Spring
Instructions for assembly
The parallel countermarch system .................................................................................................... 1
Spring assembly tips and information ............................................................................................... 3
Assembly of the Spring ..................................................................................................................... 5
Maintenance ................................................................................................................................... 17
Version: Spring-V5
1
The parallel countermarch system
In a countermarch loom, every shaft is actively
involved in each shed: Each shaft is either lifted
or pulled down by each treadle.
Uneven sheds, for example a satin weave
shed, where four shafts are lifted and one is
pulled down, open cleanly every time. The warp
ends on the fifth shaft do not tend to ride up as
they often do with jack looms.
When the shed is made, the same tension is
applied to the raised ends as to the lowered
ones, resulting in the best shed in relation to the
increase of the warp tension.
Traditional countermarch system
Look at the diagram to help you understand
how a countermarch loom works. The points
marked S are the pivoting points for the lams C
and D and the jacks E.
You will see that beneath each shaft, there are
two lams associated with it. One of those lams
is directly connected to the shaft and moves in
the same direction as it does: when this lam is
pulled down, the shaft moves down. When the
other lam is pulled down, the shaft rises.
Parallel countermarch
Each shaft is attached to a cord, which goes
over all six rollers. The ends of the cord are
joined, so the cord forms a continuous loop.
When treadle A is pressed down, the lower lam
C, attached to the outside part of the cord,
moves downward, pulling the shaft F up. When
treadle B is pressed down, the upper lam D
attached to the inside part of the cord, goes
down, pulling the shaft with it.
Compared to the traditional countermarch, the
parallel countermarch has five nice features:
1. In contrast to the traditional countermarch,
the lams of the parallel countermarch stay
horizontal, while moving the same distance
as the shafts. This means that the action of
all treadles is the same, not depending on
their location in the width of the loom.
2. The parallel countermarch system is more
compactly constructed, because the action
space the lams need is less than pivoting
lams and the rollers at the top take less
space than jacks.
3. Shaft bars and lams cannot slant. Their
ends are fixed to the cord and when the
cord moves, all parts of the cord have to
move the same distance.
4. There is no tie-up to the middle of the lower
shaft bars, so the heddles can be moved
freely over the shafts.
5. There are no cords, connecting the lams to
jacks, running through the middle of the
warp
Because each treadle is tied to one of the lams
of each shaft, twice as many tie-ups per treadle
must be made, on the average, compared to
looms with another system.
Before the advent of Texsolv cord, the time
required to tie up a countermarch loom was
2
daunting. Once the ties were made, there were
still problems as knots slipped or had to be
untied to adjust the cords. Fortunately this
drudgery is a thing of the past. The Texsolv
cords neither stretch nor require knots. The
Texsolv tie-up cords are attached to the lams
and can be simply hooked onto the treadles.
Changing the tie-up is easy and fast.
To improve the countermarch shed, to offer the
best shed a shaft action system can provide,
Louët invented an action system for another
part of the loom that holds the warp:
The moving breast beam, controlling the
warp tension
The moving breast beam allows the shafts to
move more easily in their opposite directions.
Looking at the diagram that shows the loom
from the side, you will see that a shed is giving
the warp a kind of parallelogram shape.
Imagine, the warp is made of inelastic material,
like metal wire, you will understand that making
a shed is only possible if the distance between
breast beam and back beam becomes smaller.
When this distance is fixed, as it is on other
looms, the shed depends completely on the
elasticity of the warp. When the shed becomes
wider, the tension on the yarns increases
(enormously, in case of a less elastic warp).
That causes heavy treadling and may damage
the warp.
The moving breast beam is held by springs,
adjustable to give your warp the tension needed
for your project. Besides improvement of the
shed and protection of the warp, the springs
guarantee exactly the same warp tension each
time you have to advance the fabric.
The Texsolv system
Texsolv cord and heddles are Swedish
products, crocheted out of polyester yarn.
Cotton heddles have the advantage of being
silent in use. Metal heddles, flat or wire, have
the advantage of having open eyes. Texsolv
heddles combine these features. A bundle of
Texsolv heddles is a continuous line of 100
heddles folded into a zigzag. Each bundle is
fastened in four places. These ties make it easy
to pass the shaft bars through the upper and
lower loop of the heddles. Do not remove the
ties from the bundles, until the heddles have
been slipped onto the shaft bars or the loops of
the bundles are inserted by sticks, to protect the
heddles from becoming entangled.
