US2704557A - Loom for producing fancy lend weaves - Google Patents

Description

March 22, 1955 o. MOBERG LOOM FOR PRODUCING FANCY LENO WEAVES 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 5, 1954 1NVENI'OR3 I VAR 0. MOBERG.

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March 22, 1955 o, 555 2,104,557

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March 22, 1955 MQBERG 2,704,557

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March 22, 1955 I. o. MOBERG 2,704,557

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March 22, 1955 o. MOBERG LOOM FOR PRODUCING FANCY LENO WEAVES 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 v Filed March 5, 1954 WA 0. Masses,

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March 22, 1955 l. O. MOBERG LOOM FOR PRODUCIN G FANCY LENO WEAVES Filed March 5, 1954 n n 4 1 a J 64 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 I W ,a1

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March 22, 1955 I. o. MOBERG' LOOM FOR PRODUCING FANCY LENO WEAVES 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed March 5. 1954 INVENTORi WAR 0. MOBERG.

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United States Patent "ice LOOM FOR PRODUCING FANCY LENO WEAVES Ivar 0. Moberg, Spray, N. C., assignor to Fieldcrest Mills, Inc., Spray, N. C., a corporation of Delaware Application March 5, 1954, Serial No. 414,421

39 Claims. (Cl. 139-50) This invention relates to looms and, more especially, to an improved apparatus in. association with a loom for forming the sheds for leno or cross weaving.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a loom of the character described with super doup heddles and cooperating plain heddles so arranged as to be controlled by a double-lift jacquard mechanism for producing fancy leno fabrics substantially of the type having float designs therein alternated with another type or types of weaving, such as is shown in my co-pending application entitled Fabric With Float Design Areas and Method, Serial No. 392,732, filed November 13, 1953.

The fabric disclosed in said co-pending application comprises a ground or base fabric formed from ground yarns or threads interwoven with weft yarns with ornamental design areas of predetermined configuration being formed by recurrently floating a plurality of warpwise rows of leno tapes past the ground fabric, wherein each row includes a pair of leno tapes and each leno tape includes a plurality of parallel doup yarns. Portions of said leno tapes cross beneath the ground warp yarns at spaced points in each row and the floated portions of the tapes disposed between the portions thereof which cross beneath the ground warp yarns extend in angular relationship above the ground or base fabric so the floated portions of the leno tapes are of substantially X-shaped or Y-shaped configuration in each row.

It is generally known that fancy leno fabrics have been produced heretofore on looms equipped with especially constructed single-left jacquards which, necessarily, required that the looms be operated at relatively slow speeds. Such especially constructed jacquards are, therefore, currently considered obsolete and are rarely, if ever, used in weaving any fabrics other than leno, in which they have some merit. Most mills are not equipped with single-lift jacquards, although many mills are equipped with double-lift jacquards, and, consequently, such mills would have to purchase especially constructed single-lift jacquards in order to produce fancy and intricate leno weaves.

It is therefore another object of this invention to provide means for weaving intricate leno fabrics, facilitating the use of the now universally used double-lift jacquards, either of the single or double cylinder type, and to thereby eliminate the cost of purchasing and installing jacquards especially for leno weaving which could not be used for other types of jacquard weaving.

In a single-lift jacquard there is but one set of griff bars which move in unison. It is apparent that, with the single-lift jacquard, all warp ends must be lowered to bottom shed position and raised from bottom shed position to top shed position between each pick of the loom. This operation requires that the grilfs move from their uppermost to their lowermost positions and then return to their uppermost positions in one complete cycle between each pick. A double-lift jacquard is provided with two sets of griff bars which work in opposition. Thus, it is only necessary for the grid bars to move from uppermost to bottommost position or from bottommost to uppermost position, the equivalent of one-half cycle between each pick.

The advantage of a double-lift jacquard, in addition to facilitating greater loom speed, is that, if a warp yarn is called for by the design of the weave to remain in top shed position for two or more picks, the warp yarn need only be lowered to mid shed position by one of the grifi 2,704,557 Patented Mar. 22, 1955 bars and, at this point, the adjacent griff bar in the course of its upward movement intercepts the hook to which the cord extending from the corresponding heddle is connected and returns the latter warp yarn to top shed position. Thus, chafing and strain of the warp yarns are greatly reduced.

Since it is necessary that so-called super doup heddles be used in order to produce intricate float patterns of the character set forth in said co-pending application, and in conjunction with which it is necessary that a jumper motion for the ground warp yarns be used, it has been impracticable, if not impossible, to use the usual type of single-lift leno jacquard for accurately controlling the operation of super doup heddles in order to properly cross doup yarns beneath ground warp yarns at predetermined intervals and to float doup yarns beneath the base fabric formed from interwoven ground warp yarns and weft yarns.

It is therefore another object of this invention to provide a loom having super doup needles which are operated by double-lift jacquard-controlled or actuated super doup heddle standards for doup yarns or threads, jumper heddles, which may also be referred to as ground heddles or standard heddles, for ground warp yarns or standard threads, auxiliary plain heddles for the doup yarns and plain slackener heddles for the doup yarns, in combination, wherein the jumper heddles are of the plain type and are parts of a jumper motion for raising the ground warp yarns in the lower half of the shed t0 the center of the shed and returning the same to the lowered position in the interim between successive picks, while the shuttle reposes in one of the shuttle boxes, for crossing the corresponding ground warp yarns over the doup warp yarns passing through the needles of the super doup heddles.

Although moving comber boards have been used heretofore which were controlled by a jacquard mechanism, they have merely been used to reduce the number of pattern cards in intricate weaves to effect full formation of the shed while the jacquard remains at rest and they have merely acted in the capacity of harness frames in plain weaving.

The slackener heddles are also parts of a slackener motion which serve as intermediate means between the point at which the doup warp yarns are let OE and the super doup heddles for normally maintaining the doup yarns under tension during the formation of floats therefrom or during plain weaving in which the doup warp yarns are interwoven with the weft yarns. However, during the formation of the cross shed in which the doup warp yarns are raised by the needles of the super doup heddles as one or more weft yarns are east through the shed by the shuttle, the slackener heddles are raised to slacken the doup warp yarns to permit them to be drawn up on the cross side of the then lowered ground warp yarns, since the ground warp yarns which then form the lower half of the shed are crossed over the doup warp yarns immediately rearwardly of the super doup heddles so that the angle of inclination of the super doup yarns is necessarily substantially steeper than is the case when the needles of the super doup heddles are in lowered position or the slots therein are open and a normal shed is being formed from the ground warp yarns and the doup warp yarns.

It is another object of this invention to provide apparatus of the character last described with guide means in the form of a lower doup comber board spaced below the warp and having holes therethrough through which the lingoes or weights depending from the super doup heddles extend to prevent the super doup heddles from twisting or swaying during the weaving operation.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a loom of the character described with a creel built into the loom above the ground warp beam with a resultant saving in floor space. The creel has a plurality of horizontal rows of doup yarn spools thereon provided with a novel tensioning means for maintaining the individual doup yarns under proper operating tension. A novel form of reciprocating draw-off roll or snap roll is provided which repeatedly beats against the doup yarns as they pass downwardly from the creel to an idler roll prior to movement thereof in parallel relation to the ground warp yarns.

The beating action of the draw-off roll occurs each time the doup yarns are tightened by the beat-up of the reed and, since the doup yarns are then held firmly to the fell of the cloth by the pressure of the reed against the filling, the pressure of the draw-off roll beating against the doup yarns causes them to be uniformly drawn off the corresponding doup yarn spools.

I have also provided means for intermittently rendering the usual type of drop-wire-operated electrical stop motion of such looms inoperative in timed relation to the operation of the slackener motion so that, although doup yarns are momentarily slackened each time the slackener heddles are raised during cross shed formation and are then unable to support the corresponding dropwires, these drop-wires may contact the usual electrodes without actuating the loom stop motion, thus preventing false loom stoppage by the slackened doup yarns. Of course, the intermittent means need not be interposed in the circuit between the loom stop motion and the electrodes which cooperate with those drop-wires through which the ground warp yarns pass, since the slackener motion affects the doup warp yarns only.

It is still another object of this invention to provide cam means for driving the griif bars of the jacquard and wherein the cams are so formed as to provide a predetermined dwell period or rest in the movement of the griff bars at the end of each up and down stroke thereof to thereby maintain the shed fully open throughout each stroke of the shuttle across the lay.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a somewhat schematic front elevation of a loom showing a jacquard mechanism mounted thereon and embodying the improved shed forming mechanism and doup yarn creel and let-oif means;

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation, with parts broken away, looking at the left-hand side of the loom in Figure 1, substantially along the line 22;

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevation with parts broken away looking substantially along line 3-3 at the righthand side of the loom in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 44 in Figure 1, with parts broken away;

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 55 in Figure 3, with many of the parts broken away for the sake of clearness;

Figure 6 is an enlarged schematic illustration similar to the central portion of Figure 4, showing the position of the shed forming instrumentalities when crossing the doup yarns or threads beneath the ground warp yarns and inserting a weft yarn over some of the ground warp yarns and beneath the doup warp yarns;

Figure 7 is an enlarged schematic view similar to the right-hand central portion of Figure 6 showing the relative positions of the doup heddles, the plain jumper heddles and the plain auxiliary doup yarn heddles while weaving a plain-weave fabric with ground warp yarns, doup yarns and weft yarns or while weaving a plainweave fabric with ground warp yarns and weft yarns only and floating the doup yarns beneath said plain-weave fabric;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 showing the relative positions of the plain heddles and the doup heddles in forming an open shed whose upper portion is formed from the ground warp yarns and whose lower portion is formed solely from the doup yarns;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8, but wherein the heddles are shown in the position occupied thereby when half-way through a shed changing position and showing, in particular, how the jumper motion operates to momentarily raise any of the ground warp yarns which were to have remained in a lowered position to a position substantially in alinement with the center of the shed and above the upper end of the doup needle so the doup needle may subsequently be moved upwardly past either side of the ground warp yarns which were to have remained in a lowered position and to prevent the latter ground warp yarns from being pinched between the doup needle and the particular doup standard which is in the course of its upward movement;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view looking at the rear surface of the board in the central left-hand portion of Figure 4 and showing the preferred arrangement of the pig-tail doup yarn guides thereon;

Figure 11 is a somewhat schematic elevation showing a few of the slackener heddles with two cords attached to each heddle and passing through separate holes in the slackener heddle comber board for maintaining the slackener heddles parallel with the warp.

