Woollen and worsted cloth manufacture : being a practical treatise for the use of all persons employed in the manipulation of textile fabrics

Front matter

pR/iWKLiM Institute Library

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Preface

PRACTICAL and intelligible Manuals of Technology are greatly needed by those whose employments are associated with the industrial arts. Especially are such works wanting on textile subjects. There is reason to anticipate, however, that the establishment of technical schools — which have received such munificent support from the Cloth workers' Company — combined with the technological examinations appointed by the City and Guilds of London Institute, and the publication of interesting trade journals — which bring to the notice of those interested in the advancement of British industries the improvements effected from time to time in machinery, as well as the most economic methods of manufacture — will, by operating in a beneficial manner on the intelligent and skilled artizan, ultimately result in producing men capable of supplying this want of the times. In a word, technical training having created the " want " for this class of literature, will discover the means of supplying it. Already there are evidences of its power to do this ; for, during recent years, several useful books have been published on woollen, worsted, and cotton yarn manufactures, and also on weaving. But it is remarkable that no treatise has appeared dealing with the whole routine of any class of textile production, such as cotton, wool, or silk. At least in this particular this Manual may claim to be unique and distinct in character.

vi

PREFACE.

Thus the object of the book is to place within the reach of the reader, in as concise a form, and jet in as comprehensive a manner as possible, information on the following subjects : — The physical structure and clothing properties of the raw materials or fibres used in the production of woollen and worsted fabrics ; the processes of yarn construction ; the preparation of the yarns for weaving ; the manipulation of the loom ; designing and colouring the texture, and the operations to which the cloth is submitted subsequent to weaving.

Separate chapters have been devoted to the manufacture of the woollen and worsted threads respectively, and also to fancy yarns, including two and three-ply twists, and knopped, curled, and cloud threads. The special uses of these yarns in pattern formation have also been carefully noted.

As the loom forms a very important department of a cloth factory, a considerable portion of the book is utilized in describing the various classes of both hand and power-looms now employed in the production of textiles. In order to simplify, as much as possible, the difficult question of loom mechanism, many original sketches of the principal motions of the loom are introduced into the text. By consulting these illustrations, probably the reader will more readily arrive at the principles of loom construction than if elaborate and detailed descriptions had been furnished without such drawings.

With regard to Designing, it has received attention so far as it relates to woollen and worsted cloths ; while the general principles of textile design underlying the ornamentation of all classes of woven fabrics have also been explained. Special attention has been given to the production of pattern by the employment of fancy yarns. Colour, it is needless to observe, is the 'prima materia of many classes of woven ornament, and yet in the works previously published on Weaving, pattern or design resulting from the amalgamation of coloured threads has

PREFACE.

vii obtained but brief consideration. An attempt has been made in the following pages to treat this branch of textile design in a practical manner. The effect of weave on various systems of colouring, and the principle of applying colour to designs of a single make and combination character, are the points which directly concern the textile designer, and which should, before all others, receive detailed explanation in a work of this class. A portion of the illustrations, and also of the text relating to Design, was embodied in a series of articles written by the author for the "Textile Manufacturer." The inquiries the editor of that journal received from correspondents respecting their republication in book form, is one of the reasons why they have been used in this Manual.

Under the heading of " Cloth Analysis," the system of dissecting woven fabrics, whether composed of wool, worsted, cotton, or silk yarns, has been described ; including explanatory notes on the method of calculating the weight of warp and weft used in the production of goods of a prescribed length and width. E-especting calculations, it may be observed that the most important occurring in cloth manipulation have been dealt with in a simple manner. There is no calculation in the whole routine of cloth manufacture which cannot be worked by anyone possessing the rudiments of arithmetical knowledge.

One further remark need only be added, and that in reference to finishing. It has not been possible to allude to the construction of finishing machinery, but information is furnished on the various processes through which the cloth passes subsequent to weaving, and also on the characteristics of the different kinds of '^finish," giving the reader a succinct idea of the modifications the fabric undergoes after it leaves the loom.

