turns per inch

Silk yarns are composed of a number of silk filaments twisted together, usually 8 to 12 to form a thread. The filaments have a natural coating of gum which gives strength and elasticity, but reduces lustre. The gum must be boiled off if lustre is wanted, which may be done either in the yarn state or when woven in cloth. Silk yarns are divided into two classes, " thrown silk" and " spun silk," the first being yarns that are made by the processes of reeling and throwing, and the second consisting of yarns spun from waste silk. Thrown Silk, or Net Silk comprises organzine and tram yarns, organzine being made from the most perfect cocoons and used for warps. Tram is made from the inferior cocoons and used as weft. All silk contains a proportion of natural gum, and the amount of gum removed give rise to the following terms: - Boiled-off Silk - Yarn which has had all the gum removed, and has the highest sheen (see Boiled-off). Hard Silk - Yarn that has not undergone any boiling-off process. Ecru Silk - Yarn boiled to remove about 3 per cent to 5 per cent of the gum by light washing in lukewarm water. Souple Silk - Yarn boiled to remove about one-sixth of the gum. Bengal Silk - See Bengal Silk. Berlin Silk - A silk yarn made for fancy hand work. It is produced by doubling from 4 to 8 twisted singles grege by a right-hand twist; then again doubling three of these with a left-hand twist. The thread is very round, smooth, and hard, also known as cordon-net. Blond Silk - A special silk yarn made by doubling three grege threads left-hand twist, then doubling three of these together with right-hand twist. Brights - Silk which has been entirely de-gummed in the skein and then dyed. Bourette, Bourrette Yarn - A low grade of silk yarn made from the waste produced by schappe spinning. Canton Silk - See Canton Silk. Chiffon Twist - Single raw silk threads, 50 or more turns per inch. Used for chiffons, crepe-de-chines, etc. Crepe-de-Chine - Hard twist tram silk, about 40 to 70 turns per inch. Made from 3 to 5 raw silk ends. Usually woven as weft. Crepe Georgette - Hard twist raw silk usually made from two threads 13/15 deniers, 50 or more turns, both right and left twist, used for crepe georgettes as warp and weft. Crepe Twist - This is tram silk hard twisted, having from 30 to 100 turns per inch. Used for making fabrics of a crepe character both all silk and mixtures. Cordonnet Silk - See Berlin Silk; also under Cordonnet. Eri Silk - A raw silk obtained from the wild silkworm " Attacus ricini." Flock Silk - A general term used to indicate silk yarns made from the outer uneven parts of the cocoon. Floss Silk - Used principally for embroidery purposes. It is a thrown silk and made by doubling two thick raw singles with right-hand twist together with a left-hand twist. Galette Silk - A coarse silk yarn made from waste. Grenadine Silk - Organzine silk with a large number of turns per inch. Jaspe Silk - Silk warps printed in the hank. Ombre Silk - Skein dyed yarn in a gradation of shades, which run in sequence of depth of colour, varying from five up to forty shades. Schappe Silk - A spun silk yarn which is made from silk degummed by the maceration process used on the Continent (see Schappe Silk). Soie Ondee - See Soie Ondee. Silk Yarns - In addition to the foregoing yarns see under the following terms for further silk yarns: - Cable, Cevennes, Chappe, Chine, Clochepeid, Crocheting, Crue (see Ecru), Cuite Cusier, Cusirino, Degummed, Docken, Doup-pion. Ecru, Embroidery, Etschingo, Filature, Filature a 1'Europeune, Filet, Florette, Fringe, Goffered, Grege, Gum Hainin, Hard, Kahing, Knitting, Lousy, Marabout, Maybasch, Melange, Mele, Mi-cuit, Minchcw, Nett, Noil, Organzine, Ouvrees, Oval, Pearlina, Pel, Pelo, Poie, Pure dye Silk, Raw (see Grege), Re-reels, Retorse, Senegal, Sewing, Simonita, Soft Singles, Soie Ondee, Souple, Spun, Steeped, Strafilato, Stumba, Thrown, Tors San File, Tram, Tramette, Tsatlees, Tussah, Twist, Washed, Zaguri.

