Guide arrangement for weft thread inserting elements

Claim 2

In a guide arrangement for shuttles on a wave-type loom provided with guide means for guiding the shuttles across the loom along a predetermined path and drive means operatively associated with the guide means to apply a force to each of the shuttles to move the shuttles along the predetermined path, the improvement which comprises shunting means positioned substantially coextensive with and adjacent to said guide means along said path for guiding the shuttles out of said path and for receiving the shuttles when the amount of force applied to any of the shuttles by the drive means is greater than that required to effect the movement of such shuttle or shuttles along the predetermined path across the loom, thereby preventing jamming of the shuttles within said guide means.

Claim 3

In a guide arrangement on a wave-type loom provided with guide means for guiding the shuttles along a predetermined path, the guide means including a plurality of guide elements each having a recess through which the shuttles are guided, and a drive means operatively associated with the guide means for applying a component of its maximum available force to an inclined edge of each of the shuttles at right-angles to the direction of the movement of the shuttles to move the shuttles along the predetermined path, the improvement which comprises open extensions adjacent to the recesses of said guide elements, said extensions extending in substantially the same sense of direction as the direction of the force applied by the drive means and being arranged so that the shuttles are each pressed into the extensions when the amount of force applied by said drive means is greater than said component of force applied at right-angles to the shuttle during movement of the shuttles along the predetermined path, the amount of force pressing the shuttle into said extension being less than the said maximum available force that the drive means is capable of applying to each of the shuttles.

Claim 4

In a guide arrangement on a wave-type loom provided with guide means for guiding the shuttles along a predetermined path, the guide means including a plurality of guide elements each having a recess through which the shuttles are guided, and a drive means operatively associated with the guide means for applying a component of its maximum available force to an inclined edge of each of the shuttles at right-angles to the direction of the movement of the shuttles to move the shuttles along the predetermined path, the improvement which comprises open extensions adjacent to the recesses of said guide elements, said extensions extending in substantially the same sense of direction as the direction of the force applied by the drive means and being arranged so that the shuttles are each pressed into the extensions when the amount of force applied by said drive means is greater than said component of force applied at right-angles to the shuttle during movement of the shuttles along the predetermined path, the amount of force pressing the shuttle into said extension being less than the said maximum available force that the drive means is capable of applying to each of the shuttles.

Claim 5

The guide arrangement of claim 2, in which each of the shuttles has an elongate body capable of yielding in a resilient manner over its width and side walls compressable upon being pressed into the extensions.

Claim 6

The arrangement of claim 2, in which the said guide elements each comprise a broad-faced sheet made of a material that is slightly resilient.

Claim 7

The guide arrangement of claim 2, in which the guide elements are made of metal and the walls of the shuttles are made of plastic Material.

Claim 8

The guide arrangement of claim 2, in which the recesses in said guide elements each take the form of an elongate slot that is matched to the cross-section of each shuttle and that in its longitudinal direction extends at least approximately parallel to the force applied by the drive means to effect movement of the shuttle across the loom, each extension also taking the form of an elongate slot which provides a space sufficient to receive the shuttles and the longitudinal direction of each extension forming an obtuse angle with the longitudinal direction of the recess.

Claim 9

The guide arrangement of claim 6, in which one of the lateral boundaries of each of the recesses merges with one of the side boundaries of each of the extensions via a curved portion, and the other lateral boundary of each of the recesses merges with the other lateral boundary of each of the extensions via a projection which cooperates in the guiding of the shuttles.

Claim 10

The guide arrangement of claim 7, in which the initial portion of the projection extending away from the recess has boundaries which match the cross-section of each of the shuttles and which cooperate in the guiding of the shuttles, the one lateral boundary approaching the opposite lateral boundary to a point at which the distance between these lateral boundaries is equal at least approximately to the maximum thickness of each of the shuttles.

Claim 11

The guide arrangement of claim 2, in which each said extension forms a side track for the shuttles, a monitoring means provided for monitoring the presence of a shuttle in said track, and said monitoring means being actuatable by one of the said shuttles after the shuttle has been moved into the side track, to produce a signal indicating the presence of said shuttle in said side track.

Claim 12

The guide arrangement of claim 9, in which said monitoring means includes an electrically conductive element that is brought into contact with at least one guide element made of electrically conductive material by the shuttle located in the side track, said electrically conductive element extending through each extension.