Jacquard Weaving and Designing

by T. F. Bell

Split harness is applied when two threads are governed by each hook of the jacquard, and the ground of the cloth is wrought by some other means, as shafts through the harness. This is to be found in the silk trade.

Pressure harness is when several threads of warp are drawn into each mail, and when the harness is drawn it remains stationary for several shots of ground texture, for which the sheds are sprung or pressed open by heddles.

Gauze harness is a harness fitted up with doups for weaving leno and gauze, and is mostly full harness.

Double-cloth and quilt harnesses are for weaving these fabrics.

Mounting, or gaiting, is a term that may be taken to apply to the building of the harness and the preparing of everything in connection with it. The form of ‘tie’ to be adopted will depend to a great extent on the nature of the fabric to be made, and to the style of pattern which is to be applied to it. For instance, dress goods may be required, and the pattern may consist of small sprigs or objects repeated over the surface of the cloth, forming a simple repeating pattern. Again, handkerchiefs, napkins, or table-covers may be wanted, which will require a bordered ‘tie,’ and may have both single and double mounting in them. Sometimes the manufacturer mounts his looms to what he considers a desirable ‘tie’ (or arrangement of cords) to admit of having a good variety of patterns wrought on it for whatever class of goods he is likely to make, and then he has the patterns made to suit the tie or mounting. Sometimes patterns are procured which will give the best possible effect on the least possible machinery, or the least number of hooks of the jacquard, and the mounting is then arranged to suit the pattern. On this method often a very considerable saving of machinery can be effected by turning over or gathering the harness; or, by arranging a variety of turns over, or gathers, and repeats, a very diversified effect can be obtained with a small number of hooks, as those accustomed to the larger forms of shaft mountings will readily understand. Thus, if we take 100 hooks of the jacquard as equal to 100 shafts, it will easily be understood that a large variety of beautiful patterns can be produced with either a straight or zigzag draft, though they will be mostly of a set or conventional type. The objection to mounting a loom in this way is, that if a change of pattern to a free or running style is required, it is necessary to cut down the harness and remount it, probably requiring new machinery as well. It may, however, suit to adopt both methods; that is, to have a few looms for working conventional patterns on small jacquards, say 200 hooks, and others mounted for free patterns requiring, say, 400 or 600 hooks in the machine. Of course this entirely depends on the nature of the orders likely to be received, and manufacturers must use their own judgment, in which, however, they are more likely to err on the narrow than on the liberal side of the question, the result being cramped and stiff patterns, with a probable loss instead of gain. Two styles of mounting harness are in general use—one, known as the ‘London tie,’ being used in Spitalfields by the silk weavers; the other is called the ‘Norwich tie,’ as it was there adopted in the early days of weaving. About 1830 the Norwich style was adopted in London, as the weavers’ houses were too low to admit of the jacquards being set high enough to suit the London method, which, having a quarter-twist in the harness, requires more height than is necessary for the Norwich system, in which the harness passes direct from the jacquard to the cumber board in flat rows without any twist.

The Harness.—When about to mount a loom the first process is to prepare the harness. A harness is built up of several parts, the methods of preparing and building varying in different districts. A few of the best methods will be given. [Fig. 46], Nos. 1, 2, and 3, show a complete cord of the harness in three methods of preparing it—A (Nos. 1 and 2) are the tail or tug cords looped to the hooks of the jacquard; these cords are only necessary on double-lift machines, and are usually put on by the machine-makers. They are made of twisted cotton, and are soft and pliable. L shows the knot, known as the ‘tug knot,’ by which the tail cords are looped on the hooks. B, B are two methods of knotting the neck or body of the harness to the tail cords; that in No. 1 is the usual method. C, C are the hecks, or guide reeds, through which the harness passes. G, G are the lingoes, or leads, formerly made of strips of lead, but now of wire. From the lingo to the mail or eye, F, through which the warp passes, is a double cord called the bottom piece, or hanger. From the mail, passing through the cumber board or harness reed E, is another piece of double cord, called the top or mid-piece, or the ‘sleeper’; to this is looped or tied the neck twine in various ways, two methods of which are shown at D d d¹ (No. 1) and at D (No. 2); No. 3 shows levelling below the cumber board, with two methods for tying H and H¹. M is the snitch knot, which is much used for fastening cords that require careful adjusting. Sometimes it is a matter of choice to adopt any method of mounting, and sometimes one plan may suit circumstances better than another.

Fig. 46

Preparing Lingoes.—A prepared lingo is shown at No. 4, [Fig. 46], this work being generally done by little boys or girls, or by old women. One of the commonest methods of preparing them is as follows:—Having prepared the mails, which are small eyelets of brass, copper, or steel of the shape shown at F, sometimes with round holes in the centre and sometimes with elliptical or long shaped ones, they are put into a dish or pan; a boy takes a piece of wire and strings a number of them on it. The wire is then fastened on a rack, or in any convenient place, by both ends, in a horizontal position. A bunch of small pieces of twine is tied up in a convenient place; these are to form the hangers, or to connect the lingoes with the mails. Having the lingoes conveniently placed, and being provided with a pair of shears, the boy sets to work. Taking a piece of twine, and pulling it through an end hole of a mail, he doubles it evenly, and, lifting a lingo, puts both ends through the eye in it, and casts on a knot, as shown at N (No. 4). The loop on the twine there shown requires to be pushed up over the top of the lingo, then drawn tight, and the ends clipped off. This mail is then pushed along the wire, and the others proceeded with. The pieces of twine for forming the hangers, as well as the sleepers, are prepared by warping them off spools round two pins, and then cutting them across. Of course the pins must be set apart at such a distance as will suit the length of the sleepers and hangers required. The usual length of the hanger (when doubled) is 7 or 8 in., and that of the sleeper or mid-piece when it passes through the cumber board, as in Nos. 1 and 2, [Fig. 46], and as shown at No. 4, is 15 or 16 in. When a quantity of lingoes are hung on the mails, the top cords or sleepers may be put through the top holes in the mails, and tied with a weaver’s knot, the ends being neatly clipped off.