FANCY WEAVING BY THE JACQUARD, ITS CONSTRUCTION, CARD CUTTING, WOVEN
PILE CLOTHS.
The jacquard machine for shedding is employed in the production of
some of the most complicated cotton fabrics that are woven. In its
primary principle it is very simple, strangely so when we reflect on
its importance in the manufacturing industry, and that by it only
are we enabled to make so very ornamental cloths of great extent and
beauty. Originally a French invention, the contrivance of Joseph Marie
Jacquard, of Lyons, it was introduced into England in the early part of
this century and adopted by the silk manufacturers. Its manufacture was
early taken up by Lancashire firms, and we find now that in improved
forms it is in extensive practical use in the cotton trade at the fancy
weaving establishments of Bolton, Ashton, Preston, Glasgow, and other
towns.
THE JACQUARD MACHINE.
The advantage of this motion is in its enormous capacity or scope of
varied working of the ends. When we are aware of the existence of 1200
hook jacquards, the capacity of which is equal to that of 30 dobbies
of 40 jacks each, or giving 600 times as many different workings of
the ends as a plain tappet, we immediately recognise its value. It
is a machine for automatically selecting out of may be thousands of
threads the end or ends required to give a desired effect in the
cloth. A representation of its simplest form is shown in Fig. 62.
[Illustration: Cumber Board]
Taking a 400 hook machine, the commonest size used for cotton weaving,
we find a row of 8 needles or lances E of thin wire, arranged
horizontally; at the left hand we see each of these attached to a
spring in the spring box A, the other end projecting about 3/8-inch
through a needle board B. Each lance regulates a vertical wire hooked
top and bottom, and shown with each upper hook standing over its
respective griffe or knife C. These griffes, eight in number, are
lifted simultaneously through being connected together at the ends.
The lower end of the hook rests on a wire grid J, slotted so as to
allow the lower end of the hooks--to which are attached the neck cords
F--to pass through. A bottom board below the bend is used for those
machines which have no wire grid. To these neck cords is attached the
harness--_i.e._, linen threads or leashes, some seven feet in length,
carrying a brass mail-eye H, through which the end of warp is drawn.
Just above the mail-eye the harness passes through a cumber board C,
for the purpose of keeping in proper order and regulating the number of
leashes per inch. At the bottom of each leash is fixed a metal weight,
called a lingo, intended to pull the leash down after having been
raised to form the shed.
The method of raising the ends is as follows:--A square cylinder is
placed at D, and makes a quarter of a revolution at each pick. This
cylinder carries a set of cards (N^1, N^2, N^3), sheets of cardboard
perforated in places. Supposing a 400 (408) machine is referred to,
each card has space for 408 perforations, the holes corresponding in
position with the ends of the 408 needles projecting through the needle
board. A hole indicates a lift.
THE CARDS.
The cards are only perforated by groups of holes distributed
incidentally, and where no perforation is made the needles at that
point are pushed back 3/8-inch by the cylinder. This is sufficient to
remove the tops of the corresponding hooks attached to these needles
from their position over the griffe; thus, when this knife or griffe
is lifted it does not actuate these hooks, but only those which were
not pushed back by the cylinder and card. Suppose, for instance, one
hook out of four had to be lifted, then 102 perforations would be made
in the card, and 306 hooks would thus be pressed back, whilst 102 only
would be lifted. The holes in these cards can be cut in any order, and
as one card acts for one pick only, it is easy to realise the extent
of the patterns which may be made; a cloth, for example, requiring
200 picks to the round, all of which may be different in the order or
number of ends lifted, would require a set of 200 cards.
In what is called a 400 machine, 408 hooks are used, the needles being
arranged in 51 rows of 8 each; one row only is shown in Fig. 62, thus
the others are arranged at the back of the one shown and in line with
it.
A 100 machine is in rows of 4.
A 200 (204) machine is in rows of 4 or 8.
A 300 (304) " " " 6, 8 or 12.
A 600 (612) " " " 12.
An 800 (816) " " " 8 (usually 2/400’s).
A 1200 (1224) " " " 12 (usually 2/600’s).
The knives are placed on the slant so that their edge more readily
catches the hook in lifting, while their under side presses the hooks
out of the way when dropping.
To place 408 hooks in one row is of course out of the question, and for
compactness they are placed in 51 upright rows of 8’s; this advantage
is more apparent in 1800 hook machines--the largest made.
