US3095910A - Method and apparatus for weft projection - Google Patents

Description

y 2, 1963 E. F. DEADY ETAL 3,095,910

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WEF'T PROJECTION Filed Nov. 8. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS EMMETT F. DEADY STANLEY F. REED DANIEL E. HOUGHTON ATTORNEY July 2, 1963 E. F. DEADY ETAL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WEFT PROJECTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 8. 1960 Mll/E/VTORS EMMETT E DEADY STANLEY F. REED DANIEL E. HOUGHT July 2, 1963 E. F. DEADY ETAL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WEFTPROJECTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 8. 1960 DANIEL E. HOUGHTON EMMETT F. DEADY STANLEY F. REED July 2, 1963 E. F. DEADY ETAL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WEFT PROJECTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed NOV. 8. 1960 VI 0 w A E M R F Y T m m m 15 6 Em; m M M M M T V E S 55 6 9 2 w Qzmm Km; SE. in;

mszmm M EQMI hwmE mszmm mJoQmI 0200mm DANIEL E. HOUGTON ATTORNEY United States Patent 0 3,895,910 METHOE AND APrARATUd FQR WEIFT PRQEECTEQN Emmett F. Dandy, Arlin ton, Stanley 1F. Reed, McLean,

and Daniel E. Houghton, Arlington, Va, assignors, by

mesne assignments, to Cambridge Wire {110th Company, Cambridge, Md.

Filed Nov. 8, 1964), Ser. No. 68,022 16 Ci irns. ({Zl. 139-127) The invention relates to novel methods and apparatus to be utilized with shuttleless looms, and more particularly, relates to shuttleless looms which are specially designed for the production of wire cloth fabrics.

Apparatus of the class to which the present invention pertains, heretofore provided for the continuous feeding of warp wires through heddles and for the interweaving of weft wires with the warp wires by feeding the weft wires on bobbins and shuttles back and forth between alternate warp wires during the operation of the heddles to effect the warp shed.

in such prior art machines the weft wires are positioned in the bite of the warp shed by means of a lay beam carrying a reed through which the warp wires pass, that serves to push the weft wires, which are laid thereagainst, into proper position.

The weft wires in such a machine are introduced into the warp shed by means of a shuttle arrangement carried by the lay beam in close proximity to the reed thereof. The weft wire supply is spooled on a bobbin which is arranged to be transferred back and forth to the opposite ends of the lay beam each time the rhedd-les shift to change the warp shed. Before the return of the bobbin, during the next cycle of operation, a retractable finger is disposed in the path of the wire adjacent the selva-ge of the fabric being formed which serves to retain the wire at this point, and upon the return movement of the bobbin, permits the wire being paid therefrom to be laid in parallelism with the preceding weft wire, and joined to the latter by a hair-pin curve at the selvage. This operation is carried on to lay the weft wire in endless serpent-inc form back and forth between the warp wires until the weft wire supply on the bobbin is exhausted.

It then becomes necessary for a full bobbin to be substituted for the exhausted bobbin, and this, in turn, requires that the machine be shut down and that the end of the new supply be spliced or welded to the end of the weft wire of the old supply. This operation, in addition to causing an unsightly defect at the joint of the weft wires in the fabric, is particularly undesirable in View of the number of times it has to be done during any substantial operating period of the machines. The frequency with which bobbins have to be replaced is directly proportional to the size of the wires in the fabric being made; the larger the fabric mesh, the heavier the component wires thereof, and a corresponding diminution of the linear length of the weft wire supply that can be accommodated on an ordinary bobbin. Machines made of larger and heavier construction so as to admit of the use of larger bobbins prove to be impractical because they are slow, cumbersome, and ex, ensive.

The limitations imposed upon the amount of weft wire that can be supplied by the bobbin and shuttle method of feed cannot be circumvented until the source of supply is disassociated from the moving parts of the machine, and is placed in stationary relation to the moving parts, whereby much larger supplies can be accommodated, and replenished from time to time, without requiring that the operation of the machine be interrupted.

Such an arrangement for feeding weft wire would offer the same conveniences in continuity of operation and perfection of finished fabric as are derived from the method of feeding warp wires to such looms. Even more desirable does such an arrangement become in view of the fact that it would eliminate the bobbin and shuttle arrangement, which has been the seat of many structural elements and mechanical movements requiring constant maintenance.