The present invention is primarily concerned with super doup heddles each having an inverted substantially U-shapcd doup needle whose foreleg is slotted and wherein cooperating plain ground heddles or jumper heddles for ground warp yarns, plain back heddles for doup yarns and slackener heddles for doup yarns are each individually controlled by a double-lift jacquard mechanism to permit floating of selected doup yarns alternately above and beneath a plain weave fabric formed from the ground warp yarns, and with a cross weave being formed from adjacent ground warp yarns and doup yarns at the junctures of adjacent floated portions of the doup yarns.

For purposes of description, any yarns forming the lower half of the shed or disposed in bottom shed position are those extending from any lowered heddles or doup needles to the fell of the cloth. Any yarns forming the upper half of the open shed or disposed in upper or top shed position are those extending from any fully raised heddles or doup needles to the fell of the cloth and any yarns described as being in mid-shed position are those extending in a substantially straight line through the loom to the fell of the cloth and, in which lnstance, the corresponding doup needles or heddles are disposed substantially half-way between fully raised and fully lowered position. A cross shed identifies the position of any doup yarns when they are crossed beneath and douped to the opposite side of a few adjacent ground warp yarns from which they are normally disposed during plain weaving. The term plain weaving is used to designate a weave whatever the pattern in which the corresponding doup yarns or ground warp yarns, or both, are each always in the same vertical plane and in which the corresponding doup heddles are then ineffective in douping or crossing any yarns defined as forming a plain weave.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 broadly designates the main frame of the loom which includes spaced side frame members 11, 12 provided with respective rear relatively narrow upright portions 11a, 12a thereon. Frame members 11, 12 also support the lower ends of upright side members 13, 14 of an arch 15, disposed intermediate the ends thereof. Disposed on the rear ends of the side frame members 11, 12 are respective ground warp beam standards 16, 17 which support opposite ends of a ground warp beam 20 from whence ground warp yarns, generally designated at W are let-off by a conventional let-off mechanism, not shown.

The ground warp yarns or standard yarns W pass upwardly from the warp beam 20 and over a whip roll, snap roll or idler roll 21 (Figures 2 to 6, inclusive) whose reduced opposite ends are cradled in brackets 22, 23 extending rearwardly from the respective side frame members 11, 12 of the main frame 10. The ground warp yarns W then extend forwardly through the usual drop-wires 24 of an electrical or mechanical stop motion, from whence the ground warp yarns W pass forwardly above a pair of spaced transverse guide bars or rods 25, 26 whose opposite ends are journaled or fixed in the side frame members 11 and 12. The guide bars or rods 25, 26 are parts of an improved slackener mechanism to be later described. Another bar or rod 27 is spaced closely above the rod 26, beneath which the ground warp yarns W pass. Opposite ends of the rod or bar 27 are also suitably journaled or fixed in the side frame members 11 and 12.

The ground warp yarns W pass forwardly from between the rods 26, 27 and through the eyes of respectlve plain ground or standard heddles which may also be termed as umper heddles, since they are controlled so as to ump the standard threads in the lower half of the shed in a novel manner to be latter described. In this instance, four banks of ground or jumper heddles are shown in Figures 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 and are respectively designated at G1, G2, G3 and G4.

The ground warp yarns W then extend forwardly from the plain ground or jumper heddles past composite doup heddles broadly designated at and which, in this instance, are of a type commonly known as super doup heddles.

The super doup heddles 30 are of usual construction and each comprises a front doup standard 31, a back or rear doup standard 32 and an inverted substantially U-shaped super doup needle broadly designated at 33 and which has a rounded upper end or point 34 and front and rear legs 35, 36. The front leg 35 of each doup needle 33 has a longitudinally extending or vertical slot 37 therein which curves rearwardly along the upper portion or point 34 of the doup needle 33 and terminates adjacent the juncture of the leg 36 with the upper portion 34 of the doup needle 33. In this instance, a ground warp yarn or standard yarn W extends forwardly from one of each of the plain ground heddles or umper heddles G1, G2, G3 and G4 and between the front and back doup standards 31, 32 of one each of the doup heddles 30.

The super doup needle 33 is distinguished from an ordinary doup needle by the inclusion of the slot 37 in the foreleg 35 which is closed when the front standard 31 is raised and the back standard 32 is lowered in a cross shed formation (Figure 6). The slot 37 is open when the front standard 31 is lowered and the back standard 32 is raised (Figure 7).

The ground warp yarns W extend forwardly from the doup heddles 30 through the usual beating means or reed 40 carried by a conventional lay 41 and reed cap 42 which are oscillated by conventional means, not shown, connected with a conventional crank shaft 43 (Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5) for beating-up the filling or weft yarn with each pick of the loom in the usual manner, to form a fabric generally designated at F. As the fabric F.1S woven, it is taken up by a roll 44 (Figure 4) about which the fabric F partially passes, from whence the fabric F passes over an idler roll 45 and is thence wound about a roll 46. The rolls 44 and 46 are suitably mounted in the loom frame 10 and driven by a suitable take-up mechanism, not shown.

The lay 41 and reed cap 42 are supported on the usual swords 50 (a portion of one of which is shown in Figure 4) whose lower ends are fixed on a rocker shaft 51 suitably journaled in the side frame members 11, 12 of the main frame 10. Opposite ends of the rocker shaft 51 each supports a parallel motion 52 of usual construction for supporting conventional picker sticks 54 which are operated in the usual manner for throwing the shuttle, not shown, across the lay 41 to alternately position the shuttle in a pair of shuttle boxes 56 mounted on each end of the lay 41.

The crank shaft 43 is journaled on the loom side frame members 11, 12 and has a gear 60 fixed on one end thereof (Figure 2) which meshes with a relatively larger gear 61 fixed on a main drive shaft 62 also journaled on the loom side frame members 11, 12. The main drive shaft is driven in a conventional manner and the ratio between gears 60, 61 is preferably such that the main drive shaft 62 rotates one-half a revolution with each pick and, of course, the crank shaft 43 rotates a complete revolution with each pick.

The parts heretofore described, with the exception of the slackener mechanism, of which the rods 25, 26, 27 are parts, are conventional and the present invention is particularly concerned with novel means for controlling the jumper or ground heddles G1, G2, G3, G4, the doup heddles 30, doup yarns and other heddles therefor, to be later described, and improved means for driving a jacquard mechanism, which jacquard mechanism controls the heddles heretofore described. The improved means for feeding or letting off the doup yarns will now be described.

Spaced above the ground warp beam 20 at the rear of the loom is a substantially rectangular and angularly disposed bobbin rack frame or creel broadly designated at 65 (Figures 2, 3 and 4) and which comprises upper and lower cross bars or frame members 66, 67 whose opposite ends are connected to the upper and lower ends of side bars or side frame members 68, 69. Mounted in the angularly disposed side frame members 68, 69 of the spool rack 65 is a plurality of horizontally disposed spool supporting rods or shafts 72 each of which is preferably made up of a plurality of alined short sections of a length sufiicient to support two doup yarn spools, bobbins or packages, from each of which a doup yarn D is withdrawn. The proximal ends of adjacent sections of the shafts 72 are removably mounted in frame members 7211 (Figures 1 and 4) to facilitate replacing empty spools 73 with filled spools.

The spools 73, as illustrated, are of the flange type and, in order to maintain the doup yarns under tension, the upper surface of the yarn on each of the spools 73 is engaged by a flat weight bar or doup yarn tension plate 74 which extends rearwardly and is pivoted on a corresponding rod 75. Opposite ends of each of the rods 75 are mounted in brackets 76, 77 which extend forwardly and downwardly at an angle and are suitably secured to the respective side frame members 68, 69 of the rectangular frame 65. Each of the doup yarn tensioning plates 74 has a pin or rod 80 projecting upwardly therefrom on which suitable weights, such as a weight 81, may be positioned to thereby apply pressure to the yarn on the corresponding spool 73.

The side bars or frame members 68, 69 of the substantially rectangular frame or creel 65 have respective stub shafts 82, 83 projecting laterally from the medial portions thereof (Figures 2 and 3) which are cradled on the rear ends of respective brackets 84, 85 which extend forwardly and are suitably secured to the upright portions 11a, 12a of the respective side frame members 11, 12. The lower ends of the side frame members 68, 69 have respective brackets 86, 87 thereon to which the rear ends of respective bars 90, 91 are suitably secured and whose front ends are suitably secured to the respective uprising portions 110, 12a of the side frame members 11, 12 of the frame 10.

It should be noted that the improved creel is so positioned that it requires no additional floor space other than that occupied by the loom per se thus obviating the necessity of rearranging the looms in existing plants to accommodate outboard creels. Also, the improved tension means gives uniform tension to each doup thread or yarn regardless of whether the spools 73 be of large or small diameter.

The doup yarns D extend downwardly from the respective spools 73 and pass through corresponding yarn guides 93 which are shown in the form of pig-tail guides in Figures 2, 4 and 10, and which are fixed in a bar or board 94. The board 94 is fixed to an inverted T-shaped frame member 95 which extends across the loom and is suitably secured to the uprising portions 11a, 12a of the respective side frame members 11, 12 of the frame 10. The strands of doup yarn or the doup threads D extend downwardly and rearwardly at an angle from the corresponding guides 93 and past a novel form of draw-off roll, vibrator roll, snap roll or rod 97 from whence they pass partially around and beneath an idler roll 98. The idler roll 98 is journaled in brackets 99, 100 (Figures 2, 3 and 4) suitably secured to respective brackets 101, 102 extending rearwardly from the respective uprising portions 11a, 12a of the side frame members 11, 12 of the main frame 10.

Opposite ends of the snap roll or rod 97 are mounted in the upper ends of levers 103, 104 whose lower ends are pivoted on reduced opposite ends of the Whip roll or idler roll 21 over which the ground warp yarns W pass as heretoforestated. The upper end of a link 105 (Figures 2 and 3) is pivotally connected to the medial portion of each of said levers 103, 104. The links 165 extend downwardlyand forwardly at an angle and are connected to the respective parallel motions 52, 52, as at 106, 106. Since the parallel motions 52, 52 oscillate with the lay 41 and the rocker shaft 51 in the usual manner, it is thus seen that, with each beat-up stroke of the lay 41, the vibrator or snap rod or roll 97 strikes the doup yarns or thread D to draw the same from the corresponding spools 73.

