Cotton Manufacturing

by Christopher Parkinson Brooks

Temple Rollers.

The cloth as it is woven tends to contract in width in consequence of the tension at which it is wrought lengthway, and to counteract this, temple rollers are used. For commoner heavy fabrics the roller and trough is used, and consists of a fluted roller cut in the manner of a screw at either end, one end with left-hand thread and the opposite end a right-hand. Thus a spiral row of points is left at each end of the roller, and it is fixed in the loom, so that as the roller revolves the points distend the cloth. The roller is fixed in a trough for convenience in attaching to framework. Lighter fabrics are woven with side temples. These are small rollers acting only for a distance of 3 to 4 inches at the selvages of the cloth. Two pairs are usually used at each side, the contrary-thread spiral arrangement being preserved; a bar of iron connects the two sides. In the latter arrangement the weaver can see the cloth from the moment it is woven, which is not possible with the roller and trough, as some two inches are hidden under the roller: the cloth is not held so firmly at the middle of its width.

Timing.

All the contrivances just described are required to work harmoniously in order to produce the desired results, each coming into action at the proper time. In plain cloth weaving, when the crank is at the fore centre, the reed touches the cloth at right angles, and the healds are slightly open, forming a new shed. As the slay moves backwards just in front of the bottom centre, the picking band is tight and just commencing to move the shuttle. At this point the healds are full open and remain so until the crank has passed the back centre, when, as the shuttle has arrived in the opposite box, the shed begins to close. Before the slay has reached the front again, indeed when just past the top centre, the healds are level; an advantage is thus gained in having the rods crossed on the weft at the time it is beaten up, holding it firmly. The sector lifts the greyhound tail for the weft stop motion at the moment that the reed touches the cloth, when the fork would be lifted if there were weft in the loom. This only happens, of course, every alternate pick, when the shuttle is at the fork side of the slay. Generally the monkey tail on the slay sword moves the take-up pawl as the slay moves back, just dropping the holding catch as the crank reaches the back centre.

The reed is held tightly in a loose reed loom when the slay approaches the front. Of course, the timing of the motion varies under different circumstances; if cloth is being woven as wide as the loom will possibly admit of, or if the shuttle boxes be short, then picking necessarily must take place later, as the shuttle starts so close to the cloth; consequently, shedding must be later or the shed will close before the shuttle is through. Of course in this case the pick must be stronger, as the shuttle has more friction in its traverse. Other circumstances also affect the timing.

The Position and Fixing of the Looms.

In a weaving shed the looms are driven from shafting running parallel to the looms when looked at lengthway. Drums on the line shafts drive the loom pulleys by means of straps. Of these pulleys there are two, generally about 9 inches diameter for a 40-inch loom. One pulley is loose on the shaft, the other keyed to it—the former to carry the strap when the loom is stopped. The looms are in groups of four, with an occasional row of couples for two or three loom weavers. The four arrangement is adopted for convenience to the weaver, as the looms having the starting ends contiguous, he has little walking for the purpose of setting on the machines. Thus, two “hands” of loom are required, those with the starting handle at the right-hand side being named right-hand looms, and vice versâ. There is little difference in construction—the crank-shaft is longer in one than the other for the purpose of having two straps on one driving drum. Many parts, such as crank-shafts, slays, shuttles, forks, brackets, etc., are required to be of two “hands,” each for its own hand of loom.

In view of a case of having to remove looms or fix new ones, a few remarks on the general arrangements for fixing them may not be unacceptable. The line shaft runs over the space between the warp beams of the looms. A line must be marked on the floor with chisel or other convenient instrument parallel to this shaft and exactly below it. By dropping a plumbline from various parts of the shaft, the starting points can be obtained for stretching a line to mark from. The same arrangement is adopted at every third shaft, as the intermediate ones may be measured. From these lines the distance at which the loom feet are to stand may be measured, just leaving convenient space for getting between two full beams in each loom.

The ends of the loom must be set parallel also, so that on looking down the shop a straight row of machinery will be observed. A line for setting the outside loom feet may be measured from the pillars, after getting the first pair of looms in suitable position. To test the accuracy of these measurements, the breast beam of each loom, as fixed, must be examined in a line with the breast beam of the previously deposited one. After the correct position is obtained, each loom must be levelled up by thin sheets of wood packing placed under the feet as required. Holes are then drilled in the floor, wood pegs inserted, and long iron nails driven home.

A good passage round each group of four looms cannot be too greatly valued, and likewise a broad alley here and there running the whole length of the shed.