Description

A gripper weaving machine provided with a bringer gripper and a deflecting guide

[0001 ] The invention relates to a gripper weaving machine provided with a bringer gripper and a deflecting guide on which a weft thread can rest before being brought into a weaving shed by means of the bringer gripper.

[0002] In gripper weaving machines, it is known to bring a weft thread through a weaving shed with the aid of a bringer gripper and a receiver gripper. As is described in EP 906 461 B1 , the bringer gripper can take up, at the area of the feed side of the weaving shed, a weft thread which is held ready substantially in a horizontal position via a thread presenter and which rests on a deflecting guide. In this case, the weft thread, which is held ready by the thread presenter, is bent over the deflecting guide and held in a well-defined position in which the weft thread can be taken up by the bringer gripper when the bringer gripper moves toward the weaving shed. When the bringer gripper is brought toward the weaving shed, the weft thread is taken up by the bringer gripper, positioned more vertically in the bringer gripper and clamped by means of a thread clamp of the bringer gripper. In about the centre of the weaving shed, the weft thread is taken over by the receiver gripper, clamped by a thread clamp of the receiver gripper and brought to the opposite side of the weaving shed by the receiver gripper. In this case, the hook of the receiver gripper, which surrounds the thread clamp of the receiver gripper, can be arranged in a substantially horizontal plane in order to take up a more vertically positioned part of the weft thread from the bringer gripper. During this time, the bringer gripper returns empty to its starting position at the feed side of the weaving shed.

[0003] In gripper weaving machines, it is also known to bring a weft thread through the weaving shed with the aid of a bringer gripper. The bringer gripper, which takes up the weft thread at the feed side of the weaving shed, then moves toward the opposite side of the weaving shed where the weft thread is released by the bringer gripper and is taken over, for example, by a receiver hook or the like.

[0004] It is known from EP 906 461 B1 to provide a bringer gripper, starting from its top, with a guide surface which guides a weft thread to a recess which is used for positioning the weft thread within the bringer gripper. Bringer grippers of this type also comprise a lip forming a guide surface which guides a weft thread to a thread clamp. Bringer grippers of this type allow the tension in the weft thread to be maintained when said weft thread is taken up by the bringer gripper, thus minimizing the risk of weft thread breaks during taking up of the weft thread. In order to be able to take up a weft thread without difficulty, a bringer gripper of this type requires the weft thread to be held ready under a certain tension.

[0005] The object of the invention is to design a gripper weaving ma- chine, a bringer gripper and a deflecting guide which allow a weft thread held ready to be taken up without difficulty.

[0006] This object is achieved in that a deflecting guide comprises a groove and in that the bringer gripper comprises a thread clamp, the thread clamp interacting with a thread guiding element for the thread clamp that moves, during the taking up of a weft thread, through the groove in order to take up a weft thread resting on the deflecting guide.

[0007] A bringer gripper according to the invention can take up with- out difficulty a weft thread held ready at a deflecting guide according to the invention, irrespective of the tension with which the weft thread is held ready. A bringer gripper of this type is also capable of taking up weft threads having any dimensions whatsoever. Nor is there any risk of

a bringer gripper of this type damaging or breaking a warp thread. A bringer gripper of this type using few components can also be configured to be light, short in the longitudinal direction and narrow perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0008] According to one embodiment, the thread guiding element for the thread clamp is formed by a clamping element of the thread clamp. This allows the bringer gripper to be configured simply and with few components. According to one embodiment, the thread clamp comprises two clamping elements which are arranged so as to be movable relative to each other and are forced toward each other. A thread clamp of this type can be configured as a one-part element or can be composed of elements joined together.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the thread clamp opposes the groove in the deflecting guide during the taking up of a weft thread by the bringer gripper. According to one embodiment, the bringer gripper forms an open profile which surrounds the deflecting guide during the taking up of a weft thread, which extends in the longitudinal direction and which is open at the front and back and on the side which is oriented toward the deflecting guide. The longitudinal direction of the bringer gripper is in this case also the direction in which the bringer gripper moves.

