CARPET MANUFACTURE. 



KACTURK. 



OMB, the point of meeting become* a fixed point for supporting the 

 ceiling or floor above it. If the length of the partition be too great 

 for this arrangement, or if a doorway be required where the central 

 pout would oome, two posts may be iued instead of one, with an 

 horizontal bar of wood between their upper end* ; or, in fact, a queen 

 truss may be formed. The diagonal ban are called bractt, and the 



\ 



N 



Framed queen-post partition. 



horizontal piece between the poets in Bometiuiea called an inttrlit; but 

 thoae names are objectionable, because the action of the pieces in 

 question U the reverse of that of a tie, or of what would be generally 

 understood by a brace. Doorways often derange the bracing of par- 

 titions, and sometimes rentier it impossible to retain the advantage of 

 the tie afforded by the bottom piece of the rectangular frame which 

 bounds the partition. In some cases the intertie, or rather collar-beam 

 forms the head of the doorway ; but ax the doorway is mostly much lower 

 than the partition, it is. not unusual to extend the horizontal piece which 

 forms the head of the doorway to the extent of the whole length of the 

 partition ; it is also usual to form the long rectangular space above it, 

 aud the rectangular spaces below it on each side of the doorway, r tin- 

 whole space below it, including the doorway, into separate trusses. 

 The long unbroken truss above the doorway may indeed be made to 

 support the whole partition without the aid of bracing in the lower 

 compartment*. Sometimes, instead of the ordinary mode of bracing, 

 which necessarily interferes with the fixing of the upright quartering* 

 to which the laths are to be attached, a mode of bracing with parabolic 

 arches of iron or wood U adopted. The usual mode of bracing is 

 occasionally used for brick-nogging partitions, or, in rural cottages, for 

 the brick-nogging of external walls ; but of course its adoption occa- 

 sion* much trouble in cutting the bricks to fit the oblique lines and 

 angle* produced by the braces. 



Respecting the various kind* of joints required in cariwnter'a work, 

 information will be found under ROOF and Sr.viiHXi:. Hobison men- 

 tions an ingenious modification of the common mortwe-and-tenon joint 

 which is worthy of untie.-, under the name of /. </>/. It 



contain in the insertion in the end of the tenon of a thin wedge, 

 which, when the mortise is not cut through, but simply into, the 

 piece of wood in which it U formed is forced into the tenon, and con- 

 sequently import* t it somewhat of the dovetail form, by the mere 

 act of driving the tenon into its place. Kobison suggests that, to guard 

 against the liability ! tin- t.-i..n t.. split I eyond tin- should 

 required effect may be better produced by the use of several very thin 

 wedges, which will collectively enlarge the end of the tenon in the 

 necessary degree, than by the employment of a single wedge of greater 

 thickness. This mode of wedging is much employed by ship-carpenters 

 in securing tree-naiU, which are the large pegs of wood used in certain 

 MIES in lieu of metal fastenings. The subject of naval carpentry will 

 be treated under Slur Hi II.UIMO. 



The series of article* written by Professor Kobison for tin- ' Encyclo- 

 paedia Britannica' on the science of carticntry. and republished, with 

 notea, in his ' System of Mechanical Philosophy,' form perhaps the 

 most valuable l>dy of information on the subject ; though the nimie- 



n practical works of Nicholson, by whom the treatise on carpentry 

 be ' Encyclojwcdia Metropolitan:* ' was supplied, and Tredgolds 

 Elementary Principles of Carpentry,' go much more into details. 

 The nature f the butt-mentioned work is noticed un<l<-r TIIKDUOLD, 

 Til. .MAX, in Kio.i. Inv. Rondelet's ' Art de Batir,' Colonel Kniy's 

 Emay'iur 1'Art de Charpenterie,' and Colonel ArdantV 'Etudes mir 

 lea Comblcn Ik grandc i-ortoV,' may also be advantageously consulted. 



I '1 : T MAN UFACTURE. The consumption of carjfeu in Great 

 Britain up to about the middle of the last century was so very trifling, 

 that, aa a manufacture, it wan hardly deserving of notice ; and although 

 now so on initial to our warmth and comfort, a few generations since 

 carpet* were only |rtially used in the mansions of the rich. Only a 

 few manufactories, of which that at Wilton was the most important, 

 existed in different part* of the kingdom ; and at Kidderminster, which 

 is now one of the principal seat* of the trade, the carpet manufacture 

 did not commence before the early part of the 18th century. At 



Halifax, where the trade is very extensive, the introduction of tin- 

 manufacture was much more recent. 



In presenting here some account of the manufacturing processes, it 

 may be well to premise, that in all, or nearly all, kinds of car) 

 materials are dyed before they are put into the loom. A very mi-ions 

 anil ing. nioiis attempt was made some yean since to print tin worsteds 

 while in the process of weaving. A patent was taken out, and the 

 object was partially accomplished, but there are so mam .iuli. i 

 encounter that this plan has not been brought into general 



The following are the chief kinds now made in Great l' 

 Axminster, Venetians of different sorts. Kid.leni. 