It should be noted that the roll 97 beats a ainst the dou yarns or threads D when the doup yarns are tightene by the beat-up of the reed 40. At this point in the weaving cycle, the doup yarns D are held firmly to the fell of the cloth F by the pressure of the reed on the filling. Consequently, if any diverting pressure is exerted on the doup yarns D, they are necessarily drawn off the spools 73.

The doup yarns or threads D pass forwardly from beneath the idler roll 98, immediately above the ground warp yarns W, through the drop wires 24 and thence over ghe rod 25 (Figure; 11) and 6), whereupon each of the oup yarns ort rea s passes throu h the e e slackener heddle 110, there being two banks bf tirie siii k ener heddles shown in Figures 4 and 6. During the forming of a cross shed, in which the front doup standard 31 and the doup needle 33 are in raised position (Figure 6), the eyes of the slackener heddles 110 are positioned, by means of a double-lift jacquard mechanism, in substantially the same horizontal plane as the upper surfaces of the rods 25, 26 between which the slackener heddles 110 are disposed, as shown in Figure 6.

On the other hand, during the formation of a plain or normal shed with the doup yarns D, in which the doup yarns form the bottom of the shed as shown in Figures 4, 7 and 8, or, at least, in which the slots 37 in the doup needles 33 are exposed or open, if in raised position (Figure 7) the slackener heddles 110 are then in the lowered position as shown in Figure 4 to take-up the slack in the corresponding doup yarns D. Most looms are equipped with an electrical stop motion which is actuated by means of one or more of the drop-wires 24 falling against a corresponding contact bar or electrode 24a (Figure 6). Since the doup yarns D are slackened momentarily as the slackener heddles 110 are raised during the formation of the cross shed, it is preferable that the doup yarns D pass through, say, the two front banks of drop-wires 24 and the ground or standard yarns W pass through the two rear banks of drop-wires 24. In this instance electrical conductors, not shown, would extend from the two rear electrodes 24a directly to the electrical stop motion, not shown. Thus, the electrical stop motion is actuated each time one or more of the drop-wires in the two rear banks engage the corresponding electrodes 24a, due to breakage or undue slackening of any of the ground warp yarns W, in the usual manner. An electrical stop motion of this type is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,300,098 of October 27, 1942, issued to Brooks et al.

Since, at least some of the doup yarns D are slackened during formation of each cross shed, these yarns are unable to support corresponding drop-wires 24 in the two front banks which then drop low enough to contact the corresponding electrodes 24a and this would ordinarily cause false loom stoppage. In order to prevent such false loom stoppage a normally open limit switch 92 (Figures 2 and is interposed in a circuit between the two front electrodes 240 (Figure 6) and said electrical stop motion. It will be observed in Figures 2 and 5 that switch 92 has wires 92a, 92b connected to opposite sides thereof. Wire 92a leads from the two front electrodes 24a to one side of switch 92 and wire 92b leads to the electrically operable stop motion, not shown. Thus, when switch 92 is closed momentarily, as will be presently described, if one of the doup yarns is unduly slack or parted, the corresponding drop-wire 24 will effect actuation of the stop motion.

The switch 92 is carried by an arm or bracket 96 adjustably secured to the upright portion 12a of the side frame member 12. A segmental cam 107 fixed on the hub of gear 60 closes the switch 92 momentarily during the detection period when the doup threads D are under their greatest tension with each revolution of the crank shaft 43. Thus, the supply of current is intermittent to the front two electrodes 24a for the doup threads D and this prevents false loom stops by intentionally slackened doup threads D.

The doup yarns D pass from the eyes of the slackener heddles 110 between rods 26, 27 and thence through the eyes of corresponding auxiliary plain doup yarn heddles, of which four banks are shown. The heddles in the latter four banks are indicated at 111, 112, 113 and 114. In this instance, a doup thread or yarn D passes forwardly from one of each of the plain doup yarn heddles 111,

112, 113, 114 and through the slot 37 of the corresoonding doup needle 33 and, also, between the front and back doup standards 31, 32 of one each of the super doup heddles 30. Thus, four standard or ground threads or yarns W pass between each pair of doup standards 31, 32 and four doup threads or yarns D pass through each slot 37 in the super doup needles 33. Although the number of standard yarns and doup yarns associated with each super doup heddle 30 may be varied, as desired, the above arrangement is particularly devised for weaving fabrics of the type disclosed in said co-pending application, Serial Number 392,732.

The slackener heddles 110, the doup yarn guiding heddles 111, 112, 113 and 114 and the ground heddles or jumper heddles G1, G2, G3 and G4 are all of the plain conventional type usually used in looms having a shuttle boxes 56.

jacquard mechanism thereon, the invention residing in the manner in which the jumper heddles and the slackener heddles are operated in conjunction with the operation of the doup heddles 30. Each of the heddles 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, G1, G2, G3 and G4 has a suitable weight or lingoe 115 depending therefrom, each of the doup standards 31, 32 has a weight or lingoe 116 depending therefrom and each leg 35, 36 of each doup needle 33 has a weight or lingoe 117 depending therefrom, as best shown in Figure 6.

The weights or lingoes 116, 117 are guided in a lower doup comber board or guide 120 carried by an H-beam 121 whose opposite ends are fixed to the side frame members 11, 12 of the main frame 10 (Figures 4, 5 and 6). Since the super doup heddles 30 depend from cords and would normally tend to twist and sway, the lower doup comber board prevents twisting or swaying of the doup heddles 30 and maintains them in parallel relation to the warp.

The upper end of each front doup standard and each back doup standard 31, 32 has the lower end of a doup heddle cord 123 attached thereto. The upper end of each jumper heddle, standard heddle or ground heddle G1, G2, G3 and G4 has a jumper heddle cord 124 attached thereto. The upper end of each doup yarn changing plain heddle 111, 112, 113 and 114 has a cord 125 attached thereto and the upper end of each slackener heddle 110 has the lower end of a pair of slackener heddle cords 126 attached thereto.

The doup heddle cords 123 extend upwardly from the doup standards 31, 32 and pass through respective holes provided therefor in an upper doup heddle comber board 130 supported on a transverse H-beam or frame member 131 (Figures 4 and 5). The jumper heddle cords 124 extend upwardly from the respective jumper heddles and successively pass through a pair of vertically spaced jumper comber boards 132, 133. The lower comber board 132 is vertically reciprocable and the upper comber board is stationary, said comber boards 132, 133 being carried by respective transverse frame members or H- beams 134, 135. As best shown in Figure 9, each of the jumper heddle cords 124 is knotted or otherwise formed with a protuberance 136 above the lower jumper comber board 132, which protuberance or knot is too large to pass through the holes in the jumper comber board 132.

The knots or protuberances 136 are spaced above the jumper comber board 132, when the comber board 132 is in lowered position, sufiiciently to permit normal vertical movement of the jumper heddles or ground heddles G1, G2, G3 and G4. However, the jumper comber board 132 is caused to move upwardly, by means to be later described, in the interim between successive picks by the loom, that is, while the shuttle reposes in one of the In so doing, the jumper comber board 132 engages the knots or protuberances 136 from which any of the jumper heddles then in lowered position depend to thereby raise the lowered jumper heddles so the eyes thereof are substantially on the same level as the center of the shed, as shown in Figure 9. The jumper comber board 132 then again moves downwardly to give the jacquard full control over all the jumper heddles before the shuttle is again thrown across the lay 41. It is apparent that some of the jumper heddles raised to rridshed position by the jumper comber board 132 may not be subsequently lowered to bottom shed position if the jacquard calls for them to be raised before the next pick is cast by the shuttle. The jumper motion will function properly when the upper comber board 133 is omitted. However, the cords 124 would then converge upwardly from the comber board 132 and would be inclined at a shallow angle adjacent opposite ends of the jumper comber board 132 and would be substantially vertical midway of the jumper comber board 132. This would require that the knots or protuberances 136 chafe adjacent cords 124 and would render it more difiicult to determine the proper location of the knots 136 as they are formed by the attendant in setting up the loom than is the case when the upper comber board 133 is used.

The jumper motion thus described primarily serves two purposes. The first purpose of the jumper comber board is to raise any of the standard threads or ground warp yarns W forming the bottom of the shed, by means of the corresponding jumper heddles, so the ground warp yarns will not be pinched between the particular doup standards, which may be in the course of upward movement, and the doup needles. Another purpose of the jumper motion is to insure that any of the ground warp yarns which form the bottom of the shed are raised sufficiently to pass across the upper ends or points 34 of the corresponding doup needles 33 when shifting a particular ground yarn or particular ground yarns from one side of the doup needles to the other between particular front and back doup standards 31 and 32. Of course, as is well known in the art, the side of a particular doup needle to which the ground warp yarns are shifted is determined by which of the two corresponding doup standards 31 or 32 is in the course of its upward movement.

The jumper comber board 132 is controlled by a cam 151, as will be later described (Figures 3 and When the jumper comber board 132 dwells in lowered position, the jacquard fully controls all the heddles G1 through G4 and the ground ends W. When the jumper comber board 132 is raised, board 132 lifts all the standard or ground heddles regardless of whether they need be lifted. However, this has no affect on the design or pattern of the weave, since the lifting of the standard heddles occurs between successive picks while the shuttle reposes in either of the shuttle boxes 56. A jumper comber board controlled in this manner and used for this purpose is, to my knowledge, unique in the art of weaving.

Referring again to Figure 4, it will be observed that the cords 125, to which the doup warp changing heddles or auxiliary plain doup warp heddles 111, 112, 113 and 114 are attached, extend upwardly through a stationary comber board 140 positioned in a transverse channel member or frame member 141 suitably secured to the arch 15. Opposite ends of the frame member 141 have the rear ends of horizontally disposed frame members or bars 142, 143 (Figures 2, 3 and 4) suitably secured thereto and extending forwardly therefrom, to the front ends of which the transverse frame member 131, which supports the stationary comber board 130, are suitably secured.