[0010] According to one embodiment, a weft thread is positioned in the bringer gripper by a positioning element at the height of the lower flank of the bringer gripper and by the thread clamp at the height of the upper flank of the bringer gripper. This positioning element can be formed by a collar in the lower flank. A bringer gripper of this type is not only simple in its configuration but can also be designed with a minimum number of components. In addition, the weft thread can be positioned in the bringer gripper so as to be easily taken over by a receiver gripper or a receiver hook.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the thread guiding element for the thread clamp is arranged in such a way that a weft thread taken up by the bringer gripper first makes contact with, moves in conjunction with and is optionally tensioned by the thread guiding element before being clamped by the thread clamp. According to one embodiment, the positioning element can be arranged with respect to the thread clamp in such a way that a weft thread taken up by the bringer gripper first makes contact with the positioning element before being clamped by the thread clamp. This allows weft threads which are held ready, in the direction of movement of the bringer gripper, in a different position with respect to the deflecting element to be clamped by the thread clamp at the area of substantially a single position of the bringer gripper in the direction of movement of the bringer gripper. This allows the weft thread first to be tensioned by moving in conjunction with the thread guiding element and/or with the positioning element before being clamped by the thread clamp. Partly for those reasons, the tension of the weft thread which is held ready is less important for the taking up of the weft thread by the bringer gripper.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the thread clamp is located on the upper flank of the bringer gripper and can interact with a clamp opener which can be positioned in proximity to the upper flank in order to open the thread clamp in a specific position of the bringer gripper in the direction of movement of the bringer gripper.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the bringer gripper is attached via the lower flank to a rapier band which can bring the bringer gripper into and out of the weaving shed in the direction of movement of the bringer gripper.

[0014] The invention also relates to a bringer gripper which can be used in a gripper weaving machine according to the invention. A bringer gripper according to the invention comprises an open profile which ex-

tends in the longitudinal direction and which is open at the front and back and on a side in order to be able to surround a deflecting guide and comprises a thread guiding element which is arranged to move during the taking up of a weft thread, in a direction of movement, through a groove in a deflecting guide in order to take up a weft thread. Bringer grippers of this type have the advantage of being able to interact with a fixedly arranged deflecting guide which can hold ready a weft thread in proximity to the thread clamp of the bringer gripper and can also be responsible for guiding a weft thread toward the thread clamp of the bringer gripper.

[0015] The invention also relates to a deflecting guide which can be used in a gripper weaving machine according to the invention. A deflecting guide according to the invention comprises a groove through which a thread guiding element for a thread clamp of a bringer gripper can move during the taking up of a weft thread which rests on the edge portions of the groove in the deflecting guide. As the deflecting guide can be secured to the frame of the gripper weaving machine and thus does not form part of the bringer gripper, the bringer gripper can be simple and light in its configuration.

[0016] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the subsequent description of the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a gripper weaving machine comprising a bringer gripper and a deflecting guide according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a view from Figure 1 in the direction indicated by the arrow F2 in Figure 1 ;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a deflecting guide according to the invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a bringer gripper according to the invention attached to a rapier;

Figures 5 to 9 are plan views of Figure 1 for various positions of the bringer gripper; and

Figure 10 shows a variation of Figure 5.

[0017] The portion illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of a gripper weaving machine 1 according to the invention comprises a bringer gripper 2 and a deflecting guide 3. Also shown is a weft thread 4 which extends and moves from a thread supply (not shown) via a thread guiding eyelet 5 of a thread presenter 6 to the selvedge 7 of a fabric 8. The thread presenter 6, which is for example part of a thread presenting apparatus as described in US 5400834, places the weft thread 4 on the deflecting guide 3 so as to allow the weft thread 4 to be take up by the bringer gripper 2 when the bringer gripper 2 moves, in the direction of move- ment A thereof, toward the weaving shed 9 in order to introduce the weft thread 4 into the weaving shed 9. During the taking up of the weft thread 4, the weft thread 4 rests on the deflecting guide 3. The weaving shed 9 is formed by warp threads 10 and 11 which are moved up and down using shed forming means 12, 13. A reed 14 is located between the fabric 8 and the shed forming means 12, 13.

