368 



CROSS TEXTURE. 



Cro«s 

 Teiture. 



Plate 

 CCXIX. 

 rigs. 5, 6. 



■PLATE 



CXCIII. 



Plate 



rcxix. 



Eigs. 7, S. 



the rest, for A will be linked with H of the preceding 

 series, and H with A of the succeeding one. To illus- 

 trate this, the letters abcdefgh are added to the Figures, 

 and what is termed low-case letters are used to prevent 

 their being confounded with the capitals, which distin- 

 guish other parts of the loom. The first mode of punctu- 

 ation is that produced by the apparatus when in the state 

 represented by Fig. 5. and the second that which it as- 

 sumes in Fig. 6. From even this cursory description, 

 an attentive examination may satisfy the reader that 

 this apparatuses merely an alteration of the disposition 

 of that of common linau or gauze. The alteration is 

 effected by crossing alternate threads instead of twisting 

 and untwisting the same in rotation. The appearance 

 of the net when finished is a diamond exactly like a com- 

 mon fishing net, and it is represented in Plate CXCIII. 

 illustrative of the geometrical principles of texture at- 

 tached to the article Cloth Manufacture. In that Plate 

 is also given a representation of what is termed the mail 

 net, which is merely a combination of this net with com- 

 mon gauze. The reader may perhaps be enabled to form 

 some conception of the mounting of the mail net, especi- 

 ally if he be in any respect conversant with the general 

 principles of texture, by supposing it to be merely a 

 double set of gauze mounting, made to work alternately 

 the gauze and net parts. Referring to Figs. 1. and 2. 

 of this Plate, and combining the apparatus represented 

 there with that in Figs. 5. and 6. will also be of ser- 

 vice to aid him. Let him suppose Fig. 1. to contain 

 two warps, entirely separate and distinct from each 

 other, and rolled on separate rollers or beams. Let 

 that comprehending the gauze part be represented, as 

 before, rolled on the beam C, and that which composes 

 the whip upon the additional beam N, placed below, 

 and represented by a dotted circle. The two warps be- 

 ing thus kept entirely distinct, that which is below may 

 be slackened whenever the crossing of the whip be- 

 comes necessary, without at all affecting the gauze warp 

 upon the beam above, which retains its tension while 

 the other is slackened to admit of the crossing. The 

 number of leaves must be precisely doubled, one set 

 being allowed for the warp on each beam, and the dis- 

 position of these leaves is as follows : To the back 

 leaves, 5 and 6, are added two other back leaves exact- 

 ly similar to those represented. Of these four back 

 leaves, two contain the gauze and two the whip part. 

 In front of these are two standards, with lams exactly, 

 as represented at 3 and 4°, these complete the gauze 

 part. The reed conies next, and through it are drawn 

 two threads of each warp alternately. In front of the 

 reed come the additional standards and lams for the 

 whip part, and these are exactly similar to the former. 

 The profile view in Figs. 1. and 2. repeated, gives that 

 view of them, and the front view is the same as in Figs. 

 5. 6. The appearance of the net when woven is given in 

 Plate CXCIII. attached to the article Cloth Manufac- 

 ture already quoted, and is the same as that exhibited in 

 Fig. 8. were all the squares filled with diagonal lines. 

 The slackening of the lower beam is effected by the lever 

 P, at the extremity of which are two cords, one of which 

 lifts a catch out of a ratchet wheel on the end of the 

 lower beam, and the other slackens the yarn by turn- 

 ing the beam round which it is wound. The other 

 end of the lever P is connected by a cord, with an ad- 

 ditional long march hung below for the purpose, and 

 this march being connected with one of the treddles, 

 operates on the lever when required. 



The patent net represented in Figs. 7. and 8. is ano- 

 1'ier extension of the principle of the mail net, and the 



1 



difference of appearance consists merely in the omis- 

 sion of the crossing in every alternate square. This net, 

 we have mentioned, was invented at Paisley, and is al- 

 most the only variety which has originated in Britain. 

 The difference is entirely in the disposition of the leaves 

 of heddles, and in the rotation in which they are ele- 

 vated and depressed. The gauze and whip parts are 

 interspersed in an order to suit the pattern, and which 

 will be easily imitated by taking the black dots for the 

 whip or net parts which form the diagonals, and the 

 white dots for the gauze parts. As all the parts are not 

 slackened at once, four distinct beams or rollers are 

 used, each being slackened in its turn. Fig. 7. exhi- 

 bits the crossings of one range, which is repeated over 

 the whole web. By comparing the crossings of the 

 lams in Fig. 7- with the appearance of the cloth, which 

 in Fig. 8. is represented as unwinding from the beam 

 in a finished state, a pretty accurate conception of the 

 effect produced by the mounting may be formed. The 

 diagonal crossing of one square being included between 

 the numerals 1 and 2, and that of a second between 

 3 and 4. When the cross lams, which are here exhi- 

 bited in their slack state, are tightened, the warp will 

 be crossed and interwoven with the gauze, represented 

 by the white dots. This, therefore, forms one range 

 of squares or checkers, with a diagonal crossing in the 

 bosom of every alternate square. When one range is 

 completed, the intermediate crossing between 5 and 6 

 is set in motion in the same way, and a similar crossing 

 being continued along the whole fabric, the checkers 

 are alternately crossed and blank. For this operation, 

 therefore, four treddles are necessary ; two being allot- 

 ted for each set of the crossings, and each pah- is put 

 in motion alternately. 



Cursory and brief as the preceding explanations are, 

 they may enable even those who study mechanics only 

 as a matter of speculative curiosity, to form some no- 

 tion of the construction of this curious and hitherto al- 

 most uninvestigated branch of their application. It is^ 

 indeed singular to reflect, that while the construction 

 of almost every engine in other professions has been 

 repeatedly treated of in almost numberless books, there 

 hardly exists a vestige of enquiry into the principles of 

 the staple manufacture of the three kingdoms, and by 

 much the most extensively practised mechanical art in 

 every part both of Europe and .Asia, where mechanical 

 improvement has made any progress. 



We have already adverted to the Russian table rub- 

 ber, as an extraordinary instance of mechanical inge- 

 nuity, being more extensively employed in a rude 

 country, and upon a coarse and cheap material, than 

 in all the variegated patterns which have occupied the 

 looms employed in fabricating the most costly silks of 

 France and Italy in that description of work. The 

 knowledge of it, as has been stated, does not appear to 

 have ever reached this country. The author of this 

 article shall therefore mention the way in which the 

 plan which he has given of it came into his possession. 

 A considerable number of years ago, whilst he was de- 

 voting much of his attention to trace the various rami- 

 fications of this extensive but neglected art, a friend, 

 who, besides being extensively engaged in the profes- 

 sional business of manufacturing, possessed a great 

 taste and indefatigable curiosity to analyse the scienti- 

 fic principles of the art, put into his hands a manu- 

 script book, which he had been many years in filling 

 with such remarks upon the art, as had either occurred 

 to himself, or been obtained from a great number of 

 experienced weavers with whom he had conversed on 



Cro«? 

 Texture* 



Platb 

 lCXIX. 

 Figs. 7, *, 



