Needle machine comprising at least one needle plate, from which projects an array of needles, means for imparting an elliptical, reciprocating motion to the needles and at least one support table drilled with an array of through holes, or which it is intended to pass in a direction MD, being supported on it, a fabric or web of fibres to be consolidated by needling, the each executing an elliptical, reciprocating motion in the respective through holes, each having an upper respective opening on the fabric support side, a lower respective opening on the opposite side and an inner sidewall extending between the two upper and lower openings, characterised in that each hole is machined so that there is a longitudinal section with a greater dimension MD in which the upper respective opening of the hole has a greater dimension in the direction MD and, in this longitudinal section of greater dimension MD, the inner sidewall of the hole is defined, at least in its upper region, by two left and right lines inclined to the vertical and converging downwards, the angles of inclination of the two lines to the vertical being of opposite sign and in particular each having an absolute value of between 2 and 30 respectively, in particular having the same absolute value.

A method for producing a woven personal respirator mask includes providing a plurality of warp ends into an electronic woven label loom, programming the loom to weave the warp ends into a sheet having a repeating mask pattern in the weave direction, the mask pattern comprising an edge border having a tight weave and defining therein a filter section, the filter section having a tubular weave to define an outer layer and an inner layer, at least one of the outer layer and an inner layers comprising a filter weave, and at least one intermediate interlock fastening at least a point of the outer layer to an opposing point on the inner layer, and cutting the sheet to separate the repeating mask pattern into individual mask parts with a hot-wire slitter.

In order to provide a weaving loom having incorporated knitting threads, it is provided that the corresponding device for incorporating knitting threads comprises a feeding device for each knitting thread and, also for each knitting thread, a dipping guide needle (4) which comprises a thread guiding eye and which can be dipped between warp threads (2, 3) into the shed all the way below the insertion path of the weft-insertion device (7). Each one of the dipping guide needles (4) is slidingly arranged transversely to the warp direction, thus being able to move across the width of the woven material. Furthermore, there is provided a combing shaft (10) that comprises a plurality of teeth with intermediate spaces arranged therebetween for guiding the knitting threads. The combing shaft (10) that is slidable transversely to the direction of the warp thread and is rotatable around an axis in the direction of the rail is arranged transversely to the direction of the warp thread behind the stop position of the reed. The teeth of the combing shaft comprise protrusions which are designed in such manner that the teeth can retain the knitting threads in at least one rotational position of the combing shaft.

In order to provide a weaving loom having incorporated knitting threads, it is provided that the corresponding device for incorporating knitting threads comprises a feeding device for each knitting thread and, also for each knitting thread, a dipping guide needle (4) which comprises a thread guiding eye and which can be dipped between warp threads (2, 3) into the shed all the way below the insertion path of the weft-insertion device (7). Each one of the dipping guide needles (4) is slidingly arranged transversely to the warp direction, thus being able to move across the width of the woven material. Furthermore, there is provided a combing shaft (10) that comprises a plurality of teeth with intermediate spaces arranged therebetween for guiding the knitting threads. The combing shaft (10) that is slidable transversely to the direction of the warp thread and is rotatable around an axis in the direction of the rail is arranged transversely to the direction of the warp thread behind the stop position of the reed. The teeth of the combing shaft comprise protrusions which are designed in such manner that the teeth can retain the knitting threads in at least one rotational position of the combing shaft.

In order to produce a plurality of fabric strips (22) from a fabric (20) during the manufacturing process thereof, a method is proposed which utilizes the steps of: inserting weft threads (24) into the open warp thread shed, laying of a plurality of cover threads (30, 34) in a zigzag shape by a plurality of feed needles (32, 36), cutting the fabric (20) in the drawing-off direction into a plurality of woven strips (22), and pulling off the warp threads (60) that are located between the cutting-side laying points of the cover threads and the cutting device. This method can be implemented in a particularly advantageous manner if, in addition to the cover thread (30, 34) introduced in zigzag manner, a further cover thread (70) is introduced at each fabric edge (26) by a further feed needle in such manner that it is connected to the zigzag thread whereby the zigzag thread is prevented from fraying.

