- Site Map: Glencoe > Library > Cotton Textile Industry Glossary of Terms
COTTON TEXTILE INDUSTRY GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Source: Job Descriptions for the Cotton Textile Industry, June 1939, United States Government Printing Office, Washington
ALLEY: The area between the BREAKER CARDING and FINISHER CARDING MACHINES in which the ALLEY TENDER works.
AUTOMATIC FEEDER: A machine that feeds a steady supply of raw, uncleaned cotton to the CARDING MACHINE.
BACK: The underside of the cloth as woven in the LOOM.
BACK BEAM: See BREAST BEAM.
BACK FRAME: The side of a FLY FRAME on which the BOBBINS, from which ROVING is drawn into the machine, are held.
BACK REST: See BREAST BEAM.
BACK WINDING: See REWINDING.
BALE: A package of compressed raw cotton, weighing, for American cotton, about 500 lbs.; for Egyptian, 700 lbs.; Brazilian, 250 lbs.; and East Indian, 400 lbs.
BALING PRESS: A machine for compressing bolts of cloth or waste into compact bales for shipment.
BALL: See WARP BALL.
BALL WARPING: The winding of a large number of individual strands of YARN of a specified length onto a BEAM in the form of a loose untwisted rope; employed chiefly when YARN is to be dyed.
BAND: The cotton belt that drives the SPINDLE of textile machinery.
BATTEN: See BEAT UP.
BATTERY: A magazine on the LOOM that holds the full QUILLS, COPS, or BOBBINS of FILLING YARN, and from which they are inserted into the SHUTTLE by an automatic changing device.
BEAM: (I) A large spool or roll, about three feet in diameter, on which WARP or cloth is wound. (II) To wind yarn from a dyed BALL WARP onto a SECTION BEAM.
BEAM WARPING: The transferring of YARN from BOBBINS or CHEESES onto a WARP or SECTION BEAM in the form of a wide sheet. Several of these BEAMS are run through the SLASHING MACHINE to make one LOOM BEAM.
BEAMING MACHINE: A machine which winds the individual YARN ends from a rope-like bundle and distributes them evenly over a SECTION BEAM.
BEAT UP: To align strands of FILLING YARN and push them up close together as they are woven. The REED accomplishes this by advancing and receding from the cloth after each passage of the SHUTTLE, driving each PICK against the FELL of cloth already woven.
BLEND: To mix different kinds or grades of cotton FIBERS to produce YARN possessing characteristics that could not be obtained from any one of the cottons if used alone.
BLENDING MACHINE: A group of devices that are synchronized to proportion definite amounts of various grades of cotton which are to be blended together.
BOBBIN: A small, wooden or metal core on which YARN is wound.
BOBBIN CLEANER: A machine that removes any remaining YARN or ROVING from BOBBINS (QUILLS) after they have been used in the LOOMS, SPINNING MACHINES, or WINDERS.
BOLT OF CLOTH: A rolled or folded length of cloth.
BOXTRUCK: A box mounted on wheels and used for hauling such articles as BOBBINS and SPOOLS from one department of a mill to another.
BREAKER LAP: A roll of loosely matted cotton FIBERS formed on the BREAKER PICKER from tufts of opened cotton.
BREAKER PICKER: The first of the two units of older style PICKER MACHINES. In this unit the raw cotton is partially cleaned by beating and fluffing and then fed into a FINISHER PICKER.
BREAKING AND OPENING MACHINE: A line of machines, working as a unit, that tear apart and partially clean matted, compressed, baled cotton.
BREAST BEAM: The bar, at front of the LOOM, that guides the woven cloth onto the CLOTH ROLL.
BROKEN END: A thread or strand of cotton which has broken in a textile machine.
BROKEN PICK: See MISPICK.
CABIN: A shelved compartment in which the FILLING YARN of various sizes, colors, and quality is stored until requisitioned.
CALENDER ROLLS: A unit on the SLIVER LAPPER, RIBBON LAPPER, and COMBING MACHINE which presses the RIBBON LAP or SLIVER, as it comes from the DRAWING ROLLERS, into a loosely matted layer.
CAN: A large cylindrical container for receiving and holding lengths of SLIVER delivered from the front of a CARDING MACHINE, DRAWING FRAME, or COMBING MACHINE.
