_FULL-HARNESS MOUNTINGS_
The mountings that will be alluded to in this section are all intended
for ‘full harness’; that is, the ordinary method of jacquard weaving
when applied to such fabrics as damask, dress goods, and, in many
cases, to double cloths, handkerchiefs, &c.
_Full harness_, or, as it is termed in some hand-loom districts, shot
and draft, to distinguish it from the ‘pressure harness’ system, holds
the first place amongst mountings, as by it can be done what cannot be
done by any other method, and everything can be done by it that can be
done by any harness, or combination of harness or heddles; though it
does not follow that it would be desirable to adopt it in every case.
In a full harness each thread in any part of the tie can be lifted
independently of the others; in wide fabrics, or in order to reduce
expense in narrow ones, recourse is had to gathering or repeating the
tie, and like threads in each repeat must be lifted together; but in a
single tie any one thread can be lifted independently of any other. In
full harness there is one thread of warp drawn into each mail or eye
of the harness, and one shot is given to each change of card. Other
descriptions of harnesses are known as ‘half harness,’ ‘split harness,’
‘pressure harness,’ ‘gauze harness,’ double-cloth and quilt harnesses,
&c.
_Half harness_ is the term applied to that description of harness in
which the half of the warp (every alternate thread) is drawn into the
harness, and the other half passes through it loosely. This is mostly
to be found in the manufacture of gauze or leno curtains, and is
wrought with a shaft mounting in front of the harness.
_Split harness_ is applied when two threads are governed by each hook
of the jacquard, and the ground of the cloth is wrought by some other
means, as shafts through the harness. This is to be found in the silk
trade.
_Pressure harness_ is when several threads of warp are drawn into each
mail, and when the harness is drawn it remains stationary for several
shots of ground texture, for which the sheds are sprung or pressed open
by heddles.
_Gauze harness_ is a harness fitted up with doups for weaving leno and
gauze, and is mostly full harness.
_Double-cloth and quilt harnesses_ are for weaving these fabrics.
Mounting, or gaiting, is a term that may be taken to apply to the
building of the harness and the preparing of everything in connection
with it. The form of ‘tie’ to be adopted will depend to a great
extent on the nature of the fabric to be made, and to the style of
pattern which is to be applied to it. For instance, dress goods may
be required, and the pattern may consist of small sprigs or objects
repeated over the surface of the cloth, forming a simple repeating
pattern. Again, handkerchiefs, napkins, or table-covers may be wanted,
which will require a bordered ‘tie,’ and may have both single and
double mounting in them. Sometimes the manufacturer mounts his looms
to what he considers a desirable ‘tie’ (or arrangement of cords) to
admit of having a good variety of patterns wrought on it for whatever
class of goods he is likely to make, and then he has the patterns made
to suit the tie or mounting. Sometimes patterns are procured which
will give the best possible effect on the least possible machinery, or
the least number of hooks of the jacquard, and the mounting is then
arranged to suit the pattern. On this method often a very considerable
saving of machinery can be effected by turning over or gathering the
harness; or, by arranging a variety of turns over, or gathers, and
repeats, a very diversified effect can be obtained with a small number
of hooks, as those accustomed to the larger forms of shaft mountings
will readily understand. Thus, if we take 100 hooks of the jacquard as
equal to 100 shafts, it will easily be understood that a large variety
of beautiful patterns can be produced with either a straight or zigzag
draft, though they will be mostly of a set or conventional type.
The objection to mounting a loom in this way is, that if a change of
pattern to a free or running style is required, it is necessary to cut
down the harness and remount it, probably requiring new machinery as
well. It may, however, suit to adopt both methods; that is, to have a
few looms for working conventional patterns on small jacquards, say 200
hooks, and others mounted for free patterns requiring, say, 400 or 600
hooks in the machine. Of course this entirely depends on the nature of
the orders likely to be received, and manufacturers must use their own
judgment, in which, however, they are more likely to err on the narrow
than on the liberal side of the question, the result being cramped and
stiff patterns, with a probable loss instead of gain. Two styles of
mounting harness are in general use--one, known as the ‘London tie,’
being used in Spitalfields by the silk weavers; the other is called the
‘Norwich tie,’ as it was there adopted in the early days of weaving.
About 1830 the Norwich style was adopted in London, as the weavers’
houses were too low to admit of the jacquards being set high enough to
suit the London method, which, having a quarter-twist in the harness,
requires more height than is necessary for the Norwich system, in which
the harness passes direct from the jacquard to the cumber board in flat
rows without any twist.
_The Harness._--When about to mount a loom the first process is to
prepare the harness. A harness is built up of several parts, the
methods of preparing and building varying in different districts. A few
of the best methods will be given. Fig. 46, Nos. 1, 2, and 3, show a
complete cord of the harness in three methods of preparing it--A (Nos.
1 and 2) are the tail or tug cords looped to the hooks of the jacquard;
these cords are only necessary on double-lift machines, and are usually
put on by the machine-makers. They are made of twisted cotton, and
are soft and pliable. L shows the knot, known as the ‘tug knot,’ by
which the tail cords are looped on the hooks. B, B are two methods of
knotting the neck or body of the harness to the tail cords; that in
No. 1 is the usual method. C, C are the hecks, or guide reeds, through
which the harness passes. G, G are the lingoes, or leads, formerly made
of strips of lead, but now of wire. From the lingo to the mail or eye,
F, through which the warp passes, is a double cord called the bottom
piece, or hanger. From the mail, passing through the cumber board or
harness reed E, is another piece of double cord, called the top or
mid-piece, or the ‘sleeper’; to this is looped or tied the neck twine
in various ways, two methods of which are shown at D _d_ _d_^1 (No. 1)
and at D (No. 2); No. 3 shows levelling below the cumber board, with
two methods for tying H and H^1. M is the snitch knot, which is much
used for fastening cords that require careful adjusting. Sometimes it
is a matter of choice to adopt any method of mounting, and sometimes
one plan may suit circumstances better than another.
[Illustration: Fig. 46]
Preparing Lingoes.--A prepared lingo is shown at No. 4, Fig. 46, this
work being generally done by little boys or girls, or by old women.
One of the commonest methods of preparing them is as follows:--Having
prepared the mails, which are small eyelets of brass, copper, or steel
of the shape shown at F, sometimes with round holes in the centre and
sometimes with elliptical or long shaped ones, they are put into a dish
or pan; a boy takes a piece of wire and strings a number of them on it.
The wire is then fastened on a rack, or in any convenient place, by
both ends, in a horizontal position. A bunch of small pieces of twine
is tied up in a convenient place; these are to form the hangers, or to
connect the lingoes with the mails. Having the lingoes conveniently
placed, and being provided with a pair of shears, the boy sets to work.
Taking a piece of twine, and pulling it through an end hole of a mail,
he doubles it evenly, and, lifting a lingo, puts both ends through the
eye in it, and casts on a knot, as shown at N (No. 4). The loop on the
twine there shown requires to be pushed up over the top of the lingo,
then drawn tight, and the ends clipped off. This mail is then pushed
along the wire, and the others proceeded with. The pieces of twine for
forming the hangers, as well as the sleepers, are prepared by warping
them off spools round two pins, and then cutting them across. Of course
the pins must be set apart at such a distance as will suit the length
of the sleepers and hangers required. The usual length of the hanger
(when doubled) is 7 or 8 in., and that of the sleeper or mid-piece when
it passes through the cumber board, as in Nos. 1 and 2, Fig. 46, and as
shown at No. 4, is 15 or 16 in. When a quantity of lingoes are hung on
the mails, the top cords or sleepers may be put through the top holes
in the mails, and tied with a weaver’s knot, the ends being neatly
clipped off.
