LOOM AND SPINDLE—HOOPER. 677 
The holes in these circular comber boards are very close together, 
and there are as many holes as there are threads of warp. 
In each of these holes there is a long steel needle, with its eye in 
the center, the needle itself being rather more than twice as long as 
the space between the two comber boards. 
These needles fit loosely into the holes of the comber boards, so 
that when they reach, as the loom revolves, a position above the hori- 
zontal center of the machine they rest against the central core of the 
loom. — 
But when in turn the needles come below the horizontal center they 
project through the holes of the outer perforated circle as shown in 
the drawing. 
A thread from the warp beam is drawn through the eye of each 
needle, and, when passed through the circular reed and fastened to 
the cloth beam, will, of 
course, follow the movement 
of the needle as it falls 
against the core at the top 
or projects through the holes 
of the outer comber ring. 
This is shown at Nos. 3 and 
4, which are longitudinal 
sections. 
An endless band of cards, 
similar to those used for the 
Jacquard machine fits to the 
outer rim and governs the 
design. Where these cards 
have holes in them the needles fall through and draw down the warp 
thread entered in them, but where the card is plain the needle retains 
its position. This is shown at No. 5, where an open shed is repre- 
sented. 
No. 2 shows the cop of weft in its case in position for working, 
where it is retained by two smooth bowls of bosses fixed in their 
places on the stand or underframework of the loom. The opened 
shed surrounds the cop case, passes along it, and when it leaves it it, 
of course, incloses the weft. 
By -an arrangement at the top of the loom the reed is slightly 
pushed forward so that it gently presses the weft into its place as 
it passes a certain point. Very little pressure is sufficient, as only 
a few inches are affected at a time. 
- Time forbids me to attempt a description of other details of the 
circular loom, some of which, no doubt, will be altered and improved. 
But sufficient has, I hope, been described for the general idea of the 
machine to be understood, and its great achievement, the continuous, 
Fig. 64.—Section of Whalley’s loom. 
