80 Wool. 



7. Weaving. — The loom is a machine designed to effect the 

 interlacing of warp and weft to produce such fabrics as are 

 illustrated in the photo-micrographs of cloths given in Figs. 10 

 and 11. Briefly, it coiisists of an apparatus to form the shed 

 or opening of the warp threads for the shuttle to pass through, 

 a mechanism to propel the shuttle through this opening, an 

 arrangement to beat up the weft thread close to its neighbour, 

 a mechanism to let off warp as the weaving of the cloth con- 

 tinues, and a mechanism to wind up the cloth woven on to 

 the cloth roller. Of course there are light and heavy, simple 

 and complex looms, but the fundamental principles are the 

 same. 



^ 



Fig. 10. FiQ. 11. 



8. Dyeing and Finishing. — A silk fabric as it leaves the 

 loom as a rule cannot be improved by any finishing processes ; 

 but a typical woollen fabric may leave the loom in a very 

 rough, uncouth condition and be converted into a soft, full, 

 warm cloth by means of the after processes. The shrinking 

 and felting properties of wool are characteristic and differen- 

 tiate it from all other fibres, and the manufacturer naturally 

 endeavours to use these characteristics to the full. 



The first finishing operation is usually w^ashing or scouring 

 so as to free the fabric from impurities and also to free the 

 fibres so that they are ready for the next process — the felting or 

 milling operation. Milling may consist either in hammering the 

 fabric or in squeezing it up in length and breadth. The fabric 

 is then straightened out by what is termed " tentering " and 

 then "raised," i.e., the surface of the cloth is subjected to the 

 action of natural teazles or to wire roller-brushes, and all stray, 

 loose fibres raised up from the surface of the cloth. The next 

 operation is " cropping," the cropping machine being similar to 

 a lawn mower, but in this case instead of taking the mower to 

 \,he lawn, the lawn (the piece) is taken to the mower. Theii 