Wire-weaving machines providing a stationary weft wire supply are known to the prior art; however, no commercially feasible apparatus has yet been disclosed to adapt such apparatus to a high speed wire-weaving operation.

It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a loom of the class described of greatly simplified construction, wherein weft wires are introduced into the warp shed from a stationary supply depot, separate and apart rom the moving elements of the loom; to introduce weft wires into association with warp wires in a loom mechanism without employing bobbins and shuttles for this purpose; and to provide a loom having means for guiding, receiving, holding, and delivering weft wires into accurate association with warp wires to be permanently locked therewith to form a fabric.

It is a further object to provide a loom having means for feeding weft wires from an endless source of supply; means for cutting each length of weft wire; means for treating the free end of each Weft wire prior to severing that length from the source of supply; and means for projecting each weft wire into proper relation to the warp wires, so that each wire is accurately positioned in the finished fabric.

It is a further object to provide a loom that is adapted to supply weft wires from an endless supply, by automatically forming the free end of suchsupply into a desired configuration, and projecting such free end into the warp shed. One means of effecting this object that facilitates the projection of the weft wire through the shed of the warp wires is the bending of a short length of the free end of each weft wire through an angle of 180 degrees, thereby gaining the dual-fold advantage of blunting the end to be projected and doubling the mass per unit length at the projected tip thereof.

It is a further object to provide a loom of greatly simplified construction adapted to high speed operation which will manufacture fabrics of this type efficiently, economically, and with great uniformity of mesh, symmetry of design, and high fidelity of reproduction.

It is a further object to provide novel apparatus and methods for processing wires into fabric to achieve the desired ends hereinbefore and hereinafter set forth.

With the foregoing, and ancillary objects in view, we propose to effect one embodiment of our invention as follows:

The present invention is concerned primarily with a novel appantus and method for handling the weft wire during the transmission thereof between the stationary supply spool and the final position of such wire within the warp shed prior to the forward motion of the reed; and the coaction of such novel apparatus and method steps with the conventional portions of the apparatus and the conventional method steps in wire cloth fabrication. The features of improvement of the present invention over prior art apparatus and methods will be readily apparent when the drawings appended hereto are considered in the light of the following specification.

As in the case of prior art patents, warp wires are fed through suitable guides and tensioning devices to heddles, comprising the usual pair of vertically reciprocable frames, each of which has means for engaging alternate warp wires respectively. The heddles are actuated to provide the warp shed so that the weft wire may be interwoven With the warp wires to form the completed fabric.

However, instead of the bobbin and shut-tie means or other weft wire positioning means disclosed in prior art patents, the present invention contemplates the introduc-' tion of the weft wire to the warp wires from a stationary supply spool from which it is pulled by suitable means; the same means also being effective to push the weft wire, in conjunction with suitable end treatment means and guides adjacent thereto, into proper association with the warp wires within the shed of the latter. Thereafter the heddle frames are reversed and the fabric is passed on to a take-up or reel as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The refinements of construction and detail of operation characterizing the present invention, though not touched upon in the foregoing general outline, will be clearly understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic top plan view of a loom according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of .the reed, closure element, and weft guide thereof, taken along line 3-3 of PEG. 1;

'FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the weft feeding device thereof;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevational view of the device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the device of FIGS. 4 and 5;

FIG. 7 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional plan view of the shear and bend device thereof, taken along line 77 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the device of FIG. 7, taken along the line 8-8 in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a timing cycle chant therefor.

In the following description and in the claims, various details will be identified by specific means for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit.

Like reference characters denote like parts in :the several figures of the drawings.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, certain specific disclosure of the invention is made for purposes of explanation, but it will be understood that the details may be modified in various respects without departure from the broad aspect of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a conventional type loom is shown to which the invention is applied. Conventional parts of the loomare shown somewhat diagrammatically and a simple form of loom is shown for purposes of clarity. It will be understood that the invention is directed mainly to the weft wire feeding and end treatment apparatus, and to the manner in which this apparatus is utilized in the operation of the loom.

