The present embodiments provide a woven element having a first plurality of warp threads extending in a first direction and integrated into a first surface on a front side of the woven element. The woven element may have a second plurality of warp threads extending in the first direction, where the second plurality of warp threads is integrated into a second surface on a back side of the woven element. A first weft thread may extend in a second direction, where a first portion of the first weft thread is positioned in front of at least one warp thread of the first plurality of warp threads to form at least a portion of a graphic image on the front surface. A second portion of the first weft thread may extend between the first plurality of warp threads and the second plurality of warp threads.

Woven products using combined materials are provided. An intermittent weaving splicer terminates and combines materials having different functional and/or aesthetic properties to create woven products that reflect the different properties of the combined material. Further, a dynamic tensioner variably adjusts tension on the combined materials based on the different properties of the combined material.

Woven products using combined materials are provided. An intermittent weaving splicer terminates and combines materials having different functional and/or aesthetic properties to create woven products that reflect the different properties of the combined material. Further, a dynamic tensioner variably adjusts tension on the combined materials based on the different properties of the combined material.

Woven products using combined materials are provided. An intermittent weaving splicer terminates and combines materials having different functional and/or aesthetic properties to create woven products that reflect the different properties of the combined material. Further, a dynamic tensioner variably adjusts tension on the combined materials based on the different properties of the combined material.

A device feeds first and second weft threads in a weft direction to a gripper head of a loom and includes a coupling unit that moves back and forth in a warp direction. A first and a second feed unit are adjacently arranged in the warp direction on the coupling unit and are configured to feed the first and the second weft threads to the gripper head. A positioning unit moves the coupling unit in the warp direction in a first position of the coupling unit and counter to the warp direction in a second position of the coupling unit. The first feed unit feeds the first weft thread to the gripper head when the coupling unit is in the first position and the second feed unit feeds the second weft thread to the gripper head when the coupling unit is in the second position.

A loom for freeform weaving and method of using thereof. The loom includes a plurality of rollers each selectively and individually promoting a respective one of a plurality of warp threads along a longitudinal axis, a first and second grippers selectively holding and carrying a weft thread perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, and at least pair of combs interchangeably holding odd and even numbered warp threads at opposite vertical offsets, and by at least one comb promoting along the longitudinal axis weft thread segments deposited by the grippers, wherein the grippers deposit in a plurality of sequential iterations a plurality of segments of the weft thread at a plurality of locations corresponding to a plurality of different subsets of the plurality of rollers, and respective rollers of one of the different subsets promote a respective subset of the plurality of warp threads in each iteration.

A loom for freeform weaving and method of using thereof. The loom includes a plurality of rollers each selectively and individually promoting a respective one of a plurality of warp threads along a longitudinal axis, a first and second grippers selectively holding and carrying a weft thread perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, and at least pair of combs interchangeably holding odd and even numbered warp threads at opposite vertical offsets, and by at least one comb promoting along the longitudinal axis weft thread segments deposited by the grippers, wherein the grippers deposit in a plurality of sequential iterations a plurality of segments of the weft thread at a plurality of locations corresponding to a plurality of different subsets of the plurality of rollers, and respective rollers of one of the different subsets promote a respective subset of the plurality of warp threads in each iteration.