FIG. 127.
There may be five, six, eight, or more ends in each mail, and they are drawn singly into the pressure healds in front in the following manner:—There are two sets of healds with clasps, as shown at [Fig. 127]. Each end is drawn singly over a clasp in the set A, and under a clasp in the set B. The clasps in the set A are fixed at the bottom of the shed, and the clasps in B are fixed at the top of the shed. By pulling one of the set B down and lifting one of the set A every pick in satin order, the ends lifted in fives or sixes are woven singly in warp satin, and the ends left down in fives or sixes are woven singly in weft satin.
FIG. 128.
The method of operating the pressure healds in a hand loom is shown at [Fig. 128]. The shafts in set B are pulled down by lifting the end E of the levers EF, and the same on the other side. The shafts in the set A are lifted directly by the hooks. The shafts are lifted by a few spare hooks in the Jacquard. Sometimes the Jacquards have three or four rows of extra hooks for this purpose, and these hooks are placed a little to one end of the machine, and a small separate cylinder is used. The cards for lifting or pulling the pressure healds are put on this cylinder, and the large cylinder carrying the figure cards is only turned round once every few picks by arranging the catches to do this. The same card is thus brought against the needles several times in succession, and the smaller cylinder being turned every pick, interweaves the threads in satin or the required order. This will form steps at the edges of the figure in the weft way as well as warp way, and is a considerable saving of cards. The weights M are to pull the healds B up, and the weights N to keep the healds A down. Springs may be used in their place, but weights are preferred in the hand loom.
The mails used in the Jacquard harness are made with a separate hole for each end. Sometimes as many as twelve or sixteen ends are drawn in each mail, thus giving in the latter case a 6400 end figure from a 400s machine, so that with 300 ends per inch the figure would measure over 20 inches wide.
EDLESTON HARNESS.
A method of weaving an 800 figure on a 400 double-lift machine has been patented by James Edleston, of Preston. This is a very useful and ingenious idea, as a floated figure can be formed, and the machine remains a double-lift, with all its advantages as regards speed. Certain limits are placed upon the weaves, which can be employed for the ground or for developing the figure, but sufficient scope is afforded for all practical purposes to make the invention a success. An illustration is given of this harness at [Fig. 129]. The inventor gives no drawing in his specification, but presumably the illustration ([Fig. 129]) will represent his method; at least, it will effect the same object. One row of hooks of a 400s double-lift single-cylinder machine are shown, and it will be noticed that the hooks are not joined together by a neck cord as in the ordinary machine, but the harness threads are taken singly from each hook as in a single-lift machine. The knives work as in a double-lift, one up, one down. By cutting the cards in a certain manner the whole of the 800 hooks may be operated by the 400 needles so as to produce ordinary brocade or damask figures with a repeat of 800 ends. The same end cannot be lifted for two picks in succession, as the knives have to move up and down and work oppositely; but an end can be left down any odd number of picks, and a figure can thus be formed. At [Fig. 130] the design for eight-end satin ground is given. It must be remembered that for eight ends there are only four needles, and therefore the lifting dots must be put on four ends on the point paper. By carefully comparing this design with the mounting of the harness, the principle will be quite clear. The design shows a dot on the first and fifth ends on the first pick, and therefore a hole will be cut in the card opposite the first and fifth needles.
