Shedding Mechanisms

Dr. D. V. Raisinghani
Textile Manufactures Department
V. J. T. I., Mumbai
 Contents
• Classification
• Construction and working (Plain tappet
shedding mechanism)
• Early and late shedding
• Positive shedding and negative shedding
• Types of sheds

D. V. Raisinghani
 Objects of shedding mechanism

• To divide the warp sheet in two parts to

form a shed for the shuttle to pass through
it for insertion of weft

D. V. Raisinghani
 Types of Shedding Mechanism

• Tappet Shedding
• Dobby shedding and
• Jacquard shedding
• Negative shedding: Only one direction
movement of heald shaft (either lifting or
lowering) controlled by tappet
• Positive shedding: Movement in both
directions, i.e. lifting and lowering of heald
shafts, controlled by tappet/cam
D. V. Raisinghani
Tappet Shedding
• For design repeating on
8 to 12 heald shafts
• Simple mechanism
• Low initial cost
• Used for plain, twill and
simple satin designs A Heald wire
B Heald eye
C Heald stave
D Heald frame
E Shedding tappets
F Bottom shaft
G Treadle levers
Tappet Shedding
I Lamb rod
J Leather strap
Source: Weaving: Machines, Mechanisms,
K Top roller Management by M. K. Talukdar et al
D. V. Raisinghani
 Dobby Shedding:
• For design repeating on 12
to 24 heald shafts
• Heald shafts operated by
jacks and levers controlled
by a pattern chain
• High initial cost and
maintenance cost
• Reduced loom speed
compared to tappet shedding
• Used for twill,satin, crepe,
honeycomb, huck-a-back,
mockleno, bedford cord,
double cloth, etc.
D. V. Raisinghani
Dobby Shedding
Woven Designs (Dobby) D. V. Raisinghani
Jacquard Shedding
• For design repeating on more
than 24 warp threads (ends)
• No heald shafts
• Warp threads controlled A Hooks
individually by harness cords B Harness cord
• Number of harness cords equal C Harness
to number of warp threads D Warp end
• Initial cost and maintenance cost K Lifting knife
is very high N Needles
• Speed of loom is limited as more S Pattern cylinder
moving parts
• Used for weaving complicated
designs like portraits, animals,
geometrical figures or even
landscapes repeating on large
number of warp threads.
• Common jacquard capacities
100s, 200s, 400s and 600s,
occasionally beyond 1600D. V. Raisinghani
Jacquard Shedding
 Woven Designs (Jacquard)

D. V. Raisinghani
 Tappet Shedding Mechanism

• Negative shedding mechanism

• Lowering of heald shafts by tappets and lifting by
reversing rollers
• Each heald shaft requires a tappet, treadle lever
and treadle bowl for getting movement
• For plain weave, shedding tappets mounted on
bottom shaft
• For other weaves, shedding tappets mounted on
auxiliary shaft getting drive from bottom shaft

D. V. Raisinghani
Tappet shedding motion (Side view) Heald shaft connection to top rollers
and treadle lever (Front view)
D. V. Raisinghani
Source: Plain Power Loom by K.T. Aswani
 n. p. c.= Nearest point of contact
f. p. c. = Farthest point of contact
Lift = f. p. c – n. p. c

Lift of Shedding tappet

Heald wires
D. V. Raisinghani
 Source: Woven Fabric Production – I
Negative tappet shedding motion (Plain Power Loom by NCUTE)
Pick-cycle: Each sequence of Shedding, picking and beat-
up helps to insert one weft thread into the fabric and is
termed as a pick-cycle.
Loom timing diagram: Timing of all the mechanisms on the
loom has to be synchronized and very précis to get a
quality fabric. A mismatch in timing of the mechanisms
leads to a faulty fabric and stoppage of loom, thereby
reducing productivity.
Timing of all the mechanisms on a loom is set with
reference to 360º rotation of crank shaft.
All the five basic motions of a loom have to be completed
in 360º rotation of crank shaft . However, the timing
diagram can be different for each loom and fabric design.

D. V. Raisinghani
Race board

Loom timing circle Crank at different positions

D. V. Raisinghani
 Shedding timing diagram

Shed Closed
Heald shafts leveled
270 º Top center

Back center 180 º 0 º, 360 º

Front center
150 º 120 º
Dwell 30 º

90 º Bottom center
Shed fully open

D. V. Raisinghani
Dwell: The time during which heald shafts remain
stationary (without moving) in their extreme position,
thus forming a shed, for insertion of a pick.

