The non-automatic shuttle loom is highly appropriate for large-volume and low-cost

production textiles in low-wage countries. The term “non-automatic” can be misleading in

that all power looms are completely automatic with regard to the basic weaving functions.
A non-automatic power loom is “non-automatic” in the sense that, when the weft(sợi
ngang) supply package in the shuttle becomes exhausted, it must be replaced manually.

Semi-automatic shuttle loom

Very few non-automatic power looms have been manufactured and marketed during the past ten
years, and very few machinery makers now list them in their catalogues. There are however, no
doubt, many machinery makers who would be very pleased to resume the manufacture of low-
cost non-automatic power looms if they were in demand. In many cases, the looms offered would
be essentially automatic looms stripped of the automatic weft replenishment features. There is
currently a large number of looms which were built as automatic looms but which are being
operated, quite efficiently, as non-automatic ones in the less-developed countries. Most of them
are of the shuttle-change type. Their conversion to non-automatic looms is done for economic
reasons as the cost of manual weft replenishment is lower than the combined cost of (i)
maintenance of the mechanism for automatic shuttle changing and (ii) expenditure on the much
greater number of shuttles needed when automatic changing is practised. Large numbers of
looms of this type, mostly of Japanese manufacture (e.g. Toyota, Tsudacoma, Sakamoto) could
be economically reconditioned and used in this way. There are also very large numbers of looms
of the classic Lancashire non-automatic type made by such British makers as Butterworth and
Dickinson, Hattersley, and Liveseys. These are no longer in use in the large Asian mills but could
be renovated, at reasonable cost.
A. weaver’s beam or loom beam
B. warp threads (ends, sheet form)
C. back rest or bearer
D. lease rods
E. “shed”
F. healds
G. reed
H. fell of cloth or beat-up point
J. shuttle
K. breast beam
L. cloth take-up roller
M. tug bar
N. cloth roller
O. tappets
P. tappet treadles, with anti-friction bowls
R. treadle fulcrum
S. roller-top, heald reversing motion
T. rocking rail, or shaft
U. sley sword
V. crank arm
W. sley
X. top shaft
Y. bottom shaft
 The actuation of the elements of non-automatic power
looms depends upon two shafts; a ‘top-shaft’ (crank
shaft) which receives the primary motive power and
which, through a pair of gears, drives a lower or ‘bottom
shaft’ at exactly half-speed of the top shaft. The
arrangement is illustrated diagramatically in Fig. III.5. In
this figure, X is the top shaft and Y the bottom shaft;
other loom parts are identifiable from the key below the
diagram. It will be noticed, by a comparison with the
frame loom, that the actuating means have been slightly
modified for the purpose of power operation, the sley
being now pivoted from below instead of above, and the
threadles used for raising and lowering the healds have
been turned around to bring their pivots below the warp
beam.

