French Web or Railroad Weave
Another plain web which has attained considerable popularity, and which is a kind of intermediate grade between the loom web and the lisle, is what is known as the French web or railroad weave, shown at Fig. 8. In almost all respects the general treatment of this web is the same as already described, and it differs only in the draft, which is shown at Fig. 8A. It allows for the use of a somewhat finer yarn than is generally employed in the loom web, and the draft changes at every two cords, which gives it a peculiar “rowey” appearance from which it derives the name of railroad weave.
There is one feature associated with all these plain webs which it might be well to speak of. The high tension at which it is necessary to work the rubber warp, together with the light weight required on the cotton warp and the crowding together of the picking, creates a tendency for the goods to rebound at the front reed, accompanied by a backward and forward sliding movement when passing over the rod at the breast beam. This movement is liable to polish the goods, which is an objectionable feature. To counteract this it is advisable to let the web pass over a small, felt-covered wood tube, which revolves and responds to the movement of the bounding web. In this way there is no friction to glaze or polish the web and interfere with the bloom of the yarn. The same polish will occur as the goods pass through the press rolls, unless they are felt covered.