CHAPTER VII. 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.

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 (N¹, N², N³), 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) machine is in rows of 6, 8 or 12.
A 600 (612) machine is in rows of 12.
An 800 (816) machine is in rows of 8 (usually 2/400’s).
A 1200 (1224) machine is in rows of 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.

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.

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.

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:—

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.

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—

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.—

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—

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.

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.

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