6.

3 Heald Staggering
Heald staggering is done to reduce the abrasion between the warp yarns when the healds are crossing each
other. When the ends per inch value in the warp sheet is very high, it is pragmatic to use four or more healds
even for plain weave.

In case of straight draft, four cams will be required to control four healds. At a particular instance, two cams
will raise two healds whereas two other cams will lower the remaining two healds. Now, at the middle of the
shed depth, the four healds will cross each other at the same time. This will happen if four cams are paired in
two groups such that there is no phase difference between the two cams of same group whereas the phase
difference of two cams belonging to the two different groups will be 1800 on the bottom shaft.

If the shedding cam profile is drawn following the simple harmonic motion (SHM), then the velocity of the
healds at the middle of the shed depth will be the maximum. Thus, when the healds are crossing each other,
enormous amount of yarn to yarn friction will be created which may lead to end breakage. This can be
prevented by heald staggering which ensures that all the ends (or healds) are not crossing each
other at the same time.
The two cams of the same group can be arranged in such a way that there is some phase difference
(say 5-10°) between them when they are mounted on the bottom shaft. The other two cams, belonging
to the other group, are at 180° phase difference with respect to the two cams of the first group as depicted
in Figure 6.17.

This ensures that even when two healds are rising, they do not reach the middle of shed depth at the same
time as shown in Figure 6.18. Therefore, the number of ends which cross each other at a moment is reduced
and thus the abrasion between the warp yarns is reduced considerably.

Figure 6.17: Arrangement of shedding cams for heald staggering

 Figure 6.18: Crossing of healds with staggering arrangement

Heald Reversing Mechanism

When two healds are being used for the weaving, a simple roller reversing mechanism can be used for raising
the heald. However, spring reversing system as shown in Figure 6.19 can also be used.

Figure 6.19: Spring reversing system

In this system, a spring is extended when the healds are lowered. When the radius of the shedding cam, at the
contact point with the treadle bowl, starts to decrease, the action of spring raises the healds against the
gravity. This system has a drawback which can be understood from the following Figure 6.20.

Figure 6.20: Forced acting on heald frames

The force required to hold a heald frame in its top-most position is ( W + 2Tsinθ) which is higher
than the force required to raise the heald. However, the spring is fully stretched when the heald is at its
bottom-most position and thus maximum force is exerted on the heald frames. Similarly, the spring is least
stretched when the heald is at its top-most position and minimum force is exerted on the heald frames. Thus,
there is an imbalance of required force and actual force. The problem can be minimised by using a specially
designed pulley as shown in Figure 6.21.

Figure 6.21: Transmission of motions in loom

[Courtesy : The Textile Institute, Manchester]

As the heald is lowered, the pulley rotates anticlockwise. Thus the radius of the pulley ( D ), on which the
spring tension ( S ) acts tangentially, reduces. However, the radius of the pulley in the region where the rope,
connected to the heald, passes is constant ( R ). Balancing the couple, the following expression can be formed.

As the heald is lowered, D reduces and S increases. So, their product remains somewhat constant. Thus, the
force acting at the heald frame connections ( T ) also remain constant.

Positive Cam Shedding

Two types of system are available for positive cam shedding which ensures controlled lifting and lowering of
healds. No heald reversing motion is required in case of positive cam shedding.
i. Grooved cam

ii. Matched cam

A grooved cam system is shown in Figure 6.22.
 Figure 6.22: Positive cam shedding system

[Courtesy : The Textile Institute, Manchester]

The grooved cam track is formed on a circular disc. The bowl or follower is attached at one end of the quadrant
(tappet lever). When the cam rotates, the bowl moves upwards and downwards and this movement is
translated into sidewise movement of lower end of tappet lever. The heald is also raised and lowered by using
levers and link systems.
Matched Cam
In matched cam system, two cams and two followers are required for controlling a single heald. In
the Figure 6.23, two followers (shaded and un-shaded) are attached on the two sides of the lever L which is
fulcrumed at point F. The shaded follower is controlled by the shaded cam and the un-shaded follower is
controlled by the un-shaded cam. The Figure 6.23 shows that when the shaded follower is touching the
minimum radius of the corresponding cam, the un-shaded follower is touching the maximum radius of the
corresponding cam. The situation will be reversed when the cam shaft will rotate by 90°. That implies, when
the shaded follower will be pushed towards the right side, the un-shaded follower will be accommodated by the
corresponding cam. Thus the lever (L) will rotate clockwise about fulcrum point F. This will cause the lifting of
the heald through the connections.
Figure 6.23: Matched cam shedding system (a) Schematic (b) Actual