In order to produce a plurality of fabric strips (22) from a fabric (20) during the manufacturing process thereof, a method is proposed which utilizes the steps of: inserting weft threads (24) into the open warp thread shed, laying of a plurality of cover threads (30, 34) in a zigzag shape by a plurality of feed needles (32, 36), cutting the fabric (20) in the drawing-off direction into a plurality of woven strips (22), and pulling off the warp threads (60) that are located between the cutting-side laying points of the cover threads and the cutting device. This method can be implemented in a particularly advantageous manner if, in addition to the cover thread (30, 34) introduced in zigzag manner, a further cover thread (70) is introduced at each fabric edge (26) by a further feed needle in such manner that it is connected to the zigzag thread whereby the zigzag thread is prevented from fraying.

In order to improve the design of a ribbon needle loom for applications in which the woven material (9) shall have a variable width, it is proposed to arrange the weft needle (10, 16) and also the knitting needle (10b, 16b) serving to knit the weft thread (14, 15) at the side directed away from the weft insertion onto a common, displaceable carrier (10c, 16c). As a further improvement, in order to be able to produce symmetrical woven material (9) with such a ribbon needle loom, a bilateral weft-insertion is proposed, wherein the two weft needles (10, 16) and the two knitting needles (10b, 16b) by means of which the respective weft thread (14, 15) is knitted at the side directed away from the weft insertion are each disposed on a common, displaceable carrier (10c, 16c). Advantageously, the carriers (10c, 16c) do not hinder each other upon displacement, but rather are is arranged on top of each other.

In order to improve the design of a ribbon needle loom for applications in which the woven material (9) shall have a variable width, it is proposed to arrange the weft needle (10, 16) and also the knitting needle (10b, 16b) serving to knit the weft thread (14, 15) at the side directed away from the weft insertion onto a common, displaceable carrier (10c, 16c). As a further improvement, in order to be able to produce symmetrical woven material (9) with such a ribbon needle loom, a bilateral weft-insertion is proposed, wherein the two weft needles (10, 16) and the two knitting needles (10b, 16b) by means of which the respective weft thread (14, 15) is knitted at the side directed away from the weft insertion are each disposed on a common, displaceable carrier (10c, 16c). Advantageously, the carriers (10c, 16c) do not hinder each other upon displacement, but rather are is arranged on top of each other.

In order to provide a weaving loom having incorporated knitting threads, it is provided that the corresponding device for incorporating knitting threads comprises a feeding device for each knitting thread and, also for each knitting thread, a dipping guide needle (4) which comprises a thread guiding eye and which can be dipped between warp threads (2, 3) into the shed all the way below the insertion path of the weft-insertion device (7). Each one of the dipping guide needles (4) is slidingly arranged transversely to the warp direction, thus being able to move across the width of the woven material. Furthermore, there is provided a combing shaft (10) that comprises a plurality of teeth with intermediate spaces arranged therebetween for guiding the knitting threads. The combing shaft (10) that is slidable transversely to the direction of the warp thread and is rotatable around an axis in the direction of the rail is arranged transversely to the direction of the warp thread behind the stop position of the reed. The teeth of the combing shaft comprise protrusions which are designed in such manner that the teeth can retain the knitting threads in at least one rotational position of the combing shaft.

In order to provide a weaving loom having incorporated knitting threads, it is provided that the corresponding device for incorporating knitting threads comprises a feeding device for each knitting thread and, also for each knitting thread, a dipping guide needle (4) which comprises a thread guiding eye and which can be dipped between warp threads (2, 3) into the shed all the way below the insertion path of the weft-insertion device (7). Each one of the dipping guide needles (4) is slidingly arranged transversely to the warp direction, thus being able to move across the width of the woven material. Furthermore, there is provided a combing shaft (10) that comprises a plurality of teeth with intermediate spaces arranged therebetween for guiding the knitting threads. The combing shaft (10) that is slidable transversely to the direction of the warp thread and is rotatable around an axis in the direction of the rail is arranged transversely to the direction of the warp thread behind the stop position of the reed. The teeth of the combing shaft comprise protrusions which are designed in such manner that the teeth can retain the knitting threads in at least one rotational position of the combing shaft.