[Illustration: Fig. 47]
A quicker method of preparing lingoes is as follows:--Two upright
pieces of iron, as A, A, Fig. 47, are fastened on a board, or on a
bench or table. A cut is made in each of these, so as to hold a piece
of flat wire such as is used for coarse reeds. This wire is pointed
at one end, so that by taking a handful of mails they can easily be
gathered up on it. It is then placed in position, as shown at B; the
mails, D, are shown on it, and C is a spool containing twine for the
hangers. By rubbing the end of this twine with wax, so as to stiffen
it, and gathering all the mails on the wire evenly together, the end
of the twine may be run through the holes in all of them at once. This
end is fastened, and with a hook, as shown at F, the twine can be drawn
through the mails, beginning at the one farthest away from the spool,
and passing from one to the other in succession, looping the twine
round the pin E, which should be at such a distance from the mails as
is required to make the hangers the proper length. If many mails are to
be threaded at once there should be two or three pins as E, so as to
avoid too much slope from them to the mails, which would increase the
length of the hangers. The twine can be cut when the mails on the wire
are completed, and the other ends of the mails turned round and treated
similarly for the sleepers; but the pegs will require to be shifted, so
as to get the required length of twine. When finished, these can be cut
also, and the wire tied up in a convenient place, so that the lingoes
may be hung on, as before described. The sleepers can then be knotted,
if required to be.
After the lingoes are thus prepared the twine is frequently varnished,
and sometimes twisted so as to prevent that of the hangers from rising
up through the hole of the mail and getting in between the two halves
of the yarn when the shed is crossing. This frequently happens if
anything prevents the lingo from dropping. A common method of twisting
them is for a boy to give them a coat of flour-paste or a light coat of
varnish, then, having them hung on a rod which passes through the loops
of the sleepers, he takes a handful of the lingoes, and, placing them
on his knee, rolls them round with his hand till they are sufficiently
twisted, then lets them hang down, and proceeds with another handful.
When the paste or varnish on these is set they can be well varnished.
About two inches at the top of the sleepers must be left without
varnish, to leave it soft and pliable for tying the neck to; the knots
on all the sleepers must be brought up to about the point before they
are twisted or varnished. When the lingoes are thus prepared and dry
they can be tied in bunches, to be used as required.
Some do not varnish the twines till the harness is all mounted, and
then varnish it all over. Others do not varnish at all. In this case
the hangers are not twisted, and for light open sets of harness they
need not be twisted at any time.
LINGOES OR LEADS
For pressure harness work the weights for drawing down the harness
were originally made of lead, about the length and thickness of a thin
pencil, but tapering to the lower end. The weight varied with the
number of ends to the mail, the strength of the yarn, and the weight
of the cloth to be made, ranging from 10 to 18 per lb., or lighter if
for fine hand-loom work. For a linen damask as formerly made, with 6
or 8 threads in the mail, a very heavy lead was required, even in the
hand loom, whilst a fine cotton two-thread harness would do with a
comparatively light lingo. Strips of lead cut from sheets were used for
lighter weights; these were then reduced to the proper size for drawing
them through holes in steel plates. Now, lingoes for power looms are
made of wire, and for ordinary damask or full harness work should range
from 25 to 40 to the lb.; for heavier work, such as linen towels,
worsteds, &c., 16 or 18 per lb., according to the weight of the fabric,
are required. Lighter ones answer for hand looms: Murphy mentions as
light as 110 per lb. for the centres of shawls, but 35 to 60 per lb.
will be more frequently found. 25’s to 30’s are a good size for power
looms; 12 in. long for 25’s or 30’s, 14 in. for 16’s or 18’s, and 16
in. for 10’s or 12’s are good lengths.
When there is a great slope in the border twines of a harness, it is
often necessary to put heavier lingoes on it than on the centre, to
keep the warp down. Of course, the less weight that has to be lifted
is always a saving of power, and easier on the harness; therefore it
is better to have two sizes of lingoes than to have them all weighty
enough for the borders.
HARNESS TWINE
The size of harness twine used varies greatly; some prefer a fine, and
others a heavy, twine. For the sleepers and hangers, 4 ply of 22’s or 5
ply of 30’s linen yarn is a very good medium size, and 4 ply of 14’s or
5 ply of 18’s or 20’s is a very good size for the neck or body of the
harness.
Sometimes, for heavy damask, cable cord is used for the body of the
harness, and is a good wearing cord; it is especially suited when the
neck cords are fastened to the sleepers below the cumber board. This
cord is made of good flax yarn; 5 ply of 30’s are twisted together,
and three of these cords are then twisted together, or 3 ply of 18’s
afterwards made 3 ply. A better size for medium work is 5 ply of 35’s
made 3 ply, or 3 ply of 20’s or 22’s made 3 ply. Heavy harness twine
requires to have heavier lingoes, particularly on those parts of the
harness that are much slanted, in order to have the same effect on them
that they would have on light twine. Some go to the opposite extreme,
and use very light twine, such as 4 ply of 30’s, which is only fit
for very light work in a narrow loom, where there will be but little
friction on the cumber board, and where no heck is required. Lighter
twine will suit better for a hand loom than for a power loom; 4 ply of
30’s for the harness of a hand loom, with lingoes of 50 or 60 to the
lb., would do very well for a light cotton warp.
SETTING THE JACQUARD
The proper position for the jacquard, when only one is required on the
loom, is so that the centre hook in it will be above the centre hole
of the cumber board. This can easily be found by tying a plumb line to
the centre hook of the machine and moving it, if necessary, till the
plummet rests over the centre of the cumber board. In case the cumber
board is not fixed in position, that of the jacquard may be found by
having the plumb line to pass about half an inch more than the half
breadth of the harness at the cumber board behind the top rail of the
lay when it is full back, and it should also be at equal distances from
each side of the loom. When more than one jacquard is required, they
should be arranged evenly over the cumber board, and as close together
as possible.
Sometimes the jacquard may be set farther forward or back to suit
circumstances, such as getting card space, the only disadvantage being
that there will be more slanting of the cords at one side than the
other, and more friction on them in the cumber board, also more drag
on the hooks on this side if no heck is used, and if a heck is used
the cords will have to bear the friction on it. The more direct the
cords of the harness can be, the better, and the above setting of the
jacquard should be adhered to when possible, but it is not absolutely
necessary for working to have it so.
It is always well to have the jacquards so arranged that they can be
raised or lowered a little by having them resting on bars, which can be
raised or lowered with screws. This is in case the harness is levelled
higher or lower than might afterwards be desired; but if the breast
beam of the loom, with the lay and back rail, can be raised or lowered,
it will suit the same purpose, and it is better not to move the machine
once it is fixed and the harness tied up.
The height the jacquard is to be above the loom must in many cases be
regulated by circumstances; for instance, the height of the roof, or
if the beams of the roof interfere with the working of it; sometimes
the machines rest on the framing of the loom--that is, if the loom
is made for a jacquard--and sometimes plain looms are used, and the
machines rest on beams supported from columns, or from the roof of the
house. This latter is the best plan, as it keeps the jacquard free from
the shaking of the loom, which is particularly useful in the case of
looms fitted with the knock-off motion. A good height for a jacquard,
independent of circumstances, is to have 8 ft. or 8 ft. 6 in. from
the mails to the bottoms of the hooks for a 10/4 loom--that is, one
with about 100 in. reed space; 7 ft. to 7 ft. 6 in. for an 8/4 (82 in.
reed space), and 5 ft. 6 in. to 6 ft. for a 4/4 (40 in. or 42 in. reed
space), are very good heights. 5 ft. 6 in. is about right for a narrow
harness, say 20 in. to 27 in. wide; 6 ft. would do for 80 in. wide, and
7 ft. or 7 ft. 6 in. for 90 in. wide, if necessary.
HECKS OR GUIDE REEDS
A heck is a frame of hard wood with wires across it, a wire for each
row of hooks in the machine, from back to front. It should be made
to suit the machine, so that when the harness passes from the hooks
between the wires, it will go vertically down, and have no slant in it.