The loom comprises, in general, a suitable supporting framework indicated by 1; warp beam 2, from which the warp wires 3 are fed in the direction of the arrow 4 over warp roll 5; lea bar 6; harness 7 comprising heddle frame assemblies 8 and 9 operating the warp shed 10; lay beam 11 carrying reed 12. and a closure element 13 therefor; breast beam 14 over which the finished fabric 18 passes; and take-up roll 15 supporting the finished fabric 18. Both reed 12 and closure element 13 have comb-like configurations with the teeth thereof being open at the top thereof and aligned in the vertical plane of the Warp shed. A detailed disclosure of the reed and closure element structure shown as elements 12 and 13 of this application is set forth in a separate application by the inventors hereof and filed on an even date herewith, entitled: Shuttleless Looms, Serial Number 68,021.

Weft wire 16 is projected into the warp shed 10 by means of weft feeding device 17. The warp beam 2 is 4 suitably journaled in framework 1 and has the warp wires 3 wound thereon as is well known. Any suitable means may be provided for driving or letting off the warp beam.

The warp threads are divided into two groups, A and B, passing over and under lea bar 6 to form the warp shed it The shed it) is opened and closed by the hmness 7 which comprises heddle frame assemblies 3 and 9. It will be understood that when one frame assembly 9 is up as shown in FIGURE 2, the other frame assembly 8 is down and that the positions of these frame assemblies are always opposite, as is well known in the art. A detailed disclosure of the loom harness shown diagrammatically as element 7 in this application is contained in a separate application by the inventors hereof and filed herewith, entitled: Loom Harness, Serial Number 68,020.

Warp beam 2, take-up roll 15, heddle frame assemblies 8 and 9, and lay beam 11 are all connected to a source of power through suitable belts, gear trains, cams, and linkages in a conventional manner. For purposes of simplification these conventional loom elements are not shown in the drawings, but may be similar to the analogous portions of US. Patent No. 2,363,415.

Referring further to FIG. 3, lay beam 11 is shown in solid lines in the weft weaving position and in broken lines in the weft feeding position. It will be noted that a guide recess 72 in closure element 13 coacts with the working face 71 of reed 12 to provide a weft receiving passageway 73 when the lay beam 11 is in the weft feeding position. Both lay beam 11 and closure element 13 are pivoted on framework 1 and are so linked that closure element 13 rotates faster than lay beam 11 whenever they are moved toward the weft weaving position, thereby opening passageway 7 3 and retracting closure element 13 completely out of the warp shed 10. A detailed disclosure of the lay beam and closure structure shown in FIG. 3 of this application is contained in a separate application by the inventors hereof and filed herewith, entitled Shuttleless Looms, Serial Number 68,021. For the purposes of this application, it is sufficient to note that a weft receiving passageway 73 is formed within the warp shed during the proper time interval when the weft feeding device 17 is projecting a weft wire 16 thereinto.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 to 8, the weft feeding device 17 is shown in detail. The supply source for weft wire 16 is spool mounting assembly 19 which is stationary with respect to supporting framework 1. A spool 20 of weft wire 16 with enough wire to supply the loom for a substantial operating period is mounted on a shaft 21 supported on framework 1 within spool mounting assembly 1?. The axis of spool 215 is aligned with the axis of conica-l container 22 so that weft wire 16 will uncoil therefrom and pay out of spool 28 over the end thereof nearest weft feeding device 17. In order to remove irregularities in wire 16 and to provide uniform tension therein, wire straightener 23 is provided intermediate spool mounting assembly 19 and weft feeding device 17 Depending upon the space available, a wire guide tube 24 (see FIG. 1) may be provided to confine and direct the wire around any curves required. After leaving wire straightener 2 3, weft wire 16 is directed into weft feeding device 17 through bore 25 in body 26 which is chamfered at 27 to facilitate the feeding of weft wire 16 thereinto. Body 26 is cut away from both top and bottom to provide recesses 23 for feed idler wheel 29 and feed drive wheel 30 to r0- tate therewithin. Feed drive wheel 30 is mounted on a shaft in a bearing which is fixed to framework 1, while feed idler wheel 29 is mounted on a mounting arm 31 arranged for pivotal motion with respect to framework 1. A suitable cam pivots mounting arm 31 intermittently to move feed idler wheel 29 into frictional contact with weft wire 16 which runs between wheels 29 and 30 during that portion of a weaving cycle in which the weft wire is to be projected into warp shed 10. This feeding position is shown in broken lines in FIG. 5. Feed drive wheel 30 is connected to a conventional power supply for continuous driven rotation, while feed idler wheel 29 is free .to rotate on shaft 32 at all times. Weft wire 16 is both pulled from spool 29, and projected into passageway 73 by the frictional contact with feed drive wheel 36 caused by the downward pivotin of feed idler Wheel 29 thereagainst.

