Non reed interfering suction weft removal

A method of removing a leading end part of a picked weft yarn on a shuttleless loom capable of holding the leading end part of the picked weft yarn under tension by a weft yarn tightening device disposed on an arriving side opposite a picking side and of beating up the tight picked weft yarn into a cloth fell of a fabric by a reed, and having a weft yarn sucking device disposed at a position nearer to a take-up with respect to the cloth fell to hold the leading end part of the weft yarn picked and beaten up into the cloth fell and a weft yarn cutting device disposed at a position nearer to the take-up with respect to the cloth fell to cut the leading end part of the picked and beaten up weft yarn projecting from a selvage of the fabric on the arriving side in a cutting region between the selvage of the fabric and the weft yarn sucking device, said method comprising:

• sucking the leading end part of the picked weft yarn being shifted toward the cloth fell of the fabric by a beat-up motion into the weft yarn sucking device through a first suction opening thereof, lying on a path of the picked weft yarn and extending in a picking direction;
• holding the leading end part of the weft yarn beaten up into the cloth fell in a second suction opening of the weft yarn sucking device, continuous with the first suction opening, lying opposite to the selvage of the fabric and opening in a take-up direction;
• and
• cutting the leading end part of the weft yarn extending between the selvage of the fabric and the second suction opening off the weft yarn beaten up into the cloth fell by the weft yarn cutting device.