Carpets

by R. S. Brinton

Both chain and stuffer beams lie between the creel frames and the main part of the loom. Their slow unwinding is operated automatically while the loom is running.

The harness consists of a set of 1,300 cords, carrying the mails or eyelets through which the worsted is threaded, kept taut by a weight at their lower ends, and connected with the Jacquard mechanism above. The Jacquard (the invention of Joseph Marie Jacquard, of Lyons) is an ingenious device for selecting and raising the threads required to form the pattern. The Jacquard principle in various forms is in use throughout the textile trades, and need not be described in detail here. The essential feature of it is the combination of perforated paper or card with needles or pegs in such a way that the blank (or, it may be, the perforation) in the card causes the harness carrying a certain thread, or set of threads, to rise as required.

The operation of the Brussels loom may now be described. The ends of worsted yarn from the creel bobbins having been drawn through the eyes in the harness, and the chain and stuffer ends through the eyes in the healds, all are drawn through the sley in such a way that there will be in each reed-space five ends of worsted, two of cotton chain, and one of stuffer warp. All ends are now made fast to the breast roller at the front of the loom, and kept taut by weighting the warp beams, and by hanging small hooked weights on to each thread of worsted close to the bobbin in the creel frame.

Fig. 2
LONGITUDINAL SECTION THROUGH HEALDS, HARNESS, SLEY, AND FABRIC
A, Stuffer warp; B, Worsted warps; C, Chain; J, Comberboard; K, Mail; L, Lingo; H, Healds; 1 to 6, Harness

When the loom is running, the Jacquard lifts one worsted thread in each reed, thus forming a shed, under which the wire is introduced from the side. Immediately below the wire now lies the body of the fabric, consisting of the four frames of worsted in each course, which are not required to form the pattern, the stuffer warp, and one half of the cotton chain. Below the body of the fabric is a lower shed formed by the other half of the cotton chain, and through this the shuttle passes, carrying the weft, at the same time as the wire is being inserted. Then the lathe, which has been lying back to allow the passing of the shuttle and the entrance of the wire, comes forward with the sley, and beats up the wire and the last shot of weft against the breast-plate of the loom and the last part of the woven fabric. At the same time the Jacquard allows the harness carrying the ends selected for the last lash to drop back on to a level with the others, and the gears carrying the cotton chain begin to change. Next, the lathe goes back again; one half of the chain is brought up to form a shed, under which and over the rest of the threads the shuttle passes back, thus effectively tying in the worsted threads which are looped over the wire. Meanwhile the last wire of the set (of about 30) which has moved forward as the fabric is woven, is drawn out by a hook, and carried back for insertion under the next shed of worsted. A number of wires is used so as to avoid the risk of the loops being pulled flat by the weight on the yarn or the strain of the harness or sley.

Chains and stuffers are generally coloured and sized, the yarn being slowly wound from bobbins or cheeses on a frame or stand, passing through a trough of coloured starching material, over a steam-heated cylinder, or a series of pipes, on to an iron flanged beam. The weft, which is normally of linen yarn, is also generally coloured and sized, and is used whilst still damp. The colouring certainly adds to the appearance of the carpet, and the sizing adds stiffness and handling, though, apart from this, and from the fact that it is expected by the dealer, it is doubtful whether it is of any advantage, except in the cheaper grades, where less yarn is used.

Brussels and Wilton carpets are described as being of five, four, or three frames, according to the number of sets of creel bobbins carrying worsted warp threads. Each frame will generally be composed of threads all of one colour; but an enhanced colour effect is often obtained by one or more of the frames being “planted.” This means that worsted threads of two or more colours are arranged side by side in the same frame in groups, in accordance with the design. If, for instance, the design contains a rose, for the petals of which a frame of pink yarn is to be used, then the colourist or weaver, by a judicious selection and arrangement of bobbins, can add to the colour effect by shading the petals from light to dark; or, again, a flower may be coloured blue in one part of the design and gold in another. Skilfully used, this device makes a three-frame look like a four, or a five-frame like a six, but it must be used with discretion and with due regard to the design, or disfiguring and tell-tale stripes will ensue.