WEAVING 



1111 



sufficient number of yarns are coiled round it to form the breadth that is wanted ; the 

 warper's principal care being to tie immediately every thread as it breaks, otherwise, 

 deficiencies would be occasioned in the chain, injurious to the appearance of the web, 

 or productive of much annoyance to the weaver. 



Fig. 2103 shows another form of warping-mill, known as the beam-warping machine, 

 and generally in use for yarns above 20s. in counts, as by its use more perfect work 

 can be produced, and at a less cost than on the vertical warping-mill. It is supplied 

 with a letting-back motion, whereby, when a thread is broken, the motion of the wind- 

 ing-on beam, or drum, is reversed, and by the aid of a simple arrangement of falling 

 iron rods, the thread may be easily found and reunited. It has also a self-acting mea- 

 suring and stopping motion, by means of which the machine is promptly stopped the 



2103 



moment the proper length of yarn is wound on to the weavers' warp-beain. The drum 

 on which the weavers' beam revolves, is so constructed as to suit any length of beam, 

 by being expanded or contracted. A comb or raithe, on the expanding or contracting 

 principle, guides the threads with precision on to any length of beam. As a rule, 

 young women are preferred to men for working this machine. 



When a warp has been made, it requires to be sized before it is ready for the 

 loom ; for that purpose, it is taken as a ball from the vertical warping-mill, fig. 

 2102, and sized in a sizing-trough, and then dried by being passed over a number of 

 hot cylinders, when it is wound by the beamer into the weavers' beam, and then, 

 having been drawn in or twisted in to the healds and reeds, is ready for the loom. 



In the case of a warp made in the horizontal or beam-warping machine, it is at 

 once wound on a beam, and thence taken to the slasher sizing-machine, where, 

 forming one of six or eight beams, its yarn is passed through the operations of 

 sizing and drying, in one passage, and at once wound on to the weavers' beam, and is 

 then ready to have attached the healds and reeds in the ordinary manner. 



Fig. 2104 shows the slasher sizing-machine, as made by Messrs. Harrison and Sons, 

 machinists, Blackburn. This machine is sufficient to size for 300 shirting-looms, 

 and is managed by one man. The yarn is taken from the weavers' (8) beams shown 

 in fig. 2103, and passed through boiling size, and then over the two cylinders, 

 winch are heated by steam, and having been dried by them, is at once wound on 

 to the weavers' beam. The stand on which the warpers' beams are placed, is made 

 so as to be adjustible to any length of beam. The flanges of the beams are of 

 lined iron, and are convex on the inner side, to allow the yarn to leave the beam 

 freely. The boiling box through which the yarn passes, is lined with copper to 

 prevent oxidisation. The rollers in the box are hooped at the ends with brass, 

 and run upon brass pullies, thus saving the roller ends, and producing a smooth 

 motion. The size roller, or squeezer, is of heavy copper, without <i seam, being 

 cast solid, afterwards bored, and then expanded oil a mandril to the proper dia- 