The thanks of the publishers and of the author are heartily rendered to the proprietors of the " Textile Manufacturer " for loan of blocks of designs and patterns ; to the editor of the " Textile Recorder," for illustrations viii

PREFACE.

of textile fibres and textile threads ; to Messrs. Taylor, Wordsworth, and Co., Leeds ; and to Messrs. Rhodes and Sons, Moreley, for the use of blocks of machines of which they are manufacturers.

Should the book have a satisfactory sale, other works dealing with specific branches of manufacture may subsequently be prepared.

R. B.

Leeds, Se^ptember, 1887.

CHAPTER I. Materials

PAGE

1. Four Methods of Diversifying a Woven Product— 2. Textile Materials — 3. Materials used in Woollen Manufacture — 4. Wool — 5. Felting Property — 6. Wool a good Absorbent of Colour — 7. Properties of Clothing Wools — 8. Wools of Different Countries— 9. Mohair, Alpaca, and Cashmere — 10. Wool Substitutes — 11. Noils— 12. Mungo and Shoddy — 13. Differences betv^^een Wool and Mungo — 14. Mungo Production — 15. Extract Wool— 16. Flocks— 17. Cotton — 18. Silk 1-23

CHAPTER II. Woollen Thread Manufacture

19. Sorting — 20. Wool Washing — 21. Detergents used in Scouring — 22. Wool Steeping — 23. Methods of Scouring — 24. Scouring Machines — 25. Utilization of Waste Scour Liquor — 26. Drying — 27. Teazing — 28. Burr-Extraction — 29. Oiling— 30. Blending— 31. Preparing the Blend— 32. Fearnongiit — 33. Carding — 34. Systems of Carding— 35. Actual Operation of Scribbling — 36. Parts of a Scribbler — 37. Speeds of the Cylinders — 38. Modes of Conveying the Scribbled Wool from one Engine to another — 39. Condensing — 40. Spinning — 41. Mule or Spinning Frame — 42. Duplex Spindle Arrangement 24-66

CHAPTER III. Worsted Thread Construction

43. The Worsted Thread — 44. Principle of Construction — 45. Preliminary Processes — 46. Backwashing — 47. Gilling — 48. Combing — 49. Nip and Square Motion Combs — 50. Scribbled and Combed Wools — 51. Drawing — 52. Drawing Machines — 53. Roving — 54. Worsted Spinning . . . 67-94

X

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER IV. Yarns and Fancy Twist Threads

PAGE

55. Woollen, Worsted, and Cotton Yarns — 56. Lustre of the Worsted Thread — 57. Two Methods of imparting Twist — 58. Openband and Crossband Twists — 59. The efPect of Twine on Twills — 60. Methods of applying Twine to Twilled Weaves — 61. Twine in relation to Buckskins and Doeskins — 62. Arrangement of Yarns for Herring-bone styles— 63. Twisting— 64. ^^Selfs" and Twist Threads— 65. Difference in effect of Twists and Selfs— 66. Threefold Twists— 67. Cloud, Knopped, Curled, and Diamond Twists . . . 95-113

Chapter V

Loom-mounting, or Preparation of the Yarns for the Loom.

68. Meaning of the Term "Loom-mounting" — 69. Warping — 70. Woof and Creel — 71. Leasing — 72. How to Reckon the Number of Threads Warped — 73. Warping on the Mill — 74. Sectional Warping Machines — 75. Warping, Sizing, and Drying Machines — 76. Fancy Warping on the Sectional System — 77. Sizing — 78. Beaming — 79. Raddling — 80. Healding or Drawing-in — 81. Irregular Healding Drafts — 82. Sleying or Reeding— 83. Reeds 114-142

CHAPTER VL

The Principles of Cloth Construction. Fundamental Weaves.