It will also be observed in Figure 4 that the cords 126, to which the upper ends of the slackener heddles 110 are attached, extend upwardly and penetrate suitable holes provided therefor in a vertically adjustable slackener cord comber board 145 supported in a transverse frame member or channel bar 146.

As heretofore stated, each slackener heddle 110 preferably has two cords 126 attached thereto which extend through separate holes in the comber board 145 (Figures 4 and 11) to prevent the slackener heddles 110 from twisting around the loosely tensioned doup threads D, which would cause drawbacks in the fabric. Each cord 126 is formed with a knot or rotuberance 149 (Figures 4 and 11). Opposite ends of the channel bar 146 are fixed to brackets 150 mounted for vertical adjustment on forwardly and rearwardly extending frame members 147, 148 (Figures 2, 3 and 4) whose front ends are suitably secured to the arch 15 and whose rear ends are suitably secured to the respective uprising portions 11a, 12a of the respective side frame members 11, 12 of the main frame 10.

Now, in order to impart upward and then downward movement to the jumper motion comber board 132 while the lay 41 is in the course of movement thereof against and away from the fell of the cloth, the crank shaft 43 has a cam 151 fixed thereon (Figures 3 and 5) which is preferably shaped so as to cause the comber board 132 to dwell in lowered position approximately one hundred eighty degrees, while the shuttle is thrown across the lay, the cam 151 being provided with no dwell as the comber board 132 occupies fully raised position and being provided with harmonic curved surfaces connecting the high and low points thereof. The periphery of cam 151 is engaged by a follower 152 carried by a cam lever 153 (Figures 3 and 5). The cam lever 153 is pivoted at 154 (Figure 3) on the side frame member 11 of the main frame and its free end is normally urged upwardly by a tension spring 156. The lower end of a link 157 is pivotally connected to the medial portion of the cam lever 153 and its upper end is connected to the free end of a crank 160 (Figures 3 and 5) fixed on a forwardly and rearwardly extending rocker shaft 161.

The front end of the rocker shaft 161 is journaled in a bearing stand 162 projecting upwardly from and being suitably secured to thearch 15. The rear end of the rocker shaft 161 is journaled in a bearing block 163 suitably secured to the inner surface of the bracket 84, which is, in turn, suitably secured to the upright portion 11a of the side frame member 11 of the main frame 10.

The rocker shaft 161 also has an upwardly projecting crank arm 165 fixed thereon to which one end of a connecting rod 166 is pivotally connected. The connecting rod 166 extends across the loom at a slight angle and its other end is connected to the lower end of a crank arm 167 (Figures 2, 3 and 5). The upper end of the crank arm 167 is fixed on a rocker shaft 170 whose front portion is journaled in a bearing stand 171 fixed to the arch 15 and whose rear portion is journaled in a bearing block 172. The bearing block 172 is suitably secured to the inner face of the bracket 85 which, as heretofore stated, is suitably secured to the uprising portion 12a of the side frame member 12.

The front ends of the rocker shafts 161, 170 have respective cranks 173, 173' fixed thereon (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). It will be observed in Figure 5 that the cranks 173, 173' extend inwardly and have the upper ends of respective links 174, 174' pivotally connected thereto Whose lower ends are pivotally connected to the opposite end portions of the transverse bar 134 which carries the lower vertically reciprocable jumper board 132. It will also be observed in Figure 5 that the upper comber board 133 and frame member 135 are relatively shorter than the lower jumper comber board 132 and the frame member 13 4 and opposite ends of the frame member 135 are suitably secured to the upper ends of upright brackets or bars 176, 176' whose lower ends are suitably secured to the frame members 142, 143.

Opposite ends of the lower jumper comber board frame member 134 are fixed on guide rods 180, 180' Whose upper and lower ends are fixed in respective blocks or bars 181, 182 and 181, 182'. The blocks 181, 182 and 181, 182 extend outwardly and are mounted for vertical sliding movement on the upper and lower portions of respective guide rods 184, 184' whose medial portions are fixed in the front ends of respective support bars 185, 185' (Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). The support bars 185, 185' extend rearwardly and are fixed to the inner surfaces of the upright arch supporting members 13, 14, respectively, and the inner surfaces of the upstanding portions 11a, 12a of the respective side frame members 11, 12 of the main frame 10.

It 1s thus seen that the spring 156 (Figure 3) normally urges the cam lever 153 upwardly and, when the low pomt of cam 151 (Figures 3 and 5) is in engagement with the follower 152 on the cam lever 153, the frame member 134 and the jumper comber board 132 occupy a lowered or inoperative position substantially as shown in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5. 0n the other hand, the high point of the cam 151 moves into engagement with the follower 152 in the interim between successive beat-up strokes by the lay 41 and, in so doing, causes the cam lever 153 to move downwardly in Figures 3 and 5. It is apparent that this causes the cranks 173, 173 to move upwardly in Figure 5 to raise the jumper board 132 so it will engage the knots or protuberances 136 in the cords corresponding to any of the jumper heddles which may then be in lowered position and to thereby raise the lastnamed heddles to mid-shed or half-shed position, as shown in Figure 9, for the purposes heretofore described.

The heddle cords 123, 124, 125 and 126 extend upwardly from the respective comber boards 130, 133, 140 and 145 and are connected, in the usual manner, to the usual lift hooks 187 of a jacquard pattern mechanism broadly designated at 190 (Figure 1). The jacquard pattern mechanism is of the usual double-lift, single-cylinder type such as is manufactured by Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, or such as is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,299,461 issued to Ernest Haning on April 8, 1919, and a detailed description thereof is thus deemed unnecessary. It might be stated, however, that the jasouard pattern mechanism is of the type having two uprights or hooks for controlling each warp end and wherein griff bars move up and down aland the arms 203, also of which only one is shown in This facilitates relatively high speed weaving, since each grifi bar moves at only approximately one-half the speed of the crank shaft 43.

In this instance, the frame of the jacquard pattern mechanism 190 rests upon a framework 192 extending horizontally above and transversely of the main loom frame 10 and whose opposite ends are supported on upright posts 193, 194. The jacquard mechanism 190 1s provided with the usual upper and lower hook ra1s1ng bars or griff bars 195, 196 which are operated by novel means. In this instance, the front and rear ends of the upper and lower grilf bars 195, 196 have respect ve links 200, 201 connected thereto, only one of each being shown in Figure 1, which extend downwardly and are connected to the free ends of respective crank arms 202, 203.

The arms 202, only one of which is shown in Figure 1, extend outwardly and are fixed on a transverse shaft 204 and the arms 203, also of which only one is shown in Figure 1, extend outwardly and are fixed on a transverse shaft 205. The shafts 204, 205 are journaled in brackets 206, only one of which is shown, supported on the framework 192. Corresponding ends of jack levers 207, 208 are fixed on the respective shafts 204, 205 and have the upper ends of respective links 211, 212 pivotally connected thereto.

The lower ends of links 211, 212 are pivotally connected to corresponding ends of respective levers 213, 214, which are journaled intermediate their ends on a bracket 215 depending from the framework 192 (Figure 1). The outer ends of the levers 213, 214 have the upper ends of respective connecting rods or links 216, 217 pivotally connected thereto which extend downwardly and are guided in a guide bracket 220 suitably secured to and extending inwardly from the posts 193. The lower ends of the connecting rods 216, 217 have the upper ends of respective follower bars 219, 221 fixed thereto (Figures 1, 3 and 5).

Now, heretofore, the lower ends of the links which have served the purpose of links 216, 217, have been connected to the free ends of cranks fixed on the main drive shaft 62, with the result that the lower ends of the links have been moved in a circular path thereby resulting in uninterrupted movement of the heddles with each shed forming operation. Consequently, each time the shuttle has entered and left the shed, the shed has tended to squeeze the shuttle with the resultant danger of warp yarn breakage. In order to overcome this difficulty, the follower bars 220, 221 have respective pairs of vertically spaced cam rollers or followers 223, 224 thereon which engage diametrically opposed peripheral surfaces of respective symmetrically-shaped cam wheels 226, 227.

The cam wheels 226, 227 are fixed on one end of the main drive shaft 62 (Figures 1, 3 and 5) and each of the follower bars 220, 221 has a longitudinally or vertically extending slot 230 therein which is loosely penetrated by the main drive shaft 62 and maintains the corresponding followers 223, 224 in diametrically opposed relation to the axis of the main drive shaft 62. As is well known in the art, the griff bars 195 are raised as the gritf bars 196 are lowered and vice versa and, consequently, the high points of the cams 226, 227 are disposed in diametrically opposed relationship on the main drive shaft 62 in Figure 3. It will be noted that the high point and low point of each of the cams 226, 227 each extends through an arc of approximately 120 degrees so the shed is open as the main drive shaft woves approximately one-third of a revolution and the crank shaft 43 rotates approximately two-thirds of a revolution and while the shed is completely open. Of course, this indicates that changing of the shed occurs as the main drive shaft rotates approximately one-sixth of a revolution and as the crank shaft 43 rotates one third of a revolution.

The jacquard mechanism 190 is provided with the usual jacquard cylinder 230 mounted in arms 231, of which only one is shown in Figure 1, and which cylinder is engaged by the usual jacquard pattern cards 232 in a conventional manner. Since the jacquard cylinder 230 is operated in a conventional manner and is of usual construction, a further description and illustration thereof is deemed unnecessary. It might be stated, however, that the arms 231 are shiftable horizontally on the frame of the jacquard mechanism 190 by means of links 235 which extend outwardly and are connected to levers 236. The levers 236 extend downwardly and are fixed on a shaft 237 to which one end of a rocker arm 240 is secured.

The outer end of the rocker arm 240 has the upper end of a cylinder motion link 241 connected thereto whose lower end, in Figures 1, 3 and 5, is connected to one end of a crank arm 243 fixed to a hand wheel 244 which is, in turn, fixed on one end of the crank shaft 43. The jacquard mechanism 190 is conventional, with the exception of the means for imparting movement to the griff bars 195, 196, as heretofore described, and this jacquard mechanism may be of a type substantially as disclosed in said Patent No. 1,299,461.