Crank position Loom motion

30 º Shed fully open
30 º - 150 º Dwell period (Heald shafts are stationary)
150 º Shed starts closing
270 º Healds leveled (Shed closed), Shed starts opening

D. V. Raisinghani
 Early and Late Shedding
• Early shedding
– Heald shafts level 5° before top centre (270°)
– Strain on warp threads high during beatup
– Rubbing of yarn and warp breakages may occur
– Gives improved fabric cover
• Late shedding
– Heald shafts level 5° after top centre (270°)
– More time available for shuttle to pass through hence
suitable for synthetic yarn
– Used for weak warp yarn
– Low fabric cover

D. V. Raisinghani
 Shed Types

Four types
• Bottom closed shed
• Center closed shed
• Semi-open shed
• Open shed

D. V. Raisinghani
HS3 → χ Twill weave
HS2 → χ
• Weave on 3 ends and 3 picks
HS1 → χ • 1 up 2 down weave (1/2 weave)
↑ ↑ ↑

E1 E2 E3
Draft

P3 → χ P3 → χ
P2 → χ P2 → χ
P1 → χ P1 → χ
↑ ↑ ↑
↑ ↑ ↑

E1 E2 E3 HS1 HS2 HS3

D. V. Raisinghani
Design
Peg-plan
• 1st pick:
– E1 up, E2 and E3 down ½ Twill weave
– So HS1 up, HS2 and HS3 down
• 2nd pick:
– E2 up, E1 and E3 down
– So HS2 up, HS1 and HS3 down
• 3 pick:
rd

– E3 up, E1 and E2 down

– So HS3 up, HS1 and HS2 down

Draft

P3 → χ P3 → χ
P2 → χ P2 → χ
P1 → χ P1 → χ
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
HS1 HS2 HS3
E1 E2 E3 D. V. Raisinghani
Design
Peg-plan
 Bottom Closed Shed HS1 Top shed line

Shed Height
Top shed line

HS2
Bottom shed line
Picks Bottom shed line

P4 X
P4 X HS1
P3 X P3 X HS2

P2 X P2 X
P1 X P1 X

E1 E2 HS1 HS2

Design Pegplan

D. V. Raisinghani
 Bottom Closed Shed HS1 Top shed line

Shed Height
Top shed line

HS2
Bottom shed line
Picks Bottom shed line
HS1
HS2
• Bottom stationary line and top moving line
• All threads return to bottom line after every pick
insertion
• Some threads move distance equal to twice the
depth of shed for one pick cycle
X
• Healdshaft movements as per design X
– 1st pick: HS1- down and HS2 up X
– 2nd pick: HS1- up and HS2 down X
HS1 HS2
– 3rd pick: HS1- up and HS2 down
D. V. Raisinghani
– 4th pick: HS1- down and HS2 up Design and
 Bottom Closed Shed

• Long time required to form a shed

• Unsuitable for high speed loom
• Strain on warp is high due to unnecessary
movement
• Power consumption and wear and tear of loom
parts high
• Good cloth cover factor due to alternate
tightening and slackening of threads
• Formed in single lift dobbies and single lift
jacquards
D. V. Raisinghani
 Top shed line
Centre Closed Shed HS1

Shed Height
HS2
Picks Bottom shed line
HS1
HS2
• Rising thread partially balanced by falling
thread X
• Machine can run at high speed X
• Low power consumption and wear and X
tear of loom parts X
• Strain on warp is more than open shed
as every thread is moved to form a shed Pegplan
• Formed by centre shed dobbies, centre
shed jacquards and handlooms
D. V. Raisinghani
 Open Shed HS1

HS2
• Rising threads help to move lowering threads
• Strain on warp threads is low as less time
required to form a shed
• Loom can run at high speed X
• Low power consumption X
X
• Low wear and tear of parts
X
• Repairing of broken thread is difficult and
requires a levelling mechanism Pegplan
• Formed in i) Plain power loom producing twill
and satin weaves and ii) double lift dobbies and
double lift jacquards
D. V. Raisinghani
 Semi Open Shed HS1
Top shed line

Shed Height
HS2
Bottom shed line
• Strain on warp thread is low Picks

• Less time required to form a shed HS1

• Loom can run a high speed HS2

• Low power consumption

X
• Low wear and tear of loom parts X
• Repairing of broken threads is difficult X
and requires levelling mechanism X
• Formed by double lift dobbies and
double lift jacquards Pegplan
D. V. Raisinghani
Drive to loom shafts
D. V. Raisinghani
Source: Plain Power Loom by K.T. Aswani
Drive to auxiliary tappet shaft
D. V. Raisinghani
Source: Plain Power Loom by K.T. Aswani
Operation Loom shaft Frequency of
operation
Shedding Bottom Once/ 2 picks
Picking Bottom Once/ 2 picks
Beat up Crank Once/ pick

D. V. Raisinghani
THANK YOU

D. V. Raisinghani