84. Woven and Knitted Fabrics— 85. Warp and Weft— 86. The Heald Shafts— 87. Plain or Tabby Weaving— 88. Design or Point Paper — 89. Twilling — 90. Cassimere Twill — 91. Sateens — 92. Derivatives of the Sateen — 93. Corkscrew or Round Twills — 94. Construction of Twills — 95. Hopsacks or Mats 143-163

CHAPTER VII. Hand Looms

96. Motions of the Loom — 97. Uses of the Hand Loom — 98. Parts of the Loom— 99. Setting-up Motion— 100. Letting-off Motion— 101. Shedding Motions — 102. Treadle System— 103. Tie-up or Cording Plans— 104. The Witch or Dobbie — 105. The Lags— 106. Relative Advantages of the Treadle Loom and Witch Machines — 107. The Jacquard Machine — 108. Block and Cylinder — 109. Upright and Cross Wires— 110. The Harness— 111. The Pattern Cards— 112. Double-lift Machines— 113. Harness and Shaft Mounting — 114. Uses and Advantages of the Jacquard Shedding Motion 164-196

CONTENTS.

XI

CHAPTER VIII. Power Looms

PAGE

115. The Power Loom — 116. Development of the Loom — 117. Past and Slow Running Looms — 118. Methods of Driving — 119. Timing of the Motions — 120. Open and Closed Shedding — 121. Various Shedding Arrangements — 122. Principle of the Tappet Motion — 123. Methods of Depressing the Healds in Tappet Looms — 124. Variation of the Speed of the Tappet Shaft— 125. Construction of Tappets — 126. Stroke of the Tappet — 127. Dobbie Shedding in Heavy Power Looms — 128. Principle of Actuating the Upright Dobbie — 129. Lagging and Picking-back Motion — 130. The American Shedding Motion — 131. Various parts of the American Dobbie — 132. Formation of the Shed in the American Loom — 133. Special Points in the American Shedding Motion — 134. Picking Motions — 135. Cam and Cone Pick — 136. Over-pick Arrangement — 137. Under-pick Motion — 138. Positive Letting-off Motion — 139. Winding of the Cloth on to the Piece Beam — 140. Change Wheel Setting-up — 141. Lever and Catch Motion — 142. Shuttle-box Mechanisms— 143. Link and Chain Box Motion — 144. Effects of the Links of the Box Chain — 145, Lag and Peg Motion — 146. Bowl and Rod System— 147. Circular Box Motion — 148. Weft Forks — 149. Shuttle Box Swell 197-252

Chapter IX

Weave-Combinations. Drafting.

150. Four Methods of Producing Textile Design — 151. Weave Combinations — 152. Points for Consideration in Combining Weaves — 153. Some Weaves applicable to Worsted and other Weaves to Woollen Fabrics — 154. The Fineness of the Texture a Factor for Consideration — 155. The Weaves Combined should be equal in Wefting Capacity — 156. Combination Patterns divisible into Three Classes — 157. Uses of Drafting — 158. Principle of Drafting — 159. Method of Constructing the Draft — 160. Drafting large Designs — 161. Figured Patterns Drafted — 162. Principle of Producing New Designs in a given Draft 253-274

CHAPTER X. Pattern Design

163. The Function of Weave in Coloured Patterns— 164. Effect of Fancy Warping and Wefting on the Plain Weave — 165.

xii

CONTENTS.

Hairline Stripes in the Plain Weave — 166. Hairline Stripes of Three Colours — 167. Figured Hairhnes — 168. Hairline Stripes of Four Colours — 169. Solid Stripes in Mat and other Weaves — 170. Examples in Colourings for Simple Striped Cloths — 171. Figured Patterns in the Plain Weave — 172. Over-check in the Plain Weave — 173. Fancy Check — 174. Diagonal and Fancy Coloured Patterns — 175. Mixtures in the Plain Cloth 275-295

CHAPTER XI. Colour Applied to Twilled and Fancy Weaves

176. Uses of the Cassimere Twill in Coloured Patterns — 177. Difference between the Effects obtained in the Cassimere and Plain Weaves — 178. Broken Diamond in the Cassimere — 179. Stripes in the Four-end Twill— 180. Shepherd Plaid— 181. Fancy Check — 182. Colour applied to Five-End Makes —183. Effects in the Six-End Twill— 184. Checks in the Six- End Twill— 185. Patterns in the Mayo— 186. Colour in Relation to the Eight-Shaft Diagonal — 187. Arrangement of Colourings for Twilled Hopsack — 188. Colour applied to Weave Combinations — 189. How to Colour Intricate Weave Designs — 190. Cloths Figured by Weave and Colour — 191. Ribbed Patterns 296-318

