Lappet and Swivel Weaving.—The only classes of figured weaving of any importance not already mentioned are lappet and swivel work, both of which are very limited, but produce good effects. With lappets, figures can be put on light fabrics without requiring any cutting off of the surplus yarn. It is principally in the muslin trade that they are used, for figuring Indian fabrics with gay colours. The principal seat of the manufacture in this country is about Glasgow. The figure is formed by an extra warp drawn through one or more frames of gauzing needles set in the lay in front of the reed, which can be moved to either side as desired. The pattern is cut on a large wooden wheel or disc, in the face of which a groove is cut to form the pattern, and a traveller working in this groove, and connected with the needle frame, slides the needles to either side and stitches the figuring warp into the cloth, the needles rising and falling as the cloth is being woven. The figure is rather loose and only suited for simple effects. A description of the process of working can be found in Murphy’s or Gilroy’s works on weaving, and is interesting, though rather out of date. Swivel work is of a much better class, though not so suitable for getting small figures, as spots short distances apart. But it gives a much better bound figure—in fact, it may be bound in any way—and is very suitable when a few are required on the fabric, such as crests, or any figures in the corners or centres of handkerchiefs, napkins, etc. These are weft figures and usually of a different colour to the ground of the fabric, which may be either plain or figured. These figures could be formed with an ordinary box loom, cutting off the loose weft or binding it up to the ground cloth; CONCLUSIONSince the foregoing was written up to the present time (Sept. 1894) nothing new worth describing has made its appearance. A few card lacing machines have been brought out and several patents have appeared in print, but most of these disappear shortly after. No mention has been made in this work of Count Sparres’ patent card-cutting machine, which was to have done away with the necessity of putting patterns on point paper by cutting the cards direct from the sketch embossed on a metallic plate. This was a highly ingenious machine, and under suitable conditions produced very fair work, but so far it has proved rather expensive to the company that took it up. Another process to obtain similar results, patented by Messrs. Dawson and Adams of Macclesfield, was described in the ‘Textile Manufacturer’ in 1893. In this process a perforated plate is filled with small pins; a piece of strong paper is laid over this, and over the paper another plate. The pattern is formed by pushing the pins through the paper between the plates. A large portion of this work can be done by mechanical means. When all the pins required for the pattern are pressed through the paper, the top plate with the sheet of paper is turned upside down, the pins sticking in the paper. By running By means of a pattern cut out of a plate of wax, and a reading in machine, the filling of the pins into the plate, or the hand reading as it is called, can be dispensed with. It has since been stated that this firm are now trying to perfect a process which was tried thirty years ago, viz. to paint the pattern with electric paint which is to act on needles charged with electricity. These are all highly ingenious inventions, and are interesting to those who do not lose too much by them; but it will require a nice machine to produce all the variations in a pattern that an experienced designer can, though in many patterns this could be dispensed with, and suitable mechanical means may yet be devised to take a share of the work. |