[0018] In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the deflecting guide 3 is secured to a guide profile 15 for the guiding of a rapier band 16. The rapier band 16 is intended to move the bringer gripper 2 in the direction A and counter to the direction A. The bringer gripper 2 is attached to the rapier band 16 via the lower flank 17; more specifically, the lower flank 17 of the bringer gripper 2 is fastened to the rapier band 16. The deflecting guide 3 comprises a groove 20 which is delimited by two edge por-

tions 21 and 22 on which a weft thread 4, which is held ready by the thread presenter 6, can rest. The deflecting guide 3 defines a deflecting zone between the edge portions 21 , 22 for a weft thread 4, in which deflecting zone the groove 20 is arranged. A held-ready weft thread 4 of this type is bent over the deflecting guide 3; more specifically, the weft thread 4 runs from the thread guiding eyelet 5 of the thread presenter 6 over the edge portions 21 and 22 of the deflecting guide 3 to the selvedge 7 of the fabric 8 to which the weft thread 4 is connected. The deflecting guide 3 comprises a sheet 23 which is folded in such a way that the sheet 23 forms the groove 20 and the edge portions 21 and 22. The sheet 23 is fastened at the frame of the weaving machine, for example by at least one screwed connection 24 to the guide profile 15 for the rapier band 16. The sheet 23 is in this case attached in such a way that the groove 20 is arranged parallel to the direction of movement A of the bringer gripper 2.

[0019] The deflecting guide 3 comprises, as is shown in greater detail in Figure 3, edges 26 and 27 which are bevelled in proximity to a top 25 of the groove 20 and attached to prevent a weft thread 4 from becoming caught or becoming damaged at the height of the top 25 of the sheet 23 of the deflecting guide 3. The edges 26 and 27 are respectively arranged in the extension of the edge portions 21 and 22. The sheet 23 is also attached so as to allow the bringer gripper 2 to move along the sheet 23 while said gripper takes up a weft thread 4. The sheet 23 can, for exam- pie, be made of a stainless steel sheet, of an aluminium sheet or of a titanium sheet which may be provided with a cover layer. As the sheet 23 is sationary, the sheet 23 can be configured as a normal steel sheet. The distance between the top 25 and the guide profile 15 can be selected so as to be relatively small, whereas the top 25 can, for example, be located at a short distance above the extension of the rapier band 16.

[0020] According to the invention, the bringer gripper 2 comprises a curved sheet 30, made for example of a stainless steel sheet, of an alu-

minium sheet or of a titanium sheet, which may or may not be provided with a cover layer. The sheet 30 comprises a lower flank 17, an upper flank 18 and a side flank 19. In this case, the bringer gripper 2 forms an open profile 31 which can surround the deflecting guide 3. The open pro- file 31 is in this case formed by the sheet 30 and extends in this case in the longitudinal direction of the bringer gripper 2, i.e. in the direction of movement A of the bringer gripper 2. The bringer gripper 2, more specifically the open profile 31 of the bringer gripper 2, is open at the front and back, more specifically at the leading end 55 and the trailing end 56, and also on the side 53 facing toward the deflecting guide 3. In other words, the sheet 30, which is formed by the lower flank 17, the upper flank 18 and the side flank 19, forms in crossection a substantially U- shaped profile which can be arranged in such a way that the open side 53 is oriented toward the deflecting guide 3 and in such a way that the U-shaped profile of the sheet 30 can surround the deflecting guide 3.

