Provided are systems and methods for producing seamless woven materials that are variable in each of their 3 dimensions. The systems and methods generally operate by altering heddle positions independently to impart three dimensional structure to a woven fabric. Weft yarn is woven into a set of warp yarns that have been individually raised or lowered along a particular cross section, essentially locking the weave into an intended 3 dimensional form.

A method and an apparatus for producing a woven material from tape-like warps and wefts includes a warp supply source for tape-like warps; a shed forming device to form a shed by the warps; a weft insertion device for inserting tape-like weft in the shed formed by the warps; and a take-up device for taking-up the produced woven material. Each of the warps extend in warp paths between the warp supply source and the take-up device. Further, the shed forming device comprises an air pressure system arranged to apply pressure on the face of at least some of the warps in an intermediate position of the warp paths, between the warp supply source and the take-up device, the applied air pressure being sufficient to displace at least some warps in essentially the thickness direction of the tape-like warps.

A method and an apparatus for producing and drawing-off a woven fabric web (2) with a weaving machine (1) make use of two clamp carriers (7.1, 7.2) with clamps (10.1, 10.2). The clamp carriers are driven back and forth parallel to a drawing-off direction of the fabric web. The clamp carriers are respectively drivable with a pair of drive spindles (14.1, 14.2) arranged so that the web center of the fabric web within the apparatus extends in an area between the two drive spindles of the respective clamp carrier. The fabric web is produced with successive main sections (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4) and auxiliary sections (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5). The clamps are actuated so that the opening and closing of the clamps takes place only in the time segments of the production in which an auxiliary section of the fabric web is being produced.

A method and an apparatus for producing and drawing-off a woven fabric web (2) with a weaving machine (1) make use of two clamp carriers (7.1, 7.2) with clamps (10.1, 10.2). The clamp carriers are driven back and forth parallel to a drawing-off direction of the fabric web. The clamp carriers are respectively drivable with a pair of drive spindles (14.1, 14.2) arranged so that the web center of the fabric web within the apparatus extends in an area between the two drive spindles of the respective clamp carrier. The fabric web is produced with successive main sections (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4) and auxiliary sections (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5). The clamps are actuated so that the opening and closing of the clamps takes place only in the time segments of the production in which an auxiliary section of the fabric web is being produced.

A warp shedding apparatus of a loom includes a plurality healds arranged in a weaving width direction of the loom. Each heald has a thread eyelet through which a ground warp yarn is passed and held. The healds are raised and lowered to form a shed. A difference in tension between raised ground warp yarns and lowered ground warp yarns held by the healds located in opposite end portions in the weaving width direction is greater than a difference in tension between raised ground warp yarns and lowered ground warp yarns held by the healds located in a central portion in the weaving width direction.

A warp yarn take-up system includes a clamping device for holding a plurality of layers of warp yarns, the clamping device being movable at least in a direction corresponding to the advance direction of the warp yarns. The clamping device includes a bottom clamp, a top clamp, and at least one intermediate clamping element present between the bottom clamp and the top clamp. The bottom clamp, the top clamp, and the at least one intermediate clamping element are held together by clamping.

A warp yarn take-up system includes a clamping device for holding a plurality of layers of warp yarns, the clamping device being movable at least in a direction corresponding to the advance direction of the warp yarns. The clamping device includes a bottom clamp, a top clamp, and at least one intermediate clamping element present between the bottom clamp and the top clamp. The bottom clamp, the top clamp, and the at least one intermediate clamping element are held together by clamping.

Method and apparatus for producing and drawing-off a web-shaped product (2) with a production machine (1) and two clamp carriers (7.1, 7.2) with clamps (10.1, 10.2). The clamp carriers (7.1, 7.2) are driven moving back and forth parallel to a drawing-off direction of the web-shaped product (2). The clamp carriers (7.1, 7.2) are respectively drivable with a pair of drive spindles (14.1, 14.2), which are arranged in such a manner so that the web center of the web-shaped product (2) within the apparatus (6) extends in an area between the two drive spindles (14.1, 14.2) of the respective clamp carrier (7.1, 7.2). The method is characterized in that the web-shaped product (2) is produced with successive main sections (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4) and auxiliary sections (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5), and that the clamps (10) are actuated in such a manner so that the opening and closing of the clamps (10) takes place only in the time segments of the production in which an auxiliary section (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5) of the web-shaped product (2) is being produced.

Method and apparatus for producing and drawing-off a web-shaped product (2) with a production machine (1) and two clamp carriers (7.1, 7.2) with clamps (10.1, 10.2). The clamp carriers (7.1, 7.2) are driven moving back and forth parallel to a drawing-off direction of the web-shaped product (2). The clamp carriers (7.1, 7.2) are respectively drivable with a pair of drive spindles (14.1, 14.2), which are arranged in such a manner so that the web center of the web-shaped product (2) within the apparatus (6) extends in an area between the two drive spindles (14.1, 14.2) of the respective clamp carrier (7.1, 7.2). The method is characterized in that the web-shaped product (2) is produced with successive main sections (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4) and auxiliary sections (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5), and that the clamps (10) are actuated in such a manner so that the opening and closing of the clamps (10) takes place only in the time segments of the production in which an auxiliary section (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5) of the web-shaped product (2) is being produced.

A deliver device (1) with actuators (3) for delivering yarns (2) in a textile machine, control means (4) for controlling the actuators (3) which comprise measuring means with measurement signals as a measure of the drive torque of the actuators (3) and monitoring means (5) for monitoring the tension of the yarns (2) using said measurement signals, a method for monitoring the tension of yarns (2) which are delivered in a textile machine by means of actuators (3), comprising producing measurement signals as a measure of the drive torque of the actuators (3) as a measure of the tension, the use of control means (4) for controlling actuators (3) for delivering yarns (2) in a textile machine in order to monitor the tension of the yarns (2).