In narrow hecks, there is usually one cross-stay to support the wires,
but for broader machines there should be at least two. The wire should
be iron, as brass soon cuts with the friction of the cords, and then in
turn cuts the cords. For a single-acting machine the wires should be
loose, so that they can roll with the cords; but for a double-acting
machine this would be of no advantage, as a portion of the cords are
falling when the remainder are rising. If the machine is very wide,
or has to be set forward or back on the loom, there should be cross
rollers of hard wood above the wires, at right angles to them, to
prevent the bottoms of the hooks from being drawn either backwards or
forwards, which might push their heads on or off the griffe knives.
Sometimes glass rollers are used in the silk trade for this purpose,
with mountings of the London tie, and while they are very smooth
and polish the twines, they get too hot if used in warm power-loom
factories working at a high speed. Hecks are not required for very
narrow harnesses, as the cords do not diverge much from the vertical,
and the friction on the heck being saved, the cords wear much longer.
In a wide harness it is impossible to draw an even shed without a heck,
although in some districts they are hardly known, and the more any
portion of the harness diverges from the vertical, the more irregular
will the shed be.
[Illustration: Fig. 48]
Suppose we take an extreme case of a loom having three or four
jacquards on it, the harness to be 96 in. wide, and the pattern to
be for a table-cover; then, if we deduct 2 ft. from the width of the
harness, it is possible some of the border twines may have to slant
across 6 ft., or 72 in. Now make a triangle as No. 1, Fig. 48. Let the
base, A B, be 72 in., and take it as the level of the cumber board.
Take the vertical side, A C, as the height of the harness to the heck,
viz., 84 in. Now calculate the length of the hypotenuse B C by squaring
84 and 72 and finding the square root of the sum, and it will be found
to be 110·63 in. Again: Make another triangle, as No. 2, with base 72
in.; vertical side 3-1/2 in. longer than that of the former triangles,
viz., 87·5 in. (this 3-1/2 in. is to represent the draw or lift of the
harness). Calculate the length of the hypotenuse as before, and it
will be found to be 113·31 in. From this deduct 110·63 in., the length
of B C in No. 1, and the remainder, 2·68 in., equals the height that
the cord B C has been raised, while the cord A C, which is vertical,
has been raised 3-1/2 in.; and if we take into consideration that
the side draw of the sloping cords, as B C, will pull the tail cord a
little to one side and rise the vertical cords a little higher, while
the sloping ones remain proportionately lower, 1 in. may be safely
taken as the difference of the height that the two cords, B C and A C,
would be raised by the jacquard, and all the other cords in the harness
would vary, being less than this in proportion to their divergence from
the straight or vertical line. It can thus be seen how the shed would
require to be opened to let the shuttle through, and the irregular
strain that would be on the yarn; and for any cloth that requires a
fine surface, any irregularity of strain on the warp has a deleterious
effect, very well known by experienced overlookers.
Some consider that the London style of harness is more suitable for
working without a heck than the Norwich style, and adopt it to avoid
using one, as it is severe on the harness twines. Some raise the
machines very high to avoid using them, but for particular work with
border ties they must be used to give a proper working harness. With
the London mounting rollers should be, and are, used when there is
no heck. These rollers are set as a coarse heck in a frame under the
machine, and lie lengthways under it, just as they would do when used
above a heck. The heck should be about 3 in. below the knots which
fasten the tail cords to the neck twines. Some have the tugs, or tail
cords, coming down through the heck; in this case the heck only takes
the strain off the hooks of the machine, and has no effect on the shed,
though sometimes this is mitigated by having more than one tug or tail
cord, and the neck twines that slant in different directions are tied
to different tail cords. The only point in favour of this is that it
saves some trouble in tying broken harness twines when they begin to
wear away by their friction on the heck.
PREPARING THE NECK OF THE HARNESS
The twine for the neck, as well as that for the other portions of
the harness, is usually wound on spools, and when the neck is to be
prepared it is warped from these spools to the length required, either
on a hand warping mill or round two pins fastened in a wall or on a
bench, as far apart as the length of the harness; three or four spools
are put on pins, and the ends from them are taken and wound round the
pins fixed for warping them on. When warped the twines may be cut at
one end, and can either be tied in a bunch or stretched on a board and
tied down on it, so that they may be kept straight and admit of any
number of them being pulled out as they are wanted.
In some methods of mounting the neck twines are first tied to the
tail cords; perhaps this is the plan most commonly adopted with
double-acting machines. Sometimes they are tied to the sleepers first,
and fastening them to the tail cords is the last process. This is
called ‘beeting’ the harness. When single-acting machines are made with
the hooks resting on a perforated board, they have tugs on the hooks;
but when the wire hooks pass down through a perforated grating, tugs
are unnecessary, and the neck twines are fastened to the hooks. When
fastened to the hooks, or even when fastened to the tail cords, and a
heck is not to be used, the neck twines should be formed into heads,
either before they are tied up or afterwards, as may be desired. The
reason of this is, that when a number of neck twines are tied to a
hook or tail cord, and the hook is raised by the machine when working,
the twines will be slanting in different directions, and when coming
down again would be liable to catch on the knots of those that were
not raised; and the head is for the purpose of keeping them together,
so that they cannot separate for a short way down. One method of doing
this is, after the bunch of neck twines is tied to a tail cord or hook,
to take one of the twines and knot it round the others about 3-1/2 in.
below the tail cord, and the same may be done with a second twine, if
there are many in the parcel.
Sometimes the neck twines are all prepared in heads, and the following
is a convenient method of doing so:--Fasten four flat pins of wood,
as A, B, C, D, Fig. 49, on a board as F, or on the edge of a bench or
table. C and D are firmly fastened, but A and B can be turned round to
the position shown by the dotted lines when the screws holding them are
slackened. The distance from C to D must be the length required for the
neck twines. E is the twine coming from a spool on a wire. The pin A
is pushed round to the position shown by the dotted line, and the twine
is warped round C, B, D, passing over B and under C, so as to form a
lease. When a sufficient quantity is warped, the crossing of the lease
is pushed up towards C, and the pin A turned round into the centre of
the twines, taking the place of B, which is turned back. The use of
the two pins is to allow room for warping, C and A being too close
together. The distance from the outside of C to that of A should be
the length the head is required to be (about 3-1/2 in. or 4 in.). The
twines may now be cut at D, and a piece of cord looped round them and
tied to D, so as to hold them steady, but allow them to be drawn out as
required. The number of twines for each head can now be drawn out and
tied round the two pins C and A, and when a number are done they can
be slipped off the pins and put on cords or rods; the lease keeps the
heads in order, and the bunch can be hung up at the loom, and each head
be taken in rotation by the mounter. The number of twines for each head
is regulated by the tie of the harness.
[Illustration: Fig. 49]
Suppose a double-acting machine is to be mounted with the harness
similar to that shown in No. 1, Fig. 46. The tail cords are usually put
on the machine by the makers, but if they are worn out, or if new cords
are required, putting them on is the first process. This can be done
when the machine is on the ground, and the neck may also be tied to the
tail cords before the machine is put on the loom. Some mounters prefer
one method, and some the other, and the one which most conveniently
suits the circumstances may be used. When the neck is attached to the
machine before putting it on the loom, it is usual to turn it on its
side on blocks or on a table. If the machine is on the loom, a board is
tied up to make a seat for the mounter, and the bunch of neck twines
is fixed convenient to his reach; or he may have a boy to draw them
out for him, and hand him the number he requires. Beginning at the
first hook, he takes a pair of tail cords, and having drawn them down
straight and stretched them firmly, he loops the neck twines on them in
the way shown in Fig. 46, and draws the knot fast. The distance from
the bottom of the hooks to the neck twines should be 11 in. or 12 in.
The first of these in each row is measured, and the mounter can then
regulate the others so as to have all the knots in a line.
The number of neck twines that are to be tied to each hook is regulated
by the tie of the harness. For each time that any repeat or portion
of a pattern is to be repeated on the cloth there must be a twine
attached to those hooks of the machine that are to work this repeat.
