YARN intended for manufacture into cloth requires to pass through various stages of preparation, the character of which depends upon the class of fabrics to be produced. Thus, some systems of treatment are better adapted for the preparation of yarn for grey cloths (i.e. of the native colour of cotton), some for mono-coloured, and others for multi-coloured, fabrics. The choice of a system is often arbitrary, and can only be made from a knowledge of local or special requirements.
The operations involved in the preparation of warps for most fabrics are comprised under not less than five chief divisions, namely—
1. Winding yarn from any of its earlier stages on to warpers’ bobbins.
2. Warping.
3. Sizing.
4. Beaming, or winding yarn on to a weaver’s beam.
5. Looming, i.e. either drawing-in or twisting-in.
Each of these operations may be performed by a variety of machines of distinctly different types that have been specially devised to meet specific requirements, and which are, therefore, better adapted than others for their special purpose. Before introducing the reader to the details of the various types of machines in each division, it will be better to briefly enumerate the different systems of preparation usually adopted in the manufacture of the three classes of goods named above.