Although a single-cylinder jacquard mechanism is shown and described, it is contemplated that a double-lift, double-cylinder jacquard pattern mechanism may be used with equal facility.

it is thus seen that I have provided an improved apparatus in a loom, facilitating the use of a double-lift jacquard for operatin super doup heddles, jumper heddles, back doup yarn heddles and slackener heddles, in combination, according to a predetermined pattern for producing figured leno fabrics in which leno weaving is alternated with another type or types of weaving and wherein ornamental design areas of any predetermined configuration may be formed in which the doup yarns may be recurrently floated between points at which they are crossed relative to the adjacent standard or ground yarns and also wherein adjacent floated portions of the doup yarns may diverge or extend at an angle relative to the normal plain of the warp.

During so called plain weaving in which a normal shed is formed from some of the standard or ground warp yarns W in raised position and others in lowered position with all of the doup yarns in either a lowered or a raised position caused by the plain doup yarn guiding heddles 111 to 114, inclusive; or wherein some of the doup yarns may be in raised position and others in lowered position as caused by the plain doup yarn guiding heddles 111 to 114, inclusive, the slackener heddles remain in lowered position and, although they are supported by the protuberances 149, they force the doup yarns down, thus maintaining the same under proper operating tension.

Of course, during plain weaving, in which the doup yarns are involved, the corresponding front doup standards are in lowered position (Figure 7) so the slots 37 in their doup needles are open. It follows that, when the slots 37 in any of the doup needles 33 are open as shown in Figure 7, the plain back heddles 111 through 114 may readily form a. normal shed from the corresponding doup yarns D, and the jumper or ground heddles G1 to G4, inclusive, may also be shifted to form a normal shed from the corresponding ground warp yarns or standard yarns W.

When both of the doup standards 31, 32 of the super doup heddles 30 are lowered (Figure 8), it is customary that the back plain heddles 111 to 114, inclusive, are also lowered so that, as each back doup standard 32 is lowered, the corresponding doup needle 33 also moves downwardly therewith and its front leg 35 is then permitted to move downwardly through the front doup standard 31 to close the slot 37 therein as shown in Figure 8. In this instance, a normal shed can be formed from the ground warp yarns or standard yarns W with vertical reciprocation of the standard heddles G1 to G4, inclusive.

Of course, when all the ground or standard heddles G1 to G4, inclusive, are in raised position as shown in Figure 8 and the weft yarn is cast, the doup yarns D are disposed beneath the weft yarns and the standard or ground warp yarns W are disposed above the weft yarns. On the other hand, when a shed is formed by some of the ground warp yarns W being in raised position and others being in lowered position in predetermined sequence and the doup yarns D remain in lowered position as a result of the super doup heddles occupying the position shown in Figure 8, the doup yarns D are then floated beneath the face or ground fabric formed from the ground warp yarns interwoven with the weft yarns.

In forming the cross shed (Figure 6), the corresponding front doup standards 31 are raised While the corresponding back doun standards 32 remain in lowered position. Since the slot 37 remains closed, as each front doup standard 31 is raised, it follows that the doup yarns passing through each slot 37 are raised with the doup needle 33 and move upwardly past the opposite sides of the ground warp yarns extending between the corresponding doup standards 31, 32 from which the ground warp yarns are normally positioned relative to the corresponding doup yarns and the doup yarns then cross under the corresponding ground warp yarns. Accordingly, the corresponding slackener heddles 110 are raised to substantially the position shown in Figure 6 as the corresponding front doup standard 31 is raised in forming a cross shed.

This slackening of the doup yarns is necessary because they cross beneath any of the corresponding ground warp yarns which then form the lower half of the shed. Any desired number 01": picks or weft yarns may then be cast while the standard heddles G1 to G4, inclusive, are reciprocated according to a predetermined pattern to form a plain fabric therewith in which the doup yarns are floated above said plain fabric thus formed.

As heretofore stated, in the interim between successive picks by the loom, the jumper or standard heddles G1 to G4, inclusive, which may not have been previously raised by the jacquard 190, are raised to substantially mid-shed position although, ordinarily, this would have no affect in the operation of the loom or the fabric being woven.

However, after the cross shed has been formed and it is desired that the doup yarns and standard or ground warp yarns be returned to their normal parallel relationship, the corresponding front doup standards 31 move downwardly as the rear doup standards 32 move upwardly so they occupy substantially the same position at the half Way point of the heddle-changing position substantially as shown in Figure 9. Accordingly, in order to prevent changing of the standard yarns and to also insure that the standard yarns which would normally be in lowered position are raised sufficiently to pass over the points or upper ends 34 of the corresponding doup needles 33, it is necessary that the jumper motion be provided, since continued upward movement of the corresponding back doup standards 32 causes the corresponding doup needles 33 to return to raised position as shown in Figure 7, although the front corresponding doup standards 31 move to their lowermost positions.

Thus, the jumper motion operates in the manner heretofore described to raise the then lowered standard yarns or ground warp yarns to mid-shed position so they cross over the upper ends or points 34 of the corresponding doup needles immediately prior to these doup needles 33 again being raised by the doup standards 32. This permits the doup needles 33 to move upwardly past the opposite sides of the standard yarns forming the bottom of the shed from which they were disposed in the course of the immediately previous downward movement thereof or from the side at which they were disposed. during the forming of the cross shed.

It is important to note that, since the doup threads or yarns begin to call for slackness during the forming of the cross shed only after they have moved approximately half way upwardly in the course of the upward movement thereof, it is necessary to delay the slackening of the doup yarns until this point of the Weaving cycle is reached. In other words, the lifting action of the griff bars of the jacquard mechanism should not be effective in raising the slackener heddles 110, corresponding to the doup yarns which have formed the cross shed, until the corresponding doup yarns have moved approximately to the mid-shed position. Thus, the knots or protuberances 149 normally rest against the upper surface of the comber board 1 45 (Figures 4 and 11) and permit the portions of the cords 126 disposed between the knots or protuberances 149 and the jacquard mechanism 190 to be sufiiciently slackened so the corresponding hooks of the jacquard mechanism 190 may move upwardly a substantial distance before drawing the corresponding cords 126 taut.

Thereafter, with continued upward movement of the corresponding griff bars, the slackener heddles 110 then move upwardly to substantially the position shown in Figure 6 as the corresponding doup needles 33 move upwardly from substantially the mid-shed position to the raised position shown in Figure 6. It is apparent that the amount of slack effected in the doup yarns D by the slackener heddles may be varied by Vertical adjustment of the comber board 145, since lowering the comber board increases the amount of slack effected in the doup yarns when the slackener heddles 110 are raised and, conversely, raising the comber board decreases the amount of slack eflected in the doup yarns D when the slackener heddles 110 are raised.

It is extremely important to note that the cooperating relationship of the super doup heddles 30, the ground heddles G1 and G4, the plain back heddles 111 through 114, the slackener heddles and the doup yarn draw-off means 97 is such that selected doup yarns or selected groups thereof may be floated above and below plain woven fabric, formed from ground warp yarns W, in alternation between successive cross shed formations. The separate back heddles for each doup yarn also facilitate weaving plain or fancy fabrics, other than leno weaves, from both doup yarns and/or ground warp yarns.

Throughout the specification and the appended claims, the term plain weaving is used for convenience to designate a weave in which each warp is always in the same vertical plane, and weaving according to any pattern, whether during suspension of leno weaving or floating doup yarns above or beneath the base fabric, is herein referred to as plain weaving.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In combination in a loom equipped for figure weaving and designed to form cross sheds from doup yarns and ground warp yarns for leno weaving, means to form plain sheds for plain weaving from selected ground warp yarns and adjacent selected doup yarns while forming cross sheds from other selected ground warp yarns and other selected doup yarns, and means to permit floating of certain of the doup yarns selectively on either side of fabric formed by plain weaving with the ground warp yarns.

2. In combination in a loom equipped for figure weaving and designed to form cross sheds from doup yarns and ground warp yarns for leno weaving, means for controlling the cross shed formation to permit plain weaving with the ground warp yarns only while floating selected doup yarns on one side of the plain woven fabric, and said controlling means being operable upon a subsequent cross shed being formed to permit plain weaving with the ground warp yarns while floating selected doup yarns on the other side of the plain woven fabric.

3. In a loom for weaving leno fabric having means for weaving a plain weave from ground warp yarns and doup yarns; the combination of selectively operable means for controlling each of said doup yarns independently of the others in forming a cross shed, means cooperating with the means for forming the cross shed for momentarily slackening the doup yarns in the course of upward movement of the doup yarns from the lower portion of the shed to the upper portion of the shed, but after the coup yarns have reached substantially mid-shed position, and means operable automatically for raising any of the ground warp yarns normally in the bottom shed position to mid-shed position in the course of changing the position of the doup yarns from cross shed position to parallel relationship with the adjacent ground warp yarns.

4. In a loom for weaving leno fabric having means for weaving a plain weave from ground warp yarns and doup yarns, said loom having an electrically operable drop-wire controlled stop motion; the combination of selectively operable means for controlling each of said doup yarns independently of the others in forming a cross shed, means cooperating with the means for forming the cross shed for momentarily slackening the doup yarns in the course of upward movement of the doup yarns from the lower portion of the shed to the upper portion of the shed, but after the doup yarns have reached substantially the mid-shed position, means operable substantially simultaneously with operation of said slackening means for momentarily opening an electrical circuit between the drop-wires and the electrical stop motion to prevent false loom stoppage, and means operable automatically for raising any of the ground warp yarns in bottom shed position to mid-shed position in the course of changing the position of the doup yarns from cross shed position to parallel relationship with the adjacent ground warp yarns.

5. In a loom for weaving leon fabric having means for weaving a plain weave from ground warp yarns and doup yarns; said loom having an oscillatable reed, side frame members and a beam mounted on the rear portion of the loom from which said ground warp yarns are withdrawn, the combination of selectively operable means for controlling each of said doup yarns independently of the others in forming a cross shed, means cooperating with the means for controlling said doup yarns for mo- 15 mentarily slackening the doup yarns in the course of upward movement of the doup yarns from the lower portion of the shed to the upper portion of the shed in a cross shed formation, but after the doup yarns have reached substantially mid-shed position, means operable automatically for raising any of the ground warp yarns normally in the bottom shed position to mid-shed position in the course of changing the position of the doup yarns from cross shed position to parallel relationship with the adjacent ground warp yarns, a creel mounted on and substantially between said frame members and having a plurality of yarn packages thereon, one for each of said yarns, means guiding said doup yarns from the creel successively through the slackening means and the means controlling the doup yarns in a cross shed formation, means for tensioning each doup yarn at each package, and means operable automatically upon each beatup stroke of the reed for beating against all the doup yarns to draw a length of the same from yarn packages.

