FIG. 39. THE OLD WAY
FIG. 40. THE NEW WAY
By permission of Messrs. Herbert Morris, Ltd.
[CHAPTER XV. FINISHING]
The finishing touches are added to the cloth after the latter leaves the loom. The first operation is that of inspecting the cloth, removing the lumps and other undesirables, as well as repairing any damaged or imperfect parts. After this, the cloth is passed through a cropping machine the function of which is to remove all projecting fibres from the surface of the cloth, and so impart a clean, smart appearance. It is usual to crop both sides of the cloth, although there are some cloths which require only one side to be treated, while others again miss this operation entirely.
A cropping machine is shown in the foreground of Fig. 41, and in this particular case there are two fabrics being cropped or cut at the same time; these happen to be figured fabrics which have been woven in a jacquard loom similar to that illustrated in Fig. 38. The fabrics are, indeed, typical examples of jute Wilton carpets. The illustration shows one of the spiral croppers in the upper part of the machine in Fig. 41. Machines are made usually with either two or four of such spirals with their corresponding fixed blades.
