Dobby shedding

By
Gurumurthy.B.R
E-mail: voguru1@gmail.com
 Introduction
• Scope of dobby shedding
• Dobby shedding is adapted when a weaving
pattern is beyond the scope of shedding tappets
• Dobbies are more versatile and they usually
control up to 20 or 28 jacks
• There is no theoretical limit to the number of
picks in the pattern repeat as lifting of heald
frames is controlled by pattern lags or cards
 Classification of dobbies
• Dobbies are single lift but mostly double lift
type and can be classified according to
– Type of drive to the draw knives whether swinging
lever or cams
– Type of lifting movement to the heald frames,
whether negative or positive
– Type of shed formed, whether bottom closed,
centre closed, semi-open or open shed
• Pattern cards may be lags with pegs or paper
sheet
• Modern dobbies use sheet made of plastic
 Swing lever and cam drive
• Knives in double lift dobbies are driven either
by
• Swing lever called T-lever or cams
• Drive to the knives(mostly early dobbies) was
obtained from the end of bottom shaft
through a crank or sweep lever
• This is a simple harmonic motion
• Knives in modern dobbies are being driven
from cams which are mounted on the shaft of
dobby and driven by crankshaft through a
compact drove of sprockets and chain
 Negative and positive dobbies
• The movement of heald frame is negative
when it is a result of downpull force of springs
or gravity
• Negative dobbies function for lifting of heald
frames, whereas lowering of heald frames is
brought about by downpull springs or spring
reversing device
• Positive dobby moves heald frames for both
lifting and lowering without use of downpull
force of springs
• Positive dobbies are suitable for weaving
heavy fabrics and those having high warp
tension
 Types of sheds
• Classification of the type of shed formed
according to the position the warp ends
assume during the successive picks and the
nature of movement made by the ends can be
as
– Bottom close shed
– Centre close shed
– Open shed
• Bottom close shed
• In the bottom closed shed a bottom stationary
line is present and the top moving line are
present
• All warp threads after every pick inserted into
the shed return to the bottom line
• Close shed is formed and then beating of pick
takes place
• In this type of shed those threads which are
lifted are required to move equal to twice the
depth of the shed during one pick cycle
• Since the shed takes a longer time and hence it is
unsuitable for high speeds
• There is unnecessary movement of warp threads
• Some early dobbies and single lift jacquard work
on this principle
• Centre closed shed
• Centre closed shed has both top and bottom
moving lines
• Fore every pick cycle all ends from the top and
the bottom lines of the shed return to meet at
centre and the shed closes
• The beating of pick takes place when warp
closes at centre of the shed
• There is unnecessary movement of warp
thread as every end is required to be either
lifted or lowered for each pick
• The time taken for shedding is half the time as
compared to bottom closed shed
• This permits for higher speed
• They were used for leno weaving and now it is
obsolete
• Semi-open shed
• In a semi-open shed the bottom line is stationary
and top line is moving
• It is a combination of principle of bottom close
shed and centre close shed
• During a pick cycle an end from lifted position
either drops to the bottom line of shed or if
required will be caught midway position of shed
and again lifted to top shed
• Wasted movement of warp threads is reduced
• Semi-open sheds is used in some dobbies and
double lift jacquards
• Open shed
• An open shed has both top and bottom
stationary lines in the shed
• An end continues to remain stationary in the
lifted or lowered position for as many
consecutive picks as are required in the weave
pattern
• The shed never closes and there is no
unnecessary movement
Single lift bottom shed dobby
 Working principle
•  Card cylinder carrying pattern cards rotates and
swings against the needles
•  Griffe ascends and descends with every pick cycle
•  Card cylinder with a card swings towards the
spring loaded needles when the griffe and hooks are
at bottom shed line
•  A hole in the pattern card would leave the
respective needle untouched and corresponding
hook will be lifted with rising griffe
•  A blank in the card will push the needle
against spring and corresponding hook clears
off the griffe and leaving the heald frame
down, thus forming a bottom closed shed
•  The single lift dobby was in use with
handloom weavers and has many common
features with jacquard
Centre shed dobby
• The centre shed dobby forming a positive shed
works with quadrant jacks to lifting hook and
from beneath to lowering hook through
fulcrummed bottom lever and connections
• There is a pair of hooks drawn through a spring
loaded needle for every heald frame
• The movement of hooks is controlled by griffe
at top and moving grid at bottom
• The griffe and grid move in opposite directions
• After every pick is over, raised heald frames
move to the centre of shed by griffe while
moving downwards and at the same time
heald frames which are at bottom shed are
also brought to the centre shed position
• Lift of the heald frame is brought about by a
bush on pattern chain, which keeps respective
needle untouched
• Lifting hook comes over griffe and at the same
time lowering hook of the pair goes off the
griffe
• The heald frame is moved down by a
