Weft yarn selection mechanism and methods for weaving seat belt webbing

A method of weaving seat belt webbing having a specialty edge, comprising:

• (a) providing a plurality of warp yarns in a shedding arrangement for producing a shed, the plurality of warp yarns including a ground group of warp yarns, a first edge group of warp yarns on one side of the ground group of warp yarns and a second edge group of warp yarns on an opposite side of the ground group of warp yarns;
• (b) providing first and second groups of weft yarns, the first group of weft yarns having at least one property different from the second group of weft yarns;
• (c) inserting from a first side of the shed and independently controlling tension of a weft yarn of the first group for weaving with the ground group and the edge groups of warp yarns;
• (d) engaging the weft yarn of the first group with a stitching yarn on a second side of the shed;
• (e) inserting from the first side of the shed and independently controlling tension of a weft yarn from the second group in a separate shed from the weft yarn of the first group for weaving with the ground group of warp yarns;
• and
• (f) engaging the weft yarn of the second group with a stitching yarn on the second side of the shed, forming a woven seat belt webbing having specialty edges without weft yarns from the second group extending on either side of the ground group of warp yarns.

A method of weaving seat belt webbing having a specialty edge, comprising:

• (a) providing a needle loom having a weft yarn selection mechanism for automatic selection of a desired weft yarn from at least first and second weft yarns for insertion through a shed of warp yarns, the needle loom including a needle having a yarn receiving end, a guard associated with needle, the guard being closed at a front position corresponding to the yarn receiving end of the needle and extending generally along the needle, with a space being provided between the guard and the needle which is adapted to receive the at least first and second weft yarns, and a selection mechanism associated with each of the at least first and second weft yarns, the selection mechanism including a weft yarn guide which is movably mounted to displace an associated one of the at least first and second weft yarns between a selected position, in which the yarn receiving end of the needle is adapted to engage the associated weft yarn as the needle moves across the shed opening to carry the associated weft yarn across the shed, and a standby position, in which the associated yarn remains on a first side of the shed in a position between the needle and the guard as the needle moves across the shed opening;
• (b) activating the selection mechanism for the first weft yarn and engaging the first weft yarn with the yarn receiving end of the needle to carry the first weft yarn across the shed to a second side of the shed;
• (c) engaging the first weft yarn with a stitching yarn on the second side of the shed and returning the needle to the first side of the shed, carrying the first yarn out of the shed;
• (d) activating the selection mechanism for the second weft yarn and engaging the second weft yarn with the yarn receiving end of the needle to carry the second weft yarn across the shed to a second side of the shed;
• and
• (e) engaging the second weft yarn with the stitching yarn on the second side of the shed and returning the needle to the first side of the shed, carrying the second yarn out of the shed.