CARD: A unit of a PATTERN CHAIN used on a JACQUARD LOOM. It is a cardboard strip with holes (similar to those in a player piano roll punched in it) which serve to control the action of the weaving mechanism. It is joined, by lacing, to other cardboard strips to make a PATTERN CHAIN.
CARD CLOTHING: Special cloth or rubber, studded with wire teeth, which serve to open up the cotton FIBERS, clean them of impurities, and align them in parallel order. The material is affixed to the various working parts of the CARDING MACHINES.
CARD CUTTING: The act of punching holes in JACQUARD CARDS according to a pattern or DESIGN DRAFT, so that when they are set up in the LOOM, they will control the weaving mechanism and the pattern will be woven into the cloth.
CARD CYLINDER: (I) That part of a JACQUARD LOOM which holds the PATTERN CARDS in position while plungers which control the WEAVING of patterns, pass through the holes in CARDS. (II) See CARDING DRUM.
CARD GRINDING: The periodic sharpening of the wire bristles of the CARDING MACHINE with an abrasive cylinder.
CARD LACING MACHINE: See JACQUARD-CARD LACER.
CARD PUNCHING MACHINE: A machine which perforates the CARDS that are used in JACQUARD LOOMS to control the weaving of designs and patterns in the cloth.
CARD SLIVER: A thick, untwisted rope of cotton FIBERS, uniform in thickness and relatively free from NEPS, which represents the finished product of the CARDING MACHINE.
CARD STRIPPING: The act of removing adhering cotton FIBERS from the wire teeth of the CARDING MACHINE with a small tooth-clad roller.
CARDING: The process of separating and cleaning cotton FIBERS to prepare them for SPINNING.
CARDING DRUM: The large rapidly revolving cylinder of the CARDING MACHINE, covered with several million wire teeth, that picks up (pulls out) the cotton FIBERS and, working in conjunction with other rollers, combs the FIBERS parallel and removes small particles of dirt and knotted FIBERS.
CARDING MACHINE: A machine which completes the cleaning of the cotton, arranges the FIBERS so they are mostly parallel, and transforms the cotton from LAP into SLIVER.
CASTING OUT: The act of rigging some of the pattern controlling hooks of a JACQUARD LOOM so that they will not act, when the pattern to be woven does not require the action of all the hooks.
CHEESE: A roll of YARN built up on a paper or wooden TUBE in a form that resembles a bulk cheese.
CLOSED SHED: That SHED in which some of the WARP YARNS are crossed over others. The distinction between CLOSED SHED and OPEN SHED arises only in WEAVING cross-thread tissues, such as gauze weave and leno weave. See OPEN SHED.
CLOTH ROLL: See BEAM.
COILING HEAD: A device at the front of CARDING MACHINES, DRAWING FRAMES, and COMBING MACHINES that deposits the SLIVER in even coiled layers in tall cylindrical CANS.
COMB (WARPER or SLASHER): A series of upright metal pegs which separate the individual WARP strands and guide them onto a BEAM in proper order.
COMBER SLIVER: The loose, untwisted strand of cotton FIBERS produced by the COMBING MACHINES from RIBBON LAP.
COMBING: The process of extracting FIBERS below a predetermined length from cotton SLIVER and straightening the remaining FIBERS to make them parallel.
COMBING MACHINE: A machine which prepares RIBBON LAP for spinning into fine YARN by removing short FIBERS, dirt, and NEPS and straightening the remaining FIBERS into parallel alignment.
CONDENSING: The operation of dividing the wide sheet of cotton FIBERS coming from the DOFFING CYLINDER of the CARDING MACHINE into a number of narrow ribbon-like strands which, when acted upon by the leather belts and rollers of a CONDENSER, are formed into loose heavy strands (called ROVING) ready for SPINNING.
CONDITIONING: The act of exposing BOBBINS of FILLING YARN to steam or to a spray of conditioning solution in order to set the twist, to remove kinks from the YARN, and to prevent its kinking in subsequent processes.
CONE: (I) A tapered cylinder of wood, metal, or cardboard around which YARN is wound. (II) A PACKAGE of YARN wound into a convenient shape.
COP: A self-supporting PACKAGE of YARN which does not have a core through its center.
