WEFT THREAD CLAMP AND CUTTER FOR TRAVELLING-WAVE SHEDDING LOOMS

A weft thread clamp for travelling-wave shedding looms wherein weft thread is inserted into a warp shed by means of weft inserters advancing toward the shed from spooling heads and having within a spooling station a path with the latter. The clamp comprises a body with a groove adapted to receive for reciprocation a slider carrying a rotatable follower to be engaged by a cam groove provided in a bridge stationary on the machine frame for displacing the slider between two dead centers, and further comprises means for attaching the weft thread clamp to the spooling head. The end portion of the slider protruding from the clamp body forms between two lateral walls a guideway receiving for reciprocation a first clamping jaw of said weft thread clamp which is resiliently forced into said guideway. A second clamping jaw is formed as a hook at the extremity of the slider. Said jaws are released and ready for seizing the weft thread in one of said dead centers of the path section within which the weft inserter leaves the spooling head on its way to the shed, while in the second dead center of the jaws are gripped by retracting the hook under said first clamping jaw for retaining the seized weft threaded until the next start of the process of spooling the weft thread on the weft inserter.