Beam-warping.
Three methods of warping are in use, but far ahead of the others in production stands the beaming system. To enable a sufficient number of threads to be gathered in one sheet for sizing purposes, say 2000, it is necessary to wind them first on a warper’s beam. This is a round roller, of wood, five inches in diameter, having an iron flange 20 inches diameter, and also an iron pivot at each end. This will hold 500 ends, each 15,000 to 20,000 yards in length, so that for a cloth of 2000 ends four beams are required at the sizing machine.
The beam-warping machine is for the purpose of warping the yarn from these 500 bobbins to a beam.
The bobbins from the winding frame are placed in a creel, generally a [V] creel, and shaped in plan view as its name indicates, each arm of the [V] being a frame containing tiers of pegs to hold 250 bobbins, the apex being nearest to the frame. The yarn passes through a reed, under and over several horizontal rollers, emerging in front through a guide comb, and thence to the beam. The beam is driven by friction, resting on a large drum making about 50 revolutions per minute; therefore, whatever the size of the beam may be—i.e., whether full or empty—the yarn, being pulled at the front, is travelling at a constant speed.
To avoid sudden strains of yarn the creel does not rest on the floor, but is suspended from overhead beams by rods. The older makes of beaming frames have a bed creel. Only one vertical creel is used, the other half of the bobbins being fixed in a horizontal frame. The [V] creel is preferable.
The whole frame occupies a space of about 16 by 18 feet.
The guide comb is of interesting construction. It is capable of expansion or contraction. Each tooth of the comb projects from an iron box, and is kept in position by being passed through the coils of several spiral springs; by means of a screw and nut at each end these springs can be compressed, thus diminishing the distance between the comb-teeth equally at all parts of the comb. When the expanding combs are used, far leveller beams are made than are otherwise attainable.
In the event of a thread breaking, the warper must have some arrangement for running the yarn back, so as to find the broken end to piece it up. This is obtained by six falling rods placed above seven fixed ones. When the machine is running forward the sheet of yarn passes between the fixed and loose rods, the latter resting on a slide. When the machine is reversed, the slide receives a slight impulse, allowing one rod to drop, say 3-1/2 feet, the yarn being suspended at the top by the fixed rods; whilst this rod is dropping it pushes the slide still further, and another drops, and so on, until when the sixth rod has fallen, twelve times 3-1/2 feet equalling 42 feet of yarn are taken up. This is ample for piecing purposes; indeed, the woman in attendance seldom finds it necessary to go so far.
