BASIC KNOWLEDGE ON SECONDARY AND AUXILIARY MOTIONS OF

WEAVING MACHINE AND THEIR TECHNOLOGY

Respectful Courtesy to
Prof. Sadhan Chandra Ray
Professor
Department of Jute and Fibre Technology
Institute of Jute Technology
University of Calcutta,
35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata-700 019, West Bengal, India
Chapter-1

TAKE-UP MECHANISM
TAKE-UP MECHANISM

1.0 Definition & Objective

Secondary Motion necessary for weaving continuously a fabric on a weaving machine.

To pull the cloth forward after the beat-up of weft, maintaining the same pick density and
spacing throughout weaving of a cloth and winding the woven cloth on to a roller.

Picks/inch or shots of a cloth is determined by the rate at which the cloth is taken up by
the take-up mechanism of the loom or in other words, by the position the cloth fell
occupies at the time of beat-up. The take-up motion should draw the cloth forward so
much in each pick, that the position of the cloth fell remains always at the same place.
1.1 Functions of Take-up Mechanism of the Loom

To draw the cloth forward at a given rate in each pick cloth draw-off
mechanism

To control the number of picks/inch cloth take-up mechanism

To wind the cloth in the form of a roll cloth winding mechanism
1.2 Types of Take-Up Motion
There are two types of Take-Up Motion-
(a)Negative Take-Up Motion
(b)Positive Take-Up Motion
1.2.1 Negative Take-Up Motion
(a) This motion is controlled by the warp tension.
(b) Cloth roller A is rotated by the worm C and
worm wheel B.
(c) The worm C and the rack wheel D are
compounded together so that when the catch E
operates D, worm C also rotates.
(d) The catch E is mounted on a lever F and also
adjustable so that the pull on the rack wheel
can be increased or decreased.
(e) A rod G attached at the free end of lever F, has
a disc at the bottom for holding the weights H.
(f) Beneath the disc, the rod G passes freely through a hole in a lever which is actuated from
the rocking shaft M.
(g)The lever L is raised when the sley moves back and lowered when the sley comes forward.
(h) When the lever is raised, it comes in contact with the disc and raises the rod G and along
with it the lever F.
(i) The lifting of the lever F enables the catch E to move forward and engage another tooth of
the rack wheel.
(j) The downward movement of the lever F along with the rod G, is dependent on (1) warp
beam tension, (2) weft thickness, (3) weights H.
(k) As the reed touches the fell of the cloth, the cloth tension falls and the downward pull of
the weights makes the catch E to turn the rack wheel D.
(l) The pull of the take-up catch is maximum when the weft pick is excessively thick.
(m) A holding pawl K prevents the rack wheel D from turning in the opposite direction.
(n) The no. of picks per unit distance can be increased by reducing the weights H and decreased
by adding more weights.
(o) The cloth is wound directly on the cloth roller A. If the cloth needs to be removed from the
roller, the worm is disengaged with the worm wheel and the roller is taken out from the
frame.
1.2.2 Cloth Draw-Off Mechanism
The cloth is drawn forward by the pin roller
or take-up roller rotated at the required
uniform rate by the take-up mechanism of
the loom. During drawing off if the cloth slips
back over the pin roller, the fell of the cloth
will move towards the reed and thick place
will result. To prevent slippage the wooden
or metal pin roller is covered with sharp
metal pins on its surface. The cloth passes
over the stationary front rest (or breast
beam), round the pin roller and is finally
wound on the wooden cloth roller. Since the
pins are likely to damage the cloth, the
surface of the take up roller is sometimes
covered with perforated sheet metal fillets
instead of pins especially for quality fabrics.
1.2.3 Positive Take-Up Motion

(a) 3-Wheel Take-Up Motion

(b) 5-Wheel Take-Up Motion

(c) 7-Wheel Take-Up Motion

(d) Worm Wheel Take-Up Motion

1.2.3.1 5-Wheel Take-Up Motion

 To obtain the required shots or picks/inch of the

cloth the pin roller or take-up roller is driven
positively through a train of gears.
 5 wheels are used. The pin roller of the take up
motion is driven intermittently by the pawl and
ratchet system.
 The driving (or pushing) pawl is reciprocated by the
movement of the sley sword and pushes the ratchet
wheel of the take-up mechanism through the
distance of 1 or 2 teeth.
 This means, the ratchet is turned through 1 or 2
teeth per pick.
 This angular rotation of the ratchet is transmitted to
the pin roller through a train of gear wheels.
One of the gear wheels mounted on the same shaft of the ratchet is the shotting change pinion (or
change wheel). By changing the number of teeth of the shotting change pinion the rate of
rotational movement of the pin roller wheel is changed which in turn, changes the picks/inch of
the cloth. There is also a retaining pawl in engagement with the ratchet. When the driving pawl is
moved back by the sley sword after pushing the ratchet wheel forward the tension in the cloth
tends to turn all the wheels backward. Unless this is prevented, the cloth will move towards the
reed and become slack. This is prevented by the retaining pawl, which normally remains engaged
with the ratchet all the time. It sometimes becomes necessary to disengage the retaining pawl
from the ratchet wheel to allow the pin roller to move the cloth back a little to avoid the gap
caused by the missing pick.
1.2.3.2 3-Wheel Take-Up Motion
1.2.3.(i) Why 5-Wheel & 3-Wheel Take-Up Motions are known as positive
intermittent take up motion?

