415,493. Weaving fashioned fabrics. HAZELL, J. S., and SMITH, A., First Avenue House, High Holborn, London. March 9, 1933, Nos. 7217 and 20510. [Classes 142 (i), 142 (ii), and 142 (iv).] Fashioned fabrics.-The weaving of a fabric or of an article such as a hat, from radial warps and a spiral weft is begun on a few warps, more being introduced as weaving proceeds. A cylindrical portion may be woven about a former which is progressively advanced for the purpose. When the former ceases to advance the weaving starts to build the brim up vertically and continues to do so until the loom is stopped. Asbestos, paper, metallic, sisal, synthetic &c. yarns may be used. Circular looms for fashioned fabrics.-The loom is electrically driven and consists essentially of a rotary frame carrying spools of weft and a hollow former through perforations in which warps extend radially to carriers arranged circumferentially around two opposed supporting rings. There are also devices for threading the warp carriers simultaneously and for enabling any number of warps to be introduced successively at predetermined periods, without interruption, a shedding device, devices for returning carriers to zero after completion of weaving, and for disconnecting warps from their carriers and an electrically controlled stopmotion acting on completion of an article. The warp threading device comprises a gate hinged to the front of the loom and carrying pins 14 which support warp threading frames 17. Each frame consists of an annulus of channel section, the inner circumferential flange 19 of which is provided with serrations 21. An independently movable ring member 22 slidably mounted within the outer flange 20 carries corresponding serrations 23. Set screws 24 are slidably housed within bushes 26 secured to the frame by nuts 27 and screw into nuts 25. Springs 28 serve to keep the serrations 23 exposed beyond the edge of the flange 20. The warp tensioning springs 29 carry hooks 31 and their upper ends are fixed in pin-headed caps 30 housed within the serrations 23. The springs 29 are positioned by hand previous to the frames 17 being mounted in their supporting frames. Each warp is secured at one end to a hook 31 taken around a pin provided on the former head and is secured at the other end to a hook 31 on another spring 29. The frame 17 is manually pushed off the pins 14 and on to corresponding receiving pins 33 in the stationary member 34 of the loom while the pin-headed caps 30 are deposited upon warp carriers 82, 83, 83b. The warp thread introducing device comprises a plurality of spring plungers 39, the ends 40 of which engage the warp carriers. Each plunger has a shoulder 39<a> engaged by a trigger 42 which is pivoted about a flange 34<a> and carries a wiper button 44. When a button 44 is depressed by the action of a cam plate 55 upon a pin 57, leaf spring 58 and wiper pad 61, the trigger releases its plunger 39. The wiper buttons 44 are positioned on their triggers and the operating cams 55 are positioned on their shaft 54 so as to enable the plungers 39 to be released, and the warp carriers to be introduced, in any desired predetermined order. The cam shaft 54 is driven by a ratchet 62 and pawl 65 operated by a solenoid plunger 68. The warp shedding mechanism comprises long and short bearers 78, 78<a> supports carriers 83b, 82, 83 operated by cams 84, 85<a> to slide across a gap wherein works the weft 93. The carrier returning device comprises a cam wheel 172 on the shaft 54 engaged by a ball-nosed grub-screw 171 secured to a collar clamped to a shaft 167. On the same shaft is a lever 165, the leatherfaced rear end 166 of which engages, when in operative position, the heads of the warp carriers and successively transfers them to an inoperative position. The warps are discharged by contact of the pin-headed caps 30 with a stationary part of the loom. The former actuating device comprises a driving-shaft 99 carrying a pinion 104 which engages a rack 105 extending the length of a tubular driving sleeve 106. A former actuating shaft 107 secured to the sleeve 106 carries a sleeve 111 on which is mounted with pin-and-slot connection the bearer 112, tube 113 and former 115. An independently mounted former head 119 carries a conical work face in which are sunk the pins 120, arranged in concentric rows, to which the warps are attached. The head can be slowly turned as it is advanced. The former actuating mechanism is returned by a flexible cable 134 and a spring-loaded drum 132. When the rack 105 has advanced sufficiently far for a contact piece 159 to make contact with strip 158 and thereby break the circuit of the operating switch, the loom comes to rest.