A cotton cloth for motor tyres devised to eliminate the chafing action of threads crossing each other, as obtains in the " builder " fabric. The cloth is made with strong corded threads for the warp, with as little weft as possible. The picks vary from 4 to 10 per inch. The warp threads are laid parallel and vary from 22 to 25 per inch. The weft is a single end of 21's to 23's with 10 to 16 turns per inch and is only intended to retain the warp threads in parallel order. The warp takes all the strain, and is composed of two-ply threads, counts 23's, 5 X 3 ends twisted right, left, right. The single yarn is 16 to 20 turns, first doubling 5 ends up, 16 to 20 turns, and the finishing twisting 15 ends (5 X 3) is also 16 to 20 turns per inch. These are the " cord tyres " of commerce (see Builder Fabric and Breaker)

A term now applied to many qualities of fabrics in various yarns. Its chief characteristic is a series of fine ribs running across the cloth from selvedge to selvedge. The weave is plain. Irish poplin is made with 260 ends per inch of 40 denier silk warp and 48 picks per inch of 3/40's worsted weft. Irish poplin dates from the early part of the 18th century. There is now a great trade in cotton poplin for use as shirtings, pyjamas, dress goods, casements, etc. The original cotton poplin was made with 2/100's combed and gassed Sakel. warp 19/20 turns per inch, 2/100's combed and gassed Sakel. weft, doubled twist on twist with 36/40 turns per inch, 148 ends and 78 picks per inch finished. Shirtings were made in two widths, 37-in. grey for 35/36-in. finished and 32¹/₂-in. grey for 31/32-in. finished. Fine poplins are sometimes woven in six or eight shafts to minimise warp breakages during weaving, but they can be quite well woven on four shafts. Cotton poplins are now made in many cheaper qualities than those given above, in which many expedients have been adopted, such as reducing the number of ends and/or picks per inch, using single yarns instead of two-fold, and so on. Some of the lower qualities are as follows: - The last example * is a casement poplin.

The twisting together of two or more threads to make a stronger or fancier thread. The operation consists in drawing threads from two or more cops or bobbins and twisting them together with the required number of turns per inch. This amount of twist varies considerably according to the purpose for which the yarn is required. Fewer turns are given to yarns for mercerising and hosiery, but yarns for sewing cotton or making healds require a great amount, 2/100's for instance, varies from 15 to 40 turns per inch. Many crepe yarns have 60 or more turns per inch. Doubled yarns possess greater strength and elasticity than a single yarn of the same weight (see Cop and Cop Doubled Yarns)

A compound yarn composed of a thick centre thread and two finer ones. The thick thread, about 4's, is soft-twisted with, say, a 2/36's with 8 turns per inch; this doubled thread is then twisted with another 2/36's, but about 4 turns per inch and reverse twist. The fine threads are usually different in colour from the thick one. Varying qualities are made by altering the counts and turns per inch

Very light open plain weave dress fabrics. The best qualities of voile are made with fine, very hard twisted two-fold combed and gassed cotton yarns. Gassing is done to remove all projecting loose fibres and make the yarn surface as clear as possible. It is a distinctive feature of good voile fabrics that warp ends and weft picks should appear singly in the cloth, that is, with a tiny space between adjacent threads. They are woven one end in a dent. Plain voiles are produced white, piece-dyed in self colours, and printed in huge quantities mostly in dainty colourings and very attractive designs. Various fancy stripes and checks are made with voile ground texture. Standard makes of plain cotton voiles are as follows: - * Combed and gassed Sakel. 38 turns per inch ** Combed Sakel. 38 turns per inch *** Combed and gassed Sakel. 46 turns per inch.

