[APPENDIX.]
Preparing and Stamping of Jacquard Cards.
Preparing.
The Jacquard card consists of a strong, durable pasteboard cut to the exact size of the cylinder. For cutting or preparing the cards to the required size, a table is used with the different sizes of cards indicated on its surface. A sharp steel blade is adjusted to the side of the table. A heavy knife of sufficient length, and containing a second steel blade, is secured to a projecting bolt on the rear end of the table, allowing enough play for the knife to be easily raised and lowered. The blade of the knife works close against the blade fastened to the table; and when pressed down both blades rest close together. On the front side of the table is a long groove in which is a guide, fastened by a bolt and nut. This guide can be set to suit any of the marks on the table, thus regulating the size of the cards to be cut.
Two measures (the length and the width) are required to be cut for each set of cards: 1st. The sheets of pasteboard are required to be trimmed one way in sufficient number for the length of the cards. 2d. Each trimmed sheet is afterwards separated in strips of the required width.
Card Stamping.
The oldest method for stamping cards, now only occasionally used, consists of two perforated steel plates, between which the blank cards are placed, and the required holes stamped by hand by means of punches. It will easily be seen that this method is not up to the present advanced times, hence various machines have been introduced for arranging the punches. Among those most generally used are: