Elastic and Non-Elastic
Narrow Fabrics
By Samuel Brown
and a Chapter on Narrow Fabrics
Made on Knitting Machines
By William Davis, M.A.
This book originally appeared serially in TEXTILE WORLD
and has been republished in this form at
the urgent request of many readers.
BRAGDON, LORD & NAGLE CO.
TEXTILE PUBLISHERS
334 FOURTH AVENUE NEW YORK
Copyright 1923
Bragdon, Lord & Nagle Co.
New York
Growth of Webbing Business—Attempts to Substitute Cut Products forIndividually Woven Webs Made on Gang Looms—Loom Settingto Reduce Vibration—Capacity of Looms and Explanationof the Various Motions That Are Employed
When we think of the discovery of rubber vulcanization and the effectit has had on world affairs our minds naturally turn to the bigthings, such as the automobile industry with its millions of rubbertires in constant use. These may crowd from our notice a thousand and onesmaller things of importance. It is difficult to fully realize how manycomforts and conveniences we derive from rubber and not the least amongthem is the multiplicity of woven fabrics which are used both for comfortand convenience in a variety of ways and for innumerable purposes. Itis not only in such things as garters and suspenders, with which our mindsmay first associate elastic webs, that these fabrics are used, but they findemployment in a variety of other products, which are growing more numerousall the time. Today there are in operation thousands of looms andbraiders, in which many millions of dollars are invested and in the operationof which, together with complementary machinery, about ten thousandpeople are employed.
It was about the year 1840 when the idea of weaving threads of elasticin connection with other materials was first conceived. After long experimentsthis was accomplished in the very simplest form of weaving. Newideas were from time to time introduced, and new uses found for the product,until now it covers a large variety of both plain and fancy weaves,and the multiplicity of uses are so varied that few realize them who are notclosely associated with the business.
It was not until about the year 1860 that elastic web weaving wasintroduced into this country, although for a number of years previousEngland and Germany, and also France in a small way, had found herea market for their product, particularly in cords, braids and shoe goring,which at that particular time was fast growing in popularity. About 1860,a few looms which had been used, were brought over from England andlocated at Easthampton, Mass., and the manufacture of shoe goring commenced.The rubber thread required was for some time imported fromEngland. The business grew rapidly, and factories were established in anumber of cities, more particularly at Boston, Lowell and Brockton, Mass.,Bridgeport, Conn., and Camden, N. J. An unfortunate labor dispute tookplace about the year 1890, which developed into a long-drawn out strike,ultimately precipitating friction between t