Apparatus and method for weaving leno fabric

A leno mechanism for incorporation into a heald frame loom to enable the heald frame loom to weave leno fabric including:

• a support having pivot means which enable the support to be pivotally mounted on the heald frame loom for reciprocal pivotal rotation about a pivot axis, the support carrying a plurality of ground thread blades arranged side by side in a row and spaced apart along the row to define in between neighbouring ground thread blades a guide space for a ground thread running along a predetermined pathway, a leno guide blade being located in each guide space to divide the guide space into first and second guide slots, each leno guide blade having at its terminal end a leno guide eye through which a leno thread is to be guided, adjacent ground thread blades projecting beyond the terminal end of the leno guide blade located therebetween to define a ground thread cross-over space;
• the ground thread blades and leno guide blades being arranged to extend from said pivotal axis as defined by the pivot means such that pivotal movement of the support in a first rotary direction causes the ground threads to move relatively along one of the first or second guide slots towards and into the cross-over spaces;
• and such that lateral movement of the ground threads relative to the respective leno guide blades, from one side to the other thereof, selectively causes closing of the one of the first or second guide slots, and opening of the other of the first or second guide slots, whereby pivotal movement of the support in a second rotary direction opposite to the said first rotary direction causes movement of the ground threads relative to the ground thread blades out of the cross-over spaces and relatively along the other of the first or second guide slots away from the cross-over spaces.

A method of weaving leno fabric on a loom comprising:

• (i) arranging a row of side by side ground thread blades to define a plurality of guide spaces, each guide space being for a respective ground thread running along a predetermined pathway;
• (ii) arranging a respective leno guide blade within each guide space to define first and second guide slots and a cross-over space therein;
• (iii) guiding each leno thread with a respective leno guide blade;
• (iv) moving the ground threads relatively along one of the first or second guide slots towards and into the cross- over spaces by pivotally moving the support in a first rotary direction;
• (v) moving the ground threads laterally relative to the leno guide blades from one side to the other thereof to selectively cause closing of the one of the first or second guide slots and opening of the other of the first or second guide slots;
• and
• (vi) moving the ground threads out of the cross-over spaces and relatively along the other of the first or second guide slots away from the crossover spaces by pivotally moving the support in a second rotary direction opposite to the said first rotary direction.