The operations involved in the preparation of warps for most fabrics are comprised under not less than five chief divisions, namely--
1. Winding yarn from any of its earlier stages on to warpers’ bobbins.
4. Beaming, or winding yarn on to a weaver’s beam.
5. Looming, _i.e._ either drawing-in or twisting-in.
Each of these operations may be performed by a variety of machines of distinctly different types that have been specially devised to meet specific requirements, and which are, therefore, better adapted than others for their special purpose. Before introducing the reader to the details of the various types of machines in each division, it will be better to briefly enumerate the different systems of preparation usually adopted in the manufacture of the three classes of goods named above.
Grey warps are prepared by one or other of two systems, namely, (1) Beam warping, for slasher or tape sizing; and, (2) ball or mill warping, for ball or warp sizing; but by far the greater number are prepared by the first-named system.
This system comprises the following operations, namely--
1. Winding yarn from cops, ring, or throstle bobbins on to warpers’ bobbins, by means of a “spindle” or “cop” winding machine.
2. Beam warping, whereby yarn is transferred, in the form of a wide sheet, from warpers’ bobbins on to a large flanged beam.
3. Slasher or tape sizing, whereby yarn is withdrawn from several beams, termed “back” or “slashers’” beams, to be sized, and subsequently re-wound by the same machine on to a weaver’s beam by simultaneous operations.
4. Looming, by which the threads of a new warp are placed in a loom ready for weaving.
This system comprises the following operations, namely--
1. Winding yarn from cops or ring bobbins on to warpers’ bobbins.
2. Ball warping, in which a number of threads are withdrawn from warpers’ bobbins and condensed into the form of a rope of untwisted strands. This operation may be accomplished by several types of machines. The one usually employed is the old-fashioned warping mill, which coils warp-ends on to a large revolving reel or swift, from which they are subsequently withdrawn and formed into a large ball. Ball warps are also sometimes formed direct from warpers’ bobbins; also sometimes from sections formed by a sectional warper; and sometimes by means of a linking or chaining machine.