Use of Four Leaf Twill
A four leaf twill, however, can be used to great advantage when a heavy body is desired, as for example what is known as “farmer’s web.” These are usually made about two inches wide, and to further add to their weight they have what is termed a cushion back, the weave of which is 7 down and 1 up. The use of these soft weaves on both face and back, while giving the web great thickness on account of the deep velvet-like pile produced, deprives it of much of its firmness. This condition is met by the introduction of an auxiliary back warp, underneath the main back warp, weaving 3 down and 1 up, which knits the upper and lower cloth more firmly together, thus increasing the firmness of handles of the goods.
Fig. 3.—Five Thread Face Over 6 Dent Repeat
Another web among the plain loom products calling for passing mention is that specially made for the police and fireman’s brace. While this has a 7 down and 1 up cushion back similar to the farmer’s web, it differs in having a smooth plain face in place of a twill. This arrangement of combining a plain face with a cushion back necessitates selection of the sizes of yarn used for the various warps so as to maintain a proper balance of the different weaves employed in the face and back. Otherwise the goods would curl up and it would be impracticable to cut them up for manufacture. Consideration must also be given to the effect of padding the size upon such goods in the finishing process, of which we will say more later.