Jacquard Design: Working Principle, Types & Construction

What is Jacquard Design?

Jacquard design is a type of woven design produced on a Jacquard loom in which individual warp ends are controlled separately through a Jacquard mechanism, allowing the formation of intricate, large, and highly detailed patterns in the fabric structure. Jacquard design is a decorative woven pattern manufactured by using the Jacquard mechanism on the loom. In textile terminology, the term is also used more broadly for certain figured knitting structures, but in this discussion it refers to weaving. It is generally used for large figured designs that require more warp control than can be achieved with a dobby, typically beyond about 24 shafts. Traditionally, this attachment used a chain of punched cards, an early programmable control system that offered considerable design versatility and fabric control; modern industrial Jacquard systems are often electronically controlled.

Large-pattern fabrics can be produced by means of Jacquard machines. Jacquard is used for designs in which several hundred warp threads interlace in different ways across successive picks. The intricate patterns or figures can be created all over the fabric or in localized areas. It is woven on a Jacquard loom, which has a Jacquard attachment or, in modern machines, an electronic selection system. Jacquard was developed by the French inventor Joseph Marie Jacquard. Jacquard is not a single basic weave; rather, it is a figured weaving method in which individual warp ends can be controlled independently. Fabrics produced by Jacquard methods were historically expensive because preparing punched cards for a new pattern required time and skill; even today, complex Jacquard fabrics remain relatively costly because of their design and production complexity. Moreover, the weaving operation is also slower than that of simpler shedding systems. In a Jacquard loom, the warp yarns are individually controlled and not in groups like in a dobby. In Jacquard, instead of heald shafts, harness cords are used, each of which carries one or more individual warp threads. So it is possible to control every warp yarn individually. This allows the creation of more complex designs. Jacquard weaves, produced on a special loom, are characterized by complex woven-in designs, often with large design repeats or tapestry effects. Fabrics made by this method include brocade, damask, matelassé, and brocatelle. If longer floats are present, the fabric may have a greater tendency to snag.

Working Principle of a Jacquard Machine

A conventional mechanical Jacquard consists of the following two main parts:

1. Jacquard head or engine: It consists of knives, hooks, needles, springs, card cylinder, and a card chain.
2. Harness: Neck cords, harness cords, mails, and weights (lingoes).

The principal motions of the Jacquard device are as follows:

1. Drive: Drive links the engine to the weaving machine and to the set of knives.
2. Selection: Needle, spring, card cylinder, and card chain.
3. Lifting: Hooks, neck cords, harness cords, mails, and weights.

The Operation of Jacquard Shedding

The operation of Jacquard shedding is as follows:

The following description refers to a conventional single-cylinder, card-controlled Jacquard machine. Figure 1 shows the schematic diagram of a single-cylinder Jacquard machine. The threads are lifted by the hooks (1). The hooks are arranged in rows. Depending on the machine capacity, the number of hooks in the short rows and the long rows varies. The hooks are made of wires. The bent upper part of the hooks can be gripped by the knives (2). The knife is placed in the horizontal position parallel to the long row of hooks. The knives are mounted in the knife frame (3), which reciprocates vertically once for every pick. The bottom part of the hook is bent in the form of a loop to which the neck cord (4) is attached. The bottom part is placed over the rod (5), and the rods are arranged in the grate (6).

Each hook is connected with the horizontal needle (7), which can deflect the hook to the left. In the illustrated arrangement, the short row of needles consists of 8 hooks. The right-hand side ends of the needles protrude at the side of the machine, passing through the needle board (8). The needle board holds the end of the needles in the proper position against the holes of the cylinder (9). The left-hand side end of the needle is positioned in the spring box (10). The spring (11) is intended to return the needle to its initial position after the needle has been deflected by the card (12).

The harness cords are attached to each neck cord. They are drawn through the holes of the comber board, which is placed in a horizontal position above the warp sheet and parallel to it. To the bottom end of the harness cord is attached a mail, and below it a weight (lingo) or, in some constructions, a spring is suspended. By means of the weight, the warp thread, cord, and hook are returned to their initial position after they have been lifted.

For every pick, the corresponding card in the chain comes close to the needle. If there is no hole, the card presses the needle, moves the needle, and deflects the hook to the left. So the hooks will not be engaged by the lifting knife. As a result, the harness cord and the warp threads will not be lifted and remain in the lower position, forming the bottom part of the shed. On the other hand, a hole in the card will not create any deflection of the needle. The hooks remain over the knife, and the knife lifts them so that they move upward with the knife frame. Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of lifting of the hooks and shed formation. As a result, the harness cord and the warp threads are lifted. This forms the top part of the shed.

General Working Principles of the Jacquard

The working of the Jacquard generally consists of the following principles:

1. Warp threads that are required to act together may be connected through the same harness arrangement; in full figuring, individual warp ends can be controlled separately.
2. Each hook-and-needle position is connected to a series of punched cards placed on a rotating cylinder.
3. The holes on every card correspond to the pattern that will appear on the fabric.
4. If a hole is present, the needle is not pushed aside, the hook remains in line with the knife, and the corresponding warp thread is lifted.
5. If no hole is present, the needle is displaced, the hook is moved out of line, and the corresponding warp thread remains down.
6. The warp threads can thus interweave with the weft and create the pattern.
7. After that, the reed beats the inserted weft yarn into place, and the punched cards move forward.
8. The next card is then presented to the needles, and the pattern continues pick by pick.