The machine is fixed to a gantree above the loom (_Frontispiece_), and
in a single-action jacquard motion, such as has just been described,
the knife is raised by a lever over the machine, worked by an upright
rod driven by an eccentric or crank on the crank-shaft, so as to give
one lift for every pick. The cylinder is suspended to a batten swinging
from the top, and also worked by connection with the crank-shaft. The
movement of the cylinder is to and fro; as it is moving from the needle
board one corner is caught by a latch and the cylinder partially
revolves, bringing another card to face the needles, against which it
is then pressed. The batten type is preferable to the sliding cylinder,
which is only used in sheds where the building renders the sliding
cylinder more applicable. The frame work of the batten is more solid
and strong.
SINGLE AND DOUBLE LIFT.
In the single-lift jacquard, the knife has to lift as often as the
loom picks, and should a hook require to be raised several picks in
succession, it has to be dropped between each pick and raised again.
These defects are obliterated in the double-action jacquard. The
machine, Fig. 64, has two hooks to each needle, they being connected at
the bottom to one neck cord. Two sets of knives are used, one lifting
when the loom picks from the right-hand side, the other when picking
from the left, thus reducing the speed of the knife one-half; whilst as
the hooks for one pick are being used, the other knife can be preparing
for the next shed, and when lifting, keep up any leash several picks
in succession, thus saving time, and so enabling the production to be
increased. The Fig. 64 shows a double-action machine with a single
cylinder, 400 hooks and swing batten, giving at least 50 picks per
minute greater speed than a single lift with less vibration and strain.
[Illustration: FIG. 63.]
Fig. 63 shows the different shapes of jacquard needles, A being the
ordinary one in plan, B another view of the same, C the double-action
one, and D another style of single-action needle.
[Illustration: FIG. 64. DOUBLE-ACTION JACQUARD, SINGLE CYLINDER.]
The speed may still further be increased by having a double-action
machine with double cylinders and two sets of needles and hooks (see
Fig. 65).
In this system two sets of cards are employed, all the odd picks on
one cylinder and the even ones on the other--thus, the cylinders
only revolve at half the speed, causing less vibration and giving an
increase of 20 picks per minute. If requisite, this machine can also be
arranged as a compound or cross-border machine, carrying two sets of
cards of different patterns, only one set in use at once, while, by
pulling a handle, the other set can be actuated instead, so as to weave
an entirely different pattern in the cloth--_e.g._, in the heading of a
tablecloth, shawl, or handkerchief.
[Illustration: FIG. 65. DOUBLE-ACTION JACQUARD, DOUBLE CYLINDER.]
TIES.
There are two arrangements of the machine--the London arrangement being
best, in which case the cards and card race are at the loom side and in
better view. Fig. 62 shows this system. There is, however, more strain
on the harness, as the short rows of hooks are at right angles to the
short rows in the cumber board, thus:--
[Illustration: FIG. 66.]
In the Norwich arrangement, the machine is placed so that the cards
come over the head of the weaver or over the beam, and the short rows
of 8 in the hooks correspond with the short rows of 8 in the cumber
board, and thus the harness is kept straight.
The cumber board is a frame containing "slips"--pieces of wood with
holes bored in rows; in a 400 machine, rows of 8; in a 600, rows of
12. Through these the leashes are passed, and the warp ends almost
always drawn in straight draft through the mail eyes. Jacquard patterns
are generally varied by the lifting only, and the sole variation
corresponding to the draft in stave work is the tie-up. There are three
ties--
1. _Straight._--In this each hook has one end only attached to it, and
the tie is as under. The rectangle represents the needle board; the
dots, the needles; and the numbers, the end to which the hook on the
needle is attached.
[Illustration: FIG. 67.]
Nos. 1 to 8 will be in the first row of the cumber board to the
left-hand side of the cloth.
2. _A Lay-over Tie_ (the commonest).--It is the same thing, except
that two or more patterns are woven in the width of the cloth, say
three. Then three ends would be attached to each neck cord, and in a
400 machine 1200 ends would be used. The cumber board plan would be
repeated thrice. For example, a pattern on 9 hooks--
[Illustration: FIG. 68.]
Fig. 62 shows a portion of a lay-over tie, the ends attached to the
first row of hooks being in the first row in the cumber board, and the
pattern being completed on 400 ends; the 401’s, etc., are attached to
the first, etc.
3. _A Centred Tie._--When a pattern of 815 ends is in two equal and
balanced portions, the middle end of the cloth is tied to the hook at
the right side, and two ends to every other hook, the pattern thus
being woven on 408 hooks, _e.g._--
[Illustration: FIG. 69.]
