CARPET 



733 



433 



linen, or hemp ; the latter being put upon a beam, and brought, of course, through 

 heddles and a reed ; but as its only purpose is to bind together tho worsted fabric, it 

 should not be visible upon the upper face of tho carpet. The worsted yarn is wound 

 upon small bobbins or pirns, with a, weight affixed to each, for giving proper tension 

 to the threads. The number varies, for one web, from 1,300 to 1,800, according as 

 the carpet is to be 27 or 36 inches wide ; and they are placed, in frames, behind tho 

 loom, filled with differently-coloured yarn, to correspond with the figure. This 

 worsted warp is then drawn through the harness, heddles, and reed, to be associated 

 with the linen yarn in the compound fabric. 



In Kidderminster carpeting, both warp and weft appear upon the face of the cloth, 

 whereas, in tho Brussels stylo, only the warp is seen, its binding weft being fine 

 hempen or linen threads. The three-ply imperial carpet, called the Scotch, is coming 

 very much into vogue, and is reckoned by many to be little inferior in texture, look, 

 and wear to the .Brussels. Kilmarnock has acquired merited distinction by this 

 ingenious industry. In this fabric, as well as in the two-ply Kidderminster, the weft 

 predominates, and displays the design ; but, in the French carpets, the worsted warp 

 of the web shows the figure. Plain Venetian carpets, as used for stairs and passages, 

 are woven in simple looms, provided merely with the common heddles and reed. 

 The warp should be a substance of worsted yarn, so heavy as to cover in the weft 

 completely from the view. Figured Venetian carpets are woven in the two-ply Kid- 

 derminster looms, and are provided with a mechanism to raise the pattern upon the 

 worsted warp. The weft is an alternate shoot of worsted and linen yarn, and must 

 be concealed. 



The following figure and description 

 will explain the construction of the 

 three-ply imperial Scotch and two-ply 

 Kidderminster carpet loom, which is 

 merely a modification of the Jacquard 

 metier. The Brussels carpet loom, on the A f 

 contrary, is a draw-boy loom on the 

 damask plan, and requires the weaver to 

 have an assistant. Fig. 433, A A A, is the 

 frame of the loom, consisting of four 

 upright posts, with caps and cross-rails 

 to bind them together. The posts are 

 about six feet high, c c, the cloth-beam, 

 is a wooden cylinder, six inches or there- 

 abouts in diameter, of sufficient length 

 to traverse the loom, with iron gudgeons 

 in the two ends, which work in bushes 

 in the side frame. On one end of this 

 beam is a ratchet wheel, with a tooth to 

 keep it from turning round backwards "%, 

 by the tension of the web. D, the lay, 

 with its reed, its under and upper shell, 

 its two lateral rulers or swords, and rocking-tree above. There are grooves in the 

 upper and under shell, into which the reed is fitted. E, the heddles, or harness, with 

 a double neck attached to each of the tower or card mechanisms, F F, of the Jacquard 

 loom. The heddles are connected and 

 work with the treddles B B, by means of 434 



cords, as shown in the figure. G o are 

 wooden boxes for the- cards. H, the 

 yarn, or warp beam. 



In draw-looms of every kind, there is 

 no sinking of any portion of the warp, 

 as in plain cloth-weaving; but the 

 plane of the cloth is placed low, and the 

 threads under which the shuttle has to 

 pass are raised, while all the rest re- 

 main stationary. The harness part of 

 this carpet-loom is moved by an assistant 

 boy or girl, who thus allows the weft to 

 be properly decussated, while the weaver 

 attends to working the front mounting 

 or heddles. Fig. 434, A represents the frame of a carpet draw-loom ; B is a box 

 or frame of pullies, over which the cords of the harness pass, and are then made 

 fast to a piece of wood, seen at K, which the weavers call a table. From the tail of 