COP WINDING MACHINE: A machine which winds YARN into small, headless, coreless, cigar-shaped PACKAGES (COPS).
COTTON YARN MEASURES: 54 inches = 1 thread (circumference of warp reel); 80 thread = 1 lea = 120 yds.; 7 leas = 1 HANK = 840 yards; 1 bundle = 10 pounds (usually).
COUNT: (I) The number of PICKS and WARP ENDS per inch in cloth. (II) A number assigned to YARN to describe its fineness. The number is based upon number of hanks per pound of YARN.
CREEL: (I) The rack for holding PACKAGES of ROVING or YARN on any textile machine. (II) The task of mounting PACKAGES of ROVING or YARN on the rack (CREEL) of any textile machine.
CUT: A length of WARP required to weave a piece of cloth. Also refers to the length of a piece of woven cloth.
DENT: The space between two wires in a COMB or REED through which a WARP strand passes.
DESIGN DRAFT: A diagram showing the pattern that is to be woven into a cloth and also the basic weave (plain, twill, or satin) of the cloth to be produced.
DESIGN PAPER: Cross-section paper on which DESIGN DRAFTS are made.
DOFF: To remove a filled PACKAGE or BEAM from a textile machine. Frequently the operation includes replacing the full PACKAGE or BEAM with an empty one.
DOFFING COMB: An oscillating, notched steel bar, set adjacent to the DOFFING CYLINDER of a CARDING MACHINE, which strips the cotton from the DOFFING CYLINDER in a light film or sheet.
DOFFING CYLINDER: A wire-tooth-covered drum on a CARDING MACHINE that strips the cotton in a light film from the CARDING DRUM and which is stripped in turn by the DOFFING COMB.
DOUBLING: (I) The process of combining two or more strands of ROVING or SLIVER and drawing out the resulting strand. The purpose of this operation is to increase the uniformity of the cotton strand and, ultimately of the YARN made from it. (II) The act of winding two or more strands of YARN onto one PACKAGE without twisting them.
DOUBLING MACHINE: A machine which folds cloth to half or quarter of its original width.
DOUP: A special kind of HEDDLE, used in conjunction with ordinary HEDDLES on the HARNESSES of a LOOM to cross and uncross WARP filaments (in both a horizontal and vertical plane) when WEAVING cross-thread tissues, such as gauze weave or leno weave.
DRAFT: (I) See DESIGN DRAFT. (II) To DRAW OUT (attenuate or stretch) a strand of cotton, usually by running the strand between several pairs of rollers, each pair turning faster than the pair before it.
DRAW OUT: See DRAFT.
DRAW SLIVER: The loose, untwisted strand of cotton FIBERS which is the product of the DRAWING FRAMES.
DRAWING FRAME: A machine in which several strands of SLIVER are combined into one strand and drawn out so that the combined strands approximate the weight and size of any one of the original strands.
DRAWING IN: The process of threading the WARP filaments from a BEAM through the HEDDLES and REED of a LOOM in the order indicated on a DESIGN DRAFT.
DRAWING-IN FRAME: A frame for holding a BEAM of WARP strands, HARNESSES, and REEDS so that the strands may be drawn easily through the HARNESSES and REEDS in a specified order.
DRAWING-IN HOOK: A tool similar to a crochet hook, used to draw the individual WARP filaments through the HEDDLES and REED of a LOOM.
DRAWING ROLL CLEANER: A pad of felt or similar material, attached to the underside of the cleaner box cover, which serves to wipe away the dust and lint that collects on the DRAWING ROLLERS as they draw out the ROVING or SLIVER.
DRAWING ROLLERS: Two or more pairs of rollers, each pair of which rotates at a higher speed than the preceding pair, serving to DRAW OUT or attenuate the ROVING or SLIVER passing between them.
DRESSING: See WARPING.
DROP WIRE: A flat piece of metal, with a hole in it, through which WARP filament is passed. It drops and stops the machine when the filament threaded through it breaks.
END: A single strand or filament of ROVING, SLIVER, or YARN.
ENDS DOWN: (I) A condition in which one or more ENDS have broken in a textile machine. (II) A defect in cloth that occurs when WEAVING is continued after ENDS have broken, without first mending them.
