ows the
old wasteful and slow method of transferring warp beams from place
to place, while Fig. 40 illustrates the modern and efficient method.
The latter figure illustrates one kind of apparatus, supplied by
Messrs. Herbert Morris, Ltd., Loughborough, for this important
branch of the industry.

[Illustration: FIG. 39. THE OLD WAY]

[Illustration: FIG. 40. THE NEW WAY _By permission of Messrs.
Herbert Morris, Ltd_.]

CHAPTER XV. FINISHING

The finishing touches are added to the cloth after the latter leaves
the loom. The first operation is that of inspecting the cloth,
removing the lumps and other undesirables, as well as repairing any
damaged or imperfect parts. After this, the cloth is passed through
a cropping machine the function of which is to remove all projecting
fibres from the surface of the cloth, and so impart a clean, smart
appearance. It is usual to crop both sides of the cloth, although
there are some cloths which require only one side to be treated,
while others again miss this operation entirely.

A cropping machine is shown in the foreground of Fig. 41, and in
this particular case there are two fabrics being cropped or cut at
the same time; these happen to be figured fabrics which have been
woven in a jacquard loom similar to that illustrated in Fig. 38. The
fabrics are, indeed, typical examples of jute Wilton carpets. The
illustration shows one of the spiral croppers in the upper part of
the machine in Fig. 41. Machines are made usually with either two or
four of such spirals with their corresponding fixed blades.

[Illustration: FIG. 41 CROPPING MACHINE AT WORK]

The cloth is tensioned either by threading it over and under a
series of stout rails, or else between two in a specially adjustable
arrangement by means of which the tension may be varied by rotating
slightly the two rails so as to alter the angle formed by the cloth
in contact with them. This is, of course, at the feed side; the
cloth is pulled through the machine by three rollers shown
distinctly on the right in Fig. 42. This view illustrates a double
cropper in which both the spirals are controlled by one belt. As the
cloth is pulled through, both sides of it are cropped by the two
spirals.[3] When four spirals are required, the frame is much wider,
and the second set of spirals is identical with those in the
machines illustrated.

[Illustration: FIG 42 DOUBLE CROPPING MACHINE _By permission of
Messrs. Charles Parker, So