In both the 5-wheel and 3-wheel take up motions, the pin

roller is driven intermittently as the pawl and ratchet wheel are
employed to drive the pin roller and the pin roller is driven
positively as the ratchet wheel drives the pin roller through the
train of gears. For these reasons these types of take up motion
are known as positive intermittent take up motion.
1.2.3.(ii) To calculate Picks/inch of the cloth
For calculating the picks/inch of the cloth the general procedure is-

(i) to find out the length of cloth drawn forward by the pin roller (that
is, take-up roller) in one rotation of the first wheel of the gear train,
which in both the types of take-up mechanism is the ratchet wheel,
and then

(ii) to divide the number of picks inserted in one rotation of the ratchet
wheel by the calculated length of cloth.
Suppose, the number of teeth of the wheels and
the circumference of the take-up roller of the 5-
wheel take up motion are
Ratchet Wheel 22 teeth
Shotting Change Pinion (CP) 23 teeth
Intermediate Wheel 70 teeth
Intermediate Pinion 27 teeth
Pin Roller Wheel 82 teeth
Circumference of the Pin Roller 17.278 inches

Then, the length of cloth drawn forward in one

rotation of the first wheel that is, ratchet wheel is
23 x 27 x 17.278 = 1.87 inches
70 x 82
The ratchet wheel contains 22 teeth and suppose the ratchet is rotated 1 tooth per pick,
then in one rotation of the ratchet wheel 22 picks are inserted. So picks per inch of the
cloth is
22 = 11.76 that is 12
1.87

In practice however, picks/inch of the cloth to be woven is selected beforehand and the
number of teeth of shotting change pinion required for that is calculated. If therefore,
the number of teeth of the change pinion (CP) in the above example is not known then,

picks/inch = 22 x 70 x 82 = 271
CP x 27 x 17.278 CP

or CP = 271
picks/inch
 The number 271 is a constant for this 5-wheel take-up motion because, except the
shotting change pinion, all other wheels have the same number of teeth as stated and
the circumference of the pin roller is also the same as stated above. This constant
number is known as loom constant.

 Similarly the loom constant for 3-wheel take up motion can be found out from the
relevant data of the take up mechanism.

 Usually, after the cloth is removed from the loom it contracts lengthwise because of
crimp of the yarns and the actual picks/inch increases slightly. An allowance of 2 – 5%
is therefore, added in many cases to the calculated loom constant to find out the
actual loom constant. The amount of yarn crimp depends on the type of weave, yarn
grist, yarn tension during weaving etc.
1.2.3.3 7-Wheel Take-Up Motion
(a) The take-up roller A is driven through gears
consisting of seven wheels.
(b) The ratchet wheel B, the first wheel, is driven by a
pawl L operated by the sley S.
(c) The other wheels in the mechanism include a
standard wheel C, a change wheel D, a swing pinion
E, a carrier wheel F, a compound pinion G and a beam
wheel H.
(d) The retaining catch K prevents the ratchet wheel
from turning in the reverse direction as soon as the
pawl moves back from the teeth.
(e) In this mechanism ratchet wheel is turned by one
tooth for every pick inserted. However, for very less
pick density with normal available change wheel,
ratchet wheel is turned two teeth.
1.2.3.3. (a) Setting, Slip Catch and Anti-Crack Motion

Setting

(a) Since different change wheels have to be fitted from time to time to
obtain the required picks per inch, it is necessary to see that the wheels
mesh properly.
(b) If a wheel binds at any point, thick place will occur in the cloth that is
being woven.
(c) If they are meshed too closely the teeth on the wheel may be broken; on
the other hand, if they are not meshed close enough, the gears might
slip.
(d) If a tooth in a gear is broken, there will be variation in pick spacing and it
would recur with an interval corresponding to one revolution of that
wheel.
Slip Catch
(a) A faulty setting of the pawl that works the ratchet wheel
may also cause defect in the cloth.
(b) Keeping the sley at the back position and the cranks at the
back centre, the ratchet pawl is adjusted so that it is about
half a tooth beyond the one it will engage at the next
forward movement (shown in figure).
(c) The setting can be verified by moving the sley forward until
the full stroke of the pawl has moved the ratchet wheel one
tooth plus a little clearance between the tooth and the
retaining pawl.
(d) In case it is required to cause the motion to take two picks it
is possible by changing the position of the stud P on the sley
sword.
(e) The setting of retaining catch K is also important because if it
fails to drop over the tooth of the ratchet wheel thick places
will occur in the cloth.
Anti-Crack Motion

