Filling Patterning with a Replicate Color: Reduced Minimax Movement Due to Edge Redundancy

Abstract

Unilateral filling selection by means of magazine-type filling-patterning mechanisms occurs on both shuttle and Sulzer-type gripper-projectile looms, and large magazine movements can limit the speeds of such looms. However, replicate colors can be used when there is spare filling patterning capacity that may allow one or two previously required color changes to be totally eliminated. It may then be possible to reduce the minimax movement needed for a given filling color repeat. The use of a single replicate color in three, four, and five color repeats is analyzed. For a six color machine, this covers all cases in which color change redundancy could reduce the minimax movement needed, and these cases are all identified. Any such reductions are by one step only.