6. In a loom for weaving leno fabric, the combination of a plurality of super doup heddles each including a front and back standard and a substantially U-shaped super doup needle, the front leg of said needle having a vertically extending slot therein, a plurality of plain jumper heddles disposed in back of the super doup heddles for guiding a plurality of ground warp yarns between the front and back standards of each super doup heddle and a plurality of plain back heddles for guiding a plurality of doup yarns through the slot in each of said doup needles, a jacquard mechanism having means for raising and lowering each of said ground heddles and back heddles and each of said front and back doup standards relative to the other according to a predetermined pattern, means operable automatically during the interim between successive picks of the loom for raising any of the jumper heddles in lowered position to a mid-shed position and then returning the latter jumper heddles to the lower position, and means operable automatically for slackening the doup yarns in the course of upward movement of the front doup standards and the corresponding doup needles after said doup needle has substantially reached mid-shed position.

7. The combination with a loom for weaving leno fabric from doup yarns and ground warp yarns, of means for suspending leno weaving while weaving plain fabric from both the doup yarns and the ground warp yarns, selectively controlled doup needles for crossing predetermined doup yarns with corresponding ground warp yarns in which the latter doup yarns then form the upper portion of the shed, means operable automatically for slackening each of said predetermined doup yarns as the corresponding doup needles are in the course of upward movement from a lowered position to a raised position, but being operable as the doup needles reach midshed position and continue to their upper position, said doup needles being of the type each having a longitudinally extending slot therein which is closed during the forming of the cross shed, and means operable automatically during the interim between successive picks by the loom for raising any of the ground warp yarns forming the lower portion of the shed substantially to midshed position as the doup needles move downwardly and are subsequently moved upwardly to open the slots therein whereby the means for raising the ground Warp yarns in the lower portion of the shed to mid-shed position serves to raise the latter ground warp yarns above the upper ends of the doup needles so the doup needles again move upwardly on the opposite sides of the ground warp yarns from which they had previously been positioned during the forming of the cross shed.

8. In a loom for weaving leno fabrics, said loom having doup heddles each comprising a front standard and a back standard and a substantially U-shaped super doup needle provided with a vertically extending slot in its front portion; the combination of pattern controlled means for selectively raising and lowering each of said front and back doup standards, a plurality of jumper heddles disposed in back of said doup heddles for forming a shed from ground warp yarns and wherein a plurality of said ground Warp yarns extends between each pair of front and back doup standards, a plurality of back heddles disposed in back of said jumper heddles for controlling the position of doup yarns and wherein a plurality of said doup yarns extend through the slot in each of the doup needles, said pattern controlled means being operable for vertically shifting each of said jumper heddles and each of said back heddles independently of the others according to a predetermined pattern during plain weaving means operable automatically during the interim between successive picks by the loom for momentarily raising any of said jumper heddles which are in lowered position to a position substantially midway of the shed and then returning the same to lowered position, means under control of said pattern means for momentarily slackening each of said doup yarns independently of the others in accordance with a predetermined pattern, and said last-named means being effective during the formation of a cross shed in which the doup yarns are crossed beneath any of the ground warp yarns in forming the lower portion of the shed as the corresponding front doup standard is raised and raises the corresponding doup needle therewith.

9. The combination with a loom for weaving leno fabric from doup yarns and ground warp yarns and having an electrically operable drop-wire controlled stop motion, of means for suspending leno weaving while weaving plain fabric from both the doup yarns and the ground warp yarns, selectively controlled doup needles for crossing corresponding doup yarns with corresponding ground warp yarns in which the doup yarns then form the upper portion of the shed, means operable automatically for slackening each of said doup yarns as the corresponding doup needles are in the course of upward movement from a lowered position to a raised position and being operable as the doup needles reach mid-shed position and continue to their upper position, means responsive to the operation of said slackening means for momentarily opening an electrical circuit between the drop-wires and the electrical stop motion to prevent false loom stoppa e, said dou needles being of the type having a longitudinally extending slot therein which is closed during the forming of the cross shed, and means operable automatically for raising anv of the ground warp yarns from the lower portion of the shed substantially to mid-shed position as the doup needles move downwardly and are subsequently moved upwardly to open the slots therein and whereby the means for raising the ground warp yarns in the lower portion of the shed to mid-shed position serves to raise the latter ground warp yarns above the upper ends of the doup needles so the doup needles again move upwardlv on the opposite sides of the ground warp yarns from which they had previously been positioned during the forming of the cross shed.

10. The combination with a loom for weaving leno fabric, of a double-lift jacquard mechanism, a row of super doup heddles each comprising a front doup standard and a back doup standard and a super doup needle arranged to be raised when either of said standards is raised and lowered when both of said standards are lowered. plain jumper heddles for grou d warp varns dis o ed re rwardly of the super doup heddles, plain back heddles for doup yarns disposed rearwardly of said iumper heddles. plain slackener heddles disposed rearwardly of said plain back heddles, a pair of transverse guide rods disposed astraddle said slackener heddles and across which at least the doup yarns pass from a source through said plain back heddles, at least two of said ground warp yarns passing forwardly from the corresponding jumper heddles between each pair of front and back doup standards, each of said doup needles having a vertically extending slot therein which is open when the back doup standard is raised. and which is closed when the front doup standard is raised, at least one doup yarn passing from said plain back heddles through the slot in each of said doup needles, said doup yarns passing throu h the correspondin slackener heddles, said slackener heddles normally applying tension to the doup yarns to take up slack therein, cords connecting each of said doup standards and each of said plain heddles with said jacquard mechanism for individually controlling the raising and lowering of each of said standards and each of said plain heddles, said jacquard mechanism being operable to raise said slackener heddles as the corresponding front doup standards are raised and raise the doup needles therewith in cross-shed-forming position adjacent one side of the corresponding ground warp yarns as the doup needles move from substantially mid-shed position to a fully raised position, a jumper motion including means operable automatically in the interim between successive plcks by the loom for raising any of the ground warp yarns forming the lower half of the shed to mid-shed position and then returning them to lowered position as the front and ack doup standards reverse positions to thereby cause the ground warp yarns to be on the other side of the doup needles as they are moved upwardly by the back doup standards after having been lowered by the front doup standards.

11. In a loom for weaving leno fabric and designed to form sheds from doup yarns and ground warp yarns, the combination of a double-lift jacquard mechamsm, a plurality of doup heddles each including a pair of front and back standards and a super doup needle, doup needle cords connecting each of the front and back doup standards with the jacquard mechanism for raising and lowering the doup needles independently of each other according to a predetermined pattern, a plurality of plain ground heddles disposed adjacent and rearwardly of the doup heddles relative to the fell of the fabric being woven, a separate ground heddle cord connecting each of said ground heddles with the jacquard pattern mechanism, a jumper comber board spaced above said ground heddles and having a plurality of holes therein through which the ground heddle cords extend in their course from the ground heddles to the jacquard mechanism, each of said ground heddle cords being provided with a protuberance thereon above said jumper comber board and being of sufiicient size to prevent the same from passing through the holes in said jumper comber board, means operable automatically in the interim between successive picks by the loom for raising and then lowering the jumper comber board, and said protuberances on the ground heddle cords being so positioned that any of the ground heddles in lowered position will be raised by the jumper comber board to substantially mid-shed position for crossing the corresponding ground warp yarns over the upper ends of the super doup needles as they are temporarily lowered to substantially mid-shed position and then raised following the fonnation of a cross shed by the doup yarns whereby a normal shed may be formed by the ground warp yarns under control of the jacquard mechanism while weaving plain fabric.

12. The combination with a loom for weaving leno fabric from ground warp yarns and doup yarns, and having means for suspending leno weaving while weaving plain fabric, of doup needles for crossing doup yarns with ground warp yarns, plain ground heddles for the ground warp yarns, plain back heddles for the doup yarns, a slackener mechanism comprising plain slackener heddles through which the doup yarns pass, a pair of support members disposed astraddle the slackener heddles and over which the doup yarns pass in advance of and subsequent to passing through the slackener heddles, a pattern mechanism for raising and lowering said ground heddles, said back heedles, said slackener heddles and said doup needles independently of each other, said slackener heddles normally bearing against the doup yarns to maintain them under proper operating tension, said doup needles being movable between a bottom shed and a top shed position during a cross shed formation, said pattern means being operable to raise the corresponding slackener heddles during cross shed formation, means interposed between the slackener heddles and the pattern mechanism for delaying the raising of said corresponding slackener heddles until the doup needles have reached substantially mid-shed position in the course of movement thereof from bottom shed to top shed position, said pattern mechanism being so arranged as to lower the previously raised doup needles following the formation of a cross shed to substantially midshed position and to again raise them to top shed position, and means operable automatically during the interim between picks by the loom for raising any of the ground heddles than in bottom shed position, to substantially midshed position and to then return the same to bottom shed so the corresponding ground warp yarns thus raised and lowered may pass over the upper ends of the corresponding doup needles as they reach mid-shed position so they subsequently move upwardly on the opposite side of the corresponding ground warp yarns from which they were disposed during the formation of the cross shed.

13. In a loom for weaving leno fabric of the type which includes means for suspending leno weaving while weaving plain fabric from doup yarns and ground warp yarns, said loom having doup needles for crossing doup yarns with ground warp yarns, a double-lift jacquard mechanism, plain ground heddles for the ground warp yarns, pliable connections between the doup needles, and the plain ground heddles, and the jacquard mechanism for controlling the doup needles and the plain ground heddles independently of each other, a slackener mechanism comprising a plurality of slackener heddles, a pair of doup yarn supports disposed astraddle the slackener heddles and over which the doup yarns pass, said doup yarns also passing through the slackener heddles between the doup yarn supports, a comber board spaced above the slackener heddles, at least one cord extending from each of said slackener heddles through the comber board and to the jacquard mechanism, each of said cords having a protuberance thereon normally resting upon the comber board and being so arranged that the portions of the cords between the comber board and the jacquard mechanism are normally slackened while the slackener heddles force the doup yarns downwardly between the doup yarn supports, said jacquard mechanism being operable to raise said cords during formation of a cross shed to take up the slack in said cords and to subsequently raise said slackener heddles and said protuberances on the cords being so positioned that the slackener heddles will commence to be raised substantially as the doup needles reach mid-shed position in the course of upward movement thereof in a cross-shed-forming operation.