bowl(larger diameter than bush) on pattern
chain
• The bowl presses needle against spring, brings
lowering hook over griffe and at the same
time keeps the other hook of the pair off the
griffe
• For next pick, all are leveled at the midway
position of shed thus forming a centre closed
shed
 Semi shed dobby
• Black burn dobby
• Common features of a jacquard most suitable
for ornamenting fabrics like in dhoti trade,
where plain body fabric is woven by tappet
shedding and dhoti border figure by dobby
with harness
• A pair of lifting hooks is arranged for each
heald frame
• The hooks are long enough to have spring
action so as to keep themselves in a vertical
straight position
• There are two griffes, one moving up and
other down and vice-versa on alternate picks
• There are two pattern chains consisting of
pegged lags, functioning alternatively, one for
odd and other for even numbered picks
• The hooks at lower ends are slotted over studs
on the jack levers for causing lift to the heald
frames
• When any heald frame is required up for more
than one successive picks, the rising hook
meets the stud on falling jack lever midway
and takes the heald frame back to the top,
thus forming a semi-open shed
 Types of dobbies
• Double lift, double jack
• Single lift single jack
• Positive and negative dobby
• In single dobbies, the • Double lift dobbies is
sequence of movements provided with two
for effecting shaft elements or systems
movement takes place by having opposite
using the same machine working cycles
element for every pick • One element is
• This element must be responsible for even
ready for operation for numbered picks and the
any required pick in the other for the odd
selected pattern numbered picks
• Advantage
• Relatively simple
construction
• Disadvantage
• Restricted speed due to
short time span between
two consecutive picks for
the reading in action, i,e,
selection of heald
• May be open or closed shed
machines
• Alternatively they can co-
operate to ensure that the
shafts are lifted in the manner
required
• There is available time taken by
two cranks revolutions of the
loom for the selection of the
healds
• This permits a high dobby
speed to be obtained
• May be open or closed shed
machines
Positive dobby
• A positive dobby raises and
lowers the heald frame
without the use of a
reversing motion
• They are used for weaving
heavy cotton, woolen and
worsted fabrics and on high
speed looms
Negative dobby
• Negative dobby can only
control the heald frame in
one direction
• They can either raise or
lower the heald frame in
one direction
• Most of the dobbies are
mounted on the top of the
loom and therefore they lift
the heald frame
Positive Dobby
• Knowles single acting and open shed dobby
• Consists of top and bottom cylinders rotating in
opposite directions on fixed centers, makes one
revolution every pick
• Half the circumference of each cylinder forms a wide
gear wheel
• Toothed discs, one for each heald frame are provided
individually on respective fulcrummed disc carrying
levers, which get raised or lowered by a bowl and
bush in the pattern chain
• A fulcrummed jack lever is linked to a toothed
disc through a link and stud
• The disc lever is raised by a bowl of pattern
chain to bring gear disc in contact with the top
cylinder
• The gear disc rotates in a clockwise direction
to lift the heald frame through turning
fulcrummed jack lever
• The heald frame remains up for as many
successive picks as there are consecutive
bowls in the pattern chain
• The heald frame is lowered with a
bush(smaller than bowl) in the pattern chain,
which allows the gear disc to move down to
keep contact with the bottom cylinder
• The gear disc rotates in an anticlockwise direction
to lower the heald frame which may remain down
for as many picks as there are consecutive bushes
in the pattern chain
• Provision is made by keeping a gap of four teeth on
the gear disc to prevent its contact with the top or
bottom cylinder when the gear disc completes its
half rotation, so that the heald frame can remain in
same position for required succesive pick cycles
Negative dobby
• Double lift negative dobby
• Open shed dobby
• Double jack
• Bottom hook is directly supported by
respective fulcrummed curved feeler and top
hook by a straight feeler through a long
vertical needle
• Both feelers control the same heald frame
• Knuckle end of each hook is carried by end of
a baulk lever
• The centre of baulk is supported over a main
jack , fulcrummed in a shaft
• Secondary jack fulcrummed on another shaft
is linked to main jack through a C-link
• The heald frame is coupled to the two jacks of
the dobby and remains down by the down pull
force of springs beneath
• In this basic position of heald frame, both
ends of baulk touch respective rest bars
• The two draw knives reciprocate inwards and
outwards in the horizontal slots of dobby
framing through draw bolts, a T-lever,
connecting rod and a sweep lever, which is
mounted in a barrel called pattern cylinder
consists of double rowed pegged lags
• The baulk lever which is supported over one
arm of jack , functions with a movable fulcrum
at either top rest bar or at bottom rest bar
• After selection of two picks in cycle the first pick
is governed by the bottom knife
• Fig. A - Bottom hook is raised and no peg
presented to its curved feelers and top hook
not engaged and will remain in this position for
next pick
• Fig. B –the top hook has been raised as no peg