After passing between wheels 29 and 30, weft wire 16 is projected into weft bend and shear means 36 wherein the free end of the weft wire is treated to provide a blunt end thereon prior to projection into warp shed 10. Bend and shear means 36 comprises a shaft 37 with a sprocket 35 mounted at the upper end thereof, a rotary shear element 74 depending therefrom into bore 25, and a lower end portion 37 joumaled in body 26. Shaft 37 is vertically journaled in fixed mounting bracket 38 and rotary motion is imparted thereto by sprocket 35 driven by chain 34 driven in turn by drive sprocket 33. Sprocket 33 is intermittently driven by suitable cam and gear means to supply a 180 degree oscillatory motion to shaft 37. Fxedly mounted on shaft 37 is a face cam 77. Cam 77 operates clamp operating lever 78 to depress spring biased clamp member 7 6 during the portion of the weaving cycle when the shaft 37 is rotating, thereby locking weft Wire 16 against the end of a flat-ended hardened screw 79- set into the bottom of body 26. Clamp operating lever 78 is pivoted at 80' within the web portion of mounting bracket 38 and rests upon the top of clamp member 76. A channel 81 is provided in body 26 to accommodate a thin filler plate 82 on one side of bore 25 and a spring biased thin bend finger 83 on the other side of bore 25. Bend finger 83 is spring biased by a suitable spring 84 to rest against stationary shear element 75 and is pivoted at 85. Filler plate 82 is retained in position by two screws 86 and has a V-shaped groove 87 therealong. Shaft 37 has only a one-quarter cross section in that area which corresponds to channel '81, thereby providing rotary shear element 74, and the edge of that quarter section also has a V-shaped groove in alignment with groove 87 when the shaft is in the bore-open position. The centering function of these V-shaped grooves will be apparent when it is understood that one body 26 and bore diameter is intended to be utilized with a range of wire sizes smaller than the bore diameter. It will be noted that channel 81, plate 82, and the recess in shaft 37 which provides the one-quarter cross section rotary shear element 74 all have substantially the same width or thickness in order to facilitate the rotary interaction therebetween. Filler plate 82 has a 90 recess to accommodate the onequarter cross section configuration of the rotary shear element 74. Stationary shear element 75 is retained and adjusted by screw 88.

Operation of bend and shear means 36 is as follows: the last Weft element projected into warp shed '10 is aligned in bore 25; shaft 37 starts to rotate; a bend starts to form at tip of bend finger 83; after approximately 30 degrees of rotation, weft wire 16 is severed as the outer edge of rotary shear element 74 engages the cutting edge of stationary shear element 75; the bend continues around finger 83 until the 90 degree rotation point is reached; then during the second half of the 180 degree bend cycle, both the end of the wire and finger 83 are displaced until the V groove in the rotary shear element becomes parallel with the V groove in the filler plate; at which point the 180 degree bend has been completed; thereafter shaft 37 returns to the bore-open position and remains therein for the period during which the weft wire with the bent end is projected into the passageway 73 within warp shed and the cycle is then repeated.

Referring further to FIGS. 4 to 7, one half of a guide means is resiliently mounted in line with bore 25. This guide element 89 is held in place by a spring member 90, so that the shock of repeated engagement with a similar guide element H, fixedly mounted on closure element 13 pivoted to framework 1, will not unline the weft feeding device 17. It will be noted that guide elements 89 and 91 each have one half of a conical recess therein; that when the closure element 13 is in the weft feeding position these halves coact to form a guide for the bent end of weft wire 16; and that as the lay beam 11 rotates toward the weft weaving position, guide element 91 quickly releases weft wire .16 so that it is not sheared by the motion of reed 12, but rather by the coaction of shear elements 74 and 75.

