machines

A needle selector apparatus for a Jacquard machine, said apparatus comprising drop needles and respective thrust needles supported thereby, for movement both horizontally and vertically, control means for moving said thrust needles, and blocking elements which are operatively associated with a respective drop needle and which are selectively displaceable between a first position for providing support for a respective drop needle and a second position for permitting said respective drop needle to drop down, each blocking element including an adjusting element comprising a respective piezoelectric flexural transducer having a first end at which it is stationarily clamped, the respective piezoelectric flexural transducer being arranged with its longitudinal direction transversely to a longitudinal direction of an associated drop needle, and a free end of each flexural transducer being movable between said first support position lying in the path of movement of a respective drop needle and said second drop-down position lying outside the path of movement of said respective drop needle, in a plane which is transverse to the longitudinal direction of said respective drop needle.