is presented to its straight feeler, so the heald
frame remains down for second pick, and may
continue remaining down as long no peg is
presented to either of the feelers
• Fig.C – heald frame lifted for third pick, the
baulk position is shifted
• Fig.D – Fourth pick the top hook lifts the heald
frame
Cam dobby
 Nothrop cam dobby drives
• Northrop negative dobby
• Double lift
• Cam driven and
• Open shed
• Driven by crankshaft through sprockets, chain
driving shaft and bevels
• The pattern cylinder shaft is driven from the cam
shaft through clutching bevel, plate bevel, Geneva
bevels and Geneva driving wheels
• The top and bottom knives are driven through
two pairs of cams, one pair at either end of
cam shaft
• Each pair of cams drives two fulcrummed
treadle levers through treadle levers
• The treadle levers are linked together through
return lever rods and fulcrummed return
levers
• When one cam imparts stroke to the treadle
lever, respective knife is pushed outwards to
draw the hooks
• Whereas, at the same time, the other knife
moves inwards through return levers
• The heald frame gets lifted by a peg present
on lag of a pattern chain through movement
of a respective feeler, baulk, jacks and heald
lifting device
• The down pull strings, which were stretched
by the lift of heald frame pull the heald frame
down
Cross border dobby
• Cross border dobbies are in use for weaving
fabrics with cross-borders of different weaves
from the body weave such as
– Handkerchief
– Napkins
– Scarves and towels
• For weaving complete weft pattern of
handkerchiefs say on 1200 picks, will ordinarily
on a single cylinder dobby require a very long
pattern lattice of 600 lags, whereas with use of
cross-border dobby the number of lags is 16
only
• The pattern cylinder automatically changes
• When the repeat of a particular pattern is
completed the pattern cylinder is given a part
turn, enabling the lattice pegs clear of the
feelers
• At the same time the other cylinder is brought
into action automatically by a selection
cylinder
• Each pattern cylinder are operated by a
pushing pawl and pulling catch
• The selection cylinder is turned by the action
of the last jack of the dobby
• Each pattern cylinder is coupled with a cam
which is connected by a link to the finger lever
• There are three finger levers corresponding to
the pattern cylinder
• These finger levers are operated by a selection
pattern mounted on the selection cylinder
• A blank on the selection lag lowers the cam B
and puts its cylinder out of action by lifting the
pushing pawl P clear of the ratchet wheel
• When the pushing pawl is lifted, the pulling a
catch drops into gear with the ratchet wheel
and turns the cylinder through half a tooth
movement making the pegs inoperative
• The oscillating motion is obtained from the T-
lever
Paper dobby
• In paper dobby the useful chain of wooden
lags is replaced by a paper or plastic roll
• Holes are punched in the paper corresponding
to the pegs in the lag
• A hole in the paper makes the heald frame
raise and a blank keeps it down
• Advantages of paper dobby
• Paper cords are more economical
• Cut and copied much quicker
• Possible to have very long designs repeating
on more number of picks than with wooden
lag chain
• Reduced fabric defects
• The punched paper patterns can be stored in
a small area
• Paper dobby parts
• 1. Paper pattern and cylinder (A)
• 2. Selection needles (B1 and B2)
• 3. Supplementary hooks(C1 and C2)
• 4. Reciprocating supplementary knives(D1 and
D2)
• 5. Vertical needles(E1 and E2)
• Lifting bars(F1 and F2)
• Main Hooks(G1 and G2)
• Knives(H1 and H2)
• Control bars(S1 and S2)
• The paper pattern is cut on a separate card
cutting machine
• They cylinder rotates every second pick to
present two rows of holes representing two picks
• Corresponding to these rows of holes, there are
two rows of selection needles, one row of long
needles controlling the top main hooks and the
other row of short needles controlling the
bottom main hooks
• The lifting bars and the knives are driven by
special cams
• The lifting bars move up and down to lift or
lower the main hooks
• The movement of the bar is restricted to the
time taken by the knife to pass under the
hooks
• As soon as the knife moves in and the hooks
are left free, the lifting bar moves down for
the next selecting , and moves up again before
the knife moves out with the lowered hooks
• A control rod placed below the supplementary
hooks lifts the selecting needles at the time of
the cylinder movement to prevent the needles
damaging the pattern paper
• Working of paper dobby
• As soon as the cylinder ‘A’ brings the paper
pattern under the selecting needles B1 and B2,
the needles are lowered on to the paper by
the control rod S
• A hole in the pattern paper allows the
corresponding hook C1 and C2 is lowered
• Then the reciprocating knife D1 and D2 will pull
the corresponding vertical needle E1 and E2 out
of the path of its lifting bar F1 and F2, this will
result in the main hook G1 and G2 being
lowered to engage its knife H1 and H2
• A blank in the paper will allow the
corresponding lifting bar F1 and F2 to lift the
main hook out of the path of its knife
• The lifting and lowering of the jacks and heald
frame is similar to that of the ordinary dobby
Design and pegging plans to left hand and
right hand dobbies
• The pegging plan on the point paper is read
from left to right and first pick starts at the
bottom of the lags
Thank you