M. Bouchon, in 1725, employed a band of pierced paper pressed by a hand-bar against a row of horizontal wires, so as to push forward those which happened to lie opposite the blank spaces, and thus bring loops at the lower extremity of vertical wires in connection with a comb-like rack below. M. Falcon submitted in 1728 a chain of cards, and a square prism, known as the cylinder, in lieu of the band of paper of Bouchon. In 1745, Jacques de Vancanson suppressed altogether the cumbrous tail-cards of the draw-loom, and made the loom completely self-acting by placing the pierced paper or card upon the surface of a large pierced cylinder, which traveled backwards and forwards at each stroke, and revolved through a small angle by ratchet work. He also invented the rising and falling griffe, and thus made a machine very nearly resembling the actual Jacquard.
Jacquard returned to Lyons in the year 1804 to take charge of the work-house. During his stay at this place he finished his machine. He was an experienced workman, combining together the best parts of the machines of his predecessors in the same line, and succeeded as the first person in obtaining an arrangement sufficiently practical to be generally employed. In 1806 Napoleon Buonaparte changed his position, giving him an annuity of 3000 francs, but compelling him to transfer his invention to the city of Lyons, as well as any further inventions. Until 1810 Jacquard had great troubles, as his machine was not understood by the weavers. So violent was the opposition made to its introduction that he was compelled to leave Lyons in order to save his life. The Conseil des Prudhommes broke up his machines in the public places, and Jacquard was delivered over to universal ignominy. But after some years had passed the machine proved to be of the greatest value, and on the spot where the model was destroyed a statue to Jacquard now stands. He died August 7th, 1834, in Quillins, near Lyons, at 82 years of age. At the time of his death over 30,000 Jacquard machines were in operation in his native city.
The Jacquard Machine.—General Arrangement and Application.
If a fabric contains a great number of ends of warp bound differently in the filling, the method of guiding the warp by harness frames is too cumbrous and inefficient; in such cases it becomes necessary to use the Jacquard machine for raising the warp-threads separately by means of hook and leash.
The hooks as used for raising leash, mail, lingo, and warp-thread, consist of wires 16 to 17 inches long, with a crook on each end. On the lower crook is fastened the leash by means of the neck-cord.
The cords of each leash are threaded through the holes of the comber-board; the latter are separated from each other according to the texture of the warp in reed.