Why need lappet and Swivel Weaving?

Both are extra-yarn figured cloths, extra warp in respect of lappets, and extra weft in respect of swivels. Extra-
yarns are used to produce figure, the amount wasted is ignorable may be as little as 5%.
• It is difficult to ensure in fine fabrics that the extra thread will stay in position at the edge of the figure when
the surplus float is cut away.
• The surplus float still has to be cut away in an after-operation, and, moreover, before the introduction of
cropping machines, this had to be performed by hand. As a result the designer had to worry more about the
paths and passages for clippers' scissors than about the perfection of the figure.
 Lappet Fabric Weaving
Lappet-Weaving:
Lappet weaving is a kind of embroidery, in which various effects and patterns are produced by extra warp threads or
whip threads traversing horizontally across the ground ends, each such traverse forming one float of a figure which
is built entirely from a succession of these transverse laps with the aid of needle bar.
Here two obvious points are,
(1) the fabric is woven face side down ;
(2) no interlacing of the float is possible in the middle of its traverse. The float can be bound only at each extremity.
This clearly imposes a certain limit on the extent of each traverse, but this is also imposed in ordinary
weaving as far as the permissible length of free float is concerned. From this description it will become clear that two
distinct and independent movements of the whip thread are necessary—the horizontal or figuring movement which
produces the float, and, at the end of each traverse, a vertical or stitching movement which binds this float to the
ground cloth and thus determines its extent and position.
 How to weave Lappet Fabric/Lappet weaving principle?
Whip threads or figuring threads are controlled by needle bar of shifter bar between the open reed and fell with
the amount of side traverse given to the needle bar being controlled by a pattern wheel.

Two Basic movement of whip thread

Figuring movement control:
Whip threads are drawn through extra-warp shedding
element needle bar. Fixed Needle bar on shifter bar gets
horizontal traverse movement from strap S and treadles T
of tappet. The maximum traverse stroke is about 10 cm
and patterning mechanism controls the required traverse
length within this limit e.g. 4 cm or 5 cm etc.
Pattern wheel groove H is the pattern track for peck or
feeler E attached with shifter bar to control traverse
movement. When the peck is stopped by the pattern
groove wall, the weighted treadle lever is prevented from
following the diminishing diameter of the tappet and
hangs suspended on its leather strap. Each tooth controls
two picks and two traverse of the peck. Here maximum 4
needle bars can be used for 4 separate pattern design.
Stitching movement control:
Needle bar D of shifter bar can move vertically
with the help of lifting lever L. At the end of each
horizontal traverse the whip thread will normally
proceed above the ground warp line in order to be
stitched to what will finally become the underside
of the fabric. The lifting rods are also quite free to
move up and lift the needle bars so that the whip
threads are forced into the upper shed line, the
shuttle passing under them, in this way stitching
the extra thread to the upper side of the cloth.
Normally the whip threads are raised after every
pick.
 Lappet Weaving Features

Features of Lappet Weaving:

1. It is warp figuring fabric
2. Figuring thread moves in warp direction
3. Figuring thread is moved by a shifter bar needle and needle bar mechanism
4. Whip threads come from a separate warp yarn beam or package
5. Multicolor designs across the width can be produced by using warp beam of the designed colors
6. Traverse stroke length maximum 10 cm
7. Whip threads are closely attached with the fabric and stitched at each end of traverse.
 Swivel Fabric Weaving
The fabric in which figure is achieved by the introduction of additional weft thread is fed from a series of small
shuttles mounted over the top of the weaving surface.

The swivel weave is the method by which decorative effects, such as dots, circles, or other figures, are
interwoven on the surface of a fabric while it is being constructed on the Ioom. The weaving of the design
requires an extra filling yarn and additional small shuttles or insertion devices. A separate shed is made for
them. While the fabric is being constructed, the row of small shuttles drops across the width of the loom, and
each inter weaves its separate design with a circular motion on a small area of the warp.

The swivel process permits the weaving of different colours in the same row because each figure has its own
shuttle; however, each column consists of repeats of the same colour. In fabrics with small designs, the swivel
can produce prominent, raised figures with very Iittle additional yarn. The pattern yarn is fastened securely as
each figure is completed, and it cannot pullout without severely damaging the fabric.
 How to weave swivel Fabric/swivel weaving principle?

Swivel design is composed of horizontal floats lapping from one end of the figure to another and the
float can be interlaced in the middle of its traverse in any desired order.
The fabric is again woven face side down, and though the swivel thread again receives the
two principal movements—across to figure and up to stitch.

The swivel wefts are wound on small bobbins which are placed in shuttles 2-3-in. in length. These
shuttles are carried in a swivel frame attached to the sley cap. When ground weft picks are introduced
from ordinary shuttles, the frame is kept above the ground warp with the swivel shuttles well clear of
the top shed. After each ground pick a shed is formed for the swivel yarn. The frame is lowered and the
raised ground ends fit into the recesses between the shuttle holders. The shuttle holders are, therefore,
lowered into empty portions where all the ground ends have been left in the bottom shed line. Whilst in
this position the swivel shuttles are passed from one holder to another underneath the raised positions
of the shed, leaving a trail of weft in their wake, and this produces one figuring float. Any interlacing
can be easily formed in the middle of the float because some ends in the top shed line can be dropped
without any interference with the passage of the small shuttles. Having in this way introduced the extra
weft picks, the frame will withdraw upwards, a plain shed will be produced, and an ordinary pick of
weft will be inserted, beating up the swivel trails. The upward movement of the frame constitutes the
stitching sequence in this method of weaving.
From this description two things at least should be clear :
(1) No ordinary picks of weft can be inserted whilst the swivel frame is down, and therefore the
picking is of a pick-at-will type controlled from the Jacquard.
(2) Take-up must be of an intermittent type again controlled from the Jacquard, so that the cloth is
not moved forward after the extra weft picks.
The shuttle traverse may be controlled by a variety
of mechanisms, the rack-and-pinion arrangement
being most common (attached Figure ). A long rack
at the back extends through the full length of the
frame and its movement is controlled by levers
operated from a Jacquard. This rack is capable of
rotating small pinions, one in each shuttle holder.
The pinions in turn operate against corresponding
racks at the back of the swivel shuttles. A pinion in
one holder in full contact with the shuttle rack will
cause the shuttle to move out of its holder and to
traverse into the next. Just before the first pinion
loses control of the shuttle, the pinion in the next
holder catches it and pulls it through, so that the
shuttle is always under positive control. In the next
series of swivel picks, the rack is operated in the
opposite direction and the shuttles return to their
original holders, in this way laying the opposite
traverse of weft. Other mechanisms, such as circular
track and pusher rod, can also be employed.
 Swivel fabric features

Swivel fabric features:

1. It is weft figuring fabric
2. Here figures are produced by discontinuous yarn
3. Figuring threads are known as swivel thread which is parallel to the ground weft
4. Normally no links between spot design
5. Face side float design
6. Multicolor spot design can be produced across the width of the fabric as well as
in each longitudinal lines
7. Fly shuttle is also used with swivel shuttle
8. Normally it is used for saree.
What is the difference between lappet and
swivel fabric?

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