CORDUROY

Corduroy is a narrow, all cotton fabric, the distinguishing feature of which is the perfect half-round regular ribs running warp ways through the cloth. As a fabric, it belongs to the general class of filling pile fabrics and is made of one system of warp and two of filling. The warp must be of good cotton staple to make a fine strong end. The pile filling should be of firsit-class cotton, soft spun, to blend more readily when the ribs are rubbed after being out and brushed. The warp and ground filling is wov- en either 1/1 2/1 or 2/2 twill, the pile pick weaves with either one, two, or three warp end, and floats over from three to 12 warp ends. The length of the float of pile filling depends upon the width of rib or cord desire'd in the fabric. The important point about the pile weave is to cause the pile filling to weave with the same two or three warp threads. This gives us lines of binding and lines of filling floats running warp ways. The velvety ribs or cords, as noted upon the face of a corduroy.are created by first cutting the lines of floats of the pile filling. This operation is performed by hand with a very sharp steel knife, after which the ends of the floats are carefully brushed, and then rubbed together to the proper degree of consistency desired in ribs. Corduroy is woven with from 160 to 500 picks of filling per inch; and is afterward dyed in dark blue, tan, buff, green and olive colors, to be used in making clothing for men. It is also used for upholstery purposes, either in plain solid colors or the plain color has an elaborate floral design printed upon it. These printed patterns are usually in bright colors, such as red, yellow, light green. IN PRINTING, the design is first engraved upon a set of copper rollers. These are set into a regular machine, and as the cloth passes over them, the color being fed to the rollers automatlcally.the design is-placed upon the face of the cloth. It Is woven so as to finish from 27 to 31% Inches, the 27-lnch for clothing and 31%-inoh for upholstery. This fabric requires a loom to be in good condition, as the beating in of such high number of picks per inch of filling is hard on the loom, and also necessitates slow production. It is usually woven on dobby or witch loom, having single or double box.

Carding and Spinning Particulars.

Yarn suitable for making corduroy is made in the second division of mills, given in a previous lesson. The raw stock used should be of a good grade cotton of about 1 inch staple. The mixings should be as large as possible for reasons already stated in previous lessons. One large group of mills, which make this class of goods, use a somewhat, different machine for opening up the raw cotton from that which has been described, and instead of using -an opener after the cotton is put through the bale breaker, it is fed to a machine called THE WILLOW. The cotton is fed into the machine in small lots and the machine pulls it apart and thoroughly airs it. Some overseers claim that this machine treats the cotton to a more thorough airing than when an opener is used. It Is again claimed that, in consequence of this fact, the cotton may be used right from the bale or mixed at this machine. It is an English machine, and while this system is used to some extent in England, it is the general custom to use the opener in this country. Good sliver waste from the cards and drawing frames is used in the mixing, as is also the sliver and lap waste,from the comber room, when the mill is equipped with combers.