The function of the top shaft is to rock the sley to and for through a crank and connecting rod
mechanism. The bottom shaft has two functions. Firstly, it operates the treadles by means of
diametrically opposed cams (tappets) in order to raise and lower the healds alternately for the
production of plain-weave fabric (the arrangement for other simple weaves is dealt with later). Secondly,
the bottom shaft actuates the picking mechanism which propel the shuttle through the warp shed from
the left and right sides of the loom alternately. This simple two shaft arrangement ensures precise and
consistent mutual coordination of the three basic motions of weaving (i.e. shedding, picking and beating
(b) Sley
The sley, a substantial timber batten,
oscillates immediately below the lower
warp sheet in the front shedding zone
(i.e. the region between the healds and
the fell). It is carried on metal ‘sley
swords’ which, in turn, are secured to a
‘rocking rail’ which spans the loom close
to the floor line, at the front below the
fell. The reed rests in a groove, in the
sley top, and is secured by a heavy cap.
The upper surface of the sley, known as
the ‘race board’, supports the shuttle as
it travels through the shed (see
diagram). There is a shuttle box at
either end of the sley, the shuttle being
projected from one box to the other at
each pick.
(c) Shuttle
The shuttle is generally made from hardwood and is
typically between 30 and 40 cm long. It has a pointed
steel tip at either end. The weft yarn is in the form of a
pirn (or sometimes a mule-cop), a long slim package
wound in such a way that the yarn can be withdrawn
substantially axially from one end without the package
itself being rotated. The pirn is always as large as can be
accomodated within the hollow shuttle, and typically
contains from 30 to 60 grammes of yarn.
The same basic principle of shuttle propulsion, as in the
hand-operated fly-shuttle loom, is used in the power
loom. However, the picker is, in this case, propelled either
by a strap connected to an upper swinging arm (picking
stick) or, directly, by the top end of the picking stick which
moves along a slot in the base of the shuttle box.
Although the use of wood and leather components in this
sort of mechanism appears to be anachronistic today, it is
worth noting that for more than a century loom-makers
have been unsuccessful in their efforts to devise picking
mechanisms which do not require the use of such
materials. The most highly developed shuttle-looms
available today use wooden picking sticks and leather or
fabric check bands in connection with shuttle projection.
(d) Picking
A pair of picking cams constitute the mechanical
means by which picking is effected. Each element
of the pair is usually secured on the bottom shaft
on either side of the loom. Apart from looms used
for the production of particularly heavy fabrics
(with which this memorandum is not concerned),
such as corduroy, there are two principal forms of
picking mechanisms fitted to non-automatic looms.
The first of these, called the cone-overpick motion,
is illustrated diagramatically in Fig. III.6. A
shuttle-box for the overpick motion is illustrated
separately in Fig. III.7. The second mechanism is
called the side lever underpick motion. It is
illustrated in Fig. III.8. Keys below each diagram
identify the main components.
(e) Boxing
An ever-present danger with all shuttle looms is that, due
either to the projection velocity being too low or to undue
interference from warp or weft yarns, the shuttle may fail
to complete its journey and be safely ‘boxed’ before
beating up begins. It is therefore usual to provide
protection against this appening in order to avoid
considerable damage to both the warp and reed. Therefore,
one or the other of two warp protection systems constitute
standard devices of the Lancashire looms. These devices
are referred to as fast-reed and loose-reed systems, and
the looms to which they are fitted are correspondingly
called fast-reed and loose-reed looms. The former are used
for fabrics covering a wide range of weights from light to
heavy while the latter are suitable for only relatively light-
weight materials.
In the fast-reed loom, a spring-loaded finger carried by the
sley enter in abrupt contact with a step in a metal block-
called the ‘frog’ - as the sley approaches the beat-up
position should the shuttle fail to enter the receiving box.
The striking of the frog by the finger causes instantaneous
disengagement of the loom starting handle and the
simultaneous application of the loom brake.
(f) Weft-fork detector system
Normally, the weaver stops a non-automatic loom
just before the weft in the shuttle is exhausted. If
the weaver fails to do so and the pirn empties, the
absence of weft is usually detected by a ‘weft-fork’
detector system. The sensor consists of a metal
fork-shaped member which is lightly pivoted so
that it is tripped by the weft trail which extends
from the fell to the shuttle in the receiving shuttle
box. Absence of a weft trail fails to trip the fork at
the appropriate instant in the loom cycle and
results in the disengagement of the starting
handle and the stoppage of the loom. Weft-fork
motions are positioned on the starting handle side
in most Lancashire looms, and thus only sense the
weft on alternate picks. In looms of more recent
design, they are usually located in the centre of
the race board, and thus sense the weft on every
pick.
(g) Gear-train system
The required number of picks per inch (or per
centimetre) is obtained by fitting a change gear
with the appropriate number of teeth in a train of
gears which drives the cloth take-up roller.
Movement of the train is initiated by a pawl and
ratchet arrangement, which is activated from the
sley and is usually timed to operate close to beat-
up. Two common take up gear train systems are
used on Lancashire looms: one is referred to as
the ‘five-wheel’ motion and the other as the