[0021] According to the invention, the bringer gripper 2 comprises a thread clamp 40 which opposes the groove 20 in the deflecting guide 3 during the taking up of a weft thread 4. The thread clamp 40 interacts with a thread guiding element 41 for the thread clamp 40 that moves, during the taking up of a weft thread 4, through the groove 20 in order to take up a weft thread 4 resting on the edge portions 21 and 22 of the groove 20 in the deflecting guide 3. The thread guiding element 41 is in this case arranged at the height of the thread clamp 40 and can guide a take up weft thread 4 toward and in the thread clamp 40. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the thread guiding element 41 forms part of a clamping element 42. The thread clamp 40 comprises two clamping elements 42 and 43 which are arranged so as to be movable relative to each other and are forced toward each other. The thread clamp 40 is located at the height of the upper flank 18 of the bringer gripper 3. The clamping elements 42 and 43 can, as shown in Figure 2, comprise a grooved clamping surface. Of course, the clamping elements 42 and 43

can have any desired clamping surface allowing a weft thread to be clamped between both clamping elements 42 and 43.

[0022] As is shown in Figure 4, the upper flank 18 is arranged be- tween both clamping elements 42 and 43. In this case, the clamping elements 42 and 43 are resilient in their configuration and are forced toward each other once they have been fastened to the upper flank 18. Both clamping elements 42 and 43 comprise a part which acts as a leaf spring. According to a variation (not shown), a clamping element 42 and/or 43 can be configured so as to hinge and interact with springs in order to force the clamping elements toward each other. According to a further variation (not shown), one clamping element can be stationary in its configuration and the other clamping element can be forced resiliently against the stationary clamping element; for example, the clamping ele- ment 42 can be rigidly connected to the sheet 30 and the clamping element 43 can be resiliently arranged with respect to the sheet 30. This fastening can be carried out using at least one screw 44 which passes, for example, through a hole in the clamping element 43 and a hole in the upper flank 18 of the sheet 30 in order subsequently to be screwed into a hole, provided with a screw thread, in the clamping element 42. In this case, the thread guiding element 41 is formed by the front portion of the clamping element 42. In other words, in this embodiment, the front portion of the clamping element 42 moves through the groove 20 during the taking up of the weft thread 4. This embodiment has the advantage that the bringer gripper 2 consists merely of a sheet 30, a first clamping element 42, a second clamping element 43 and at least one screw 44 for joining together the sheet 30 and the clamping elements 42, 43. According to a variation (not shown), the thread guiding element can also be formed by a strip which forms part of the top flank or a strip which is, for example, attached to the top flank or to the clamping element 42. As the thread guiding element can have a specific position with respect to the sheet 30, a weft thread can clearly be taken up from the sheet 23.

[0023] The top clamping element 43 comprises two curved end portions 45 and 46 which are arranged in openings 47 and 48 of the upper flank 18. This rules out the risk of the clamping element 43 damaging warp threads when the bringer gripper 3 is moved through the weaving shed 9.

[0024] As shown in Figure 4, the bringer gripper 2 has a positioning element 32 at the lower flank 17 of the sheet 30. A weft thread 4 can be positioned between the thread clamp 40, which is arranged at the height of the upper flank 18 of the sheet 30, and this positioning element 32. This positioning element 32 can be formed by a recess or a collar 54 at an edge 33 of the lower flank 17. The lower flank 17 is in this case in proximity to the front portion of the bringer gripper 2, more specifically in proximity to the point 34 which is, for example, configured in a similar manner to the lower flank of the bringer gripper as described in EP 906 461 B1. The point 34 of the bringer gripper 2 is in this case provided on the side flank 19, which is arranged in proximity to the reed 14, of the bringer gripper 2. The lower flank 17 is fastened to a rapier band 16 in proximity to the rear portion, i.e. the portion remote from the point 34, using screwed connections 35. The rapier band 16 displays a collar 36, to which the bringer gripper 2 is fastened, and a profiled longitudinal portion 37 which extends in the longitudinal direction and is intended to be driven and guided in the direction of movement A. The rapier band 16, which has a collar 36 and a longitudinal portion 37, can be guided in a guide 38 of the guide profile 15 as shown in Figure 1. The rapier 16 can, for example, be guided in the weaving shed by guide hooks as described in WO 2006/037619. The bringer gripper 2 and the rapier band 16 can be moved in and out of the weaving shed 9 in the direction of movement A of the bringer gripper 2.

