Method for operating a weaving machine comprising a shedding machine

An apparatus comprising:

• a weaving machine including a rotational-speed changeable weaving drive, and weft insertion devices;
• a shedding machine including shedding devices that are selectively drivable by a single rotational-speed changeable shedding drive;
• a control arrangement connected to the weaving drive and to the shedding drive, and arranged and adapted to respectively control the weaving drive and the shedding drive independently of one another;
• sensors connected in a signal transmitting manner with the control arrangement, wherein the sensors are selected from weft fault sensors, warp fault sensors, and position sensors adapted to sense a position of the weft insertion devices;
• and
• an input arrangement adapted to enable an operator to input or select process sequences of measures to eliminate an operating malfunction, and adapted to enable the operator to input or select an operating manner and a rotational speed of the weaving machine and of the shedding machine during and after performance of the measures to eliminate the operating malfunction;
• wherein:
• during normal weaving operation, the control arrangement is adapted to control the weaving drive and the shedding drive to operate the weaving machine and the shedding machine in essential synchronism with one another at a normal operating rotational speed,
• upon receiving an operating malfunction signal from at least one of the sensors, the control arrangement is adapted to release the essential synchronism between the weaving machine and the shedding machine and to reduce a rotational speed of the weaving machine to below the normal operating rational speed, and is further adapted to control movements of the shedding devices to enable elimination of the detected operating malfunction according to the process sequences of the measures to eliminate the operating malfunction, which were input or selected via the input arrangement, while continuing to operate the shedding drive at or above a specified positive rotational speed and continuing to drive the shedding machine so that the shedding machine does not come to a standstill, and
• upon receiving a clearance signal from at least one of the sensors, the control arrangement is adapted to increase the rotational speed of the weaving machine to a new operating rotational speed and bring the shedding machine into essential synchronism with the weaving machine according to the operating manner and the rotational speed, which were input or selected via the input arrangement.