‘pickles’ or ‘seven-wheel’ motion. Both motions are
suitable for the types of cloth covered by this
memorandum, but the pickles motion has one
particular advantage: the number of teeth in the
change-wheel is equal, or very close, to the actual
number of picks per inch inserted, whereas with
the five-wheel system, the larger the number of
picks required in the cloth the smaller the number
of teeth required in the wheel. Thus, the latter
involves some calculations or reference to a table
of pre-calculated values (which can lead to error):
otherwise, both systems work satisfactorily.
(h) Let-off motions
The warp sheet must be maintained at a
reasonably uniform tension from start to end of
the loom beam at a level which permits let-off of
new warp as cloth is woven and taken-up. On a
simple Lancashire loom, this function is effected by
applying a friction drag to the beam by means of a
lubricated chain wrapped around the beam ruffle.
The chain is attached to the loom frame at one
end and to a weighted lever system at the other
end. The weight position on the lever and thereby
the tensioning moment applied to the warp beam,
must be adjusted as the beam weaves down. This
adjustment compensates for the gradual increase
in the beam-warp torque (i.e. the pull-off force
required to turn the beam and let off further warp)
which would arise if no adjustment were made to
the weighting. This would also lead to the warp
tension rising continuously from beginning to the
end of the beam. In more modern forms of let-off
motions, some of which are fitted to Lancashire
looms, warp tensioning adjustments are made
continuously in response to a feeler system which
detects changes in the beam diameter.
(i) ‘Temples’
There is a strong tendency for cloth on the loom-
roller to be narrower than the width of the warp
from which it is woven. The contraction is caused
by tension in the weft and relaxation of the
weaving tension in the warp. To minimise this
effect as well as to prevent thread breakages at
the selvedges during weaving, it is usual to hold
the fabric out to its nominal woven width at a
point just beyond the fell. Grips used for this
purpose are known as ‘temples’. There are various
patterns of such grips, the most common for
cotton fabrics being the type known as ring
temples. The latter grip the cloth as it is being
woven over a distance of six or eight inches from
the selvedges inwards on either side. The rings
carry projecting pins which grip the fabric as it
passes through the temples, and release it easily
and without damage (provided that the temples
are set and maintained correctly) as the cloth is
drawn progressively forward by the take-up
system.
(j) Weaving of twills
So far the weaving of plain weave fabrics has been
considered. Of the eight fabrics listed in Table I.1, the first
four are of this type and can be woven on looms
incorporating the simplest basic shedding mechanisms as
shown in Fig. III.5. The other four fabrics are twills which
require additional heald staves and tappets.
For plain weave using two shafts, or for four shafts
working as two so as to avoid overcrowding of the healds,
the tappets are fixed on the bottom-shaft, and hence
rotate at half the top-shaft speed. For multiple tappet
shedding, for three or more independent staves, one cam
of appropriate shape is needed for each stave. For
example, the three staves for the 2 x 1 twill weave (see
Fig. III.1(b)) require three tappets, each making one
complete revolution for every three picks woven (i.e. each
tappet rotates at one-third of the speed of the top-shaft).
Similarly, a four stave twill will require four tappets
rotating on a shaft turning at one quarter of the speed of
the top shaft. On the Lancashire loom, these simple
weaves can be made by installing a separate tappet shaft
on which tappets of appropriate shape can be mounted
and driven at the required speed by change-gearing from
the bottom shaft.
It will be appreciated that cams, unless of the
‘positive motion types’ only impart movement to
the cam follower in one direction. It is thus
necessary to provide means for reversing the
direction of motion in order to obtain continuity of
the action. Simple stepped rollers placed above
the loom, and over which straps are passed which
are coupled to the tops of the heald staves, are
used for reversing the two staves required for
plain-weave (see Fig. III.5). For weaves woven by
means of tappets which require more than two
staves, more complex multiple roller reversing
motions can be fitted to the Lancashire loom or,
alternatively, spring-operated reversing motions,
of which there are a number of designs, can be
used.
(k) Patterning
Patterning may be achieved by the use of coloured yarns.
Warpway stripes can be woven on any loom without need of
additional equipment by arranging coloured yarns
appropriately in the warp beam. The combination of
warpway and weftway stripes to produce chequered
patterns, such as ginghams, is a little more difficult. The
handloom weaver must, in this case, assemble a number of
shuttles charged with yarns of the required colours, and then
change one shuttle for another in a proper sequence. In the
case of power-looms, it is necessary to use multiple shuttle
boxes. This is usually done at one end of the sley only. While
there are several ways in which multiple boxes may be
arranged, all of these involve the same basic principle: the
automatic replacement of one box by another without
interrupting the running of the loom during that part of the
weaving cycle in which shedding is taking place, and the
shuttle is normally at rest. The mechanism employed to
achieve this are not unduly complex and are very robust.
They do, however, increase the cost of the loom. As they
also reduce the operating speed (typically by about 10%), it
is generally uneconomic to use multi-box looms where only a
single colour weft is needed. It is preferable in this case to
install only sufficient multi-box looms to cater for the actual