When the loom is stopped by the weft fork

motion, the weft fork lever M moves back against
the finger lever N thus lifting the catch K out of
contact with the ratchet wheel teeth. So, the
ratchet wheel slips back but the number of teeth
the wheel can move backward depends upon the
slip catch P and its setting. The slip catch slides
loosely in the bracket T. This arrangement will
prevent cracks or thin places in the cloth. This
motion is known as Anti-Crack Motion.

Crack
A crack is formed in the fabric due to the absence
of weft.
1.2.3.4 Worm Wheel Take-Up Motion
(a) The worm wheel take-up motion is usually geared
to the positive rotary dobby.
(b) When the dobby is turned forward or backward for
pick finding, the take-up motion is also put into
working.
(c) The object of this is to bring the fell of the cloth to
the correct position when the broken pick has been
found thus to avoid starting place.
(d) This type of take-up motion is most suitable for
weaving continuous filament yarns.
(e) The side shaft A, which drives the take-up motion,
being geared direct to the dobby and crank shaft,
turns one revolution for each pick.
(f) At free end of the shaft is a single worm B which
drives a 72 teeth worm wheel C.
(g) Compounded with this worm wheel is a pinion D
which gears with another pinion E. E is mounted at
one end of the cross shaft which extends to a
position inside the loom framing.
(h) At the other end of this shaft is mounted another pinion F which gears through a
carrier wheel G with the pick change wheel H.
(i) Compounded with the change wheel is a change pinion I which gears through
another carrier wheel J, with the take-up roller K.
(j) In this mechanism, the pick change wheel H is a driven wheel.
(k) The motion is designed to give one pick per tooth of the change wheel.
(l) The worm take-up is directly driven by the tappet shaft or bottom shaft.

1.2.3.4 Electronic Take-Up Mechanism

Electronic take-up motions were exhibited at ITMA-91 by which it is
possible to control the pick spacings precisely by means of a servo
motor. Emery or rubber covered rollers are now dispensed with.
1.3 Cloth Winding Mechanism
Normally the cloth rollers are driven
by surface contact of the pin rollers.
The studs of the wooden cloth roller
are placed on the cloth roller brackets
with slanting metal rails, located at
two sides of the pin roller and fixed
on the loom gables. The cloth is
wound on the cloth roller. Because of
the slope of the rails the cloth roller
always rests against the pin roller and
moves upward along the rails as its
diameter increases with winding on
of the cloth.
1.3.1 Batching Motion

 Since in the normal system the cloth roller is placed on the loom below the front
rest, cloth roll of large diameter cannot be produced and the cloth package does
not become very compact. To overcome these problems a separate cloth winding
system known as batching motion is used.

 The cloth roller is rotated by the surface contact of a fluted or fillet covered friction
roller. The friction roller is driven by the pin roller through chain and sprockets
fitted on the friction and pin rollers. Sometimes the friction rollers are driven by
separate motors. Leaving the take-up roller the cloth passes beneath a wooden
platform on which the weaver stands and is then wound on the cloth roller. As the
cloth roll is built away from the loom the roll of fairly large diameter can be made.
A heavy iron roller is sometime placed on the top of the cloth roll to increase its
compactness.
1.4 Conditions for proper functioning of Take-Up Motion
All the gear wheels of the take up mechanism should mesh properly with each other so that
they can rotate freely on their studs.
 All the meshing wheels should be in straight lines and their surfaces in the same plane.
All the wheels should rotate absolutely concentrically on their studs otherwise, any eccentric
movement of any wheel will cause variation in pick spacing of the cloth.
There should not be any broken tooth in any of the gears of the take-up mechanism. Broken
tooth will create variation in pick spacing of the cloth.
The studs on which the pushing and the retaining pawls are mounted should be well
lubricated so that, the pawls do not stick and fall freely on the ratchet wheel during operation.
The worn out driving or retaining pawl may miss the tooth of the ratchet wheel and produce
the defect in the cloth. The worn out pawl should be replaced or repaired.
In case of dense or quality fabrics, pins of the pin roller should be fine and short in length or
metal fillet instead of pins, should be used to avoid damages to the cloth caused by the pins.
The slanting metal rails of the cloth roller brackets on which the cloth roller moves should be
set parallel to each other and should have the identical gradient.
The pin roller with pins or metal fillet, should have the same diameter all along its length.
The cloth roller also should have the same diameter all along its length and both the rollers
should be set absolutely parallel to each other.
If the last three conditions are not fulfilled defective telescopic cloth roll will be produced.