SHUTTLE LESS LOOMS

The weaving machines present following advantages

over traditional looms:
1. Total elimination of any spooling operation
2. Production increase, thanks to the fact that these
machines can work at high speed, owing to the
reduction or elimination of moving masses
3. Reduction of the shed size, therefore lower tension of
the warp threads and consequently reduction in the
number of yarn breaks
4. Noise reduction thanks to the elimination of the shuttle
pick
5. Automation of various devices.
CLASSIFICATION OF SHUTTELLESS LOOM:
Shuttleless looms are basically classified into two,
• Monophase and
• Multiphase depending on the method of weaving
technique.
The monophase loom is always of flatbed type while
multiphase may be flat or circular in construction.
Monophase:
• Normally in the shuttle or shuttleless looms, the three
primary motions; shedding, picking and beating occur
one after another in single phases.
• This means, the entire warp sheet is first formed into a
shed at a time, the pick of weft is then inserted all
through the shed and finally the entire length of the pick
is beaten at a time.
• This is known as monophase weaving.
Multiphase:
• In multiphase weaving, the three primary motions take
place concurrently in more than one phase at a given
time.
• In other words, the formation of the cloth takes place
continuously in small sections along the entire width or
length of the warp sheet.
• The example is circular weaving.
Classification
On the basis of the system used for weft insertion, the weaving
machines can be divided into:
A) Machines with mechanical weft insertion system:
by rigid rapiers
by flexible rapiers
by projectiles
B) Machines with non-mechanical weft insertion system:
by jets of compressed air
by jets of compressed water
Furthermore the machines can be divided into:
a) Mono-phase weaving machines (inserting one weft at a
time)
b) Multi-phase weaving machines (inserting several wefts at a
time)
Yarn quality requirements
• The tension on the warp on shuttleless
weaving machine is high
• Quality of yarn should be at least within 25 per
cent Uster which means the quality is among
the best 25 percent of the mills in the world
• shuttleless weaving machine works three to
four times faster
• Quality of warp remains the same, warp breaks
will increase three to four times resulting in
low production
Certain yarn parameters
– CV of count,
– Single Thread Strength,
– CV of single thread strength,
– Imperfections per 1,000 metres such as thick places,
thin places, and neps.
– Hairy yarn will not be suitable in air jet weaving as
it will misdirect the weft
insertion
• All medium and fine counts and all blended yarns
with polyester components should be wound on
automatic winding machines like Autoconer,
Murata, etc.
• Using electronic yarn clearer
• The size of the tail ends of knots should be small
• A large no of automatic winding machines are
equipped with knot/ splice tester which ensure 90-95
percent perfect joints
 Quality levels of yarns during high speed warping

