WEFT INSERTION DEVICE FOR RAPIER LOOM

A weft insertion device (1) for a rapier loom includes a yarn guide mechanism (50) including a holding device (51) that holds a tip portion of the flat yarn (Y) and that guides the flat yarn (Y) from a position above a movement path (P) of the rapier head (10, 10') to a position below the movement path (P) with respect to an up-down direction, the yarn guide mechanism (50) displacing, independently or in cooperation with the rapier head (10, 10'), the flat yarn (Y) in a direction parallel to a width direction of the rapier head (10, 10'). Immediately before weft insertion is started, the flat yarn (Y) is guided into a yarn inlet portion (11d, 11d') of the rapier head (10, 10') while the flat yarn (Y) is displaced by the yarn guide mechanism (50) in the width direction of the rapier head (10, 10').