EYELET PLATE: A cross bar attached to the end of a CREEL immediately in front of each row of SPINDLES. It is perforated with the same number of holes as there are SPINDLES in the row and serves to guide the individual ENDS from the PACKAGES on the SPINDLES to the WARPING MACHINE.
FEEDER (MECHANICAL): See AUTOMATIC FEEDER.
FELL: The last PICKS that have been woven in the cloth by the SHUTTLE.
FIBERS: The hair-like filaments of any textile substance, such as the fibers of cotton or the individual hairs of wool.
FILLING BOBBIN: A tapered core on which FILLING YARN is wound for use in the SHUTTLE.
FILLING YARN: Also called WOOF and WELT. It is the YARN which is interlaced through the WARP to produce cloth.
FINISHER CARDING MACHINE: See CARDING MACHINE.
FINISHER PICKER: The second of the two units of older style PICKER MACHINES. This unit receives partially cleaned cotton in the form of LAP from a BREAKER PICKER and completes the cleaning and fluffing process.
FLAT: A flat piece of material covered with a special type of CARD CLOTHING, held in a horizontal position on the "flat top" type of CARDING MACHINE. Working in conjunction with a CARDING DRUM, it aids in opening the cotton FIBERS.
FLY FRAME: One of several machines that progressively combine two strands of partially processed ROVING into one, DRAW OUT the combined strands until they are of prescribed weight, and twist them loosely in order to give them sufficient strength to withstand subsequent operations.
FLYER: A hollow, U-shaped rotor, mounted open-side-down on top of a SPINDLE of a FLY FRAME. It is rotated independently of the SPINDLE and serves to twist the ROVING and wind it on BOBBINS which are held on the SPINDLES.
FOLDING MACHINE: A machine which folds cloth into yard length folds for baling.
FORMING TRUMPET: (I) A short, flared, metal tube at the front of a CARDING MACHINE. The film of cotton FIBERS from the machine is passed through the tube which forms them into a SLIVER. (II) A similar device at the front of a WARPING MACHINE. It is used for gathering a number of strands of YARN into a loose, untwisted rope when BALL WARPING.
GIN: A machine used to remove seeds and to clean dirt from cotton as it comes from the field.
GRINDING: See CARD GRINDING.
GRINDING ROLL: A device used to sharpen the wire teeth on the cylinders and flats of carding machines.
HANK: A measure of YARN varying for different materials; the cotton HANK is 840 yards.
HARNESS: An assemblage of HEDDLES mounted on a HARNESS FRAME that moves them all together. A separate HARNESS is used for each group of WARP ENDS that must be moved independently to weave a desired pattern.
HARNESS FRAME: A wooden or metal frame upon which is suspended a series of cords or wires called HEDDLES, each of which has a small eye through which a WARP END is passed according to a predetermined design. Each HARNESS FRAME is fastened to a mechanism that raises and lowers it in proper sequence to form the SHEDS through which the SHUTTLE carries the FILLING YARN to produce cloth of a specified pattern.
HEDDLE: A fiber or metal strand, pierced with a hole (eye), through which the WARP END it controls is threaded.
HOOP CUTTER: A hand tool, resembling a large pair of pliers, which is used to cut the metal ties of cotton bales.
HOPPER: See AUTOMATIC FEEDER.
HUMIDIFIER: A device that vaporizes water and sprays it into the atmosphere in order to increase the amount of moisture in the air.
INSPECTING MACHINE: A machine which draws cloth over a wide surface for inspection purposes and which partially cleans the cloth by brushing.
INSPECTING TABLE: An inclined table over which cloth to be inspected is drawn by hand.
JACQUARD CARD: See CARD.
JACQUARD-CARD LACER: A machine which laces together in a PATTERN CHAIN the perforated CARDS that control the operation of a JACQUARD LOOM in weaving designs and patterns in cloth.
KNOTTER: An automatic device for tying knots in YARN at various stages of manufacture.
LACING: The operation of uniting a series of JACQUARD CARDS to form the PATTERN CHAIN that controls the WEAVING of a JACQUARD LOOM.
LACING MACHINE: See JACQUARD-CARD LACER.
LAP: A general term used to designate wide sheets of loosely matted cotton, formed on such textile machines as the BREAKER PICKER, FINISHER PICKER, RIBBON LAPPER, and SLIVER LAPPER.