In harness building or mounting, considerable ingenuity has to be
displayed in keeping the leashes in proper order, and in knotting the
harness to the neck cord so as to produce a small but strong joint.
The warp is drawn through the mails after the beam has been slung at
the loom.
THE SHED.
A jacquard shed presents a different appearance to a plain loom
shed--the large overhead machines darkening the scene. Where the
weaver is expected to mind four looms, only about half the looms are
jacquarded, and then only when the simpler styles are woven, indeed one
jacquard out of four looms is considered sufficient for most cloths.
In the mills where all the looms are engaged on jacquard cloths, one
weaver cannot attend to four looms. Compared with plain goods, the
preparation machinery for jacquard work possesses no peculiarity. The
power required to drive is greater, the weaver’s work generally less
laborious and more intricate, the warps weave better as they are sized
more lightly, and also the harness gives way to the shuttle or to any
obstruction better than healds; the highest speed for medium widths
is about 200 in double cylinder--double lift. It is important that
no picks be missed; therefore, in starting a loom, the cards must be
turned back to their proper position. This is done by reversing motion.
CARD CUTTING AND REPEATING.
The method of transferring designs to design paper is described on page
93. After the design has been finished the cards have to be cut. The
first set is prepared in a piano card-cutting machine, the place where
the hole has to be made being read from the design--thus, if for the
first pick the 1, 2, 9, 15, 18, 30, 31, 32, 33 and 40 hooks have to be
raised, holes would be made as under, looking at the face of the card
or the side which is in contact with the needles--
1 9 . . 33 .
2 . 18 . . .
. . . . . .
Numbers . . . . . . The left-hand side here is
indicating holes. . . . . . . the right on the machine.
. . . 30 . .
. 15 . 31 . .
. . . 32 40 .
The piano card-cutting machine is shown at Fig. 70.
The punches which make the holes in the card are operated by the
attendant’s feet actuating a treadle, but the punches are regulated by
his finger pressing certain keys and thus causing only those punches
to be locked where holes are required. There are only sufficient keys
to cut the short row of 8 at one stroke.
[Illustration: FIG. 70.]
After one set of cards has been cut from the design, any number of sets
can be made from it on a repeating machine. The original set is placed
on a jacquard cylinder and actuates the needles in the ordinary manner,
excepting that the hooks are pushed on the knives by the blanks in
the card. These hooks are attached to punches, and at each stroke of
the knives a card is cut, a duplicate of the original one then on the
lantern face. The holes are cut by the punches which are not lifted
and which are locked by wedges at each stroke. On this machine cards
can be repeated at the rate of 40 per minute.
CASTING OUT.
In lay-over patterns a number of ends are tied to one hook, and if the
pattern contains as many ends as there are hooks, or some factor of the
number, it is easy to calculate how many shall be tied. In a warp of
1600 ends in 400 machine, and 400 ends in the pattern, four would be
tied to each hook. With 100 ends in the pattern there would be 16 ends
similar, which, however, would be divided between the four patterns
representing the capacity of the machine, still giving four ends to a
hook. We are supposing that any hooks over 400, 600, 800, etc., are use
for selvage. However, suppose there are 64 ends in the pattern, the
machine will weave six patterns and have 16 hooks to spare, which would
be cast out--
6 × 64 = 384 + 16 = 400.
One row of 8 would be cast in the middle and another at the end. The
1600 ends, neglecting selvages, will give 25 complete patterns of 64
ends each in the width of the cloth; this will give four ends and four
patterns to each hook to five sets, and five patterns or five ends to a
hook, in the sixth set.
JACQUARD GOODS.
Regular cloths vary from small patterns on 20 ends and 20 picks to
others with 2000 ends and picks in a round, while for exceptional cases
these limits are far exceeded. A feature of many jacquard cloths is a
figure more or less fanciful on a ground which may be plain, twill,
satin or oatmeal weave. Spots and brilliants are examples of this style.
Damasks are extensively made. The true damask weave consists of a
design of large extent, woven, we will suppose, with weft predominating
in the figure, which may be bound by satin or twill weave. The ground
is also in similar weave, but with warp predominating. Thus the cloth
is firmly bound at all parts of its surface and is reversible.
The damasks woven in cotton do not always fulfil these conditions, but
are in sufficiently similar style to warrant their being classified
together. Frequently they are made in light goods of about 60 ends and
picks per inch for export to China and other countries, or heavier both
in yarn and pick with a finer reed for the home trade. These goods are
of great variety of pattern and are generally finished before use, or,
as in the case of furniture and curtain damasks, dyed.
