Classification of Cotton Cloths,Weaving Specifications

Light,Medium and Heavy Cloths

Classification of Cotton Cloths

There are various classes and varieties of cotton fabrics,which are woven and marketed.The most important of them are the following.

1)Light Plain Cotton Cloth,

2)Medium Plain Cotton Cloth 

3)Medium heavy Plain Cotton Cloth and,

4)Heavy Plain Cotton Cloth.

These classes of cloths are most generally woven in tappet looms without the use of Dobbies and Jacquards.The characteristics of these cloths and the details of the looms in which they can successfully be woven are explained below.Moreover,fine plain cloth,viz,lawn,mull mull or malmal,tracing cloth etc. are woven inside tappet looms.The greater bulk of production in the Indian Textile Industry belongs to these classes and varieties of cotton fabrics.

Light plain Cotton Cloth

Characteristics:

The required qualities of light plain cotton cloths are good feel,equidistributed ends and picks,neat selvedges,absence of any stains or spots and good 'cover'.Muslin,printed cloths and similar varieties are termed light plain cloths.

a)Muslins are largely used in our country as summer wear and their weave particulars range from 40 to 90 ends of 32s to120s warp,and 44 to 84 picks of 36s to 100s weft per inch or 2.54cm.

b)The printing cotton cloths,which are generally heavier than muslins,have also a variety of weaving particulars,for examples,68ends of 36s warp and 62picks of 42s weft per inch or 2.54cm,and 72ends of 36s warp and 62 picks of 42s weft per inch or 2.54cm.

Defects in Light Plain Cloths

All light plain cloths are liable to similair cloth faults,viz,thick and thin places,reed marks,unevenness,etc.and are woven with the similair settings at the looms.To remedy the faults of light plain cloths,the following methods are generally adopted.:

1)The back rest is raised to correct reed marks by alternately tightening and slackening the warp threads.

2)The shed is timed and crossed early to remedy bareness or thick and thin places in cloths.These defects are also known as light and thick 'weft bars 'in cloths.

3)The faulty selvedge in light plain cloths is a serious fault and may be remedied by even shedding,selvedge ends drawing correctly through the healds and timing the selvedge ends as to standards.

Medium Plain Cotton Cloth

Characteristics

The Medium Plain Cotton Cloths heavier than Light Plain Cloths but lighter than comparatively heavy cloths.Some examples of the medium plain cotton  cloths are:llong cloths,casement cloths,madapolam and cheshire printings.They have got a variety of weave particulars but a few representative examples are the following.

a)A finer quality of long cloth is composed of 72 neds and 70 picks of 36s warp and 38s weft.A coarse quality of long cloth consists of 56s ends of 28s warp and 72 picks of 18s weft.

b)An example of casement cloth is composed of 32s warp and 16s weft,52 ends and 68 picks per inch or 2.54cm.

Medium Heavy Plain Cotton Cloths

Characteristics

The medium heavy plain cloths which are heavier than medium cloths but comparitively lighter than heavy cloths are termed  medium heavy cloths.Again, cloth whichis considered heavy in one type of loom might be considered an ordinary sort in a stronger loom.A represetative example of weaving particulars of a fairly or medium heavy cotton cloth  is  60 ends and picks per inch or 2.54 cm. and 18s warp and 32s weft.

Heavy Plain Cotton Cloth

Characteristics

There are a variety of  heavy cotton plain cloths namely canvas,duck cloths,sail cloths and blankets.

For example, a make of duck cloth is 3/14s warp and weft,and 40 ends per inch or 2.54 cm.We have to consider the diameter of warp and weft yarns  and the numberof ends and picks per inch or 2.54cm.in this cloth and the type of fabrics this loom has to weave.This loom must be strong,rigid and of sturdyconstruction and is there for heavy.

Fine Plain Cotton Cloth

There are many type of cotton fabrics which are termed fine plain cloths.

Characteristics

The warp and weft of fine plain cloths are good yarns,specially of Egyptian cotton and the counts vary from 60s to 100s.Fine Lawn,which is an example of this type,has 90s warp ends and 100s weft,128 ends and 112 picks per inch or 2.54cm.Tracing Cloth,generally used by draughtsmen,is a fine cloth,consisting of 60s warp and 50s weft,76 ends and picks per inch or 2.54cm.

One type of Mull Mull consists of 62s Egyptian warp,34s Egyptian weft,72s reed and 60 picks per inch or2.54cm.

Defects in Cloth:

Reed marks,bareness and bad selvedges are the common faults in fine plain cloths.