Definition by the Silk Association of America. Grenadine yarn is a yarn composed of more than one thread of which each individual thread has been twisted in the same direction, then doubled with a reverse twist, each twist having a minimum of approximately the following number of turns per inch, depending on the number of threads used: two threads, 13/15 denier or equivalent 32 turns per inch minimum; three threads, same denier, 30 turns minimum; four threads, same denier 28 turns minimum. When more than four threads are used, the number of turns will decrease in the above proportion.

The same relative twist is produced when the angle of twist on the surface of two different thicknesses of thread is the same. The relative number of turns per inch of two similar yarns is in the proportion of the square root of the count number; thus for 16's and 25's yarns the relative turns are as 4 to 5, and if 16's yarn has 12 turns per inch, 25's yarn will have 15 turns.

The twist is assumed to be balanced in a two-fold yarn when half as many turns per inch have been inserted in the doubling process, as were previously inserted in the opposite direction in each single thread. Theoretically, each turn of reverse twist in the doubling takes a turn out of the single twist, and in twisting together two single threads which contain, say, 20 turns per inch, the twist will be balanced when 10 turns of reverse T. have been made. It is not usual to obtain balanced T. in a two-fold yam, the number of twists in which more nearly approaches the number in the single threads, and, in this condition, very little twist is left in the single threads. (W. Watson.)

Specially hard-twisted yams, containing from 30 to 70 turns per inch and produced in singles and doubled. The usual range is 40's to 100's single, 2/80's to 2/200's doubled. The yarns are used for voiles, crepe-de-Chines and fabrics where the aim is to produce crinkles through the strong tendency of the yarns to contract in length. In cotton, yams are made up to six- or nine-fold for special purposes. Crepe yarns are also produced in wool, silk and rayon. An official definition states: Silk, rayon, cotton or wool threads may be given a twist of a specific number of turns per inch. The thread contracts in the twisting, and the evenness of the twist, the type of twist, and the number of turns determines to a definite degree the character of the face of the texture for which the twisted yarn is used. The twist in the yam is set by a process of steaming. The twist co-incidently increases the strength of a thread to a limited extent. The twist may have a bearing upon the lustre of woven or knitted fabrics and upon the capacity of dye penetration and absorption. A crepe yarn may consist of a single thread twisted one way, or of several threads joined by throwing into one thread by a combination of twists.

This is the cotton cloth on which the motor tyre maker places the greatest reliance for the wearing qualities of the finished tyre. There are two main varieties, the square woven or " builder fabric," in which the warp and weft threads are practically equal, and the " cord " fabric, which is also square woven, but wherein the warp only is relied on for the strength or any other stress-resisting qualities that may be required. The builder fabric is tightly woven, giving it a stiff, hard feel, and is a superfine " duck." The standard fabric is 17¹/₄ oz. per square yard, composed for 22's or 23's warp and weft yarns, 11-fold single ply, the twist in the single 14 to 15 turns, and in the ply yarn 4 to 5 turns per inch; 23 X 23-ends and picks per inch. These are the " fabric tyres of commerce " (see Cord Tyre Fabric and Breaker)