[0025] As may be seen in Figure 1 , in a position removed from the weaving shed 9, the bringer gripper 2 can interact with a clamp opener 28. In this embodiment, the clamp opener 28 comprises a strip 29 which

can engage between the clamping element 43 and the upper flank 18 of the sheet 30 in order to lift the clamping element 43 and move it away from the clamping element 42 in such a way that the thread clamp 40 is opened. The strip 29 is in this case arranged substantially horizontally and in the direction of movement A of the bringer gripper 2. According to one embodiment (not shown), the strip can be wedge-shaped in its configuration and/or be arranged slightly inclined. The clamp opener 28 is in this case arranged in proximity to the upper flank 18 of the bringer gripper 2, at a distance from the weaving shed 9. The clamp opener 28 is, for example, fastened with respect to the frame of the weaving machine, for example to the guide profile 15 for the rapier band 16 by a screwed connection 39. Opening said guide profile is advantageous in order to be able to blow dust out of the thread clamp 40 and/or to allow suction when the bringer gripper 2 is located at the area of the clamp opener 28. The use of a clamp opener 28 arranged at a specific distance from the weaving shed 9 also allows the thread clamp 40 to be opened or to be held open until the bringer gripper 2 has reached, in the direction of movement A of the bringer gripper 2, a well-defined position with respect to the weaving shed 9. Holding the thread clamp 40 open in specific po- sitions of the bringer gripper 2 or until the bringer gripper 2 has reached a specific position with respect to the weaving shed 9 allows the weft thread 4 to be clamped by the thread clamp 40 at any desired moment in the weaving cycle. According to a variation (not shown), the clamp opener 28 can also be moved using controlled means with respect to the weaving shed 9 in order to set or to adjust the moment in the weaving cycle when the thread clamp 40 is opened or is re-closed.

[0026] As may be seen in Figure 2, the thread guiding element 41 for the thread clamp 40 is arranged in such a way that a weft thread 4 to be taken up by the bringer gripper 2 first makes contact with the thread guiding element 41 in order, during the further movement of the bringer gripper 2 toward the weaving shed 9, to move in conjunction with this thread guiding element 41. During this joint movement, the weft thread

4, which for example is held between the fabric 8 and the thread presenter 6 and continues to rest on the edge portions 21 and 22, is moved by means of the thread guiding element 41 which moves through the groove 20. Subsequently, the weft thread is moved away from the edge portions 21 and 22 of the deflecting guide 3 and guided along this thread guiding element 41 to the thread clamp 40 in order to be clamped by the thread clamp 40. The fact that the weft thread 4, which rests on the deflecting guide 3, is moved by the thread guiding element 41 over a certain distance along the groove 20, while the weft thread 4 continues to rest on the deflecting guide 3, provides the advantage that the weft thread moves upward and toward the thread clamp 40 only when the bringer gripper 2 reaches a specific position, where the weft thread being under a certain tension and/or forming a certain angle to the bringer gripper 2. In order to enable the bringer gripper 2 to move, in the em- bodiment of Figure 1 , along the deflecting guide 3, the thread clamp 40 is attached to the bringer gripper 2 in such a way that the thread clamp 40 is arranged above the deflecting guide 3. In this case, the leading end of the thread guiding element 41 is located below the portions of the clamping portions 42, 43, between which a run-in thread 4 is clamped. As a result, the weft thread 4 is located, during the movement together with the thread guiding element 41 in the direction of movement A, below the portions of the clamping portions 42, 43, between which a weft thread 4 is clamped. In this case, the positioning element 32 is also arranged with respect to the thread clamp 40 in such a way that a weft thread 4, which is taken up by the bringer gripper 2, first makes contact with the positioning element 32 and moves together with the thread guiding element 41 before being clamped by the thread clamp 40. A weft thread can be clamped by the thread clamp 40 when the weft thread has a specific tension and/or is located in a specific angular position.

