US2869586A - Circular loom - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 20, 1959 M. M. P. JASlENSKl 2,869,586

' CIRCULAR LOOM Filed April 9, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J JQ OMWV am+o r: Ma r Mar K" TASI'EALS Kl Jan. 20, 1959 M. M. P. JASlENSl (l 2,869,586

CIRCULAR LOOM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 9, 1956 lfllllllilllll V g 25 VI 9m Van-I 0 r Marcel Marie fi'erra Jan. 20, 1959 M. M. P. JASIENSKI 2,869,586

CIRCULAR LOOM Filed April 9, 19 56 7 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Judah-For Mann! f e- \TASIE 'NSKI M 2,869,586 CIRCULAR room Marcel Marie Pierre Jasienslri, lssy-Les-Moulineaux, France, assignor to Compagnie Francaise Othermo, Paris, France, a French body corporate Application April 9, H56, Serial No. 6,895 Claims priority, application France April 13, W55 2 Claims. (in. ra -1s;

The present invention relates to circular looms.

Itis known that in such machines the weaving speed is limited notably by the inertia of the "members undergoing alternating movements and their accelerations, by friction between sliding members and by float and impacts due to play between the various moving members.

The members which undergo alternating movements are those pertaining to the warp thread crossing devices, that is the thread guides and their associated controls; and the sliding members which cause friction, float and impacts are in parhcular the rollers, their conjugated earns, the shuttles and their conjugated slides.

in looms of known type, the warp thread crossing devices are relatively heavy, either because, in addition to crossing of the warp threads, they perform other functions, such as propelling the shuttles, which necessitates a robustness incompatible with lightness, or because they ensure the simultaneous crossing of two groups of warp threads, the crossing being effected by a translation displacement of thread guides.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved circular loom which results in, notably, a considerably increased weavingspeed caused particularly by a novel driving of the shuttles, an improved guiding of the latter, a reduction in the number of members undergoing alternating movements, and a reduction in their weight asso- 4 ciated with slow movements and small accelerations, whereby the assemblage has a reduced inertia.

The features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings to which the invention is in no way limited.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical view, partly in cross-section, of a circular loom embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical radial sectional View thereof on an enlarged scale by reference to axis XX of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the loom;

Fig. 4 is a partial elevational view on an enlarged scale showing the driving device driving the grooved pulley which pulls, and if desired receives, the woven r article;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5--5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view, with a part cut away, of the reversing gear train co-operating with the grooved pulley shown in Fig. 4, this train being shown in one of its two positions;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the gear train in its other position, and Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8--ll of Fig. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE LOOM The loom shown in the figures is designed to weave about its vertical axis XX (Fig. 1.) the work or circular tubular fabric the upper end of which is pulled vertieally upwardly (arrow 1) as it is woven at its lower 2,869,586 Patented Jan, 20, 1959 end. This work consists of a weft composed of threads a which are wound helically and a warp composed of longitudinal threads b interlaced with the weft threads.

The loom comprises, broadly considered, a frame A and driving means; a device B disposed on the axis XX for guiding the warp and weft threads in the region in which the circular tubular fabric 0 is woven; a device C comprising shuttles mounted for rotation about the axis XX for supplying the Weft thread, the loom shown in the figures comprising two shuttles so that the weaving is effected with two weft threads a and a devices D arranged around the loom and supplying the various warp threads such as b b b [1 a device E adapted to pull on and receive the tubular fabric 0; a mechanism F adapted to control the device B.

Each of these devices will now be described in detail.

(a) The frame A and driving means The frame A comprises a support formed of various members 1, suitably assembled by welding or otherwise, and on which rests a horizontal table 2 provided with a central aperture 3 to which is connected a curved tube 4. The latter is provided for the purpose of introducing, if desired, in the tubular fabric 0 a central part previously formed by a first weaving or other operation.

One of the vertical walls of the support 1 carries an electric motor whose power supply circuit 5* is connected to the main supply 5? by a contactor 5. The control of the latter is by means of a relay 5 controlled by a manually-operated switch 5 The output shaft of the motor 5 is connected 'to a speed reducer 6 whose output shaft 7is connected, for example, through a pulley 8, a belt 9 and another pulley it to a vertical shaft 11. The latter is journalled in a bearing support 12 attached to the under side of the table 2. This shaft 11 controls themovements of the various component parts ofthe loom as will be explained hereinunder.

