Patent ID: 7231943

Claim:
A device in a weaving machine comprising: a weft thread insertion band including a first leading part having a first gripper; a weft thread collecting band including a second leading part having a second gripper; and drive units powering said weft thread insertion band and said weft thread collecting band, said drive units comprising servomotor arrangements which, by way of motion-transmitting members at each shedding of the weaving machine, cause said leading part of said weft thread insertion band and said leading part of said weft thread collecting band to move towards and away from one another between opposing sides of the machine and said approximately half-width position so as to permit a high picking speed with a resulting short shedding time, despite the weaving machine having an exceptional width, wherein: said weft thread insertion band is arranged to grip a weft thread via said gripper and draw said weft thread from a first one of said opposing sides to said approximately half-width position; said weft thread collecting band is arranged to take over gripping of said weft thread from the first gripper and drawn from said approximately half-width position to a second side of the machine; and at a time following selection of said weft thread by a selection device and prior to initial insertion of said weft thread through warp threads in the machine, said first gripper is at or near a standstill position as a cutting device is actuated to cut said weft thread and said weft thread is caught by said first gripper.