[0027] Figure 5 shows a presented or held-ready weft thread 4 which is in contact with the bringer gripper 2. When the bringer gripper 2 then continues to move in the direction of movement A, the weft thread 4

makes contact, as shown in Figure 6, with the edge 33 and the thread guiding element 41 and subsequently, as shown in Figure 7, also with the positioning element 32. In this case, the weft thread 4 is moved together with the thread guiding element 41 and/or with the positioning element 32. During further movement of the bringer gripper 2, the weft thread 4 is also tensioned or held tensioned. When the bringer gripper 2 continues to move, the weft thread 4 is, as indicated in Figure 8, introduced into the thread clamp 40. Subsequently, as shown in Figure 9, the weft thread 4, which is clamped by the thread clamp 40, is cut through by means of a cutter 49 between the thread clamp 40 and the fabric 8 in order to allow the weft thread 4 to be brought, together with the bringer gripper 2, further into the weaving shed 9. During this cutting, the weft thread 4 can be clamped by a thread clamping element 57, wherein the thread clamping element 57 can be fastened to the cutter 49 by a screwed connection 58. The cutter 49 can be fastened to the guide profile 15 by a screwed connection 67.

[0028] If a different weft thread 50 as indicated in Figure 10, which is for example guided via a thread guiding eyelet 51 of a different thread presenter 52, is held ready in a different position with respect to the deflecting element 3, this weft thread 50 will similarly first make contact with the thread guiding element 41 and/or the positioning element 32, be tensioned and subsequently be clamped by the thread clamp 40 in substantially the same position with respect to the weaving shed 9. Figure 10 indicates a run-in zone 59 wherein the bringer gripper 2 normally takes along a weft thread 4, 50, more specifically wherein the thread guiding element 41 of the bringer gripper 2 displaces the weft thread 4, 50 along the deflecting guide 3. Also indicated is a clamping zone 60 wherein the thread clamp 40 of the bringer gripper 2 will normally clamp a weft thread 4, 50. It will be clear that appropriate arrangement of a clamp opener 28 also allows the moment at which the weft thread is clamped to be adapted and/or set.

[0029] The embodiment of the bringer gripper 2 according to the invention allows weft threads of any desired type, more specifically any desired thickness, uniformity, non-uniformity and the like, to be woven without difficulty. In addition, the shape of bringer grippers of this type can rule out the risk of the bringer gripper damaging warp threads. The bringer gripper 2 according to the invention is particularly suitable for taking up weft threads which are held ready at any desired location and under any desired tension on a deflecting element 3 according to the invention.

[0030] The application of a deflecting element 3 comprising a groove 20 formed in a sheet 23 has the advantage of allowing a weft thread 4, 50 to be guided to a thread clamp 40 of a bringer gripper 2 without the bringer gripper 2 having to be provided with a number of guides for the guiding of a weft thread 4, 50 to a thread clamp 40. A simple thread guiding element 41 , which may preferably form part of a clamping element 42 of the bringer gripper 2, is all that is provided for this purpose. This allows a simple and light bringer gripper 2 to be formed.

[0031] As the thread guiding element 41 which passes through the groove 20 is located, during the taking up of a weft thread 4, 50, below the thread clamp 40, this thread guiding element 41 can advance a weft thread 4, 50 along the groove 20 in the direction of movement A of the bringer gripper 2 without the weft thread 4, 50 already being clamped in the thread clamp 40. In this case, the weft thread 4, 50 can simply slide along the edge portions 21 and 22 of the groove 20. This allows the weft thread 4, 50 to be clamped merely at a moment at which the weft thread 4, 50 has already been tensioned and is located in a position in proximity to the weaving shed 9. This allows, inter alia, weft threads 4, 50, which are held ready in the direction of movement A in a different position with respect to the sheet 23 of the deflecting guide 3, to be taken up and to be clamped in the thread clamp 40 substantially in the same position in the direction of movement A. During the taking up, the weft thread 4, 50

can thus slide along the thread guiding element 41 before being clamped between the clamping portions 42, 43 of the thread clamp 40. During the taking up of a weft thread 4, 50, the weft thread 4, 50 can also be guided to the positioning element 32, optionally before or while the weft thread 4, 50 slides along the thread guiding element 41. In this case, the weft thread 4, 50 can also slide along the positioning element 32. The part of the weft thread 4, 50 that extends between the thread clamp 40 and the positioning element 32 can in a known manner be taken up by a receiving gripper at the area of the centre of the weaving shed. Alternatively, this part of the weft thread 4, 50 can be taken over by a receiver hook arranged at the opposite side of the weaving shed. In the bringer gripper 2 shown, this part of the weft thread 4, 50 extends at a specific angle, more specifically almost vertically.