(b) Work guih'iiig device B This device is disposed on the axis XX. The table 2 carries a central tube 13 in which is screw-threadedly engaged a sleeve 14 forming an extension. Screwedthreadedly engaged in the upper end of the latter is a tubular or conical weaving nozzle 15 around which the weft threads a and a are wound and tightened. Disposed above this weaving nozzle 15 and on the axis XX is a fixed ring 16, the lower peripheral edge of its aperture or throat serving as a guide for the various warp threads b. This ring 16 is supported by an arm 17 fixed to the housing 18 of the mechanism F to be described hereinunder, this housing being fixed to the frame A by a column 19.

(c) The device feeding the weft threads a and a Mounted on the table 2 for rotation about the axis XX by means of the central tube 13 and a centering and supporting anti-friction bearing 20 (Figs. 1 and 2), is a wheel 21. The latter comprises on its lower face internal teeth 22. and on its periphery external teeth 23.

The internal teeth 22 mesh with a gear pinion 24 keyed on the upper end of the shaft 11 connected to the motor 5 through the transmission comprising elements 10, 9, 8, 7 and 6. Thus this motor drives the wheel 21 about the axis XX, for example in the direction of arrow f (Fig. 3). p

The external teeth 23 of the wheel 21 mesh with lower auxiliary gear pinions 25 of a number of pairs of gears each pair being formed of a lower auxiliary gear 25 and an upper driving gear 26. I

The gears 25 and 26 of each pair of gears are keyed on the same vertical shaft 27 which has an axis YY and is journalled in a fixed block 29 by means of rings 23 of roller bearings. The block 29, which in radial axial section is substantially L-shaped, is superimposed on the wheel'2ll, there being provided between the latter and the block room for the gears 25. The block rests at 3'1) (Figs. 1 and 2) on the periphery of the table 2 to which it is fixed by any suitable means (not shown).

The axes YY of the shafts 27 are evenly spaced apart on a geometric cylinder which is indicate-d at ZZ in Fig. 3 and is centered on the axis XX, the angle subtended at the centre by two immediately adjacent axes (Fig. 3) having a certain value x.

Meshing with the upper driving gears 26 are teeth 31 provided along the arcuate portions of sector gears which form shuttles. In the case. of the presently-described loom with two weft threads, there are provided two shuttles 32 in permanent diametrally opposed relation relative to the axis XX.

The shuttles 32 are caused to slide on the fixed block 29 by the driving gears 26, these shuttles being guided on the block by an annular V-slide 33 (Fig. 2).

The angle y subtended at the centre of the machine by each toothing 31 is greater than the angle x subtended by two adjacent axes YY, so that each shuttle is in permanent engagement with at least one driving gear 26.

The gears and 26 have identical diameters and the pitch-radius of the sector teeth 31 is half the pitch diameter of the teeth 23 of the wheel 21 so that each shuttle 32 revolves about the axis XX in the direction of arrow f (Fig. 3) at the same speed and in the same direction as the wheel 21 when the latter is driven by the motor 5. To ensure good performance at high speeds, the pitch circles of the driving gears 26 and the sector teeth 31 should be tangent at the meshing point, such as point 0 (Fig. 3). Now, owing to certain clearance in the V-slide mounting of the shuttles 32 on the block 29, the centrifugal force exerted on the shuttles at high speeds has a tendency to throw the sector teeth 31 outwardly against the teeth of the driving gears 26 and render the pitch circles of the latter and the teeth 31 non-tangent.

To avoid this drawback, a roller 34 is mounted on the shaft 27 above each gear 26 (Fig. 3) in coaxial relation to the latter and an arcuate backing plate 35 is fixed on each shuttle 32 in such manner that when the outer smooth face of the plate 35 is in contact with the roller 34 the pitch circles are tangent at the points 0 of gear engagement. Thus at high speeds the pitch circles are maintained tangent at point c by centrifugal force, resulting in a smooth vibration-free movement of the shuttle 32.

Each shuttle is provided with a fork arrangement 36 on which is rotatably mounted a bobbin 37 carrying wound weft thread a or 11 The unwinding of the thread, caused by traction on the latter by the tubular fabric 0, is made regular and braked by a plate 38 which is pivotable about a spindle 39 carried by the fork arrangement 36 and is spring-pressed against the thread on the bobbin by springs 39*.