For instance, if a 400 machine is used, and the pattern consists of a
simple repeat on these 400 hooks, and this has to be repeated six times
on the cloth, then six neck twines must be tied to each hook of the
machine. Again: The pattern might be made for a 400 machine, 200 hooks
to be repeated six times, 100 four times, and 100 three times; then six
twines would be tied to the first 200 hooks, four to the second set of
hooks (100), and three to the third set (100), and any mounting would
be regulated in a similar manner.
Full particulars of ties will be given further on.
If all the hooks in the machine are not required, any number of rows
or portions of rows can be left idle at one end, or at both ends if
desired, or even at the back or front.
When all the neck twines are tied up, the next process is to draw them
through the heck, which should be fastened firmly 2 in. or 3 in. below
the knots connecting the tail cords and neck.
The jacquard is supposed to have been levelled and set in its proper
position on the loom, and firmly fastened there, and the same may now
be done with the cumber board.
CUMBER BOARDS AND HARNESS REEDS
These are both for the same purpose--viz., that of regulating the space
which the harness is to occupy--and both answer the purpose equally
well, generally speaking. The reed being stronger is, perhaps, more
suitable for coarse work; and the cumber board, giving a more evenly
distributed harness, is perhaps preferable for fine work. Be that as
it may, both suit for any medium work, though some workmen are all
against the reeds, and others all against the boards. Harness reeds
are strong-made reeds of cane or iron, of the depth and fineness to
suit the harness. Bridges are fixed in them about 6 in. apart, with
perforations for stiff wire to be run through; as many wires as are
required to suit the number of rows of the harness. A wire should
be outside the harness at both sides, to prevent it rubbing against
the ribs of the reed. The wires are made straight, drawn tight, and
fastened at each end to holes in the yoke of the reed. The reed is set
in a frame of wood or iron, so that it can be bolted to brackets on the
loom.
Cumber or comber boards, also called hole boards, are made in various
ways. Sometimes they are of wood about 3/4 in. thick, and bored in a
piece. These boards are strong enough to bolt to brackets on the frame
of the loom. Sometimes they are thin, about 1/4 in. thick, bored in the
same way, and framed. The wood used is beech, sycamore, and sometimes
walnut. The objection to these boards, particularly the thin ones, is
that if the wood is not very well seasoned they are liable to warp and
split. A great many prefer to use what are called ‘slips’--that is,
small pieces of wood of the depth required for the harness, and about
1-1/2 in. long or broad. The length, or long way of a cumber board
or harness reed, is frequently called the width or breadth, same as
weaver’s reeds, as this is the width of the loom. The cross-way, or
from back to front, would, in the same way, be the depth. These slips
are made of boxwood, beech, or other clean hard wood. Some prefer beech
or sycamore to boxwood. The twines cut into them all in time, but the
hardness of the boxwood causes a very fine cut to be made in it, which
cuts the twine. The others will not cut the twine so readily, and by
the time the wood is cut too much the harness would require to be
renewed as well as the cumber board. These slips are made about 1/4
in. or 5/16 in. thick, and are set in a grooved frame. The usual way
of arranging the holes in a board is shown at A (Fig. 50), which is
for an 8-row harness. B shows a patent method, devised for the purpose
of giving more space between any two holes in each horizontal row. The
arrangement of the holes is in 4-shaft satin order, and gives double
the space between the holes of each horizontal line that A does, and
of course it would take so much longer for the twines to cut through;
but this would only be an advantage if the holes were set very close
together, as otherwise the harness would be considerably off the level
before the twines had cut from one hole into another. In any case,
the irregularity of the holes will likely prevent it from ever taking
the place of the older method shown at A, though it may be desirable
sometimes.
[Illustration: Fig. 50]
The cumber board is fastened on two brackets--one at each side of the
loom--and should be perfectly level and firm. It should be so far
advanced as to allow the harness to pass within half an inch of the
handrail of the lay when full back, and should be from 8 in. to 10 in.
above the mails, the lower the better, as it keeps them steady; but
the height may have to be regulated by the swords of the lay, as they
must be clear of it, and in some looms they are higher than in others.
When the cumber board is levelled and fastened, it should not be moved
after the harness is tied up, as any change in its position must alter
the level of some portion of the harness. This cannot in every case be
adhered to, as in some cases it may be necessary to move it. In a small
harness a good deal of shifting can be made that could not be attempted
in a large or intricate one. In many places the harnesses are built in
a separate room, or by the machine maker, and sent to the manufacturer;
but practical experience with particular work will teach anyone that
it is most desirable to have everything about the harness as level and
true as possible, and it takes a good deal of care to effect this, even
without any shifting.
SLABSTOCKS AND LEVELLING FRAMES
‘Slabstock’ is a name given to the board used for fastening the mails
on before they are levelled. It is about 6 in. deep and 1 in. thick,
and should be as long, or longer, than the loom is broad, according to
the way it is to be fixed in the loom, which is usually by being bolted
to brackets fastened on the sides of it.
[Illustration: Fig. 51]
There is a groove or rebate in the top edge of it for holding the
mails, as shown in Fig. 51 at A and B. Sometimes the grooves are at
both sides, as shown at A^1. All the mails required for the harness are
put on the one slabstock, which is set directly under the cumber board
when the harness is being levelled.
[Illustration: Fig. 52]
A levelling frame is better than a slabstock; it is for the same
purpose--that of keeping the mails firm and level when being tied to
the neck twines. It consists of two flat bars of iron, C, C (Fig.
52), which can be bolted together in the form of a frame by the use
of two stays, one at each end, and by the same screws be bolted
to slotted brackets, A A, B B, fastened to the frame of the loom.
Sometimes two hanging brackets, as D, are used, fastened from the top
or heddle-bearer of the loom. The levelling bars, C, C, rest in these
brackets, and can be fixed firm in them with a pin or cotter. If there
is any yield or spring in the brackets, they can be stayed from the
front of the loom as well, as the frame should be made very firm. The
distance between the two bars should be 4 in. or 4-1/2 in., which will
suit any harness; if only narrow harnesses, as 8-row, are required, it
may be an inch narrower. The length of the frame must suit the breadth
of the loom. It should be perfectly straight and level on the upper
edges, and should have two rows of holes bored in it, about 2 in.
apart, for pins and skewers to pass through above and below the wires
on which the mails are strung, so as to keep them firm.
LEVELLING THE SLABSTOCK OR FRAME
Levelling a harness, or rather levelling the mails of the harness,
is the most important part of the mounting, as, if the mails are not
levelled as true as a straight-edge, good work need not be expected
from the loom. The position in which they are levelled, in relation to
the breast beam and back rail, will depend upon the nature of the cloth
to be made, to a certain extent; but as a general rule, for ordinary
work, the eyes of the mails should be half the depth of the shed
required to be drawn below the level of the breast beam for hand loom
work, and a little more than that for power-loom work. This is to have
the top and bottom portions of the shed of an even tension, and to make
both sides of the cloth equally good. The position of the back roll can
be altered a little afterwards, if it is required to slacken either
the top or bottom portions of the shed. Raising the back roll throws
up the weft pattern to the under side of the cloth, and sinking the
back roll gives the upper surface of the cloth a finer appearance, by
tightening the top portion of the shed. A 3-1/2-in. draw of the harness
is sufficient for power-loom work, and perhaps less would sometimes be
preferable. Levelling the harness mails 1-3/4 in. for light work, and
2 in. for heavy work, below the breast beam should be a good average
standard for a 3-1/2 in. draft of harness. The levelling frame or
slabstock is levelled to this height by means of a spirit level and
straight-edge, making allowance for whatever spring there may be in the
harness after it is tied, and the wires drawn out of the mails. This
can only be ascertained by experience, and depends principally on the
tension the mounter puts on the twines when tying them; it will also
depend upon whether the harness twines have any spring in them or not,
but they should be well stretched before being used, to avoid this. A
mounter who ties slackly will generally make a more level harness than
one who ties tightly. About 1/8 in. may be allowed for the mails to
rise if the cords are slackly tied, and if tightly tied 1/4 in. may
have to be allowed, and sometimes more than this.
