Jacquard Weaving and Designing

by T. F. Bell

Fig. 107

The card-cutting machine used for the French system of work is a very elaborate contrivance, being more like a jacquard loom than any of our card-cutting machines, at least in so far as the harness is concerned. The principle of it is seen in [Fig. 108]. a shows the set of cords by which the punches are wrought. The method of preparing the pattern to attach to these cords has been referred to before, but will be repeated again further on. These cords pass over the pulleys B and down through a reed to the lingoes C, which keep them in tension. Another set of cords pass from these over the pulleys D and down to the punches F. When any of the cords at A are drawn the punches connected with them are dropped, as raising the lingoes lets the cords pass over the pulleys D. When a punch is let fall, it is caught by one of the angle-irons of the grid G, which is pressed forwards when a card is to be cut. The card paper is on the roller JH, and passes down in front of the punches at I, which, when pressed forward, punch the paper between them and the block K. Any punches that are held up pass through the grid over the angle-iron bars. Only four punches are given, but sixteen are used in the machine; they are here drawn out of scale to show them more clearly. This portion constitutes the cutting machine; it is worked by two persons, one behind, to draw the cords, and another in front, to punch the paper by depressing a treadle each time a draw is made. In addition to cutting from the pattern the paper can be cut from other sets of cards, as in a repeating machine—cut either on the English or French system. N is the French machine, and a set of cards can be put on it and copied, the cords O acting on the punches; English-cut cards can be put on the machine at L and copied, the cords M acting on the punches. Of course, when one portion of the machine is working, the other parts remain idle, and it might be better to have them separate if much work is wanted.

The pattern is prepared for this machine by hand, working one repeat of it as follows:—The design, painted on point paper, is placed on a frame in an upright position, and over each line on it is stretched a vertical cord, which is taken as warp. The picker then takes a bobbin of weft and inserts it under every cord that passes over a painted dot on the first weft line of the pattern, keeping it in front of all the cords that pass over blank spaces, just in the same order as a shuttle would pass through if the shed were to be opened by a jacquard. When this is done the next line of the design paper is picked similarly, and so on, till a complete repeat of the design is loosely woven with cords, which are made of well-twisted harness twine. This process is somewhat similar to reading the pattern for the draw loom, which see. For coloured work a shot would require to be worked in for each colour on any weft line, the same as it is to be woven. When this is prepared, it is taken to the cutting machine and the warp tied to the cords A, the weft showing the warp ends to be drawn for each card.

Fig. 108

HALF HARNESS AND MUSLIN HARNESSES

So far we have been speaking entirely of ‘full-harness’ work. Though the principle of mounting is much the same in all classes of harnesses, there are certain deviations peculiar to each.