The thread a or a of each shuttle passes, upon leaving the bobbin, through a device having three rollers 40, 41 and 42 which regulates the tension of the thread. The rollers and 41 are mounted on a plate 43 having a vertical journal 44 which is rotatably mounted in a support 45 secured, for example by screws 56, to the shuttle. The tension of the weft thread may be adjusted by passing it round a suitable portion of each of the rollers 40, 41 and 42. This tension is minimum when the three rollers are in alignment, as shown in Fig.- 3, and is rendered maximum by rotating the assemblage comprising the rollers 40 and 41, the plate 43 and the vertical journal 44 through 90 in the appropriate direction in the support 45.

4 (d) Device supplying the warp thread b There may be a relatively large number of warp threads. Each thread is supplied by a bobbin rotatably mounted either on the frame A or exteriorly of the machine. In the presently-described embodiment, each bobbin, such as bobbin 47 (Fig. 1), carrying the warp thread, such as thread b is rotatably mounted on an arm 48 secured to the frame A.

Upon leaving the bobbin 47, the thread passes firstly through a fixed eye 49 and thereafter through an adjustable thread-gripping device 50 spring-loaded by a spring 56*. All the devices 50 are carried by a ring 51 supported by arms 48 After it leaves the device 50, the thread passes once more through the corresponding eye 49 and thereafter through another eye 52. The eyes 52 are carried by levers 52 pivotably mounted on a spindle 52 on the fixed block 29. A spiral spring 53 urges each lever 52 to pivot downwardly and the force exerted by the spring is less than the braking force of the thread-gripping device 50.

Fixed to the block 29 above each pair of levers 52* is a single micro-switch 54 whose operating button 54 is covered by blade 54 which either of the levers 52, in pivoting upwardly in opposition to the action of the spring 53, must deform before opening the switch 54. The force necessary to deform the blade 54 is greater than the retaining or braking force of the device 50.

It will be observed that the various micro-switches 54 are disposed in series (Fig. 1) in the supply circuit of the coil 5 controlling the power supply to the motor 5.

After passing through one of the eyes 52, each of the two warp threads of a pair of threads b and b passes through a thread guide tube 55 or 55*.

Each of these tubes is capable of occupying in succession a raised position (that of tube 55 shown on the right side of Fig. 1 or of tube 55* on the left side of the latter) so that the corresponding thread b or 12 issuing from the tube passes over the bobbin 37 of the shuttle and the weft thread a or a or a downwardly retracted position (at 55 on the right side of Fig. 1 or 55 on the left side of the latter) so that the cone spending thread I) or b issues from the tube below the corresponding shuttle and the support 45 for the rollers 44), 41, 42 guiding the corresponding weft thread a or :1

It will be observed that the support block 29 is provided with radial recesses or grooves 56 of sufiicient width to receive either of the tubes in its lowered position. a

The tubes 55?, 55 of a pair of tubes are carried by one or the other of two rocker-arms 57 and 57 pivotably mounted by journals 58 on the fixed support block 29. These journals 5% are engaged in recesses 60 (Fig. 3) formed in the support block on both sides of each recess 56 and they are held in this position by plates 59 each of which is fixed to the base of a post 61. The latter carries at its upper end a plate 62 to which are hooked two springs 63 each of which tends to raise to the raised position, such as position 55*, one or the other of two adjacent tubes by pivoting the corresponding rocker arm about its journals 58. The tension of the springs 63 is advantageously adjustable, for example by adjusting the position of the hooking plates 62 along the posts 64), by providing telescopic posts, or by hooking these springs to adjustable screws screwed in the plates.

Under the effect of its spring 63, each rocker arm 57 or 57* bears through a heel, seen in Fig. 2, against the outer end of a radial push- rod 64 or 64*. These push-rods slide in recesses formed in the block 29 and their axes, situated in radial planes, are slightly inclined relative to the horizontal.

All the push-rods 64 pertaining to one of the tubes 55 of each pair of tubes hear, at their ends adjacent the centre of the machine, against a ring 65 which is freely rotatable on a cam plate 66 which is fixed to the wheel 21 so far as concerns rotatimal movement or the latter. Likewise, all the push-rods 6d pertaining to the tubes 55' of thepairs of tubes bear against the outer face of a similar ring 65* freely rotatable on a second cam plate 66 The outer faces of the rings 65 and 65 are made conical or bevelled so that the axes of the push- rods 64 or 64 are perpendicular to these faces.

