WEB 



Mr. James Birch invented an improvement on the fvf ivel- 

 loom, fo as to weave fatin-guard or figured laces, and re- 

 ceived a reward from the Society of Arts in 1804. 



This loom is worked by a circular motion of the hands, 

 without treadles, or any application of the feet. 



A wooden bar, to which the hands are applied, works 

 two cranks on a large iron axle, extending the width of the 

 loom ; one crank is near each end of the above axis. A fly- 

 wheel is attached to one of the ends of the axis, to regulate 

 the motion of the machinery ; an endlefs fcrew is placed 

 upon the axis, works a ftar-wheel underneath it, which turns 

 a barrel that has a refemblance to that of a hand-organ, and 

 has wooden pegs fixed in different parts around it : thefe 

 pegs catch upon levers, which draw forward the cords 

 that form the figure, and pull them down by a claw, which 

 fecures the cords thus brought within its power, and by thofe 

 means raife the upper geer connefted with the cords. 



In this loom fourteen pieces of fatin-guard or bed-lace 

 are wove at the fame time, either one pattern and breadth, 

 or all of different patterns and breadths, as may be re- 

 quired. The figure may be extended to any number of 

 fhoots defired. 



The loom takes up no more fpace than a common fwivel- 

 loom, fuch as is employed in plain-work. It appears to 

 work with eafe and expedition, to make good work, and to 

 be eafily managed. It does not break or chafe the filk 

 during its working. The weaver can move to any part of 

 the front of the loom to infpeft the work, and to continue 

 the motion during that time ; and the figure or pattern may 

 be formed double the length of thofe ufually done in the 

 engine-loom. The loom can be flopped when required, at 

 any one (hoot of the fhuttle ; and it will anfwer to weave 

 articles made of filk, wool, cotton, or linen, or mixtures of 

 thofe articles, or gold or filver lace, and performs its work 

 in half the time of an engine-loom. 



The want of uniformity in the technical phrafeology of 

 the art of weaving, and the intricacy of the fubjeil, have 

 compelled us to render our defcriptions far more intricate 

 and difficult than they otherwife would have been. 



We mud acknowledge the affiftance which wo have de- 

 rived from the very excellent " Effays on the Art of 

 Weaving," by Mr. Duncan, 1808, in 2 vols. 8vo. It is a 

 TOoft curious and valuable pubhcation, embracing almoft 

 every thing neceffary to be known concerning the ai't on 

 which it profefles to treat ; if we except fome of the recent 

 improvements in machine-weaving, which are only flightly 

 noticed. 



The French have long exctUed in the various branches of 

 figure-weaving ; but this is more from dexterity of their 

 weavers than from their machinery. Defcriptions and 

 drawings of all looms ufed by them, with every detail of 

 their llrufture, will be found in the different articles of 

 L'Encyclopede Methodique, and Les Arts et Metiers, 

 D'Art de Fabriquer le Soie, 5;c. 



Weaving of Cloth, Cotton, and Silk. See Weaving 

 fupra. 



Weaving of Tapejlry, &c. See Tapestrv, &c. 

 Weaving, Stocking. See Stockings. 

 WEAUME, in Geography, a river of France, which 

 runs into the fca, near Marfeilles. 



WEAUS, or Weeas, Indians dwelling near the head of 

 the river AVabafh. 



WEAUTENANS, Indians of North America, about 

 N. lat. 40° 20'. AV. long. 87^ 20'. 



WED, a fort of plexus, or texture, formed of threads 

 interwoven with each other ; fome of which are extended in 



WEB 



length, and called the warp, and others drawn acrofs them, 

 called the woof or weft. See WEAViNGyi//ira. 



Web is alfo a technical term for all weavers and 

 bleachers, both in Great Britain and Ireland, for a piece of 

 linen cloth. 



Web, Spider's, or Coh-Wel, is a very delicate and won- 

 derful plexus, which that infedl fpins out of its own bowels ; 

 ferving it as a fort of toil, or net, to catch flies, &c. See 

 Spider. 



For the manner in which the fpidcr fpins his web, the ad- 

 mirable mechanifm of the parts fubfervient to it, and the 

 ufesof it, fee Silk, and Du^ility of Spider-WEB& infra. 



Dr. Lifter tells us, that, attending nearly to a fpidcr 

 weaving a net, he obferved it fuddenly to defift in the mid- 

 work ; and turning its tail to the wind, it darted out a 

 thread, with the violence and ftream we fee water fpout out 

 of a jet : this thread, taken up by the wind, was imme- 

 diately carried to fome fathoms long ; ftill iffuing out 

 qf the belly of the animal. By-and-bye the fpider leaped 

 into the air, and the thread mounted her up fwiftly. After 

 this difcovery he made the like obfervation in near thirty dif- 

 ferent forts of fpiders, and found the air filled with young 

 and old, failing on their threads, and doubtlefs feizing 

 gnats and other infefts in their paffage : there being often 

 manifeft figns of flaughter, legs and wings of flies, &c. on 

 thefe threads, as well as in their webs below. 



Dr. Hulfe difcovered the fame thing about the fame time. 

 In a letter of Dr. Lifter to Mr. Ray, he thinks there is a 

 fair hint of the darting of fpiders in Ariftotle, Hift. An. 

 hb. ix. cap. 39. and in Pliny, lib. x. cap. 74. But with re- 

 gard to their faihng, the ancients are filent, and he thinks it 

 was firft feen by him. In another letter to Mr. Ray, dated 

 January, 1670, fpeaking of the height fpiders are able 

 to fly to, he fays, " Laft Oftober, &c. I took notice 

 that the air was very full of webs ; I forthwith moimted to 

 the top of the higheft fteeple on the minfter (in York), 

 and could there difcern them yet exceeding high above 

 me." 



Duaility of Spider-W EHfi. M. Reaumur ofcferves, that 

 the matter of which fpid°rs and filk-worms form their 

 threads, is brittle when in the mafs, like dry gums. As it 

 is drawn out of their bodies, it affumes a confiftence, much 

 as glafs-threads become hard, as they recede from the lamp, 

 though from a different caufc. The duftility of this matter, 

 and the apparatus for this purpofe, being much more extra- 

 ordinary in fpiders than in filk-worms, we fhall here only 

 confider the former. Something alfo has already been faid 

 of each under Silk. 



Near the anus of the fpider are five or fix papillae, or 

 teats. The extremities of the feveral papiilas are furnifhed 

 with holes, that do the bufinefs of wire-drawers, in forming 

 the threads. Of thefe holes, M. Reaumur obfervcs, there 

 are enough in compafsof the fmalleft pin's-head, to yield a 

 prodigious quantity of diftinft thread^. The holes are 

 perceived by their effcfts: take a large garden-fpider 

 ready to lay its eggs, and applying the fingtr on a 

 part of its papilla:, as you withdraw that finger, it 

 will take with it an amazing number of different threads. 

 M. Reaumur has often counted fevcnty or eighty with a mi- 

 crofcope, but has perceived that there were infinitely more 

 than he could tell. In effeft, if he could fay, tliat each tip 

 of a papilla furnifhed a thoufand, he is perfuaded he fiiould 

 fay much too little. The part is divided into an infinity of 

 little prominences, like the eyes of a butterfly, ice. each 

 prominence, no doubt, makes its feveral threads ; or rather, 

 between the feveral protuberances, there are holes that give 

 vent to threads ; the ufe of the protuberances, in all proba- 

 bility. 