 British or damask Venetian, Brussels, anil Wilton or pile can 

 These names do not always denote either the present or origin.il 

 of manufacture. Brussels carpets were introduced into Hidden 

 from Tournay in 1 71."' ; and we do not know that Venetians were ever 

 made at Venice. Wiltons (which are in fact Brussels carpet .- 

 made on the Continent before they were introduced at Wilt, n 

 what are called Kidderminster are made in the greatest 

 Scotland or Yorkshire. 



Axmintter carpet must be included among those which no 

 correspond with their name. At Axminster, in Devonshire, a i 

 factory of expensive carpets was maintained for more than a century ; 

 but it lias now been abandoned. Axminster carjivta (supposing them 

 to be really now made) are usually mode in one piece, according to the 

 dimensions of the room for which they are required. The warp or 

 chain is of strong linen, placed perpendicularly between t 

 beams which turn round and enable the chain to be rolled from oil one 

 beam and on to the other as the weaving of the carpet proceeds. 

 Small tufts or bunches of different coloured wonted or woolli 

 tied to or fastened under the warp: and when one row of these tuft* 

 has been completed, the shoot of linen is also thrown in and firmly 

 rammed down. Another row of tufts in then arranged in such a man- 

 ner as, by a change of the colours, to form a further |>ition of t!,. 

 pattern. To guide the weaver as to the position of the colours, a 

 small paper design or drawing constantly hangs before him, from which 

 he works. The tedious nature of this process, and the quantity of 

 materials which it consumes, render this kind of carpet very expc 

 and few, if any, are now made. 



Rial Turkey earpelt (so called to distinguish them from those Brussels, 

 the patterns of which are made to imitate them) are manufactured in a 

 similar manner to Axminster carpets ; they are regularly imported, 

 though not in very large quantities. Fluyer inn 



formed with tufts, introduced in a similar way ; but the warp or chain 

 is laid horizontally, and a common loom, with its usual nppurtt i 

 of treadles, gearing, reed, lathe or batten, Ac., is made to assist in 

 the process. In all these carpets the warp and wi ft, or, as they are 

 called, chain and shoot , which are both of linen, are altogeth. 

 cealed from the upper surface, the tufts of worsted or woollen being 

 the only part that is visible. 



Viii'tiint 01 //'.<. Here the warp or chain, which is of worsted, and 

 generally arranged in stripes of different colours, is alone visil.l. 

 shoot, which is of a dark colour and usually black, is concealed b< 

 the upper and under surface. By using shoot of different size.- . 

 carpets are sometimes made to assume the ap|>earance of plaids or 

 checks; and by the arrangement of the treadles, a twilled or 

 appearance is at other tunes given to them. Venetians are generally 

 used for staircase carpets, but the plaid kind are occasionally used for 

 rooms. Although dots, waves, small figures, and plaids, are sonu-tiiu. 

 introduced, the general character of Venetian carpets 

 throughout. They do not come under the head of figured weaving, no 

 machinery but that of the common loom lieing required foi 

 manufacture. Woollen, linen, and cotton are all used for the shoot. 



Kiiltln-niiiiftir or NrofcA carpctt, or, as the Americans moie ,1 

 lively term them, i, i^lly of wonted or woollen ; 



or, as is most common, the chain is of worsted and the shoot of wool. 

 t tern is formed by the intersection of two or more cloths of 

 ilifl'erei but .-is these cloths may be woven in stripes of 



, .-hades by introducing at intervals shoot of different colours, 

 the carpet is usually made to assume a great \. 'lours. 



Wherever this is the case, however, either the upper or under surface 

 must necessarily have a stripy appearance, and the stripes will 1 

 running across the carpet. The process of weaving these is somewhat 

 c.impli. .it. .1. but we will endeavour to give some idea of its nature, and 

 in our description > will confine ourselves to those in which tin 

 only two cloth*. These in fact form nil,' ' -ths of tin- 



quantity. A few, called three-plic.-. with three cloths, for 



the North American market; and even four-plies have been attempted. 

 Each cloth is perfect in itself, so that if one cloth were carefully cut 

 awny the other w'.nld remain jierfect. and l>e in appearance like a very 

 coarse baice. The process of wearing both cloths is carried on at the 

 .-..me time, and ill each part of the carpet that cloth is brought 

 surface which is required to produce that ]>ortion of the pattern. We 

 will suppose the two colours to be blue and white. and that the weaver 

 in proceeding witli his work is about to throw in the blue shoot. As 

 -non weaving, he must raise by his treadles and gearing one-half 

 ,.f the blue warp to form the cloth ; but he must also raise the whole 

 .I the white waip in those jmrti.iiiN of the carpet where the pattern 

 shall IK- white ; this has to be .! 