(See knitting). All yarns used for knitting are termed hosiery yarns in Leicester, but in America only yarns actually used for knitted footwear come under this term. These yarns are much softer than required for weaving. Miscellaneous Yarns - Goat wools, such as llama and alpaca are employed in spinning. yarns for the knitting trade. Vicuna and camel yarns are used to a limited extent. Ramie yarn is specially employed for knitting gas mantle fabrics. Soft spun flax yams have been used for making underwear fabric. Chenille and other manufactured threads are used to a small extent in warp knitting. Composite yarns, such as union yarns - spun from a mixture of wool and cotton fibres; cordon yarns - cotton and worsted singles, doubled together; wool and rayon or spun silk, cotton and rayon or spun silk are largely used to produce self or two-colour effects. Fancy yarns, such as slub yams, voiles, and curled and loop yarns are also employed. Hosiery Yarns (Cotton) include condenser, hosiery, condenser lisle thread, mercerised and sewing cottons. Condenser yarns are spun in coarse counts from low-grade cotton, Indian and American. They are carded, condensed and mule spun, and possess little twist. Hosiery cotton yarns vary considerably in counts and qualities, practically all varieties of Indian, American and Egyptian being used in varying proportions to obtain suitable mixture for quality and price. Cheaper yarns are carded and mule spun. American and Egyptian cotton yarns are combed mainly with the object of removing seed particles. High-class Egyptian and Sea Islands cotton yarns are super-combed. The chief features of a hosiery cotton yam should be: (1) Regularity; (2) cleanliness; (3) fullness. Regularity prevents the making of cloudy fabric, showing thick and thin places. Cleanliness is essential, as the seed particles clog the eyelet hole in the yam guides and cause breakages. Fullness is desirable to cover the loop interstices. Elasticity and pliability are quite as essential as tensile strength. Yams are usually soft spun and if two-fold soft doubled, average twists in two-fold being 2/10's 6¹/₂T., 2/20's 8¹/₂T., 2/30's 10T., 2/40's 16T., 2/80's 20T. Softer twist less 25 to 30 per cent of average (T= turns per inch). Lisle thread is a comparatively hard-twisted and doubly-gassed thread in which there are no projecting fibres. It is always of a two-fold character, and the doubling twist varies from 24 to 34 turns per inch in 2/60's. It is used largely in the manufacture of ladies' hose tops and feet and for lace hosiery. Mercerised yams are used largely in the fancy trade, a comparatively soft twist again being employed. Sewing cottons for seaming, linking and making-up are specially prepared in two to six cord open and reverse twist. Woollen and Worsted Yarns include lamb's wool, wheeling, skein yarns, gala yams (woollens), worsted, crossbreds, fingering, cashmere, dry spun botany (see under each name). Worsted and crossbred yarns of various qualities are used. These yams are spun softly with " hosiery twist." The drawing may be open, cone or French, and the spinning may take place on cap, ring or flyer frames. The chief essentials of hosiery yarn are softness of fibre, fullness, minimum of twist consistent with the requisite tensile strength, regularity, pliability and elasticity. Cashmere Yarns, as used in the knitted goods industry, are spun from short, loose and weak wools as well as from better qualities by French drawing and mule spinning. A small proportion of real cashmere is used for outer garments. In recent years nylon yarns have been largely employed.

A regular flat crepe yarn has a large number of turns per inch, so that when the fabric is finished it will have a real crepe effect. The turns are 50 to 55 per inch and the yarn is generally used 2 picks right-hand, 2 picks left-hand twist. (See French Crepe Yarn.)

A rayon yam somewhat hard twisted, but not so many turns per inch as for " Flat crepe yam." The average turns are about 32 per inch. This yam is generally used all right-hand or all left-hand twist.

This is a high-class two-fold yarn and used for embroidery and as an effect yarn in fabrics. A " pearly " effect is given by the screw-like twist on the two singles. The singles from 70's to 90's combed yarn are twisted from 40 to 50 turns per inch, and doubled with the twist in the reverse way, about 20 turns per inch.

A style of crepe, plain, figured or printed, exceedingly soft or drapy, woven with a fine silk warp, and open band and cross band tightly twisted worsted weft, which shrinks to a permanent crinkled effect when finished. A lustre is always visible owing to the fine silk warp. The weft is twisted the reverse way to the warp. Some crepe-de-Chines are made from ordinary hard-twisted warp, in these styles the weft used is usually two picks weft way, and two picks twist way spun. Also a plain weave all-silk fabric made from very fine yarns, about 26 to 30 denier. The warp is raw silk, ranging from 200 to 300 ends per inch, with 72 to 90 picks of hard-twist crepe weft. The weft is two right and two reverse. A 44-in. cloth will give 39/40-in. finished. Turns per inch in the weft range from 40 to 70. A cotton crepe-de-Chine is made 41-in. wide, 104 ends and 64 picks per inch, 2/80's T., 80's crepe weft. Its appearance and draping quality are much inferior to a silk crepe-de-Chine.