Filling Velocity Changes at Tip Transfer on Rapier Looms: A Simple Analysis

Abstract

In rapier filling insertion by tip-transfer between two half-width rapiers, the filling clamps may be operated either positively or negatively at transfer. The trajectories of the transfer point on the giver and the clamping point on the taker rapier are observed for both cases. With positively operated clamps, these trajectories are tangential, con firming that a filling velocity change at transfer can be avoided. Negatively operating systems entail an overlap of the trajectories, and thus a filling velocity change at transfer. Observed filling deflections during transfer indicate the sequence of operations entailed in negative transfer. A simple model of these operations gives an estimate of the velocity change at transfer. For the two looms observed, this velocity change has a lower bound of about 20% of the maximum filling velocity.