Chapter Three: Rapier Looms
Chapter Three: Rapier Looms
Chapter Three: Rapier Looms
RAPIER LOOMS
• A rapier loom uses a rapier to pull the weft yarn across the
loom.
• It can be a single rapier or double rapier.
• For a single rapier, a long rapier device is required to extend
across the full width of warp.
• For a double rapier loom, two rapiers enter the shed from
opposite sides of the loom and transfer the weft from one
rapier head to the other near the centre of the loom
• The advantage of two rapier system is only 50% of the rapier
movement is utilized in the weft insertion of single rapier
loom
Salient features of rapier looms
1. Weft carrier : Rapier (Single, Double, Flexible or Rigid)
2. Manufacturers : Somet, Vamatex, Sulzer Ruti, Nuovo Pignone
Dornier etc.
3. Available widths : 165-420cm (Somet)
160-380cm (Vamatex)
120-280cm (Sulzer Ruti)
220-420cm (Nuovo Pignone)
150-400cm (Dornier)
4. Speeds : 325 – 550 rpm maximum
5. Weft insertion rates : 1000-1300 mpm
6. Types of weft transfer in double rapier
i. Loop transfer – Gabler System
ii. Tip transfer – Dewas System
Conti…
7. Weft selection : Upto 8 colours
8. Shedding : Matched cam or positive dobby shedding
9. Beat-up : Link beat up mechanism is usually employed.
10. Warp stop : Positive Electrical
12. Weft stop : Electronic sensors
13. Weft package : Cone / cheese kept on one side in
creels. Picking is from the package side of the machine.
14. Rapier guides are used to guide the rapier across the
loom.
Additional advantages
(1)The production is 40% higher than the conventional automatic
bobbin-changing loom.
(2)It results in economies in labour and cost, by eliminating pirn
winding and battery filling.
(3)It increases weaver's productivity by 40% and the work load of
the supervisory staff is reduced to half.
(4)It has reduced maintenance cost by 70%
(5)The use of large weaver's beams and cloth rolls reduces
handling of material and also reduces production of waste.
(6)The power consumption is low and the loom operates with a
reduction in noise level.
(7)It can weave light and medium weight cotton fabrics at 226
picks per minute
Classification of rapier machine
1. Drive gear
2. Stroke crank arm
3. Crosshead with transmission lever
4. Transmission toothed segment
5. Driving gear wheel
6. Intermediate gearwheel
7. Tape wheel shaft
8. Guide strap
9. Tape wheel
10. Rapier tape
Conti..
1. Spreading roller
2. Take-up roller
3. Press rollers
4. Roller for crease free
wind up
5. Cloth take-up motor
Conti..
1. Warp beam
2. Clamping bar
3. Warp let-off gear
Conti..
• The power warp let-off covers a pick count range from 6 to 200
picks/cm.
• It can be programmed for two different weft densities.
• The warp tension is kept constant to a given set point.
• The configuration of warp let-off gear 3 depends on the
required number of picks per cm, the warp beam flange
diameter and weaving machine speed.
• The link with the warp let-off gear is disconnected by releasing
clamping bar 2 on the warp beam adapter, whereupon warp
beam 1 can be turned manually.
• For borders with higher weft density the warp
let-off slows down in synchronism with the cloth take-up. A
different warp tension in the border is also possible
Color control
1. Weft finger
2. Magnet
3. Tongue
4. Carriage
Conti..
The pick sequence is determined by the fabric style, and is
controlled electronically.
The required pick sequence is stored in the terminal. During
pick finding the colour control is synchronized electronically, so
that the weave and the weft colour always correspond.
Magnet 2 of the required weft yarn is activated, thus drawing
tongue 3 to the magnet in the read-in position of carriage 4.
The carriage pushes the tongue forward and weft finger 1 lowers
the weft thread into the zone of the left-hand gripper.
If the same weft yarn is inserted several times in succession, the
weft finger remains in the insertion position .