Theoretical and experimental study of rigid rapier weft insertion vibration

In this study, vibration equations and models were established utilizing D’Alembert’s principle to address the resonance challenge of a rigid rapier loom operating in high-speed reciprocating motion, and the equations were subsequently solved using Galyokin’s methodology. A laboratory apparatus was constructed to evaluate the findings of the first-order vibration frequency under various rapier extension lengths to validate the precision of the theoretical model, which necessitated recalibration. The accuracy of the theoretical model is confirmed by comparing its predicted results with those of the experiments. In this report, the rigid rapier is further examined in order to correct the trapezoidal acceleration within the perspective of the vibration of the rigid rapier influenced by varied rapier head masses. The results demonstrate that as the mass of the rapier head increases, the maximum apex deviation of the rigid rapier during the weft-induced process also escalates. To enhance the stability of the rigid rapier gravitating process and to provide theoretical guidance and design implications in engineering, the theoretical model of this research can also examine the influence of gravity, rapier material, rapier dimension, and other variables on the oscillation of the rigid rapier gravitation process.