Sometimes the level is taken by placing a straight-edge on the race
of the lay, when the cranks are at the back centre; then the under
edge of the straight-edge should give the position for the tops of the
mails on the slabstock, when it is fixed in its position in the loom.
In levelling by this method the race must first be set at the proper
height, and it must also be properly bevelled. From 1/2 in. to 3/4 in.
below the breast beam is a good level at which to have the race, when
the cranks are at the top centre, the latter for a low harness. The
angle, or bevel, of the race may not at all times suit for levelling in
this way. If not, the race should be made correct when possible; if it
cannot be corrected, the harness must be levelled a little lower and
the back rail kept down for working. A loom with the race bevelled for
plain work is not suited for damask; the angle between the race and
reed should, for damask, be about 93°, whereas for plain 87° would be
more suitable.
TYING UP THE HARNESS
Having the neck attached to the tail cords and the levelling frame
and cumber board fixed in position, the next operation is to get the
prepared lingoes placed in the loom, whether on the levelling frame or
slabstock. Suppose the levelling frame to be used. According to the
number of rows in the harness or cumber board, pieces of reed wire are
procured, one for each row, and as many lingoes are strung on each of
these as will be required for each row of the harness, by running the
wires through the mails. These wires are then placed in the frame and
secured by skewers being put through the frame above and below them.
The frame is then levelled and firmly bolted to the loom. The sleepers
or mid-pieces of the lingoes are next drawn up through the cumber
board, one through each hole required to be used, any surplus holes
being previously marked out to suit the tie of the harness, which will
be afterwards explained. When all are drawn through, the tying of the
neck twines to the sleepers may be proceeded with.
This must be done in accordance with the tie of the harness. Thus, if
there are four cords tied on the first hook of the machine, these must
be taken down to the lingoes in the proper place in the cumber board,
which may be seen by examining the particulars of the mountings, to be
given further on. One method of fastening the neck to the sleepers is
shown in No. 1, Fig. 46, at D, _d_, _d_^1. The twine is put through
the loop of the sleeper at _d_^1 (or better to have a snitch on the
sleeper, unless the knots are to be varnished afterwards), then a loop
is thrown on at _d_, and the end tied at D, and clipped close. This
method suits very well when the harness is liable to be altered, for if
the knots are brushed over with paste they hold sufficiently firm, and
can be loosed again at any time, if necessary. If varnished, it also
answers equally well for any coarse harness; but if it is fine and much
crossed, especially if the twines are strong or coarse, the knots are
liable to catch on each other and raise more warp than should be when
the loom is working.
A second plan is shown in No. 2, Fig. 46. In this case there are
no sleepers on the lingoes; they are put on the levelling frame or
slabstock without them, the mails and lingoes being connected by the
hangers; the levelling frame is set in the loom as before, and the neck
twines must be long enough to go down through the cumber board, through
the top hole of the mail, and up again through the cumber board to
where they are tied. The mounter, when about to tie them, takes one of
the twines and casts a single knot on it, leaving the loop open, then
puts the end of it through a hole in the cumber board and through a
mail, and with a small wire hook draws it up again through the same
hole in the cumber board, and through the open knot or loop he made on
it, at the same time; then, turning round the awl or piercer in the
other end of the handle of the hook, he puts it through the knot and
runs it up about 6 in. above the cumber board, draws it tight, and
casts another knot above it with the end of the twine, as shown at D,
No. 2, Fig. 46. This makes a neat harness, and when a mounter gets
accustomed to it he can proceed very expeditiously. This method is used
in England; the former is Scotch. The instrument used for drawing the
twines through the cumber board consists of a wooden handle, in one
end of which is a hook or barbed wire, same as is used for drawing the
warp through mails, and in the other end is a round awl or piece of
steel wire, tapered to a blunt point, which is used for running up the
loop or knots so as to have them all about the same distance above the
cumber board.
_Beeting_ is another Scotch method of mounting. The harness may be
beeted either above or below the cumber board; beeting above it was the
old method, and single slabstock was used, as shown in Fig. 51 at A.
When preparing it for the loom, the lingoes and mails are connected by
the hangers in the usual way, and hung on the slabstock with the mails
in the groove in it, as shown at B, Fig. 51. A piece of flat wire (reed
wire) is run through the eyes of the mails, as many as are required for
the whole harness, and is then tied down by cords fastened round it
and the slabstock, at short distances apart. The slabstock is now put
into a frame, or rack, with a rail as high above it as is required for
the length of the sleepers. A spool of twine is fixed on a wire pin at
the side of the frame, and with a needle, or otherwise, the end of the
twine is run through a number of the mails and fastened. With a hook
the sleepers can be reeled up to pins in the rail above the slabstock,
on the same principle that they are done in Fig. 47. When the sleepers
are all finished they can be slipped off the pins and cut.
The slabstock is next fixed in the loom and levelled with the upper
edge of the rebate or groove touching the under edge of a straight-edge
placed on the race of the lay when it is full back (for power looms).
The sleepers are then drawn up through the cumber board without their
ends being knotted; they should be long enough to reach about 8 in.
above it, and say 7 in. below, making 15 in. for their entire length.
Now, to beet the harness: Say there are two beeters, standing on the
ground, with a supply of neck twines convenient to them; they pick up
the sleepers from the first set of holes in the cumber board--that is,
those that are to be connected with the first hook in the machine--and,
having tied neck twines to them, hand them to the harness tyer, who is
up at the machine. He takes the lot of twines and draws them all to an
even tension, then, having drawn down the tail cords firmly and evenly,
knots the neck twines to them.
One method of knotting the neck to the tail is to have the tail cords
tied together so as to form loops; then, having straightened both the
neck and tail cords, lay the neck against the loop of the tail, and
take both firmly between the finger and thumb of the left hand, being
careful not to let them slip, and casting a knot, as at C or D, Fig.
51, round the tail, with the ends of the neck draw it fast. In order
to have all the tail cords plumb and the knots of a uniform height,
the harness tyer sometimes has a cord tied across the top of the loom
frame, at each end of the machine, at the height the knots are to be.
On these he lays a straight-edge, marked as a guide for where the tail
cords are to hang, so that he can regulate those of one row and have
them plumb, and the knots even; when one row is finished, he moves
the straight-edge to the next, and goes on with it. A newer method
of beating is to prepare the lingoes with sleepers and hangers, the
sleepers to be about 5-1/2 in. long. The slabstock A^1, Fig. 51, is
used, or the other if preferred.
The mails are put upon flat wires as before, but instead of all going
on one wire, half the number is put on each of two wires, and one of
them is placed at each side of the slabstock, where it can be fastened
with small staples. To facilitate getting the mails on the wires, when
reeling the sleepers on the pin, as in Fig. 47, a lease can be made on
the loops by giving them a twist when putting them over the pin.
A piece of twine can be fastened in this case, and the loops
afterwards cut. The mails can then be taken off in order, and run on
the wire for the slabstock. When the mails are fixed on the slabstock
it may be laid on the ground, or set in a frame, and the neck twines
tied to the sleepers; and when all are tied, they can be drawn through
the cumber board or harness reed. Afterwards, all are taken and fixed
in the loom. The cumber board must be set so high above the knots on
the sleepers that they will not come into contact with it when the shed
is opened (that would be 4 in. or 4-1/2 in. above it). The neck twines
are then tied to the tail cords as before.