CHAPTER XII. Backed and Double Cloths

192. Definition and Uses of Backed Cloths— 193. Two Methods of Backing — 194. Cloths Backed with Weft — 195. Principle of Backing Simple Twills — 196. Effect of Irregular Tieing — 197. Systems of Backing Check Designs with Weft — 198. Figured Weave Backed with Weft — 199. Principle of Backing Union Fabrics — 200. Cloths Backed with Warp — 201. How to Back Cloths with Warp — 202. Patterns on the Under Surface of Backed Goods — 203. Features of Double Cloths— 204. Various Types of Double Cloths— 205. Method of Constructing Double Makes — 206. Tieing or Stitching — 207. Weft Tieing— 208. Structure of the Double Plain Crossing— 209. Stitching Double Plain Cloths— 210. Double Plain Stripes — 211. Three and Four Single-thread Stripes — 212. Figured Double Plains or Reversibles — 213. Characteristics of Cut Double Cloths — 214. Principle of Constructing Cut Double-make Patterns — 215. Drafting and Setting of Double Cloths 319-354

CONTENTS.

xiii

CHAPTER XIII. Analysis of Cloths and Calculations

PAGE

216. Textile Analysis — 217. How to find the Weave of a Given Texture — 218. Ascertaining the sizes of the Yarns — 219. Calculation on Setting — 220. Method of Calculating the Weight of the Warp Yarns — 221. Estimating the Size of Twist Yarns — 222. Finding the Weight of each sort of Yarn in the Warp— 223. Estimating the Weight of Weft Yarns of one Size and Colour only — 224. Calculating the Weight of Weft composed of various kinds of Yarns — 225. Ascertaining the Weight of a Worsted Fabric— 226. Method of Finding the Size of the Weft Yarn for Weaving a Piece of Cloth of a Given Weight — 227. Calculating the Picks per inch for Weaving a specified Weight of Cloth 355-371

CHAPTER XIV. Cloth Finishing

228. Effect of Finishing — 229. Finish in Relation to Worsted Cloths— 230. Variety of Finish in Woollens— 231. Nature of Fulling— 232. Process of Milling — 233. Milling Reduces the Size of the Pattern — 234. Raising and its Effects — 235. Differences between Wet and Dry Raising — 236. Boiling and Crabbino; — 237. Pressing — 238. Doeskin Finish— 239. Velvet Finish— 240. Dry Finish — 241. Scotch and Melton Finish— 242. Worsted Finish 372-386

Index

387-391

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

Textile fibres 10

Wool steeper 31

Scouring machine ........ face page 32

Petrie's dryer „ „ 35

Teazer or willey .......... 38

Section of teazer .......... 39

Oiling apparatus . . . . '. . . . . .43

Card clothing 51

Condenser . to face page 5^

Mule 63

Duplex spindle arrangement • 65

Back-washer 71

Section of gill box . . . , 72

Gill box . 73

Noble's comb to face page 77

Drawing-in rollers of Noble's comb 78

Centre vertical rollers of Noble's comb 80

Small circle of Noble's comb 81

Delivering rollers of circular comb . . . . . .81

Cone drawing frame 87

Section of spinning frame 90

„ cap frame 93

Textile threads . . 97

Open and cross-band yarns 100

Angled or herring-bone pattern 104

Buckskin weave . . . . . . . . . .104

Fine twilled cloth 104

Twist yarns 110

Warping woof 115

„ creel 117 xvi LIST OP ILLUSTEATIONS.

