Samuel Brown

“ The finishing of elastic fabrics is a process which demands great care, and has to be taken into calculation from the beginning of the web construction. Calculations must always be made as to what effect heat, moisture and sizing will have upon the covered up elastic threads, confined as they are in a multiple of small cavities and under high tension. As soon as the softening influence of heat and steam operate upon the covering of cotton yarn which confines these threads, the rubber strands begin to assert themselves and contraction at once takes place. ”

“ The printing of designs on elastic web is a form of embellishment which opens up large possibilities for variety of effect, and adds much to the selling quality of many webs at slight additional cost. ”

“ The element of a right balance between the back and face has to be considered, and if care be not taken in the proper adjustment of the stock the result may be that one side of the goods will assert control over the other in such a manner as to prevent it lying flat and even. When such a web is cut it will curl up so as to be almost uncontrollable. Such a condition may arise from a variety of causes. If the weaves of the face and back cloths are identical then it will be necessary to have the face and back warps of the same size yarn or its equivalent. ”

“ Therefore, as the web draws away from the edge wire in the process of weaving, the tendency is for one selvage rubber cavity to be small, while the other is large, which means that at the open side there is a freedom for contraction of the edge rubber which is not present at the other side, and a long-sided uneven web is the result. ”

“ In taping the warps on the beams, it is customary in some mills to run the threads over a small steel flanged pulley about one and one-half inches wide, which will keep each thread in its proper position and make the tape absolutely straight and flat as it leads to the beam. A perfect fabric is largely dependent upon how well the warps have been made, but it must not be forgotten that a good warp may be spoiled by a poor beam. ”

“ One operator can care for many machines, as they stop automatically when a thread breaks. Each machine may consist of a variable number of spool carriers, according to the character of the work they are engaged on. Carriers are made to travel around [65] cam-like grooves formed in the bed of the machine, being operated by a chain of gears which propel them around a predetermined course. Gears and slots are so arranged that the carriers are made to cross and recross each other in their passage, so that the various threads of yarn carried are plaited around the strands of rubber. ”

“ Knitting machine builders are remarkable for the new inventions and adaptations they are constantly bringing out on their machines. Several important concerns in this line have recently been active in producing types to deal with the large trade now being done in narrow fabrics for various purposes.
The ordinary circular knitting machine of small diameter has long been recognized as a suitable means of making trials of new yarns to judge how closely they match the original sample, because in knitting there is not the necessity of elaborate warp preparation and loom mounting. ”

“ The Crompton & Knowles Loom Works have designed a shuttle motion which effectively governs the desired speeds in the travel of the shuttles while they are entering, passing through, and leaving the shed, by a dwelling movement operated by a series of gear wheels and oscillating slotted rocker. It is absolutely positive in action and does away with the uncontrollable and erratic movement so often met with in the cam drive. ”

“ In braiding, the threads move both across and lengthwise of the fabric, taking the place of both warp and filling, therefore increased contraction, no matter whether it is produced from the use of heavier rubber, or changed material or take-up, results in greater width, inasmuch as the lengthwise position of the threads is brought into a new position which is more of a crosswise formation. ”

“ But in elastic goods, where the contraction takes place after they leave the press rolls, every irregularity is revealed and intensified so there is no room to take chances. The only safe way is to employ picking gears making one tooth to each pick of the loom, and then to change the gears when different picking becomes necessary.
In many of the existing looms there has been no adequate provision made for the weaver to let the web back to the reed mechanically when a joining becomes necessary through the breaking of the filling while weaving, or where a quill may have run off unnoticed. ”

“ In the overshot the body shuttle runs all the time, while the figure or silk shuttle only runs with every alternate pick. The main body of the goods is woven in every respect the same as in a single shuttle web, and it may embrace all the weaves, such as plains, twills or fancies, which are common to single shuttle weaving. Arrangements are made, however, for the production of an auxiliary shed, by a movement which pulls certain threads above the main shed, and while these are open to pass the extra shuttle under them, and thus bind in the figure filling. ”

“ The high tension at which it is necessary to work the rubber warp, together with the light weight required on the cotton warp and the crowding together of the picking, creates a tendency for the goods to rebound at the front reed, accompanied by a backward and forward sliding movement when passing over the rod at the breast beam. This movement is liable to polish the goods, which is an objectionable feature. To counteract this it is advisable to let the web pass over a small, felt-covered wood tube, which revolves and responds to the movement of the bounding web. ”

“ The yarn piles up just enough next to the plain edge weave to set off the weaves in contrast to each other. It will be noted that on either side of the silk figure there are two cords with the binder thread left out between each, which further sharpens up the contrast. The fancy effect is produced by the use of a heavy cabled cord, the two outside threads being of reverse twist, so that when they pearl up on contraction of the web, one turns to the right and the other turns to the left, making an effective border. ”

“ The smooth filling floating over two cords gives the web a smooth feel, there being no rib effect noticeable whatever, making it well adapted for a fine trade. The warp lines are almost entirely hidden by the filling, so that it is not practicable to introduce any sharp stripe fancy effects, which can be done both in the plain web and the cable. The honeycomb is thus confined to plain solid colors or such elaboration as can be obtained from the filling.
Fancy effects are often secured by dyeing skein yarn in two or more colors. ”

“ The braiding of elastic fabrics is a simple process when compared with weaving. It does not lend itself to any great variety of fancy effects, but a great variety of elastic goods are braided, which serve many purposes. ”

“ Another important consideration is to make proper provision for a reliable take-up motion, so that the goods may be taken away from the reed while weaving without any liability to variableness. This liability was present in many of the earlier looms and exists in some of the mills [11] today. The old-time fine ratchet gear, even when provided with a number of pawls, is always liable to erratic picking, which alone will ruin an otherwise perfect piece of goods and materially change the cost of manufacturing. ”

“ Not only is it economical in the respect of greater yardage, but the method employed in binding the figure limits the use of silk to the actual figure displayed, and does not carry the silk, which is the most expensive material in the fabric, to the extreme selvage at every pick, as is the case where the rise and fall method is employed. ”

“ Should an exceptionally fine frill be desired, the same two harnesses are used for the frill at either side, and the filling is bound or woven in at each passage of the shuttle. Wherever this method is employed, however, it becomes necessary to use a much finer yarn for the frill warp, or a fewer number of threads spread over the front reed in the frill. If such precautions are not taken the frill will be harsh and stiff and will not fold uniformly as the center contracts. It may even retard the desired contraction of the body. ”

“ To operate at this speed with so many pieces of web and make satisfactory goods, free from thick and thin places through irregularities of speed or variable momentum in running, a very heavy type of loom is necessary. They should be erected on solid foundations so as to eliminate all possible vibration. A solid concrete floor into which timbers have been properly set so that the feet of the looms may be securely anchored into them is the ideal way, but where this is not practicable at least heavy foundation timbers for anchoring the loom feet to should be arranged. ”

“ Furthermore the long unbroken runs of thread obtainable by quilling avoid the many knots which are present when using skein yarn. Knots are unsightly and objectionable when appearing on the face of the goods.
Chafed and broken edge rubber threads, however, are not always the result of the conditions named, by any means, but may be caused by a variety of other things. Not infrequently the edge wire may be weaving too long in the web so as not to draw out freely. Sometimes it may be a bent wire that causes the trouble, or it may be the rubber rolling around the wire. ”