507,811. Winding loom tuft yarn tubes. HOMAN, R. W. July 12, 1938, No. 20693., [Class 142 (iv)] Relates to improvements in the means for selecting and spooling yams for Axminster looms described in Specification 413,880. The yarns 16, Figs. 2a and 7, from a creel are passed through tubular sleeves in individual yarn carriers 13 slidable on spaced spindles 11 forming horizontal tracks 10, Fig. 2a, each horizontal row of carriers supporting yarns of the same colour, whilst the vertical rows comprise yarns of different character. A vertical plate 18 moved longitudinally of the spindles 11 by rotating screw shafts 21, 22, during the selecting operation carries shafts 17 extending through openings 25 in the carriers, an adjustable sleeve 30, Fig. 7, acting on a stop block 29 to hold the carriers compacted at the right as shown in Fig. 2a at the commencement of operations. The shafts 17 carry pinions 31 engaged by spring-controlled racks 32, which are selectively reciprocated as the shafts 17 move to the loft by electro-magnets selectivety energized by pattern mechanism. A shaft thus ' rotated moves retaining pins 26 thereon into alinement with recesses 27 in the end carrier concerned, which is thus released from the others and is held frictionally in position by a spring engaging the spindles 11. Various carriers are thus released in each row, according to the pattern as the plate 18 moves to the left. The yarns from the creel after passage through the carriers are held by a clamp comprising a comb 95, Fig. 1, and rotary wire brush 96 carried by a vertical angle bar 88,.which is traversed by screw shafts 90 in unison with the plate 18 longitudinally of the selector frame, the shafts 90 being positioned at a slight angle so that as the clamp moves across the frame, it is brought nearer to it. The yarns from the selected carriers are detached from the clamp and hang vertically downwards from the carriers. They are collected by means of a fan-shaped comb 98, Figs. 2a and 9, comprising fiat metal teeth 99 connected to a bar 100 and resting on a frame 101, suspended on vertical rack bars 102 and lowered after selection of the yarns by means described, the lowered comb collecting the selected yarns. It is then manipulated in a manner described to move the selected yarns closer together, and is then detached and supported in front of the warp beam during the winding operation at C, Fig. 1. A vertical bar 43 is now operated by manual and spring- controlled means to act on all the racks 32 and move all the pins 26 into register with the notches 27 and the driving motor for the shafts 21, 22 is reversed to return the plate 18 and shafts 17 to starting position, the carriers being automatically compacted and collected ready for a fresh selection. The circuits of the electromagnets are selectively closed by means of hanger plates 70, Fig. 5, movable under control of a pattern sheet 60 into the path of an adjustable plate 79 on a rocking arm 77 on a shaft 78, whereby selected plates 70 are depressed into engagement with insulated contact strip 53. Wires lead from these plugs to 83 detachably engageable in sockets 84 in a switch panel connected to the electro-magnets. The plugs arc interchangeable so that change can be made in the pattern without punching a new pattern sheet. To facilitate this change .numbers are applied to the plugs and sockets corresponding to numbers on the stop blocks 29. The plates 70 are controlled by springs 76 and are connected to trip levers 64 furnished with spring- controlled pins to co-operate with openings in the pattern sheets which also have large openings engaging sprocket wheels on a driven longitudinally grooved roller 57. When a pin enters an opening; it engages a groove therein and the corresponding trip lever is moved in the direction of rotation of the roller and moves the corresponding hanger plate into the path of the plate 79. The sheet 60 is fed from a spool and rewound on a driven spool. The creel used preferably has friction driving means for rotating the cheeses in a reverse direction to take up slack when required. The rack-bars are driven by gearing-from a shaft driven by a reversable electric motor, and other parts from another electric motor through gearing including a " drive shaft " which drives the roller 57 &c. and has a cam for actuating a rocker arm on the shaft 78. A magnetic clutch controlling the " drive shaft " is automatically operated by one of the contact strips 53.