LAP STICK: A small metal rod, around which the wide sheet of cotton LAP is wound as it emerges from a textile machine.
LEADER CLOTH: A strip of cloth left threaded through a textile machine to facilitate the starting of a new length through the machine.
LEADER STRINGS (or THREADS): Strands of YARN that are left threaded through the various parts of a textile machine and to which new strands of YARN to be processed are attached, thus eliminating the necessity for threading the strands through the machine each time a different lot of YARN is to be processed.
LEASE: The arrangement of strands adopted to keep all WARP THREADS in the same relative position after WARPING until WEAVING is completed.
LEASE ROD: A metal or wooden rod, which is inserted in the LEASE to prevent the WARP YARN from becoming tangled and to facilitate thread selection during DRESSING and TWISTING IN.
LETTING OFF: The turning of the LOOM BEAM to unwind the WARP as WEAVING progresses.
LICKER-IN: A roller, covered with coarse wire teeth, that is located in the CARDING MACHINE in such a position as to gradually draw in the cotton from the feed rollers, partially open it, and pass it forward to the CARDING DRUM.
LINGO: That part of the shedding mechanism sometimes called the weight. It is used for depressing one strand of WARP in a JACQUARD LOOM.
LIVE SPINDLE: A power-driven shaft that supports and rotates a BOBBIN on which twisted YARN is wound.
LOOM: A machine for weaving WARP and FILLING YARNS to produce cloth.
LOOM BEAM: A large spool on which WARP, that has been arranged and SLASHED for use in the LOOM, is wound.
MAGAZINE: A device which holds full BOBBINS of FILLING YARN and automatically inserts them, singly, into a SHUTTLE to replace depleted BOBBINS.
METAL PEGS: Small metal pins, about an inch long, which are arranged in the PATTERN CHAIN of a DOBBY LOOM to control the weaving of cloth designs.
MISPICK: An imperfection in the weave caused by a length of FILLING YARN not being interlaced in its correct place across the WARP.
MIX: See BLEND.
MULE SPINNER: A somewhat outmoded machine which spins many strands of loosely twisted ROVING into many strands of YARN.
NEPS: Short immature FIBERS, or portions of mature FIBERS which are tangled and broken.
OPEN SHED: The SHED in which the WARP YARNS are uncrossed and parallel. The distinction between OPEN SHED and CLOSED SHED only arises in WEAVING cross-thread tissues, such as gauze weave or leno weave. See CLOSED SHED.
OPEN PICKER: See BREAKING AND OPENING MACHINE.
PACKAGE: A general term for any wound arrangement of YARN, such as a CHEESE or CONE.
PATTERN CARD: See CARD.
PATTERN CHAIN: (I) (DOBBY LOOM) An arrangement of wooden crossbars and metal pegs which is used to control the WEAVING of cloth designs and patterns. (II) (JACQUARD LOOM) The sequence of laced-together perforated CARDS which are used to control the WEAVING of cloth designs and patterns.
PICK: A single strand of WEFT or FILLING YARN carried across and interlaced through the strands of WARP YARN.
PICK CLOCK: The automatic counting device attached to a LOOM that registers the number of FILLING YARNS woven into a piece of cloth.
PICK FINDING: The process of turning back the LOOM and unweaving the cloth to find a MISPICK which is to be rectified.
PICKER MACHINE: A machine which cleans, separates, and fluffs raw cotton, forms the cotton into a uniform layer, and winds it into a roll about a core.
PICKOUT: See MISPICK.
PIECING UP: The operation of tying together broken strands of YARN, SLIVER or ROVING.
PLAIN CLOTH: Cloth in which the strands of WARP and FILLING YARN are interlaced alternately with one another, as in darning.
PORTABLE FRAME: A rack for holding a full WARP BEAM while strands of WARP YARN are being secured to old WARP in a LOOM.
QUILL: A small BOBBIN or SPOOL, usually made of paper, around which FILLING YARN is wound.
RAILWAY SEWING MACHINE: A power sewing machine which is specially devised to sew the ends of cloth lengths together.
REED: A toothed, comb-like part of a LOOM. Its function is to hold the strands of longitudinal yarn (WARP) in alignment between its teeth and also to push each transverse thread (PICK) tight against the rest as the cloth is woven.