[0032] As is shown, for example, in Figure 5, the held-ready weft thread 4, 50 runs obliquely from the fabric selvedge 7 of the fabric 8 to the thread guiding eyelet 5, 51 of the thread presenter 6, 52 over the sheet 23 which is provided with a groove 20, i.e. obliquely with respect to the direction of movement A of the bringer gripper 2. This allows weft threads 4, 50 to be fed to a bringer gripper 2 from a plurality of thread supplies (not shown). Obviously, the held-ready weft thread 4, 50 does not necessarily have to be connected to the fabric 8 and to be cut loose from the fabric 8 before the clamped weft thread is brought into the weaving shed 9. According to a variation (not shown), the weft thread can, instead of remaining connected to the fabric 8, be secured to a clamp at near the fabric, for example in a manner such as is known from US 4840203, in order to allow the weft thread 4 to be guided around the deflecting guide 3 and to be held ready at the edge portions 21 and 22 of the groove 20. In this case, the weft thread can be cut loose from the fabric from a moment at which the weft thread is introduced.

[0033] The sheet 23 and the sheet 30 can be provided, at the area of the edges which interact with weft threads, with a wear-proof cover layer

or with a cover layer causing low friction of weft threads with a sheet of this type. The deflecting guide 3, which interacts with the bringer gripper 2, allows a weft thread 4, 50, which is held ready substantially horizontally, to be placed during the taking up in the bringer gripper 2, so the weft thread 4, 50 is held more vertically in the bringer gripper 2.

[0034] As is shown in Figures 1 and 2, a further guide element 64 can be provided to guide a weft thread while the bringer gripper 2 is located in the weaving shed. The guide element 64 is fastened to the guide pro- file 15 by a screwed connection 65. This rules out the risk of a weft thread coming into contact with the reed 14 during the introduction. The cutter 49 can comprise an electric and/or controllable drive motor 61 and a rotating shear blade 62 which is driven by the drive motor 61. The cutter 49 further comprises a guide 63 in order to guide a weft thread to the shear blade 62 and/or in order to clamp a weft thread between the guide 63 and the thread clamping element 57 while the weft thread is cut through by the rotating shear blade 62. The sheet 23 can also be fastened to the cutter 49 by a screwed connection 66. As may be seen in Figure 3, the sheet 23 has openings 68 and 69 for the screwed connec- tions 24 and 66. It will be clear that the sheet 23, the cutter 49 and the guide profile 15 can also be joined together differently.

[0035] The bringer gripper 2 according to the invention has the advantage of being able to be light in its configuration. Furthermore, the dis- tance between the point 34 and the rapier band 16 can be kept short so the bringer gripper 2 protrudes, as it were, less past the rapier band 16, and this is advantageous for preventing wear to the rapier 16. Furthermore, the distance between the point 34 and the thread clamp 40 and the distance between the point 34 and the positioning element 32 can be selected so as to be short. This latter arrangement has the advantage that the distance by which the bringer gripper 2 has to move out of the weaving shed 9 in order to be able to take up a weft thread can be selected so as to be relatively small. This also allows the course of move-

merit of the bringer gripper 2 to be restricted, allowing the weaving speed to be increased, i.e. a greater number of weft threads to be introduced per unit of time.

[0036] It will be clear that the groove 20 is not limited to the substantially V-shaped groove 20 shown. According to a variation (not shown), the groove 20 can also be U-shaped in its configuration or display any desired shape allowing the thread guiding element 41 for the thread clamp 40 of the bringer gripper 2 to pass through the groove 20.

[0037] The invention is not limited to the illustrated exemplary embodiments. Variations and combinations of the illustrated exemplary embodiments are readily possible. The scope of protection is defined by the claims.