Capacity of the Jacquard Machine

The capacity of the Jacquard determines the design capacity of the Jacquard. It also indicates how many ends it can control and the number of lifts to be obtained. The number of picks in the repeat is virtually unlimited, because it depends on the number of cards in the card chain. The following points are essential to know the capacity of the Jacquard:

1. The hole positions in a card determine which warp threads are lifted in a particular shed when the card operates.
2. The number of threads in the design should be equal to or less than the number of hooks in the machine; it must not exceed the machine capacity.
3. The number of cards in the chain equals the number of weft threads or picks in the repeat.
4. The number of holes per unit area of the comber board depends upon the warp density and harness distribution.
5. The total number of hooks in the Jacquard is the product of the number of hooks in the short rows and the number of hooks in the long rows.

For example:

1. A 600-capacity Jacquard consists of 600 needles or hooks.
2. There are 12 needles in the short row.
3. There are 50 needles in the long row.
4. Thus, 12 horizontal rows of needles are placed one above the other.
5. This is termed a 600-needle Jacquard or 600-hook Jacquard.

How to Convert a Motif into a Jacquard Design

For any pattern to be transformed into a Jacquard design, it is essential to analyse the pattern. The analysis should be as per the following guidelines:

1. Size of the pattern in the fabric
2. Warp density
3. Weft density
4. Warp thread repeat
5. Weft thread repeat
6. Number of patterns/blocks
7. Total number of blocks in the repeat
8. Selection of design paper

Steps in Jacquard Design Construction

The following procedure should be followed for transfer of the motif to the Jacquard machine and for the development of the design of Jacquard fabrics:

1. Estimation of the number of threads in the warp and weft repeats of the weave. This can be done by (a) size of the pattern, (b) warp density, and (c) weft density.
2. Warp repeat = warp density × width of the pattern
3. Weft repeat = weft density × length of the pattern
4. The warp repeat determines the figuring capacity of the Jacquard.
5. Draw the picture of the motif to be transferred as a Jacquard design.
6. The motif should be divided by vertical lines and horizontal lines of equal size as per the design paper or point paper.
7. The number of squares in the point paper must be consistent with the number of blocks required in the design.
8. The width of the point paper, representing the warp, must be less than or equal to the Jacquard capacity.
9. Transfer the outline of the figure from the tracing paper to the point paper.
10. The type of weave for the ground as well as for the figure must be selected.
11. Warp repeat should be equal to or a least common multiple of the number of small squares in the horizontal direction.
12. Weft repeat should be equal to or a least common multiple of the number of small squares in the longitudinal direction.
13. The design should be traced onto the point paper.
14. The marked square on the point paper corresponds to a hole position on the card.
15. Every horizontal line corresponds to one card and therefore to one pick.

Types of Jacquard Machines

There are different types of Jacquard available for different design requirements and for different machine capacities. Different types of Jacquard for design are given in Figure 3.

Single-Lift Single-Cylinder Jacquard

1. In a single-lift single-cylinder Jacquard, the shed is formed by raising the hooks with one set of knives.
2. It forms a bottom-closed shed.
3. This requires more time to form the shed.
4. This restricts the speed of the loom.
5. The warp ends are highly strained and may cause end breakage.

Double-Lift Single-Cylinder Jacquard

1. It consists of two sets of knives, and two griffes move up and down in opposite directions over a two-pick cycle.
2. There is one needle and two hooks for every end in the design.
3. Each needle controls two consecutive hooks.
4. The pair of hooks is connected to one neck cord.
5. The odd-numbered hook controls the neck cord on odd picks, and the other hook (even-numbered) controls it on even picks.
6. There are two sets of knives. The first controls the odd hooks, and the second controls the even hooks.
7. The two sets of knives are operated in alternation, one set rising while the other descends.
8. The cylinder makes a quarter revolution for every pick.

Double-Lift Double-Cylinder Jacquard

1. It consists of two sets of knives, and two griffes move up and down in opposite directions over a two-pick cycle.
2. There are two needles and two hooks for every end in the design.
3. Two card cylinders operate on alternate picks. One carries the odd-numbered cards, and the other the even-numbered cards.
4. Thus, each cylinder turns a quarter revolution in every two picks.
5. The speeds of the griffe and the cylinder are therefore reduced by half.
6. The odd-numbered hook controls the neck cord on odd picks, and the other hook (even-numbered) controls it on even picks.
7. There are two sets of knives. The first controls the odd hooks, and the second controls the even hooks.
8. The two sets of knives are operated in alternation, one set rising while the other descends.
9. This machine works faster than the corresponding single-cylinder double-lift arrangement.

Conclusion

Jacquard design plays a vital role in the production of complex woven fabrics with large repeats and intricate figured effects. Unlike dobby shedding, the Jacquard mechanism makes it possible to control individual warp ends, allowing much greater freedom in design development. Its working principle is based on the selective lifting of warp threads through hooks, needles, harness cords, and traditionally punched cards, though modern systems are often electronically controlled. Understanding Jacquard capacity, pattern transformation, and design construction is essential for producing accurate woven motifs. The different types of Jacquard machines, including single-lift single-cylinder, double-lift single-cylinder, and double-lift double-cylinder systems, are selected according to speed, design complexity, and production requirements. Overall, Jacquard weaving remains one of the most important figured weaving methods in textile manufacturing.

References

[2] Grosicki, Z. J. (1975). Watson’s Textile Design and Colour. Newnes-Butterworths.

[3] Lord, P. R., & Mohamed, M. H. (1982). Weaving: Conversion of Yarn to Fabric. Merrow Publishing Co.

[4] Adanur, S. (2001). Handbook of Weaving. CRC Press.

[5] Gandhi, K. L. (2012). Woven Textiles: Principles, Technologies and Applications. Woodhead Publishing.

[6] Behera, B. K., & Hari, P. K. (2010). Woven Textile Structure: Theory and Applications. Woodhead Publishing India.

[7] Robinson, A. T. C., & Marks, R. (1976). Principles of Weaving. The Textile Institute.

Mazharul Islam Kiron

Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. Mr. Kiron is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.

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