A dropbox is a mechanical attachment on a loom consisting of a tiered box at the end of the shuttle race. It holds multiple shuttles, each loaded with a different color or type of weft yarn. The loom can automatically raise or lower the box to align a specific shuttle with the shed, allowing for complex plaid or striped patterns without manually changing shuttles.
Heard on the job
The dropbox jammed on the third pick, so the plaid pattern is out of sequence.
Also heard as
- Pattern box
- drop box