14. In a loom for weaving leno fabric of the type which includes means for suspending leno weaving while weaving plain fabric from doup yarns and ground warp yarns, said loom having doup needles for crossing doup yarns with ground warp yarns, a double-lift jacquard mechanism, plain ground heddles for the ground warp yarns, pliable connections between the doup needles, and the plain ground heddles, and the jacquard mechanism for controlling each of the doup needles and each of the plain ground heddles independently of the others, a slackener mechanism comprising a plurality of slackener heddles, through which the doup yarns pass, a pair of doup yarn supports disposed astraddle the slackener heddles and over which the doup yarns pass, a comber board spaced above the slackener heddles, at least one cord extending from each of said slackener heddles through the comber board and to the jacquard mechanism, each of said cords having a protuberance thereon normally resting upon the comber board and being so arranged that the portions of the cords between the combcr board and the jacquard mechanism are normally slackened while the slackener heddles force the doup yarns downwardly between the doup yarn supports during plain Weaving, said jacquard mechanism being operable to raise said cords during formation of a cross shed to take up the slack in said cords and to subsequently raise said slackener heddles, and said protuberances on the cords being so positioned that the slackener heddles will commence to be raised substantially as the doup needles reach mid-shed position in the course of upward movement thereof in a cross-shed-forming operation.

15. In a structure according to claim 14; said loom having an electrically operable stop motion, electrodes interposed in a circuit to said stop motion and over which said yarns pass and drop-wires normally supported on said yarns above the electrodes; a switch interposed in said circuit between the electrodes and the stop motion, and means for intermittently closing and opening said switch so said switch is open each time the slackener heddles are raised to prevent false loom stoppage.

16. In a loom having plain ground heddles for ground warp yarns and also having super doup needles provided with elongated substantially vertical slots therein for doup yarns, pattern controlled means for selectively operating each doup needle and each ground heddle in forming cross sheds from predetermined ground and doup yarns, means operable automatically as each doup needle approaches mid-shed position in the formation of a cross shed for momentarily slackening the respective doup yarn or yarns as they cross beneath any ground yarns then in bottom shed position, and means for momentarily raising said ground yarns in bottom shed position to substantially mid-shed position as the doup needles are lowered from top shed position to substantially mid-shed position and back to top shed position to thereby cross the respective ground yarns over the doup needles from one side to the other.

17. In a loom having plain ground heddles for ground warp yarns and also having super doup needles provided with elongated substantially vertical slots therein for doup yarns, a double-lift jacquard mechanism, means under control of the jacquard mechanism for selectively operating each doup needle and each ground heddle in forming cross sheds from predetermined ground and doup yarns, means operable automatically as each doup needle approaches mid-shed position in the formation of a cross shed for momentarily slackening the respective doup yarn or yarns as they cross beneath any ground yarns then in bottom shed position, and means for momentarily raising said ground yarns in bottom shed position to substantially mid-shed position as the doup needles are lowered from top shed position to substantially mid-shed position and back to top shed position to thereby cross the respective ground yarns over the doup needles from one side to the other.

18. In a loom having plain ground heddles for ground warp yarns and also having super doup needles provided with elongated substantially vertical slots therein for doup yarns, a double-lift jacquard mechanism, means under control of the jacquard mechanism for selectively operating each doup needle and each ground heddle in forming cross sheds from predetermined ground and doup yarns, means operable automatically as each doup needle approaches mid-shed position in the formation of a cross shed for momentarily slackening the respective doup yarn or yarns as they cross beneath any ground yarns then in bottom shed position, said means for raising said ground yarns in bottom shed position to mid-shed position comprising a jumper comber board spaced above said ground heddles, at least one cord extending from each ground heddle through the comber board and to the jacquard mechanism, each cord having a protuberance thereon disposed adiacent the upper surface of the comber board when its heddle is in bottom shed position, means for raising and then lowering said comber board in the interim between successive picks, and each stroke of the comber board being such that it engages any protuberances on cords whose heddles are in bottom shed position and raises them to substantially mid-shed position whereby the cords can be shifted by the jacquard mechanism to form open sheds of any pattern with the ground heddles.

19. In a loom having plain ground heddles for ground warp yarns and also having super doup needles provided with elongated substantially vertical slots therein for doup yarns. a double-lift jacquard mechanism, means under control of the jacquard mechanism for selectively operating each doup needle and each ground heddle in forming cross sheds from predetermined ground and doup yarns, means operable automatically as each doup needle approaches mid-shed position in the formation of a cross shed for momentarily slackening the respective doup yarn or yarns as they cross beneath any ground yarns then in bottom shed position. said means for raising said ground yarns in bottom shed position to mid-shed position comprising a jumper comber board spaced above said ground heddles, at least one cord extending from each ground heddle through the comber board and to the jacquard mechanism, each cord having a protuberance thereon disposed ad acent the upper surface of the comber b r hen i he e is i b tt m shed position, cam operated means for raising and then lowering said comber board in the interim between successive picks, and each stroke of the comber board being such that it engages any protuberances on cords whose heddles are in bottom shed position and raises them to substantially mid-shed position whereby the cords can be shifted by the jacquard mechanism to form open sheds of any pattern with the ground heddles.

20. In a loom having a drive shaft driven to rotate one-half a revolution with each pick by the loom and also having plain ground heddles for ground warp yarns and also having super doup needles provided with elongated substantially vertical slots therein for doup yarns, a double-lift jacquard mechanism, means under control of the jacquard mechanism for selectively operating each doup needle and each ground heddle in forming cross sheds from predetermined ground and doup yarns, means operable automatically as each doup needle approaches mid-shed position in the formation of a cross shed for momentarily slackening the respective doup yarn or yarns as they cross beneath any ground yarns then in bottom shed position, means for momentarily raising said ground yarns in bottom shed position to substantially mid-shed position as the doup needles are lowered from top shed position to substantially mid-shed position and back to top shed position to thereby cross the respective ground yarns over the doup needles from one Side to 11? 9 h? said jacquard being of the type having two sets of vertically movable griff bars, a pair of follower bars mounted for radial movement on said drive shaft and having respective substantially diametrically opposed cam followers thereon, a pair of cams fixed on said drive shaft and engaging the respective followers, mechanical connections between each set of grip bars and the corresponding follower bar, said cams each having a high point and a low point diametrically opposite the high point and each extending through an arc of approximately one-hundredtwenty degrees, and the low point on one cam engaging its corresponding follower while the high point on the other cam engages its respective follower whereby the grip bars dwell during approximately two-thirds of the time consumed between successive picks.

21. The combination with a loom for weaving leno fabric from doup yarns and ground warp yarns of means for suspending leno weaving while weaving plain fabric from the ground warp yarns, selectively controlled doup needles for crossing predetermined corresponding doup yarns with corresponding ground warp yarns in which the doup yarns then are in top shed position, means operable automatically for slackening each of said predetermined doup yarns as the corresponding doup needles are in the course of upward movement from bottom shed position to top shed position, but being operable as the doup needles reach mid-shed position and continue to top shed position, said doup needles being of the type each having a substantially vertical slot therein which is closed during the cross shed formation, and means operable automatically during the interim between successive picks for raising any ground warp yarns which are in bottom shed position to substantially mid-shed position, as the doup needles move downwardly and are subsequently moved upwardly, to open the slots therein and whereby the means for raising the ground warp yarns which are in the bottom shed position to mid-shed position serves to raise the latter ground warp yarns above the upper ends of the doup needles so the doup needles then move upwardly on the opposite sides of the ground warp yarns from which they had previously been positioned during the cross shed formation.

22. The combination with a loom for weaving leno fabric from doup yarns and ground warp yarns and having an electrically operable drop-wire controlled stop motion, of means for suspending leno weaving while weaving plain fabric from the ground warp yarns, selectively controlled doup needles for crossing predetermined doup yarns with corresponding ground Warp yarns in which the doup yarns then are in top shed position, means operable automatically for slackening each of the doup yarns as the corresponding doup needles are in the course of upward movement from bottom shed position to top shed position, but being operable only as the doup needles reach mid-shed position and continue to top shed position, means responsive to the operation of said slackening means for momentarily opening an electrical circuit between the drop-wires and the electrical stop motion to prevent false loom stoppage, said doup needles being of the type each having a substantially vertical slot therein which is closed during the cross shed formation, and means operable automatically for raising any ground warp yarns which are in bottom shed position to substantially mid-shed position, as the doup needles move downwardly and are subsequently moved upwardly, to open the slots therein whereby the means for raising the ground warp yarns which are in the bottom shed position to mid-shed position serves to raise the latter ground warp yarns above the upper ends of the doup needles so the doup needles then move upwardly on the opposite sides of the ground warp yarns from which they had previously been positioned during the cross shed formation.

23. In a loom for weaving leno fabric having means for weaving a plain weave from ground warp yarns and doup yarns, said loom having an oscillatable reed, side frame members and a beam mounted on the rear portion of the loom from which said ground warp yarns are withdrawn; the combination of selectively operable means for controlling each of said doup yarns independently of the others in forming a cross shed, means cooperating with the means for controlling said doup yarns for momentarily slackening the doup yarns in the course of upward movement of the doup yarns from the lower portion of the shed to the upper portion of the shed in a cross shed formation, but after the doup yarns have reached substantially mid-shed position, means operable automatically for raising any of the ground warp yarns normally in the bottom shed position to mid-shed position in the course of changing the position of the doup yarns from cross shed position to parallel relationship with the adjacent ground warp yarns, a creel mounted on the loom and having a width substantially the same as the loom and provided with a plurality of yarn packages thereon, one for each of said doup yarns, means for guiding said doup yarns from the creel successively through the slackening means and the means for controlling the doup yarns in a cross shed formation, means for tensioning each doup yarn of each package, and means operable automatically upon each beat-up stroke of the reed for beating against all of the doup yarns to draw a length of the same from the yarn packages.