REED HOOK: A flat metal tool, similar to a crochet hook, used for drawing the individual strands of YARN through the DENTS in the REED.
REELING: Winding YARN from BOBBINS, onto a revolving reel in the form of a SKEIN or HANK in which it is best arranged for dyeing.
REPEATING MACHINE: A machine which automatically duplicates the perforations of a sample JACQUARD LOOM PATTERN CHAIN in blank CARDS.
RESPIRATOR: A device for covering the mouth and nose, worn by the CARD STRIPPER to prevent the inhalation of dust and lint.
REWINDING: The act of winding YARN from one PACKAGE to another.
RIBBON LAP: The roll of closely matted cotton FIBERS, about 10 inches wide, formed on the RIBBON LAPPER from several SLIVER LAPS.
RIBBON LAPPER: A machine which draws and combines several rolls of LAP from a SLIVER LAPPER into one roll of RIBBON LAP ready for feeding to a COMBING MACHINE, straightening the FIBERS slightly and making the LAP more uniform in weight and texture.
RING BAR: A rail, extending the length of the RING SPINNER, which, by a properly timed up-and-down motion, builds the YARN onto BOBBINS in even layers.
RING RAIL: See RING BAR.
RING SPINNER: A machine which transforms one or more strands of slightly twisted ROVING into one strand of spun YARN.
RING SPINNING: See SPINNING.
RING TRAVELER: A small weight on a RING SPINNER that is arranged to spin freely on a circular track around the BOBBIN at a rate slightly slower than the BOBBIN rotates, in order to guide the YARN onto the BOBBIN.
ROVING: The loosely twisted strand of cotton FIBERS from the time it leaves the SLUBBER until it goes through the SPINNER FRAMES and becomes YARN.
SECTION BEAM: See BEAM.
SELVAGE: The edge of woven fabric that is so formed as to prevent raveling. The finish may be different or the same as that of the fabric.
SHEARING MACHINE: A machine which cuts away knots and loose YARN ends from the surface of cloth after it has been woven, to give the cloth a smooth surface.
SHED: The opening made across the WARP by the raising of some threads and the depressing of others. It is through this opening that the SHUTTLE passes and lays the cross of FILLING YARN of a fabric.
SHUTTLE: The device used to carry the cross or FILLING YARN back and forth through the strands of longitudinal or WARP YARN in WEAVING cloth.
SHUTTLE-THROWING ASSEMBLY: The mechanism that kicks or throws the SHUTTLE, carrying the FILLING YARN, between the strands of WARP YARN in WEAVING cloth.
SINGLE-PROCESS PICKER: See PICKER MACHINE.
SIZE BOX: A unit of the SLASHING MACHINE, which contains the SIZING solution with which the YARN is treated.
SIZE MIXER: A large (300 gallon) tank equipped with steam coils and a powered paddle, within which SIZING is prepared.
SIZING: (I) A stiffening substance used to give YARN strength, stiffness, and smoothness, which improve its weaving qualities. (II) Treating YARN with a stiffening substance to improve its weaving qualities.
SKEIN: A continuous strand of YARN arranged in a loose coil.
SKEWER: A wooden peg or SPINDLE on which BOBBINS of ROVING are held in a CREEL.
SLASHING: See SIZING.
SLASHING MACHINE: A machine in which WARP YARN is arranged in a prescribed sequence, impregnated with SIZING to improve its weaving qualities, and wound on a LOOM BEAM ready for use.
SLIVER: The loose, untwisted strand of cotton FIBERS produced on the CARDING MACHINE, DRAWING FRAME, and COMBING MACHINE.
SLIVER CAN: See CAN.
SLIVER LAP: See LAP.
SLIVER LAPPER: A machine which draws and combines several strands of SLIVER into a sheet of LAP and winds it on a spool ready for ribbon lapping or COMBING.
SLUB: A thick place in a strand of YARN caused by improper SPINNING.
SLUBBER: A machine which DRAWS OUT strands of SLIVER and twists them together loosely in order to give the strands (now ROVING) sufficient strength to withstand subsequent operations.
SLUBBING: The process of drawing out and loosely twisting SLIVER to make ROVING.