This makes a very good harness, and has the advantage of having
no knots on the neck twines above the cumber board, which is very
important in an intricate harness with the cords close together, as the
knots when varnished are liable to catch on each other, or on twines
slanting across them, and lift them as they are being drawn up. When a
harness is mounted in this way it is not easy to make any alteration
on it, or to re-level any portion of it if necessary. If the sleepers
are tied in loops, same as used in No 1, Fig. 46, they can be connected
to the neck twines by having the latter double and putting both ends
of the neck through a snitch on the sleeper, or the neck twines may be
double and the two ends of the sleeper when untied may be put through a
snitch on the looped end of the neck twine and tied; in this way they
could be altered or adjusted afterwards if necessary, but if they had
to be varnished the knots would be rather rough.
The following method of mounting is adopted in the damask hand-loom
districts of the North of Ireland, and is used for particular
power-loom work as well. It is a slower process than the preceding, but
cannot be surpassed for getting a level harness, and the mails can be
regulated as desired--that is, to have the back rows getting gradually
a little higher than the front ones, which can only be accomplished in
the preceding methods by tying them a little tighter, or by having the
frame sloped a little.
The lingoes may be prepared as before, with the sleepers 5 in. long
when tied and clipped. The neck twines are put down through the cumber
board and knotted loosely in bunches underneath.
The levelling frame is set in the loom, the top edge of it being at the
level that the eyes of the mails in the front row are to be hung.
No wires are required. The lingoes are taken in bunches and put astride
on the frame as required, and boys fasten them up to the neck twines
by throwing on a snitch and running them up to somewhere about the
height they will be wanted when level; in doing so the knots on the
sleepers must be kept up as close to the snitch as is convenient for
tying them, as, if left too low, they would interfere with the warp in
shedding. When all the lingoes are hung inside the levelling frame--or
they may be hung first, and the levelling frame put up afterwards and
levelled--the mounter may begin to level the mails.
He uses a fine piece of waxed cord with a small weight at each end,
which he lays across the levelling frame as a guide, and levels each
row from back to front in succession. The front mail may hang with
the top of its eye level with the cord, and the others rise a little
higher, till the back one is perhaps, with the bottom hole, level with
the levelling cord, or 1/8 in. higher than the front one. The levelling
can easily be accomplished by sliding the snitch up or down the neck
twines; and when the correct height for the mail is got, the neck twine
is tied as at H, No. 3, Fig. 46, when it is to be varnished, or as at
H^1 when it need not be varnished; in the latter case cable cord is
used for the neck, and it is split at the end, when drawn through the
snitch, and then knotted.
VARNISHING A HARNESS
Varnishing is for the twofold purpose of making the harness twines wear
better, and keeping them from being affected by the atmosphere.
Sometimes the harness is only partly varnished, particularly when it is
liable to be changed in a short time, and then it can be loosed down
and used again.
If it is to remain for a length of time--that is, for steady work--it
should be varnished all over, but care should be taken to get a good
varnish, as some of them destroy the twines, and others come off and
are useless.
The common varnishes are made principally from shellac, beeswax,
and turpentine, and can be procured at any heddle-maker’s. Sometimes
white wax dissolved in turpentine is used to rub the twine at the
cumber board, for fine harnesses for silk and other light work, the
remainder being left unvarnished. Sometimes the neck of the harness and
the sleepers are varnished, and the knots above the cumber board are
brushed with paste, as each row is tied, to keep them from slipping.
Perhaps the best varnish is boiled oil, which, when well dried, gets
very smooth after working for some time, and keeps the twines soft and
pliable. It takes some time to dry, and does not suit well for using
in a dusty place, but answers very well when the harness is built in a
room for the purpose, and is afterwards taken to the loom.
Sometimes a very small quantity of beeswax or white wax is added to the
oil to give it more firmness, and sometimes driers are used to make it
dry more quickly; but it is better to do without driers, as they harden
the twines and are injurious. Varnish should not be disturbed till
quite dry, as, if the twines are separated and the loom started when it
is soft, the outer surface will rub up and make a rough harness. The
twines are separated by running a wire skewer between each cross-row.
French chalk dusted down through the harness assists in smoothing it,
and prevents too much friction when it is being started to work.
TO ARRANGE THE TIE OF A HARNESS
What is known as the tie of a harness is the arrangement or manner
in which the harness twines are connected to the hooks of the
jacquard--_i.e._ the number of twines that are tied to each hook, and
the position they are to occupy in the cumber board. Ties for ordinary
damask work may be divided into three classes--viz. straight, or
single; lay over, or repeating; and gathered, or centred.
_Straight or Single Tie._--This tie is only required when there is
no repetition of any portion of the pattern, as in silk markers, and
occasionally in handkerchiefs, d’oyleys, tablecloths, &c. Only one
harness twine is tied to each hook of the jacquard, and there must be
as many hooks as there are threads of warp. The twines are tied to the
jacquard and taken down through the cumber board in regular order from
first to last, and the warp is drawn into the mails in the same order.
Any pattern that it is possible to put on the cloth can be wrought with
this method of mounting.
_Lay Over or Repeating Tie._--This is, perhaps, the commonest tie, and
is used for all such patterns as Fig. 53, where one small portion, as
that enclosed by the dotted lines, will, when repeated several times,
cover the entire surface of the cloth.
[Illustration: Fig. 53]
_Gathered or Centred Tie._--This tie can be used when both halves of
any figure or border, &c., are alike when turned over; it will only
require half the number of hooks to work a figure or border, when
gathered or centred, that would be required for a single pattern.
All other ties are combinations of these.
Fig. 53 shows a pattern for a lay over, or repeating tie, such as might
be used for dress goods, handkerchiefs, &c. The complete extent of the
pattern is enclosed by the dotted line; this is called one ‘repeat’
of the pattern, because this portion repeated over the cloth makes
up the entire figuring on it. To ascertain how this may be woven, or
what number of hooks of the jacquard will be required to weave it, the
number of threads contained in 1 in., or other given space, of the
cloth required must be known. If the pattern is to be on the cloth say
2 in. × 2-3/8 in., and there are to be 100 threads of warp and 120
threads of weft per inch, then 200 hooks of the jacquard and 240 cards
would be required to weave it, each hook representing one thread of
warp, and each card representing one shot of weft.
[Illustration: Fig. 54]
Figs. 54 and 55 show mountings on jacquards with 208 hooks in each,
the former tied on the Norwich principle, and the latter in the London
style. In both cases only 200 hooks are used, the remaining eight
hooks being left idle for selvages, if required. These mountings are
made for four repeats of the pattern, which would only make 8 in. of
cloth; but there may be any number of repeats, say 13, to make 27 in.
of cloth or 28-1/2 in. of warp in the loom, with, say, 92 threads per
inch. There must be a harness twine for each repeat of the pattern tied
to each hook of the machine; when four repeats are used, four twines
are tied to each hook, as in Figs. 54 and 55. The harness reed or
cumber board, G, must be of the same set or fineness as the weaver’s
reed (if finer, it can be used by passing over the surplus holes). It
is divided into four portions, leaving 200 holes for each repeat, and
the twines are, in Fig. 54, taken straight down from the hooks to the
holes in it, as can easily be seen. In this figure the cross-rows of
the cumber board at the first of each repeat are shown filled; but in
mounting, the back row, taken from the hooks A to B, would be filled
first. In Fig. 55 the reverse is the case, the cross-rows, as shown,
being the first filled; this is owing to the twist in the harness, as
the machine is sitting so that the cards will hang over the side of
the loom. The letters A, B, C, and D in both figures denote the same
corners of the machines, showing that in Fig. 55 there is a quarter
twist in the harness. In Fig. 54, the dotted lines from the 200th hook
show the last cord of each repeat; L is the first cord of the last
cross-row, and E and F are the same in Fig. 55. In these figures only
the skeleton of the mounting is given; it must, of course, be filled up
as the first rows which are given.
[Illustration: Fig. 55]
For this description of mounting the yarn is drawn into the mails in
regular order, beginning at No. 1, and proceeding with the numbers
as given. In this case the back hook to the left-hand corner must be
taken as the first hook of the machine, and the cards cut to suit this.
