WEAVING. 



drawn up by the colling of this cord round the axis ; and 

 the yarn is wound in a regular fpiral about the reel, until 

 the length which the warp requires is wound upon it. When 

 the full length of the yarn is wound on the reel, the clue of 

 thread is croffcd over pins projefting from the frame of the 

 reel, and tlie mill is then turned the reverfe way, fo that the 

 Aider and guide-rollers defcend, and the yarn is laid down- 

 wards along the fame fpiral which it before afcendcd, fo as 

 to double the clue of thread ; and this doubling is repeated 

 until the required number of threads is coUeaed together 

 in one clue upon the reil. 



When the warp is thus completed, it is taken off the reel 

 and wound upon a ftick into a ball; the croflings which dif- 

 tinguifh the different returns or doublings of the fimple 

 clue being firfl properly fecured, as a means of dividing the 

 warp into as many equal portions as is neceflary for the con- 

 venience of the weaver, in counting the threads in the fuc- 

 ceeding operation of beaming. 



There is likewife another kind of divifion of the threads 

 of the warp ; this is called tlie leafe, and ferves to feparate 

 all the threads whicli are to go through one of the heddles 

 of the loom, from thofe which are to go through the other 

 heddle. To effeft this feparation, the bobbins from which 

 the threads are drawn are arranged in two rows, and a 

 thread is alternately drawn from the upper row and from 

 the lower row. Then at the beginning and end of every 

 doubling of the warp, the threads of one row of bobbins 

 are croffed over the threads of the other row, and two pins 

 are put into the croflings to retain them. Thefe pins are 

 put into holes made in pieces of board fixed to the warping- 

 reel. One of thefe boards at the top of the reel is fixed 

 fait, but the other is moveable, and can be fixed at any part 

 of the reel, according to the length of the warp. 



In the moft improved warping-machines, the feparation 

 is made by an apparatus called in Scotland the heck. It 

 confiils of a row of fteel pins with eyes through one end of 

 each for the threads to pafs through like large needles. 

 Thefe are (luck into two pieces of wood, by which they 

 are fupported in a row near to the warping-reel. Every al- 

 ternate pin in the row is faftened in one piece of wood, and 

 the intermediate pins are faftened in the other piece, fo that 

 by lifting up one piece of wood the pins and threads be- 

 longing to it will be raifed up, whihl the intermediate pins 

 and threads are held down. This occafions the divifion of 

 the threads, and a pin is put in to keep thtm fo divided. 

 The other piece of wood is then lifted up, whrch occafions 

 all the threads to be croffed ; that is, every thread forms a 

 crofs over that which is adjacent to it. A fecond pin is 

 then put in, and before the warp is taken off from the reel, 

 this croffing is fecured by a firing. 



Beaming When the weaver receives his warp in a large 



ball or bundle, he proceeds to roll it up regularly upon the 

 yarn-roller of his loom : this is called beaming. For this 

 purpofe he employs an inflrument called a feparator, or 

 ravel, which confiils of a number of fhreds of cane, fattened 

 together, and fixed to a rail of wood, like the teeth of a 

 long comb ; the threads are intended to be put into the 

 fpaces between thefe teeth, fo as to flretch the warp to its 

 proper breadth. 



Ravels are fomewhat like reeds, but much coarfer, and 

 are alfo of different dimenfions. One proper for the pur- 

 pofe being found, one of the fmall divifions of the warp is 

 placed in every interval between two of the teeth. The 

 upper part of the ravel, called the cape, is then put on, to 

 fecure the threads from getting out between the teeth, and 

 the operation of winding the warp upon the beam com- 

 mences. In broad works, two perfons are employed to 



II 



hold the ravel, which ferves to guide the threads of the warp,- 

 and to fpread them regularly upon the beam ; one or two 

 other perfons keep the threads at a proper degree of tenfion, 

 and one more turns the beam upon its centre. 



The knottings which fecure the croffings or doublings 

 made in warping, are very ufcful to the weaver in beaming, 

 to afcertain the number of threads, and to diflribute them, 

 with regularity. He cuts the knotting before he can put 

 the warp in the ravel, but he flill keeps them diflinft by a' 

 fmall cord. 



The French weavers ufe a fmall reel, upon which they 

 wind the warp from the ball, and then from this reel they 

 draw off the warp througlx the ravel, by . winding up the 

 beam. The reel is loaded with a weight, to make a regu- 

 lar friftion,. and draw the warp with a regular tenfion. 



Draiv'ing. — The warp being regularly wound upon the 

 beam, the weaver muft pafs every yarn througli its appropriate 

 eye or loop in the heddles : this operation is called drawing. 

 Two rods are firfl inferted into the leafe formed by the pins, 

 in the warping-mill, and the ends of thefe rods are tied to- 

 gether ; the twine by which the leafe was fecured is then 

 cut away, and the warp llretched to its proper breadth. 

 The yarn-beam is fufpended by cords behind the heddles, 

 fomewhat higher, fo that the warp hangs down perpendi- 

 cularly. The weaver places himfelf in front of the lieddles, 

 and opens the eye of each heddle in fucceffion ; and it is the 

 bufinefs of another perfon, placed behind, to feleft every 

 thread in its order, and deliver, it to be drawn through the 

 open eyes of the heddles. The fucceffion in which the, 

 threads are to be delivered is eafily afcertained by the leafe- 

 rods, as every thread crofies that next to it. The warp, 

 after pafling through the heddles, is drawn through the reed 

 by an inflrument called a fley, or reed-hook, and two, 

 threads are taken through every interval in the reed. 



The leafe-rods being paffed through the intervals which 

 form tlie leafe, every thread will be found to pafs over the 

 firll rod, and under the fecond ; the next thread paffes under 

 the firll, and over the fecond, and fo on alternately. By 

 this contrivance every thread is kept diflinft from that oa 

 either fide of it, and if broken, its true fituation in the 

 warp may be eafily and quickly found. This is of fuch im- 

 portance, that too much care cannot be taken to preferve 

 the accuracy of the leafe. There is likewife a third rod, 

 which divides the warp into what is ufually cMedJp/itfu/s, 

 for two threads alternately pafs over and inider it ; and thefe 

 two threads alfo pafs through the fame interval betwixt the 

 fplits of the reed. 



Thefe operations being finifiied, the cords or mounting 

 which move the heddles are applied ; the reed is placed in 

 the lay, or batten, and the warp is knotted together into 

 fmall portions, which are tied to a fhaft, and connected by 

 cords to the cloth-beam, and the yarns are llretched ready 

 to begin the weaving. 



Manner of Weaving. — The operations of weaving are 

 fimple, and foon learned, but require much pratlice to per- 

 form them with dexterity. 



In prefling down the treadles of a loom, moft beginners 

 are apt to apply the weight or force of the foot much too 

 fuddenly. The bad confequences of this are particularly 

 felt in weaving fine or weak cotton-yarn ; for the body of the 

 warp muft fuftain a ftrefs nearly equal to the force with 

 which the weaver's foot is applied to the treadle. The art 

 of fpinning has not yet been brought to fuch perfedlion as 

 to make every thread capable of bearmg its fan- proportion 

 of this flrefs. Befides this, every individual thread is fub- 

 jefted to all the friftion occafioned by the heddles and fphts 

 of the reed, between which the threads pafs, and with 



which 



