Jacquard Loom Walkthrough

Visit my website for more information at http://www.theloomroom.co.uk

Introducing the forerunner to the computer - an industrial power jacquard loom from 1930s England. A walkthrough of the stages a loom needs to weave a picture.

Stay tuned . . . more to come

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• jacquard loom
• industrial
• binary
• computer

[revbuddylove]

I used your video as a part of a computer history lesson for my kids. It was a huge help. Thanks for posting it!

Buddy

[weaverstaceyuk]

@revbuddylove You're more than welcome! I love that textiles have so often driven technology forward, and the connection between loom and computer is one of those cases of great lateral thinking!! Good old Babbage!! What age are the kids, and are you a teacher, or a wonderful parent?!

[Tex259]

How would you describe the mechanics behind the Jacquard Head

[weaverstaceyuk]

@Tex259 It's basically a simple system although it looks really complicated. There are horizontal rods, which connect with vertical rods with hooks. The horizontal rods interact with the cards which either have holes or card (yes or no, on or off). If they move, then the vertical rod is moved. If the hook at the rod top is moved into the path of the griffe as it rises, then the hook is raised, and the thread is lifted. That creates the shed for the weft to pass through.

Does that help?

[Tex259]

How did you calculate the design onto the punch cards?

[weaverstaceyuk]

@Tex259 Hi, and thanks for commenting.... The design is done through using a programme like Photoshop or proprietary jacquard design software. Then I print out the design and read each line, so each card represents one horizontal line of the design. It's a bit more complicated than that, but that's it in brief. Hope that helps.

Regards, Stacey

[mrmetronome1]

I now know far more about the Jaquard loom due to this video. More please

[weaverstaceyuk11]

@8inlinea

Thank you so much for such a lovely comment! This loom has taught me so much about weaving, as well as about the history of textiles, and the mechanics of complex machinery! When you see her in action, you can't help but be impressed at the ingenuity of people to come up with something like this over a period of time! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[MsMaxmax121]

thanks stacy, it helped me.

[weaverstaceyuk11]

Hello MsMaxmax. The hooks are the design element, similar to pixels in computer terms. 400 hooks means there are 400 'pixels' wide that I can use for a design. The number of threads connected to each hook give you the number of design repeats that loom is set up for. So four threads to each hook gives you four complete repeats of the design across the width of the loom.

I hope this helps.

[MsMaxmax121]

i am doing a research for the jacquard loom how it operates, so it could be helpfull if you give me futher explanation what hook is how the loom can have 400 hooks or more and connected with four threads.

[8inlinea]

I don't know if I appreciate more the machine itself, or your love for this awesome working piece of history. Thanks for sharing!

[weaverstaceyuk11]

@electricbassmaster1

Thanks for posting.. Indeed I do run weaving courses. Perhaps you'll come on one sometime.. :^)

[weaverstaceyuk11]

@coreypsc

Thanks for commenting. I just love the link between jacquard looms and computer binary code and feel very proud that both looms and computers changed the world as we know it....

[weaverstaceyuk11]

@PuppyZwolle

Thanks for your comment - I'm glad it's helped you and it is a shame that so many areas that were heavily involved in woven textile production have no information about what happened in that area....

[coreypsc]

Great video! As a software engineer also living in Lowell, Massachusetts (a very early American textile manufacturing center [1820s]) this is fascinating technology to me. The cloth made here tended to be low-grade and for the mass market, so our museums are only equipped with Northrop (Draper) rooms.