Sometimes the first hook to the front left-hand corner is considered
the first hook, but if so it must be remembered when cutting the cards.
Sometimes the mounting is begun at the right-hand side, but in any case
it is only necessary to see that the draft of the yarn and cutting of
the cards correspond with the order of mounting; the result of the work
should be the same in all cases.
[Illustration: Fig. 56]
Fig. 56 shows a pattern for a gathered border with a repeating centre,
which is a very common style of design. It will be seen that the two
halves of the border, A and B, are alike, if taken from the centre
outwards; or if one-half of the border were traced on tracing paper, it
would, if turned over, form the other half. For this reason it is also
called a ‘turn-over’ border. In the same way, if two cords are tied
to each hook of the jacquard for the border, and those to the first
hook taken down to the cumber board for the two outside threads of the
border (that is, one to the right and the other to the left), then
those from the next hook taken to the two next outer holes, and so on,
coming from the outsides to the centre, the first half of the pattern
would be repeated by the mounting in exactly the same way as by turning
over the tracing paper.
[Illustration: Fig. 57]
Fig. 57 shows a mounting for a gathered border and four repeats of
the centre. Eighty hooks are taken for the border, which are repeated
four times in the cumber board, as at 80_a_, 80_b_, 80_c_, and 80_d_,
and 120 hooks are allowed for the centre repeat (see also Fig. 58).
This mounting is made up for a 200 machine with 208 hooks, the extra
eight hooks being left for working the selvages. Only the front row of
the harness is shown, but they are all alike. By following the cords
from the hooks to the cumber board, it can be easily seen how they are
taken through it. The first eight hooks are left idle, for the selvage
to be fixed to if required. The next ten rows = 80 hooks, are for the
border; these 80 hooks, with one twine on each, taken down through the
cumber board at 80_a_, would work the first half of the border, as A.
The other half of the border, B, can be wrought by the same hooks, with
another set of twines tied to them, and taken through the cumber board
at 80_b_; but the twine from the first hook must be crossed over to
the right-hand side of the border, being the 160th twine in the cumber
board; the twine from the second hook is the 159th in the cumber
board, and so on, coming in towards the centre to meet the first set of
twines; hence the name, ‘centred tie.’
[Illustration: Fig. 58]
The border must also be repeated on the other side, and two more sets
of twines must be tied to the same hooks (four to each hook in all),
which are taken down through the cumber board at 80_c_ and 80_d_, to
work the two halves of the border marked G and H, Fig. 58. The next 15
rows of hooks = 120, work the repeat of the centre pattern, C, Figs.
56 and 58; and as this is repeated four times, at C, D, E, and F, Fig.
58, there must be four twines tied to each of the 120 hooks, which are
taken down through the four divisions of the cumber board marked 120;
one twine from each hook being taken through each division, beginning
at the left and working to the right side, alike in them all, as this
portion is a simple repeating tie. Fig. 58 gives a portion of the
pattern in Fig. 56 completed across, as it would be on the cloth by the
mounting in Fig. 57; the cumber board is laid across the top of the
pattern and marked, showing, in conjunction with the mounting, Fig.
57, how the harness repeats the pattern so that a large surface can be
figured with a small machine by adopting a suitable tie.
When drawing the warp into the harness, wherever there is a gather in
the tie, or a turn in the harness, there must be a turn in the draft
also; not that there is any real change in the draft, but when the
harness is turned in the direction it is drawn through the cumber
board, the draft must also be changed to follow the mails in regular
order. Fig. 59 shows a draft for a gathered border, with 48 hooks for
the border and three repeats of the centre. It will be seen that the
first half of both borders A and B and the three repeats of the centre
are drawn in the same direction, but that the two turned-over portions
of the borders C and D are drawn in the reverse direction. The numbers
on Figs. 62 and 62A may assist in explaining this, the border A in 62
and B in 62A being taken; in these it will be seen from the numbers,
which are those of the harness twines, that 1 to 8 in border A (Fig.
62) run in the reverse direction of 1 to 8 in border A (62A), and both
are from the same hooks.
[Illustration: Fig. 59]
[Illustration: Fig. 60]
When two borders are to be woven on any piece of cloth, though the
pattern for each border may be single in itself, as Fig. 60 (which is
single except the two outlying lines, A and C), they will to each other
form a gathered tie, provided they have to be turned in the same way
to the centre of the cloth--that is, if the inside of one border on
one side is to be the inside of the other border on the other side. In
such a pattern as Fig. 60 it would not matter much if the inside of
one border was the outside of the other, as the border is much alike
either way, and if wrought in this way the twill on the cloth would not
be reversed, as is always the case in a turned-over border. In many
patterns this would not do, and it is therefore necessary to gather
the tie and turn the twill. Fig. 61 shows how, in the London style of
tying, the harness can be turned so that a turn in the draft is not
necessary, but this will not alter the reverse twill on the cloth.
It will be seen that one of each of the two cords tied to the eight
hooks goes to one border, and the other to the opposite border, but
instead of both going to the same row of the cumber board, the cord
from the first hook goes to the back row in one border, and to the
front row in the other. All the cords follow in this way, which has
the same effect as turning the draft, as would require to be done in
the Norwich mountings, and could also be done on this principle. Fig.
62 shows the draft of the two borders for Fig. 61 mounting, A and B
being a plan of the warp passing through the mails. The numbers refer
to the hooks of the jacquard. C and D are the two innermost threads of
the borders, both on the 48th hook of the machine. Fig. 62A shows how
the draft would be if the cords were not brought from front to back of
the cumber board, as the numbers will show. No. 1 shows where the cords
from the first hook pass through the cumber board. Fig. 62A gives the
right-hand border only, the left-hand one remaining the same as in Fig.
62.
[Illustration: Fig. 61]
[Illustration: Fig. 62]
[Illustration: Fig. 62A]
In Fig. 60, the two bars A and C could be wrought from the same hooks,
and, unless they might be required to be different from each other on
another pattern to work on the same loom, it would be unnecessary to
allow machinery for the two; either the outer or inner one could be
tied up, and the other repeated from it, but the one that is tied up
must be painted on the design paper.
[Illustration: Fig. 63]
Fig. 63 shows the front view of a mounting for weaving a pattern such
as that given on Fig. 60, one machine being used for the border, and
another for the centre. Usually the border machine would be to the
left-hand side, to correspond with the pattern; but in Fig. 63 it will
be observed that No. 1 machine is to the right-hand side, and that it
works the borders. It does not matter which machine is used for border
or centre; the mounter can use the one he considers most suitable for
the borders, and the pattern may be painted and the cards cut without
any consideration of this, it being only necessary to put the border
cards to the border machine, and those for the centre to the centre
machine. The only consideration is to avoid any unnecessary slanting
of the harness twines, which the present arrangement does; and it
also keeps the turned portion of the harness (that for the right-hand
border) separate from the twines of the centre, thus avoiding any
unnecessary friction.
TO MARK OUT A CUMBER BOARD
[Illustration: Fig. 64]
Cumber boards may be either the exact fineness of the harness, or any
set finer; they are better to be a little finer, to allow for any
broken rows at the beginning or end of any of the repeats. When the
cumber board is finer than the harness, the surplus rows are left idle.
A convenient plan of marking off a cumber board is as follows:--Let
the pattern be as Fig. 60--that is, with a border at each side and the
centre to be repeated several times to make up the width of the cloth.
