13—ASPECTS OF STARTING ALLOCATIONS AND BOX-PLANNING ON 4 × 4 BOX LOOMS

Abstract

There is a general algorithm for the determination of practicable starting allocations of colours to the two sides of a 4 × 4 box pick-at-will loom, but its convenience in use varies greatly. An improvement is indicated, but a simpler and more efficient algorithm is suggested for the one-empty-box case, for which the general algorithm is least satisfactory. Two of the constraints of weft patterning on such 4 × 4 box looms are examined, largely by using the general algorithm. First, the maximum number of practicable starting allocations is determined for any given number of weft colours and any smaller number of box-pairs. Next, it is shown that there is a possibility that a weft repeat may be unweavable with one shuttle per colour if the number of picks in the reduced repeat is not less than the number of shuttle boxes in use. In contrast to the genera! case, if there is only one empty shuttle box, the box plan that minimizes the number of large box movements for a given weft repeat can rapidly be determined by using a microcomputer.