24. In a loom having plain ground heddles for ground warp yarns and also having super doup needles provided with elongated substantially vertical slots therein for doup yarns, pattern controlled means for selectively operating each doup needle and each ground heddle in forming cross sheds from predetermined ground and doup yarns, means operable automatically as each doup needle approaches mid-shed position in the formation of a cross shed for momentarily slackening the respective doup yarn or yarns as they cross beneath any ground yarns then in bottom shed position, means for momentarily raising said ground yarns in bottom shed position to substantially mid-shed position as the doup needles are lowered from top shed position to substantially mid-shed position and back to top shed position to thereby cross the respective ground yarns over the doup needles from one side to the other, a creel supported by the loom, a plurality of spools on said creel, one for each of said doup yarns, means resisting rotation of each spool, means guiding the doup yarns in parallel relationship through the slackening means, a draw-off bar normally positioned adjacent said doup yarns, and means to momentarily move said bar against the doup yarns while said slackening means is inoperative to draw doup yarn from each spool.

25. In a loom for weaving leno fabric of the type which includes means for suspending leno weaving while weaving plain fabric from ground warp yarns, said loom having doup needles for crossing doup yarns with ground warp yarns, a double-lift jacquard mechanism, plain ground heddles for the ground warp yarns, pliable connections between the doup needles and the plairi ground heddles, and the jacquard mechanism for controlling each of the doup needles and each of the plain ground heddles independently of the others, a slackener mechanism comprising a plurality of slackener heddles through which the doup yarns pass, supports disposed astraddle the slackener heddles and over which the doup yarns pass, a comber board having a plurality of holes therethrough spaced above the slackener heddles, at least two cords extending from each of said slackener heddles and passing through laterally spaced holes in the comber board and to the jacquard mechanism, each of said cords having a protuberance thereon normally resting upon the comber board and being so arranged so, that the portions of the cords between the comber board and the jacquard mechanism are normally slackened while the slackener heddles apply tension to the doup yarns during plain weaving, said jacquard mechanism being operable to raise said cords during formation of a cross shed to take up the slack in said cords and to subsequently raise said slackener heddles, and said protuberances on the cords being so positioned that the slackener heddles will commence to be raised during the interim between successive picks substantially as the doup needles reach mid-shed position in the course of upward movement thereof in a cross-shed-forming operation.

26. In a loom for weaving leno fabric having means for weaving a plain weave from ground warp yarn and doup yarns; the combination of selectively operable means for controlling each of said doup yarns independently of the others in forming a cross shed, a creel carried by the loom and having a plurality of spools thereon, and means for guiding each of said doup yarns from a corresponding spool to said selectively operable means.

27. In a loom having means for weaving leno fabric from ground warp yarns and doup yarns and including doup needles; a creel mounted on the loom and having a plurality of spools rotatably mounted thereon, and means for guiding the doup yarns from said spools to the doup needles.

28. In a loom having means for weaving leno fabric from ground warp yarns and doup yarns and including doup needles; a creel mounted on the loom and having a plurality of spools rotatably mounted thereon, means for guiding the doup yarns from said spools to the doup needles, and individual means associated with each of said spools for maintaining the corresponding doup yarn under tension.

29. In a loom having means for weaving leno fabric from ground warp yarns and doup yarns and including doup needles; a creel mounted on the loom and having a plurality of spools rotatably mounted thereon, means for guiding the doup yarns from said spools to the doup needles, individual means associated with each of said spools for maintaining the corresponding doup yarn under tension, the axes of said spools being disposed in a substantially horizontal plane, and said means for maintaining the doup yarns under tension each comprising a substantially flat plate member resting upon the yarn on each of said spools.

30. In a loom having means for weaving leno fabric from ground warp yarns and doup yarns and including doup needles; a creel mounted on the loom and having a plurality of spools rotatably mounted thereon, means fol-guiding the doup yarns from said spools to the doup needles, individual means associated with each of said spools for maintaining the corresponding doup yarn under tension, the axes of said spools being disposed in a substantially horizontal plane, said means for maintaining the doup yarns under tension each comprising a substantially flat plate member resting upon the yarn on each of said spools, and weight means carried by each of said plate members.

31. In a loom for weaving fabric from atleast two sets of warp yarns and said loom having an electrically operable drop-wire controlled stop motion, means for momentarily slackening each of selectedwarp yarns in one of said sets periodically during the operation of the loom, and means operable substantially simultaneously with operation of said slackening means for momentarily opening an electrical circuit between the drop-wires and the electrical stop motion to prevent false loom stoppage.

32. In a loom for weaving leno fabric having means for weaving a plain weave from ground warp yarns and doup yarns; the combination of selectively operable means for controlling each of said doup yarns independently of the others in forming a cross shed, and means cooperating with the means for forming the cross shed for momentarily slackening the doup yarns in the course of upward movement of the doup yarns from the lower portion of the shed to the upper portion of the shed, but after the doup yarns have reached substantially the midshed position.

33. In a loom for weaving leno fabric having means for weaving a plain weave from ground warp yarns and doup yarns; the combination of selectively operable means for controlling each of said doup yarns independently of the others in forming a cross shed, and means operable automatically for raising any of the ground warp yarns in bottom shed position to substantially mid-shed position in the course of changing the position of the doup yarns from cross shed position to parallel relationship with the adjacent ground warp yarns.

34. In a loom for weaving leno fabric from ground warp yarns and doup yarns and having means for weaving a plain weave from ground warp yarns; the combination of selectively operable means for controlling each of the said doup yarns independently of the others in forming a cross shed, and means operable automatically for raising any of the ground warp yarns in bottom shed position to substantially mid-shed position in the course of changing the position of the doup yarns from cross shed position to parallel relationship with the adjacent ground warp yarns.

35. In a loom for weaving leno fabric having means for weaving a plain weave from ground yarns and doup yarns and also having an electrically operable stop motion normally responsive to undue slackening of any of the yarns for stopping the loom; the combination of 23 selectively operable means for controlling each of said doup yarns independently of the others in forming a cross shed, means cooperating with the means for forming the cross shed for momentarily slackening the doup yarns in the course of upward movement of the doup yarns from the lower portion of the shed to the upper portion of the shed, but after the doup yarns have reached substantially mid-shed position, and means interposed in an electrical circuit between the electrically operable stop motion and a source of current for rendering said electrically operable stop motion ineffective in stopping the loom at such times that the doup yarns are momentarily slackened in the forming of the cross shed.

36. In a loom for weaving leno fabric having means for weaving a plain weave from ground warp yarns and doup yarns; the combination of selectively operable means for controlling each of said doup yarns independently of the others in forming a cross shed. means cooperating with said means for forming the cross shed for momentarily slackening the doup yarns in the course of upward movement of the doup yarns from the lower portion of the shed to the upper portion of the shed comprising a plurality of slackener heddles through which the doup yarns pass in their course to said selectively operable means, a comber board spaced above said slackener heddles and having a plurality of holes therethrough, at least two cords connected to each slackener heddle and extending upwardly therefrom in diverging relationship and loosely extending through corresponding holes in said comber board, and means for selectively raising and lowering said slackener heddles in timed relation to the operation of the means for controlling each of said doup yarns independently of the others in forming a cross shed.

37. In a loom having a jacquard mechanism, plain ground heddles for ground warp yarns and super doup needles provided with elongated substantially vertical slots therein for doup yarns; the combination of means under control of the jacquard mechanism for selectively operating each needle and each ground heddle in forming cross sheds from predetermined ground and doup yarns, means operable automatically as each doup needle approaches mid-shed position in the formation of a cross shed for momentarily slackening the respective doup yarn or yarns as they cross beneath any ground yarns then in bottom shed position, said last-named means comprising a plurality of slackener heddles spaced rearwardly of the ground heddles and through which said doup yarns pass in their course to the super doup needles,

at least two cords connected to the upper end of each of said slackener heddles and extending to said jacquard mechanism, and means guiding said cords from each heddle in diverging relationship relative to the slackener heddles in their course from the slackener heddles to the jacquard mechanism.

38. In a loom having plain ground heddles for ground warp yarns, super doup needles provided with elongated substantially vertical slots therein for doup yarns, an electrically operable stop motion, electrodes interposed in a circuit to said stop motion and over which said yarns pass, and the drop-wires normally being supported on said yarns above the electrodes; pattern controlled means for selectively operating each doup needle and each ground heddle in forming cross sheds from predetermined ground and doup yarns, means operable automatically as each doup needle approaches mid-shed position in the formation of a cross shed for momentarily slackening the respective doup yarn or yarns as they cross beneath any ground yarns then in bottom shed position, a switch interposed in said circuit between the electrodes and the stop motion, means for intermittently closing and opening said switch so said switch is open each time the slackener heddles are raised to prevent false loom stoppage, and means for momentarily raising said ground yarns in bottom shed position to substantially mid-shed position as the doup needles are lowered from top shed position to substantially mid-shed position and back to top shed position to thereby cross the respective ground yarns over the doup needles from one side to the other.

39. ln a loom for weaving leno fabric from ground warp yarns and doup yarns and having means for weaving a plain weave from the ground yarns independently of the doup yarns; the combination of means for controlling each of said doup yarns independently of the others in forming a cross shed, means cooperating with the means for forming the cross shed for momentarily slackening the doup yarns in the course of upward movement of the doup yarns from the lower portion of the shed to the upper portion of the shed comprising a jacquard mechanism carried by the loom, a plurality of slackener heddles through which the doup yarns pass in their course to said means for controlling each of said doup yarns, a pair of rods disposed astride the slackener heddles and over which said doup yarns pass, a comber board spaced above said slackener heddles and having a plurality of holes therethrough, at least two cords connected to the upper end of each heddle and extending upwardly therefrom in diverging relationship and through spaced holes in said comber board and thence to said jacquard mechanism, each of said cords having a protuberance thereon normally resting against the upper surface of the comber board for supporting the respective slackener heddles during the time intervening between successive cross shed formations, the portions of said cords between the comber board and the jacquard mechanism normally being slack, and said jacquard mechanism being operable to first take up the slack in said cords and then raise said slackener heddles for slackening the doup yarns at substantially the time that the doup yarns reach substantially mid-shed position in the course of upward movement thereof from the lower portion of the shed to the upper portion of the shed in forming a cross shed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 729,012 Tallant May 26, 1903 803,891 Gerber Nov. 7, 1905 946,137 King Jan. 11, 1910 1,718,816 Gourley June 25, 1929

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