International norms for end breaks during high speed

Count warping
End breaks per million meter of
yarn
30s to 40s 0.65
0s to 60s 0.80
80s to 100s 1.0
Weft Preparation
• Weft insertion rate is high.
• Unwinding is intermittent on shuttleless
weaving machines.
• A hard wound packages is required.
• It is essential to have anti patterning device.
• Weft accumulators are to be used on high speed
weaving machines when the weft insertion rate
is above 1000 m/min.
Rapier Weaving Machine
A rapier loom is a shuttle less weaving loom in which
the filling yarn is carried through the shed of warp
yarns to the other side of the loom by finger-like
carriers called rapiers.
• Inventors
– Mr. Jahann Gabler – Father of modern technology,
he built a rapier device on cotton weaving machine
in 1922, Loop transfer technology
– Mr. Remond Dewas introduced a tip transfer
technology in 1939
• The rapier weaving machines are the most
flexible machines on the market.
• Their application range covers a wide variety
of fabric styles.
• Their present weaving speed of about 600-700
strokes/min is the result of the use of a state-of-
the-art construction technique, characterized by
the use of gear sets without plays and by
minimum vibrations of reed, slay and heald
frames.
• A rapier loom uses a rapier to pull the weft yarn
across the loom.
• It can be a single rapier or double rapier.
• For a single rapier, a long rapier device is required
to extend across the full width of warp.
• For a double rapier loom, two rapiers enter the
shed from opposite sides of the loom and transfer
the weft from one rapier head to the other near the
centre of the loom
• The advantage of two rapier system is only 50%
of the rapier movement is utilized in the weft
insertion of single rapier loom
Principle of Rapier weaving machine
• In Rapier weaving machines weft yarn is
inserted in the shed by positive driven weft
carrier heads.
• The carrier heads are attached to rapiers which
are flexible tapes or rigid rods.
 Classification of rapier weaving machines
The rapier weaving machines are basically classified by the following
criteria.
Number of rapiers
– Single rapier
– Double rapier systems
Method of weft insertion
– Loop transfer
– Tip transfer
Type of rapier
– Rigid rapier
– Flexible rapier
Positioning of the rapier driving mechanism
– Rapier driving mechanism mounted with sley drive
– Rapier driving mechanism independent of sley drive
Working principles of various Rapier systems
Rigid Rapier System
• In rigid rapier system the Rapier heads are carried by rigid rods.
• These are thin – wall tubes approximately 10 to 15 mm diameter,
or sometimes hollow bars of rectangular cross section.
• The rigid rapiers need not be guided across the warp sheet.
• Only the rapier head slides on the warp, supported by a gib,
similar to the shuttle race on the automatic weaving machine.
• The disadvantage of the rigid rapier system is the larger floor
space required by the weaving machine (at least twice that of the
fabric width).
• Because the entire length of rapier has to be withdrawn on each
side of the loom.
• ..\TFM\TFM Videos\Unit IV\Rapier\Rapier.mpg
• ..\TFM\TFM Videos\Unit IV\Rapier\Rapier 2.mp4
Flexible Rapier System
• In flexible rapier system the flexible plastic or metal
bands (25 mm by 1 mm cross section) are used.
• The flexible rapiers have the tendency to buckle
during insertion into the shed.
• The floor space required by a weaving machine with
flexible rapiers is less.
• Because the flexible rapier when pulled out of the
warp is wound on to a wheel or folded in a semi-
circular channel at the machine side.
• So these flexible rapiers have to be usually guided
through the sheds by means of rapier guides attached
to the sley.
Insertion of double pick with single rapier
• Used in tape loom, axminister carpet loom
• Conventional selvedge is formed on the weft
supply side, other side secured by knitting or
catch cord
• No need to cut the weft
• No weft waste
• Constant rubbing between the yarn and rapier
eye
• Mechanism is simple
• Weft insertion speed is twice the speed of the
rapier insertion speed
Insertion of single pick with single rapier
• Weft is inserted either during rapier insertion or rapier
withdrawal
• The problem of weft transfer do not arise
• Normal range of fabric can be woven
• Rapier has either idle in backward or forward
movement
• Loom speed is very slow
• Weft insertion rate is 400 mpm
Two phase weft insertion
• Available in Saurer loom
• (width 2x185 cm or 2x220 cm)
• Weft insertion rate 1200 mpm
• Using rigid rapier, mounted at the centre of the two
machine
• Rapier has head at each end
• Maximum capacity of the heald is 14
• Floor space utilization and high weft insertion rate are
the advantages of this system
• Commercially not successful
Double rapier
Loop Transfer - Gabler System
• The rapiers A and B are about to enter the shed. The
weft is correctly positioned in front of the rapier head
by weft positioner. The free end of the weft is gripped
by weft gripper.
• The rapiers have entered the warp shed. The giver
rapier is drawing the weft thread in the form of loop.
At the centre of the shed both rapier heads meet and
the loop is transferred to the receiver rapier.
• Rapiers are withdrawn from the shed. Weft gripper
releases the weft yarn. At the same time a clamp
closes to stop the weft supply from supply package.
The weft loop is thus straightened by receiver rapier
and a complete pick is inserted.
• The right hand rapier is again advancing
towards the centre of the shed. The Weft
positioner presenting the weft to the giver
rapier. So the weft is carried in the form of loop.
At the centre of the shed the loop is transferred.
• Rapiers are withdrawn. On the right hand side
the weft yarn is detached by scissors. The loop
is straightened. So the second pick in this cycle
is inserted. On the right side the conventional
selvedge is formed.
• Weft is supplied from magazine cone weight
3-4 kg
• Weft is inserted by flexible rapier
• Hair pin selvedge at right hand side of the
loom
• Leno selvedge at left hand side of the loom
Tip transfer - Dewas system
• Weft positioner presenting the weft yarn to the right side giver
rapier, as it is advancing towards the centre of the shed.
• At this point the weft is still connected to the previous pick
and hence it is gripped. After catching by the giver rapier the
weft is cut by scissors.
• The free end of the weft (tip) is now carried by the giver
rapier in side the shed. At the centre of the shed the weft is
transferred from giver to receiver rapier.
• Rapiers are withdrawn. The receiver rapier carries the weft
yarn to the other side of the loom. And hence one complete
pick is inserted.
• After beating up this pick and after the giver rapier catches
the weft, the weft yarn is detached by scissors.
Rapier drives
Using grooved cams or matched cam
Main aims are
• To reduce the cost of manufacture
• To reduce the energy consumption
• To reduce the floor space
• To make it simple, durable and ease of maintenance
• To have a satisfactory noise level
• To make it versatile