Referring now to FIGURE 9, a timing cycle chart showing the time correlation of the operation of applicants novel loom structure when utilized to weave ordinary quandrangular fabrics is illustrated. Curve B shows the vertical displacement of the heddle frame assembly 8 closest to the fell 74) (see FIG. 3) of the cloth 18. Curve A shows the vertical displacement of the adjacent heddle frame assembly 9. It will be noted that the heddle frame assembly 9 represented by curve A moves substantially farther than the heddle frame assembly 8 represented by curve B, but that their motions always start and stop at the same time and are oppositely directed at all times. Curve C shows the radial or substantially horizontal displacement of lay beam 11 and reed 12 integral therewith. It will be noted that the heddle frame assemblies 8 and 9 reverse their positions while reed 12 is in the weft weaving or forward position thereby locking the last weft element in place. Ourves E and E show the relative displacement of the face of closure element 13 from the working face 71 of reed 12. The width between E and E represents the depth of guide recess 72. Straight line D repersents a stationary position for reed 12 so that the significant relative position of closure element 13 therefrom may be illustrated. It will be noted that the closure element 13 remains closed during the time that lay beam 11 and reed 12 are in the weft feeding position, thereby coacting with the working face 71 of reed 1-2 to provide an encircling weft receiving passageway 73 therebetween. Further, it will be noted that closure element 13 retracts prior to the lay beam 11 and reed 12 obtaining the weft weaving position thereby releasing the last weft element so that the final position thereof may be immediaely adjacent to the next-to-last weft element without any confining guide element therebetween during the final positioning thereof. Curve F shows that the weft element is projected into the weft receiving passageway only when the lay beam 11 and reed 12 are in the weft feeding or rearward position and that the closure element 13 is always in the closed position for a short interval both before and after this feeding motion. Curve G shows the relative rotary oscillations of rotary shear element 74 which rotates approximately 30 degrees before engaging stationary shear element 75 and then continues to rotate in a clockwise direction until the 180 degree bend is formed, and then returns to the weft passage open position. It will be noted that this 360' degree bend and return motion of the rotary shear takes only 270 degrees of the weaving cycle, and that during the other degrees thereof, the weft passage is open to allow the weft feed to function in timed relation thereto, see curve F. Curve H shows the clamping action required to provide stability to the free end of the weft wire 16 during the bend and shear portion of the cycle. Some means must be provided to prevent weft wire 16 from moving away from the warp shed during the bend portion of the weaving cycle. A convenient means for supplying this clamping action is clamp member 76 actuated by face cam 77. However, instead of this intermittent positive clamping action, any of the well-known one-way restraining devices may be employed to permit weft wire 16 to move only towards the warp shed at all times.

The invention has been described in connection with an exemplary embodiment thereof, but it is to be understood that this embodiment is given by way of illustration and not limitation; changes and modifications in the de tails of the apparatus can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

*1. In a wire fabric loom comprising, in combination: a supporting framework; means for feeding a bank of warp wires across said framework; heddle means for effecting a shed in said warp wires; a lay beam reciprocally supported on said framework, said lay beam operable between weft filling and weft weaving positions; a reed having a forward working face supported on said lay beam in fixed relation thereto; a substantially continuous weft wire supply source mounted on said framework; and a weft feeding means having a weft bore therein fixedly mounted on said framework with said bore aligned with said working face of said reed when said lay beam is in said weft filling position; said feeding means adapted to project the free end of said weft wire into said shed, the improvement comprising; a weft shear and bend means aligned with said bore to first shear said projected weft wire from said supply and then bend a short length of the end of the remaining weft wire supply through a substantial angle prior to projection thereof into said shed.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein; said angle is substantially 180 degrees.

3. In a fabric loom comprising, in combination: a supporting framework; means for feeding a bank of warp filaments across said framework; heddle means for effecting a shed in said warp filaments; a lay beam reciprocally supported on'said framework, said lay beam operable between weft filling and weft weaving positions; a reed having a forward working face supported on said lay beam in fixed relation thereto; a substantially continuous weft filament supply source mounted on said framework; and a weft feeding means having a weft bore-therein fixedly mounted on said framework with said bore aligned with said working face of said reed when said lay beam is in said weft filling position; said feeding means adapted to project the free end of said weft filament into said shed, the improvement comprising; a weft bending means aligned with said bore to bend a short length of said free end of said weft filament through a substantial angle prior to projection into said shed.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3, wherein; said angle is substantially 180 degrees.