PAGE

Sectional warping and beaming machine 121

Leasing reed for sectional warping machine . . . . .123 Sized and unsized worsted threads . . . . . .127

Raddle 131

Healds 132

Angle and sateen healding draft 133

Irregular healding draft ........ 135

Sley or reed 138

Cassimere twill 139

Six-end twill 140

Sample of plain cloth 146

Heald shafts when shedding . .147

Design or point-paper . . . . . , . . .149

Plain or tabby weave 151

Twills 153

Sample of cassimere cloth . . . . . . . .154

Sateens 157

Derivatives of the sateen ........ 158

Eight-heald diagonal 162

Hupsacks or mats . ......... 163

Guing-part 167

Setting-up motion for hand-loom 170

Letting-off „ „ 171

Shedding arrangement for treadle loom 173

Tie-up or cording plan „ 175

Witch or dobbie 177

Lags 179

Cording plan for several weaves . . 181

Jacquard machine . . . . . . . . .184

Upright and cross wires of Jacquard 185

Method, No. 1, of tieing up the harness 187

Stamped card 191

Crank and low shafts of dandy power loom 200

Driving gear for Knowles' loom 202

Crank and crank arm of main shaft ...... 204

Tappet shedding motion ........ 206

Stocks and bowls 208

Change wheel arrangement for tappet shaft 210

Tappet 213

Shedding motion for Dobcross loom . . . . . .215

Shell for upright lever 216

Dobcross power loom 217

Cylinder gears of Knowles' loom, position of .... 220 Vibrators and connectors . . . . . . . .221

Heald jacks of Knowles' loom 223

Head gear „ „ 225

Cam and cone pick 230

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xvii

PAGE

Over pick motion 233

Worm and wheel letting-off motion 235

Change wheel setting-up motion for dandy looms .... 238 Setting up motion for Dobcross and Pearson and Spurr's looms . 240

Box motion for Dobcross loom 242, 243

Link for box chain 244

Box motion for Pearson and Spurr's loom 245

„ Knowles' loom 248

Circular box motion ......... 250

Weft fork motion 251

Box swell 252

Sample of plain and mat fabric . . . . . . .257

Designs of a striped class 258, 259

Check combinations ......... 260

Figured „ 261

Diaper or check design, composed of two distinct threads . . 263 Striped design, composed of eight distinct threads . . .266 „ ten „ ... 268

Figured pattern for drafting 270

Draft for figured pattern 271

Pegging plan for figured pattern 272

Diagram of check pattern . . . . . . . .274

Patterns obtained in the plain weave . . . . . .278

Plain weave hairline ......... 279

Stripe pattern of three colours 280

Sketch of basket pattern 283

Stripe effect of four colours 284

Stripe in the mat weave . . . . . . . .286

Figured plain cloth 287

Over check in the plain cloth 289

Diamond and figured patterns > . . 294

Mixture effect 295

Diagonal pattern in the cassimere twill . . . . .297

Check pattern in the cassimere ....... 299

Stripe patterns „ ....... 300

Shepherd plaid „ 301

Shaded check 301

Pattern in doeskin . , . , . , . . .302

Stripe in 5 -end twill 304

Small figured pattern in 6-end twill 305

Stripe pattern in 6-end twill 306

Pattern in the mayo 308

Check in 8 -end diagonal 310

Stripe in twilled hopsack 310

Sketch of pattern due to weave and colour 315 xviii

LIST Oir ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

Rib design 316

Rib effect 317

Examples in designs backed with weft 322

Check design 326

„ backed with weft 327

55 5) 55 ....... 328

Figured pattern, backed with weft 329

Design for union cloth, backed ....... 329

5» ,5 55 330

Examples in designs backed with warp 331

55 5, ..... 333

Diagrams of designs for double cloths 337

Double weaves, tied on different principles 341

,5 „ in the weft 342

Double plain 342

Sketch of double plain fabric ...... 342

Double plain stripe 343

„ „ „ 344

„ 346

Figured double plain design 347

Sketch of double-make cut pattern 348

Cut double -weave stripe . . 349

Draft for cut double-weave . . 352

Pegging plan for cut double-weave 353

Sketch of cloth prepared for analysis 356

Design for dissected pattern 358

Pegging plan and draft for dissected pattern . . . .359

ERRATUM.

Page 45. By accident the Nos. to figs. 9 and 9b were transposed.

WOOL MANUFACTURE.