Each ring is mounted on the corresponding cam plate by means of a number of anti-friction bearings such as the roller bearing 67 seen in Fig. 2 so that these rings neednot move relative to the push-rods, thus eliminating friction therebetween. The two cams formed by rings and cam plates fi -66 65" -66 are so arranged that their outer faces in contact with the push-rods are eccentric relative to the axis XX. The eccentricity or offset of the two cams are diametrally opposed relative to the axis XX so that when, in the radial plane on the right side of Fig. l, the lower cam 66 pushes the pushrod 64 so as to retract or lower the tube 55 into the recess 56 in the block 29 the face of the upper earn $55 is retracted to a maximum extent truth the push-rod to permit the corresponding spring 63 to raise the other tube of the considered pair of tubes to a position 55 while the situation is reversed on the left side of Fig. 1.

As the cams rotate at the same speed as the plate 31 and shuttles, one of the latter therefore always passes between raised tubes 55 and lowered tubes 55 whereas the other shuttle always passes between raised tubes 55* and lowered tubes 55 The pairs of warp threads [2 b and b b therefore reverse their positions for each change in the position of the shuttle, which results in the interlacing of the warp and weft threads.

The. contours of the cam are such that whena tube, such as tube 55 is raised, two adjacent tubes 55 are completely lowered or retracted in their grooves 56 before the arrival of the leading part of the shuttle in the region of these tubes.

(e) The device E which pulls on, and if desired receives, the tubular fabric The fabric constituted by a tube, woven to the diameter determined by the throat 16, is pulled by a pulley 67 (Figs. 1, 4 and 5) the rim of which compr' es a groove 68 in which the fabric is wound either in an incomplete coil or in a whole or several adjoining coils, the fabric being, if desired, thereafter received on a reel (not shown) if this fabric is woven in a continuous sleeve or in great lengths.

This pulley 67 is rotatably mounted on a central spindle 69. The latter is pinned or otherwise secured to a supporting arm 7% which is pivotable about a horizontal axis WW. The pulley 67 comprises laterally on its periphery external teeth 71'. provided for rotating this pulley in the direction of arrow f by means of-the vertical shaft 27 of one of the sets of gears 535-26 through the mechanism F.

The device E is completed by a tension roller 72 which is freely rotatable on a spindle 73 carried by an arm 74 pivotably mounted at 75 on the end of the arm 70, the arm 74 being prevented rom freely pivoting by friction in this mounting.

(f) Drive mechanism F for the puiiey 67 As explained hereinabove, the pulley d? is rotated by one of the shafts 27 (the shaft shown on the left side .of Fig. 1). This shaft 27 terminates at its upper end 83 to a shaft82. The gear83" is operatively connected to a horizontal transverse shaft 84 by a gear-connecting device comprising a plate 855 which, is pivotable about the shaft 82. and is adjustably secured in either one of two positions by means of a bolt 86 extending through the cover 87 of the housing 18. Fixed in the plate is a shaft 88 parallel to the shafts 81 and 84 and, freely rotatable on this shaft 88 butrigid with one another, are a gear 89 and a gear 91 The gear 89 is always in mesh with thegear $23. If the shaft 84 is-displaced axially toward the housing 1'8 and the plate 35is pivoted upwardly, it is possible to bring; another gear 91, keyed to the shaft 84, in mesh with the gear 890-1 with the gear 90, depending on the axial displacement of the shaft 84. Thus it is possible to drive the shaft 84 at either one of two speeds for a given speedof the shaft 27.

The shaft 84 must rotate the pulley 67 in the direction of the arrow f irrespective of the direction of rotation of the shuttles and the. shafts 27; these shuttles and these shafts may of course rotate in either direction, depending on the direction of rotation of the output shaft of the motor 5 and the desired direction of the helical winding of the weft thread in the tubular fabric 0. In order to ensure that the pulley 67 always rotates in the direction of arrow f irrespective of the rotation of the shaft 84, the latter may be operatively connected to teeth 71 by either one of two gear trains having reverse ratios. The shaft 84 carries at its and adjacent the teeth 71 a gear 92 (Figs. 6 to 8) which is in mesh with gears 93 and 9d, the latter being in mesh with a gear 95. The gears 93, 94 and 95 are carried by a tumbler plate 96 capable of pivoting about the shaft 84. betweenextreme positions shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

In the position shown in Fig. 6 the gear 95 is in'mesh with the teeth 71 which permits driving the pulley 67 in the direction of arrow i while the shaft84 is driven by the above-described transmission in the direction of arrow f If the shaft 34 rotates. in the direction of arrow f the tumbler plate 96 is put in the position shown in Fig. 7, and. the teeth 71 are now driven by the gear 93 in, the direction of arrow f.