5. In a wire fabric loom comprising, in combination: a supporting framework; a lay beam reciprocally supported on said framework and operable between weft feeding and weft weaving positions; and a weft feeding means fixedly supported on said framework in alignment with said lay beam whenever said lay beam is in said weft feeding position, the improvement comprising; a weft guide means intermediate said feeding means and said lay beam, said guide means comprising a first element mounted on said feeding means and a second element pivotally mounted on said framework, each of said first and second elements including a portion of a conical recess, said first and second elements 'so linked as to coact to provide an encircling conical recess whenever said l-ay beam is in said weft feeding position, and said second element adapted to be rotated away from said first element whenever said lay beam is moved toward said weft weaving position.

6. In the method of weaving fabrics wherein warp filaments are fed through heddle means to effect a shed therein; every weft filament is projected into said shed;

and every weft filament is separate from those weft filaments adjacent thereto, the improvement comprising; the step of bending the end of every weft filament to be first projected into said shed by an angle greater than 90 degrees prior to projecting saidweft filament into said shed,

whereby said projected weft filament is provided with a smooth, blunt, weighted end portion adapted for high velocity projection into said shed.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein said angle of bending is substantially 180 degrees.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein said weighted end portion of said weft filament is projected completely through said shed.

9. The method according to claim 6 wherein said weighted end portion of said weft filament is projected completely through said shed.

10. In the method of weaving fabrics wherein warp filaments are fed through heddle means to effect a shed therein; every weft filament is projected into said shed; and said weft filaments have a normal mass per unit length and consist of homogeneous material, the improvement. comprising; the step of forming only one smooth, blunt, weighted end portion on every weft filament projected into said shed, said weighted end portion formed solely from the material of said weft filament, whereby said projected weft filament is provided with a smooth, blunt, weighted end portion adapted for high velocity projection into said shed.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein said weighted end portion has a mass per unit length of substantially twice said normal mass per unit length of said weft filament.

12. In the method of weaving fabrics where-in, during each weaving cycle, substantially endless warp filaments are fed through heddle means to effect a shed therein; the free end of a substantially endless Weft filament supply is projected into said shed; and thereafter the projected portion of said weft filament is severed from said supply, the improvement comprising; subjecting each weft filament to a clamping action immediately prior to said projection, and bending a short length of said free end through an angle greater than degrees during said clamping action, whereby said weft filament is provided with a smooth, blunt, weighted end portion adapted for high velocity projection into said shed.

13. In a fabric loom comprising, in combination: a supporting framework; means for feeding aban'k of warp filaments across said framework; heddle means for effecting a shed in said warp filaments; a lay beam reciprocally supported on said framework, said lay beam operable between weft filling and weft weaving positions; a reed having a forward working face supported on said lay beam in fixed relation thereto; a substantially continuous weft filament supply source mounted on said framework; and a weft feeding means having a weft bore therein fixedly vmounted on said framework with said bore aligned with said working face of said reed when said lay beam is in said weft filling position, said feeding means adapted to project the free end of said weft filament into said shed, the improvement comprising; a weft bending means aligned with said bore adapted to bend a short length of said free end of every weft filament through a substantial angle prior to projection into said shed, whereby said weft filament is provided with a smooth, blunt, weighted end portion adapted for high velocity projection into said shed.

14. The combination as set forth in claim 13 wherein said angle is substantially degrees.

15. The combination as set forth in claim 14 wherein both said warp and weft filaments are metallic wires.

16. The combination as set forth in claim 13 wherein both said warp and weft filaments are metallic wires.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,128,664 Sackner et al. Aug. 30, 1938 2,300,718 Williams et al. Nov. 3, 1942 2,401,070 Harter May 28, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 251,353 Switzerland Sept. 1, 1948

Claims (1)

1. IN A WIRE FABRIC LOOM COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A SUPPORTING FRAMEWORK; MEANS FOR FEEDING A BANK OF WARP WIRES ACROSS SAID FRAMEWORK; HEDDLE MEANS FOR EFFECTING A SHED IN SAID WARP WIRES; A LAY BEAM RECIPROCALLY SUPPORTED ON SAID FRAMEWORK, SAID LAY BEAM OPERBLE BETWEEN WEFT FILLING AND WEFT WEAVING POSITIONS; A REED HAVING A FORWARD WORKING FACE SUPPORTED ON SAID LAY BEAM IN FIXED RELATION THERETO; A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS WEFT WIRE SUPPLY SOURCE MOUNTED ON SAID FRAMEWORK; AND A WEFT FEEDING MEANS HAVING A WEFT BORE THEREIN FIXEDLY MOUNTED ON SAID FRAMEWORK WITH SAID BORE

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