Let 24 cords be required for the selvage, 172 cords for the border, and
128 for a repeat of the centre; there are to be four repeats of the
centre. Now mark off on the cumber board whatever width the harness
is to stand, which should be the same or rather wider than the warp
occupies in the reed, and let it be so as to have the harness in the
centre of the loom. Suppose Fig. 64 to give the width of cumber board
required. The selvages are wrought from 6 hooks, and there are 8 hooks
in each row of a 400 jacquard; therefore 4 rows of the cumber board
will be required for each selvage. Mark these off by drawing the lines
A and B on the cumber board. Now find out the width the borders are
each to occupy, by calculating how wide the yarn will be in the reed,
and mark them off by the lines C and G; then mark off the width of each
repeat by the lines D, E, and F. Counting the number of holes marked
off for the margin, it will be found that there are 32; but as the
selvage is on six hooks, the two back holes of each row of the cumber
board are marked out, as shown, not being required. The portion marked
off for the borders contains 23 rows on each side, whereas only 21-1/2
are required for 172 cords. As the centre repeat is on even rows, and
it is usual to leave broken rows to the left-hand side of the painting,
the first 4 hooks of the border portion of the machine will be idle;
therefore the 4 back holes of the cumber board for both borders are
marked out; this still leaves a row too much, which may be marked out
at any place. For the repeats, 128 cords, 16 rows are required, and the
surplus rows are marked out, as shown. This mounting is supposed to
be on a 400 machine, leaving 100 hooks idle to the left-hand side of
the mounting, then using 1 row for the selvages, and the remaining 38
rows for the pattern, all but the half of the first row, which is not
required.
[Illustration: Fig. 65]
In marking out a cumber board for a lay-over, or repeating pattern--if,
say, 108 hooks are required for each repeat, which makes 13-1/2 rows
of an 8-row machine--if the broken row is to the left-hand side of the
painting, and the harness mounted from left to right, then the first
four holes of the first row of each repeat of the pattern are marked
out in the cumber board to be left empty, as shown in Fig. 65. When
mounting, no attention would be paid to the cords on the half-row of
the machine till the first four rows along the cumber board have been
filled, the mounter beginning with the back cord on the first full row
of the machine, which is the fifth hook of the tie. Three rows for the
selvage, which is on four hooks at the front of the harness, are shown
at S, Fig. 65.
The front of a jacquard is generally considered by workmen to be the
cylinder side. Of course, when there is a cylinder on each side there
is neither front nor back to it. Sometimes it is very confusing talking
of the front and back, one considering it to mean the front of the
harness, or front of the loom, and another taking it to be the front
or cylinder side of the jacquard, which is usually at the back of the
loom for Norwich ties. Of course, the front of the loom is where the
weaver stands, or where the cloth is made, and the front of the harness
is towards the front of the loom. It simplifies matters greatly by not
minding the back or front of the machine, but speaking of every part of
the harness, &c., towards the front of the loom as the front of it.
[Illustration: Fig. 66]
It frequently happens that figured stripes are required, running up
plain or fancy textured goods, either forming borders to the outer
edges, or merely ornamental stripes, say 3 or 4 inches from the edges
of the cloth, as in towels, toilet-covers, &c. For this class of
work it is generally most advisable to work the stripes with a small
jacquard, and the plain or fancy texture of the body of the cloth with
a shaft mounting. Fig. 66 shows a mounting of this class; the shafts
can be wrought by tappets in the usual way, and small cumber boards,
as A, A^1, are fastened to the top rail of the loom for the harness to
pass through. It is usual to keep the harness behind the heddles, and
it is levelled in the usual way. The yarn may or may not be on the same
beam for both portions, according to whether the take-up, or shrinkage,
will be the same for both portions or not. Sometimes the shrinkage may
be regulated to be alike in both by using different counts of yarn, or
drawing it thicker into the reed; but perhaps in most cases two beams
would be desirable, unless the texture is much alike for both the
stripes and body of the cloth.
The lease rods for the yarn in the harness will not, probably, do to
be the same as those for the body yarn, as the action of the heddles
will be different from that of the harness. If the same rods will not
suit, it is easy to have a pair for each warp, those for the harness
being farthest back. Stripes of this description are frequently made
in towels, glass-cloths, &c., for clubs or hotels, with the name of
the company woven into them. A gathered tie is mostly used for these
mountings, except when letters are required to be woven, in which case
a gathered tie is not suitable. (See Letters and Monograms.)
TO VARY THE SET OF THE HARNESS
It may often be that in weaving figured piece-goods it would be an
advantage to have a harness that would weave different degrees of
fineness, so that the loom could be utilised for one when the other
is not required. For weaving small quantities, for samples or special
orders, this is often an advantage.
The usual method of procedure is to draw the warp into a finer or
coarser reed if only a slight difference is required, and to pay no
attention to the strive in the warp between the harness and reed. The
better the quality of the warp, the greater the strive may be, but from
1 in. to 2 in. at each side is as far as it can safely be run when the
harness is wider than the yarn in the reed; and if the reed is coarser
than the harness, 1 in. at each side will probably be the maximum limit.
When changes of this kind are liable to take place, the cumber board
should not be too low down, nor should the mails hang too close to the
back of the slay; with the cumber board high and the harness a little
back the strive will not tell so severely on the warp. When the cumber
board is made of boxwood slips, they can be spread out a little in the
frame, but when there is much of a slant in the harness this would take
the mails off the level; though this can sometimes be counteracted a
little by raising the cumber board slightly higher at one end than at
the other.
The best plan when much of a change is required is to pass over the
surplus rows of mails in the harness, as in harness work, as well as in
shaft mountings, the mounting may be used for any coarser set of warp
than it is built for--of course, if the width is suitable. This would
necessitate the warp, or at least a part of it, being drawn out of the
harness, and also requires a new set of cards for the new pattern, or
for the same pattern on a new set of cloth. The surplus mails may be
cast out in rows across the loom if many are to be rejected, or in
rows across the harness (from back to front) if found more suitable,
or when a small number of mails are to be left idle. Suppose for an
8-row harness, 400 machine, with 6 repeats = 2400 mails on 30 in., or
80 threads per inch, and it is required to weave a piece of cloth on
this having 74 threads per inch. Drawing the yarn into a coarser reed,
and, if only 30 in. wide is required, throwing off the surplus yarn
at each side, would probably be the simplest method; but if the cloth
to be woven is to have 60 threads per inch, every four throw of mails
across the harness, or one-fourth of the harness, might be left idle,
or the two back rows of the harness may be left empty. In the latter
case the pattern could be painted on 6-row design paper as if for a
6-row machine, and in the former case the number of designs across the
painting would be reduced by one-fourth, the card-cutter taking care
that he omitted those rows on the card that have been thrown idle on
the machine.
In order to reduce this trouble and expense to a minimum Messrs. Devoge
& Co. have patented an expanding harness which is intended to admit of
cloths of different degrees of fineness being woven without any trouble
but a little setting of the cumber board and re-reeding the warp. The
method of doing so is as follows:--There are two cumber-board frames,
one above the other, as shown in the sketch Fig. 67; these frames are
filled with slips which can be moved along when desired. The harness
can be set for two degrees of fineness of warp, as is shown in the
sketch. The slips in the upper frame, B, are set midway above the two
positions for a slip in the lower frame indicated by the letters _a_
and _a^1_. The black lines show the position of the cords when weaving
the finer set. The only change required to be made is to shift the
lower slip, _a_, to the position _a^1_, and to re-reed the warp; other
changes can be made on the same principle, or by altering both sets
of slips in relation to each other. When the slips are moved in the
frames, they can be kept in position by interposing blank slips between
them.
[Illustration: Fig. 67]
The same cards will suit in this case for several sets of cloth, if
required. Of course it is plain that the friction on the harness twines
working through the two cumber boards must be greatly increased from
that of the ordinary method of working; but for light work, and when
the harness is not required to last long, it may prove very serviceable
when frequent changes are required, as it furnishes a ready means of
accomplishing the desired object, which cannot be done without cost in
some direction. For wide looms or intricate mountings it will not be
of much service. In the Figure only one hook of the jacquard is given,
for simplicity, but the harness would be filled up in the usual manner.
If the harness is built with long mails having several eyes in them,
the second cumber board is not required; the slips can be shifted and
the warp levelled by drawing it through suitable holes in the mails.