Weft reservoir controller used for freely changeable alternate weaving on a fluid-jet loom

Claim 1

Apparatus for reserving weft on a weft reservoir associated with a loom, said apparatus comprising: a weft reservoir including a reservoir drum, a yarn guide, a motor for causing relative movement between said yarn guide and said reservoir drum as a function of motor control signals applied thereto, and control pins driven by solenoids between an operative position wherein they catch the weft wound on the reservoir drum by the relative rotation of said yarn guide and said reservoir drum and an inoperative position wherein they release said caught weft, said solenoids moving said control pins between said operative and inoperative positions as a function of solenoid control signals applied thereto; a winding detector for generating a count signal each time a single revolution of weft is wound about said reservoir drum; a count accumulator coupled to said winding detector for counting the number of count signals generated by said detector, said count accumulator generating a count-up signal each time it counts a predetermined number of count signals which correspond to the length of weft equal to a single pick of weft for said loom; means for generating a one pick delivery signal each time a single pick of weft has been inserted into a shed on said loom; and a control circuit for generating appropriate solenoid and motor control signals to initiate a weft reservation operation, wherein a single length of weft equal to a single pick of weft is reserved on said reservoir drum, causing said motor to initiate said relative rotation between said yarn guide and said reservoir drum each time said one pick delivery signal is generated and for terminating said weft reservation operation by causing said motor to stop said relative rotation between said yarn guide and said reservoir drum in response to the generation of said count-up signal.