In weaving heavy close fabrics, it is beet to saturate the weft yarns in soft water, and then place thenu in a hydro-extractor for a short time, so that the superfluous water may be taken out. This wilt greatly facilitate the weaving.
Knotting, Scouring, and Burling.—When the weaving is completed, the piece of cloth is taken out of the loom, and should, if it has been wet-woven, be well dried, properly lettered, and numbered, in order to preserve its identity through subsequent operations. Then it should be carefully examined, by being drawn slowly over a sloping board or table, in front of a northern light or aspect, and all knots and defects of weaving be removed or otherwise repaired.
The cloth should now be well scoured and washed, so as to cleanse it thoroughly from oil, " size," and other extraneous matter. A new washing-machine has recently been introduced, and is shown in Fig. 1457. The cloth is next to be thoroughly dried and slightly brushed, after which it ought to be again pulled ever a sloping table, and have all the broken burrs, kernps or hairs, shives, motes, and other impurities removed. This process is called " hurling." There are several plans of drying both yarns and cloth, of which the wringing-machine may he mentioned as applying to yarn, and the squeezing-machine (Fig. 1458), alnaost sinailar to the fulling-mill, for woven fabrics ; but both these machines are objectionable, and have to a great extent been superseded by hydro-extractors, as shown in Fig. 357, p. 496.
Milling or Full mg.—After leaving the hurler, the cloth is ready for the fulling process. The first step is to sprinkle it with boiled or liquid soap, after which it is folded up by the lists or edges into a pile, and placed in the hollow receptacle of the fulling stocks. Here it is milled or hamrnered for two or three days, or until the fibres of wool become so interlinked in each other as to hide the warp and weft threads. During this process, the cloth is taken out of the mill five or six times, in order to have more liquid soap applied, se as to facilitate the milling process in every direction. This is the methc.d of procedure when the ordinary fulling-stocks are used.
Of late years, however, an improvement has been introduced in the shape of the fulling-mill. This is to serve the same purpose, and is regarded as superior in many respects and for many pur poses. Fig. 1459 is an illustration of this machine in its most improved form. The construc tion is quite simple, being composed of a shaft carrying a flanged roller a in the centre of its length, driving-pulleys b at one extrenaity, and gearing c at the other, from which a second shaft d placed over the first receives its motive power. This secood shaft has also a roller e, which differs
from the first in having no flanges, being arranged to work between those of the first-named. A slotted guide-board f, a carrier-roller g, and s. contracting-tube h complete the mechanism, the whole, except the gearing and pulleys, being enclosed. The fulling-mill shown in Fig. 1459 differs from these commonly in use, in being larger in most of its details, having the rollers of greater diameter and the flanges deeper. The guide-board can be made with a slot or two more, and is also fittcd with an improved stop motion, consisting of friction-plates that both start and stop the machine in less time than ordinary. The latter is of considerable impoitance, ftS, by its prompt action, damage to the fabrics in process of milling is often prevented when entanglement takes pia ce.
The process of fulling with these mills is to soap the cloths as before, plac.e the pieces in the mill, passing tho onda through the grooves of the guide-board, over the carrier-miler. through the tube, and between the groove of the flanged roller, in which it is subjected to compression by the action of the top roller pressing upon it. Thia is continuously repeated until the cloth has been sufficiently shrunk or fulled, when it is re placed by another lot. Tested in work along side the older form of the fulling mill, it lie.s been found to do much more work, and of a better quality, tho same cloth selling for fully 3d. a yd. rnore than when finished in the old machine.
Whichever instrumenta are used, the cloth should ho milled according to the breadth required. Narrow cloths are milled down to 28 or 27 in. in width, whilat broad widths arc reduced from 70 in. to below GO in., varying anywhere down to 50 in. according to re quirement. Tluere are a larg,e variety of fancy woollens that are only subjected to compara tively littlo milling, or about 10 hours, one fifth or one-sixth part of this time being occupied in examination of and soaping the cloth. That constitutes " half-milling." Single-millcd cloth requires subjecting to the treatment for 12-20 houra; 24-40 hours ; and treble-milled, hours; all inclusive of the time required for examina tion and further supplies of the milling liquid or snap.