 In flexible rapiers are driven at both sides by shrouded

tape wheels
 Tape wheel is driven by crank and rack and pinion
 Crank is mounted on the driving shaft
Rigid Rapier Drive – Direct Eccentric
The direct eccentric arrangement is
used, which operates vertically in
double rapier machines.
But there is insufficient space from
the floor to the weaving height when
a full width single rapier is used.
So the eccentric is made to operate
horizontally under the warp sheet.
Here the driving arm is extended
from the back of the loom to the
rapier at the front.
In all instances, the driving head of
the rapier must follow a straight line,
so it is necessary for the driving arm
to oscillate on a pivot arm as shown
in the figure.
Flexible Rapier Drive – Somet Loom
Projectile Loom
• A number of projectiles is employed to insert the
picks.
• The projectile is a thin and light metal piece with 89
mm length, 14.3-15.8 mm width and 6.35-8.5 mm
thickness and weighs about 25-60g.
• It grips the tip of weft at its rear end and traverses
through the warp shed to insert the pick.
• In the projectile loom the projectile traverses from left
to right to pick the weft.
In projectile picking system more than one type of
weft can be used.
• Projectile looms of two manufacturers, Sulzer of
Switzerland and Textil mash (STB Loom) of Russia
are used in weaving jute fabrics.
• The principles of weft insertion and other operations
are identical in both the makes.
Projectile Picking System :
• In this type of weaving machine, picking is executed by
torsion bar.
• The mechanism is situated at the left hand side of the
loom.
• The picking cam fitted on the picking shaft rotates once
every pick and gradually displaces the toggle lever
about its pivot.
• The toggle lever is fastened at one end of the torsion bar
and at the other end the bar is fixed on the loom frame.
• The rotation of the picking cam twists the torsion bar
and strain energy is developed in it.
• During picking the energy is suddenly released and the
projectile is picked at a high velocity of about 24 m/sec .
Projectile :
• Size: 3.5 x 0.625 x 0.25 inch (79 x 16 x6 mm)
• Weight: 1.33 ozs (37 gm.) approximately
lighter (25 gm.)
• “K” Version - projectiles are larger & heavier
No. of Projectiles in Loom:
= 1 + 3 + (Reed Space in inch) / 10
= 1 + 3 + 90 / 10 = 13 when the Reed Space is
90 inch
1 in picking, 3 in receiving and 1 per 10 inch
reed space
Projectile Guide :
• The projectile is much lighter and traverses at much
higher velocity than shuttle.
• As a result, the projectile may be easily deflected
from its path by the slightest obstruction on its
passage.
• To avoid such possibility the projectiles are propelled
through a series of thin metal guides called the
projectile guides, mounted on the sley.
• The guides are spaced at intervals with their axial
planes in the warp direction and the warp is not
touched by the projectile or the weft.
• ..\TFM\TFM Videos\Unit IV\Projectile\Projectile Circulation.WMV
• ..\TFM\TFM Videos\Unit IV\Projectile\Projectile Weft Insertion.mpg
• During entire period of weft insertion the sley
remains stationary at back center.
• The projectile grips the weft with the help of
spring loaded grippers at its rear end and
traverses through the guides.
• As the projectile passes through the guides it
lays the weft inside the guides.
• When the sley moves forward to beat up the
weft slips out of each guide through its
aperture facing the reed and is beaten to the fell
of the cloth.
Insertion cycle of the projectile machine
• The schemes in Fig. show the insertion cycle of the
projectile machine:
a) The projectile 1 is put in launching position; the weft is
hold at its end by the weft carrier 2 and is controlled by
the weft tensioner 3, by the weft brake 4 and by the eyelet
7 situated in proximity of the feeding bobbin 8;
b) The weft carrier 2 gets open after the projectile clamp has
got hold of the end of the weft thread;
c) The projectile 1 is launched and crosses the shed dragging
with itself the weft, while the weft tensioner 3 and the
weft brake 4 operate in a way as to minimize the stress on
the yarn (the critical phases are particularly the initial
acceleration phase and the final stop phase in the collector
box);
• d) The projectile 1 on the one hand and the weft
carrier 2 on the other take up the right position to
build up the selvedge, while the tensioner arm
opens to adjust the weft tension;
• e) The weft carrier 2 closes while the selvedge
clamps 5 get hold of the weft thread on both
sides and the projectile clamp is opened to
release the weft end;
• f) The thread is cut by the scissors 6 on the
launching side, while the projectile 1 is placed in
the transport chain;
• g) The weft is beaten by the reed, while the
weft carrier 2 moves back to its initial position
and the weft tensioner 3 opens further to
recover the thread piece and to keep it under
tension. The projectile is brought back to the
launching zone;
• h) The selvedge needles 9 insert the weft ends
into the subsequent shed (tuck-in selvedge),
while a new projectile is placed in launching
position.
Beat up mechanism