H. OPERATION AND ADVANTAGES OF THE LOUM The operation of the loom just described will be dealt with briefly since it will be apparent from the foregoing description. When all the micro-switches 54 (Fig. 1) are closed, the closing of the switch 5* causes, through the action of the coil 5 of the relay, the closing of the contactor 5 The motor 5 is supplied with power and causes, through, the above-described transmissions, the rotation of the wheel 21 and the shuttles 32 for example in the direction of arrow f while the pulley 67 is driven in the direction of arrow f at high or low speed depending on the setting of the mechanism F; The setting shown in Fig. 5 corresponds to low-speed rotation; highspeed rotation is obtained when the gears 89 and 91 are in direct engagement.

Assuming that the tubular fabric 0 has already commenced and is already wound on the pulley 67, the tubular fabric pulls on the warp threads [2 b -and on the two weft threads a a These threads are unwound from their respective bobbins and are interlaced in the requisite manner owing to the successive raising and lowering of the guide tubes 55?, 55 before the passage of the shuttles.

It will be recalled that the tubes 55 are raised before the passage of one of the shuttles whereas the tubes 55' are lowered and that the reverse positions are given to these tubes before the passage of the other shuttle. The weft threads a and a therefore occupy with respect to the warp threads reversed positions which ensure the necessary weaving interlacing.

During normal operation of the loom the shuttles rotate about the axis XX in a steady continuous motion without accelerations or clearance relative to the driving gears 26, since correct engagement is maintained for each shuttle owing to the co-operation of the roller 34 and the arcuate plate 35. Thus, so far as concerns the shuttles, there is no possibility of impact or noise. These shuttles are driven with a strictly continuous motion as though they were portions of a single gear wheel. Their rotational speed about the axis XX may therefore be as much as that permissible for a gear driven by a gear pinion.

As, furthermore, the thread guide tubes are maintained in permanent elastic contact with the rocker-arms 57 and 57 which maintain without clearance the push rods in contact with the cams, all impact is also completely eliminated so far as concerns these guides and their control. It will be observed that these guides are exceptionally light. Further, as the movement of the shuttle is not caused by the pivoting of the thread guides, the movement of the latter is merely necessary to allow free passage of the shuttle, i. e. when the tubular fabric is carried out with, for example, two shuttles, the raising and lowering of each thread guide can be effected during the period of half a revolution of the shuttle round the fabric. Thus the period of mo' rment of each thread guide is equal to half the period or rotation of the shuttles. The acceleration of the thread guides, which is inversely proportional to the period of their movement, is therefore very small and the thread guides are therefore subjected to extremely small inertia forces.

Briefly, as clearance, friction and impact are substantially eliminated and the inertias are very small, the machine may operate at high speed and have in consequence a very high output. The number of picks per minute is much higher than that possible with conventional machines.

It can be seen from Figs. 1 and 2 that the angle or shed z between the threads, such as threads b b or b b resulting from the fully raised or fully lowered positions of the successive thread guides, is very large and is the greater as the thread guides have a smaller diameter. Thus it is possible to dispose in the greater available space large weft-thread bobbins 37 so that renewal of these bobbins is less frequent. Moreover, these bobbins are readily accessible and easy to replace.

It will be noticed that one of the functions of the levers 52 spring-pressed by the springs 52 is to maintain the warp threads which pass through the eyes 52 under suitable tension during the pivoting of the thread guides 55 and 55 notwithstanding the fact that the distance d e (Fig. 1) between the outlet end al of the guide 55 and the point e where the threads [2 b enter the weaving throat 16, is greater than the distance d e relating to the guide 55 which is lowered into the support block 29 This difference is in fact compensated by the pivoting of each lever 52 which modifies the thread length between the outlet of the thread-gripping device 50 and the inlet in the guide tube 55 or 55.