SMASH: The breaking of a large number of strands of WARP YARNS while the WARP is in the LOOM.
SNARL: A tangle of YARN.
SPINDLE: A metal rod or wooden stick for holding SPOOLS, CHEESES, or BOBBINS on such machines as SPINNER FRAMES, WARPING MACHINES, and WINDERS.
SPINDLE BAND: See BAND.
SPINNING: The process of making YARN from cotton FIBERS by drawing out and twisting the FIBERS into a thin strand.
SPOOL: A flanged cylinder, usually of wood, upon which YARN is wound.
STARCH POT: See SIZE BOX.
STATIONARY SHED: A method of dividing the WARP in which some of the WARP strands always remain stationary and the others are pulled up or down to make way for the SHUTTLE.
STOP MOTION DEVICE: An automatic device that is designed to stop a textile machine on the occurrence of such events as a thread breaking or the SPINDLE BOBBINS becoming full.
STRIPPER: The small roller in a CARDING MACHINE which takes the cotton from the WORKER and in turn gives it to the CARDING DRUM.
TAKE-UP ROLLER: A powered shaft, at the front of a textile machine, that rolls up the cloth as it is processed.
TAKING UP: The action of the TAKE-UP ROLLER as it rolls up the cloth as it is processed.
TAPE CONDENSER: A device which transforms the film of cotton coming from a FINISHER CARDING MACHINE directly into several strands of ROVING.
TARE WEIGHT: The weight of the container or wrappings in which goods are purchased. It is deducted from the total (gross) weight to obtain the net weight of a product.
TENSILE TESTING MACHINE: A machine for measuring the elasticity and strength of yarn.
TRIMMER: A machine for cutting the loose, hanging threads from the SELVAGES of cloth.
TRUMPET: See FORMING TRUMPET.
TUBE: A piece of rolled paper or cardboard of suitable dimensions upon which YARN is wound.
TWISTER'S HOOK: A device for holding the ends of strands of WARP YARN from the LOOM and from the WARP BEAM to facilitate the work of the TWISTER in joining them together.
TWISTING: The operation of building up ply YARN by combining two or more individual strands of YARN.
TWISTING MACHINE: A machine which twists two or more strands of spun YARN into a heavier, stronger, single strand.
TYING IN: The operation of tying the ends of YARN from the WARP BEAM to the ends of YARN left threaded through a LOOM.
TYING-IN MACHINE: A machine which automatically ties strands of WARP YARN from a fresh BEAM of WARP to those left in a LOOM from a former BEAM.
WARP: The set of YARN strands which run lengthwise in a piece of cloth.
WARP BALL: A loose rope of untwisted strands of YARN wound onto a core, usually for dyeing.
WARP BEAM: See BEAM.
WARP THREADS: See WARP.
WARPING: The operation of winding WARP YARN onto a BEAM in suitable arrangement for use as WARP in the LOOM.
WARPING MACHINE: A machine which draws YARN from many PACKAGES, arranges the strands parallel in a prescribed sequence, and winds them on BEAMS for use in LOOMS.
WASTE MACHINE: A machine which beats, pulls apart, and fluffs up waste cotton to prepare it for re-use.
WEAVER'S KNOT: A peculiar twisting knot used throughout the textile industry. It can be tied very quickly, does not slip, and is not easily detected.
WEAVING: The interlacing of WARP and FILLING YARN to form a cloth.
WEFT YARN: See FILLING YARN.
WHIP ROLL: See BREAST BEAM.
WINDER: A machine which simultaneously winds YARN from many spinner BOBBINS onto many CHEESES, CONES, or FILLING BOBBINS.
WINDING AND MEASURING MACHINE: A device which winds lengths of cloth into rolls and at the same time measures the lengths.
WINDING REEL: A cylinder of known circumference about which YARN can be wound for measuring purposes.
WOOF: See FILLING YARN.
WORKER: The roller in the CARDING MACHINE which, in conjunction with the CARDING DRUM, opens and combs out the fibrous masses of cotton presented to it.
YARN: A continuous strand of spun cotton FIBERS used for WEAVING or knitting.
YARN CONDITIONER: A device for steaming or moistening FILLING YARN so it will not kink during subsequent processes.
YARN NUMBER: See COUNT.