Weft thread retaining and cutting device for shuttleless looms

Claim 1

IN A SHUTTLELESS WEAVING LOOM HAVING A DUMMMY SHUTTLE AND A LAY PROVIDED WITH A HORIZONTAL MAIN TUBE, A WEFT RETAINING AND CUTTING DEVICE AT EACH END OF THE SAID LAY MAIN TUBE, COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE GAS-TIGHTLY AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID LAY MAIN TUBE; A THRUST MEMBER RIGIDLY SECURED TO THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE; A SLIDING PLATE MOVABLE IN A RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT ALONG THE UPPER SIDE OF SAID LAY MAIN TUBE AND HAVING A CUTTING FRONT EDGE ADAPTED TO STRIKE THE SAID THRUST MEMBER DURING EACH STROKE OF THE SAID RECIPROCATING MOVEMENT; THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE AND LAY MAIN TUBE BETWEEN SAID THRUST MEMBER AND SAID SLIDING PLATE CUTTING EDGE HAVING REGISTERING OPENINGS THEREIN ADAPTED TO SUCTIONALLY RETAIN THE END OF THE WEFT THREAD THEREIN, SAID OPENINGS BEING CLOSED BY THE SAID SLIDING PLATE WHEN THE SAID CUTTING EDGE OF THE LATTER STRIKES SAID THRUST MEMBER TO SEVER THE END OF THE WEFT THREAD; AND SUCTION MEANS CONNECTED TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SLEEVE WHILE PERMITTING THE SLEEVE TO BE MOVED AXIALLY OF THE MAIN TUBE TO ADJUST FOR VARYING WIDTHS OF FABRICS.