The fact that each guide 55* or 55 is returned to its raised position by the action of the spring 63, renders preferable provision of a safety device for preventing movement of the shuttles should this return be incomplete, so as to prevent the shuttle striking the thread guide in an intermediate position thereof. This device consists in the micro-switches 54 whose blades 54" protect the push-buttons 54 In normal operation, when the thread is pulled, each of the two levers 52*, cooperating with a common micro-switch, is capable of abutting the blade 54* without deforming the latter; and the thread-gripping device 50 allows thread to be pulled through. On the other hand, if for some reason, for example knotting or entangling of the thread, there occurs a resistance to the unwinding of the thread, as

soon as this resistance exceeds the force required to deform the blade 54*, the latter is deformed by the corresponding lever 52 and depresses the push-button54 of the switch 54. 'As all contacts of the micro-switches pertaining to the various pairs of guides are disposed in series in the circuit of the coil 5 controlling the power supplied to the motor 5 of the machine, the opening of this circuit by any of the micro-switches immediately stops the machine and an accident or defective weaving is thereby avoided.

Only one micro-switch is provided for each pair of thread guides, since in each pair a safety device is necessary for only one of the thread guides, that is the guide being moved to the upper position, the other being positively or mechanically urged to the lower retracted position by the cam 65 or 65* and push rod corresponding to this thread guide. i

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been hereinabove described, many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

It will be understood that the loom may comprise n number of shuttles instead of two. in this case the two cams controlling the thread guide rocker-arm would be angularly spaced apart relative to the axis XX, their contours being such that when one thread guide is in its upper position the two adjacent thread guides are in their lower positions, the upward or downward movement of the thread guides occurring before the passage of the shuttle. In the case of a machine having only two shuttles, the cams are in the form of circular annular plates merely offset in diametrally opposed directions relative to the axis XX and this permits constructing them with an outer ring 65 or 65 mounted on roller bearings forming an antifriction device. But this arrangement is not possible if the cam has several rises. in this case friction may be reduced by providing each push-rod M or 64 with a roller or ball which co-operates with the face of the corresponding cam.

It will be clear that there maybe provided as many shuttles as the space consumed by the bobbins 37 and the desired quality of the tubular fabric 0 permit.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a circular loom for weaving a tubular fabric, in combination: a frame; a fixed support on the latter; provided on said support an annular slide concentric with a fixed central axis; provided on said slide shuttles in the form of sector gears movable along said slide in such manner that they are capable of rotary movement about said central axis; driving gears journalled in said support for rotation about their respective axes which are at the same radial distance from said central axis to which they are parallel, these driving gears being disposed in such manner that each of said sector gears is at every instant in mesh by its gear teeth with at least one of said driving gears; provided on said support and said frame driving means for rotating the driving gears and,

through the medium of the latter, rotating the sector gears about said central axis; a rotatable grooved pulley adapted to pull on and if desired receive the woven tubular fabric and a driving device connecting said pulley to one of said driving gears so that the rotation of this pulley is proportionate to that of the shuttles, said driving device comprising a speed reversing mechanism per- 'mitting' a pull to be exerted on said woven tubular fabric by the pulley irrespective of the direction of rotation of the shuttles.

2. In a circular loom for weaving tubular fabrics, in combination: a frame; a central tube fixed on said frame and having a central longitudinal axis; a fixed annular support on said frame around said central tube; on the radial distance from, said central axis; said driving gears being so disposed that each of said sector gears is at every instant in mesh by its gear teeth with at least one of said driving gears; a rotatable driving wheel mounted on said annular support and concentric to said central tube, and adapted to rotate said driving gears and, by means of said driving gears, to rotate said sector gears about said central axis; a weft thread bobbin on each sector gear; guides for the warp threads, said guides being pivotably mounted on said annular support; each of said guides comprising a light-weight tube and a heel rigid with said tube located beyond the pivot axis of said guide; said support comprising in the region of each guide a recess; each guide being adapted to occupy a retracted position in said recess below said slide and a raised position which allows the bobbins carried by said sector gears to pass under the Warp thread guided by said guide; and actuating means for pivoting said guides, said actuating means comprising at least one central cam mounted for rotation about said central tube on said driving wheel, and for each guide a push-rod interposed between said cam and said heel of the guide, and a resilient device urging said heel against said push-rod and the latter against said cam.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,072,984 Petersen Sept. 9, 1913 1,327,677 Kennedy Jan. 13, 1920 1,423,619 Loomis lluly 25, 1922 1,683,385 Frederickson Sept. 4, 1928 1,872,168 Nanfeldt Aug. 16, 1932 2,487,148 Latieule et a1, Nov. 8, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 383,032 Great Britain Nov. 10, 1932 396,970 Great Britain Aug. 17, 1933

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