Dimity is a cloth of smaller pretensions with regard to figure, which
is arranged in stripe form. The cloth is firmly bound, and the figure
somewhat raised, which gives it an embossed effect.
Brocades are jacquard cloths of fine yarns, the pattern arranged in
weft spot on plain ground, or narrow stripes of spotted figures, which,
when well finished, have a charming effect. The brocade is not limited
to the longitudinal stripe or figure, but may be arranged as a brocade
check, while the ground cloth in either case may be of plain weave. A
good effect is also produced by arranging this style in diamond figures
by introducing honeycomb diagonally.
Figured canvas gives a pleasing effect when dyed. The figure is woven
in plain cloth, and the work between the figures shows the end cramped
together alternately with open spaces, so as to give an open effect, on
which the figures show to advantage.
Figured gauze cloths are woven by the jacquard. This industry is
carried on to a large extent in the cotton districts of Scotland. The
harness of the machine is arranged with doup leashes passing under
the plain ends to the crossing thread, which is drawn through a mail
corresponding to the back stave in heald gauze working. The gauze
figures are shown on a plain ground and present the pattern in open
work, caused by the peculiar intertwining of the warp ends indicated in
a previous chapter.
COUNTERPANES.
The jacquard is largely used in the counterpane and quilt industry,
centred in Bolton. The Marseilles and toilet quilts, with which may
be associated the well-known toilet cloths, are on the double-cloth
principle--a good face of plain weave in fine yarns being embossed,
as it were, by a thick soft weft being woven underneath and attached
to the cloth by additional warp threads. This backing weft sometimes
floats outside the cloth, sometimes is bound inside just below the
plain face, and at other parts the whole of the yarn is firmly united.
Where the backing is brought inside, the top cloth is raised up; whilst
at those places where all the ends are woven together a depression is
caused. Large embossed figures may thus be shown on the cloth, although
it appears to have an unbroken surface. A coarser quality is made,
where both face and back wefts are coarse and from the same cop.
Perched quiltings are in this style, but the figures are small,
diamond-shaped, and regular.
The honeycomb quilt, as its name implies, is a cloth with the figures
on its surface formed by raised ridges both warp and weft way. This is
generally woven in bleached knitting cottons, two or three-fold; and as
with this weave others may be combined, and stripes of coloured worsted
inserted, great scope is given to the designer.
A Grecian quilt is woven in bleached knitting cottons, and yet the
coarse threads give a smooth glossy surface in consequence of the weave
being on the damask principle--_i.e._, the figure may be formed in a
weft satin while the ground is a warp satin.
The Alhambra quilts are figured in various designs and woven with
vari-coloured yarns.
WOVEN PILE CLOTHS.
A class of cloth has now to be referred to which does not usually
come under the scope of jacquard work. The velveteen classes of cloth
have been described, in which the pile is cut after the cloth leaves
the loom. There is one style of pile cloth, occasionally woven in
cotton, in which the pile is cut whilst in the loom. Two beams are
used, one carrying the warp for the pile, and the other the warp for
the ground cloth in which the pile is bound. A couple of picks of weft
are inserted, and then a wire about one-twentieth of an inch thick,
and of varying depth, consequent on the length of pile required; when
this wire is beaten up to the fall of the cloth, the warp is allowed
to be slackened, and it thus forms a loop on the cloth face. Two more
picks are inserted and another wire, which is continued. The weaver
sometimes draws the wire out--leaving looped cloth--or cuts it out
along a groove, in which case a nap is caused on the cloth face. The
best system, however, is to employ special looms for the purpose, which
not only insert the wires in the proper shed, but also draw them out,
and, as they bear a sharp knife at the farther end, cut the loops to
form pile in doing so.
Another pile fabric of cotton or linen which has attracted greater
attention during the last few years is the Turkish or Terry towel. This
is woven with two beams, one for the loop pile, and the other carrying
the ground warp, which is always kept tight. After two picks have been
inserted and tightly beaten up, the reed is allowed to fly loose by a
peculiar arrangement, and, both warps being kept tight, two picks are
put in without beating up. Then the reed is fastened, the loop warp
slackened, and on the next pick being beaten up, the two previous ones
are also driven home, and with them the loop warp which stood between
the fell and the two neglected picks, thus forming loops on both sides
of the cloth.
This weave is not confined to the making of fabrics with an unbroken
pile surface, but is adopted in stripes for bath towels and wraps,
in checks and even figures for quilts, combined with colour in other
effects, and also woven alternately in some special cloth with entirely
different patterns. The headings also for the towels are of a firmer
weave, and afford great scope for ornamentation.