If you need to remove heddles from a shaft, first
tie them as they were originally. Use a pair of
sharp scissors to cut the heddles apart.
Texsolv cord consists of two cords, which are
connected every 12 mm, forming loops in
between. If needed, the cord should be cut
between two loops. To prevent unraveling, the
ends should be singed. Be careful not to overdo
the melting and be aware that melted polyester
is very hot and will burn the skin.
By mentioning the first or last loop in these
instructions, the loop is meant, next to the one
where the cord is cut, because when that loop
remains after cutting, it has no strength and
should not be used.
3
Spring assembly tips and information
Barrel nuts
For the assembly of the looms, we use barrel
nuts and bolts or threaded ends to connect two
parts. These cylinder shaped nuts have a slot
on one of the flat sides. Always insert the barrel
nut into the wooden part, so that the slot in the
barrel nut is visible. The slot shows the direction
of the threaded hole in the nut. With a flat
screwdriver you can turn the barrel nut so that it
is positioned properly to catch the bolt. If you
have a problem inserting the bolt into the barrel
nut, try turning the barrel nut 180 degrees. This
usually helps.
Carriage bolts
In other locations, we use carriage bolt to
assemble wooden parts. These bolts have a
square enlargement (neck) under the bolt head.
When you tighten the nut on the bolt, this
square neck locks into the wood to prevent the
bolt from turning. In some instances, you will
notice, that the bolt is just a little too short for
assembly with the washer and nut. We advise
you to put the nut on the bolt without the
washer, and then tighten the nut sufficiently, so
that the square neck pulls into the wood. At this
stage, unscrew the nut, install the washer and
then replace and secure the nut again, tightly.
Alternatively, you can carefully tap against the
bolt head with a hammer, until the bolt head is
secured into the wood.
Washers and spacers
For the proper operation of the loom, it is very
important that you follow the correct assembly
sequence of the bolts, washers and spacers.
Please carefully follow the instructions.
To help you, we have assembled all the
washers and spacers in the hardware bags in
the right sequence.
Wood screws
Where wood screws are used, we have predrilled holes in the wood. The screws will cut
their own thread into these holes. Please note
however, that the screws are very sharp, and
will cut into the full wood outside the pre-drilled
holes, if you miss the pre-drilled hole during
assembly. However if this happens, you will
notice that after a couple of turns, it becomes
very hard to turn the screw. There is even a
chance that the screw will twist off. Moreover,
the parts will be assembled in the wrong
location.
If you have to assemble and disassemble the
loom several times, make sure that the wood
screw turns in the same thread again which
was cut the first time. If you do not follow this
instruction, the hole in the wood will become too
large for the screw. To find this screw thread,
turn the screw anti clock wise, until you "feel"
the screw "drop" into the threaded part in the
wood.
Tools
All parts used for the loom are metric. To
facilitate the assembly, we have included two
wrenches (10 mm for M6, 13 mm for M8), a
socket-head screw wrench and a pz2 cross
head screwdriver (not a Phillips head!).
4
List of parts
In box A:
Assembled middle part and a second box
containing, see picture:
1. 10 treadles
2. 2 beater supports (L=R)
3. 2 floating arms (L=R)
4. brake handle
5. 2 base sides (L+R)
6. 2 middle side pieces (L+R)
7. 2 top side pieces (L=R)
8. 2 warp beam supports (L+R)
9. locking pin
10. brake disc
11. cloth beam lever
12. beater handle
Not shown on the picture:
− hardware bags 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and extra.
− 54 long and 54 short tie-up cords for the
treadles.
− 8 x 100 Texsolv heddles 39 cm.
In box B:
• lower reed holder
• upper reed holder
• cloth beam
• warp beam
• breast beam
• back beam and foot rail (attached to the
middle part in box A)
• shelf bottom
• reed (attached to the lams in Box A)
• 2 apron bars
• 2 cross sticks
• 16 warp sticks
5
Assembly of the Spring
Place the already assembled middle part of the
loom, with its black buffers on the floor. Don’t
worry about the look of the top side pieces; they
are attachments to keep parts in place and will
be replaced during assembly.
Open hardware bag 1:
− a pz2 cross head screwdriver
− wrenches 10 en 13 mm
− socket-head screw wrench
− 2 buffers
− 2 screws 4 x 25 mm
− 4 threaded ends M6 with a socket nut and a
barrel nut
− 6 screws 5 x 50 mm
− bracket
− 2 carriage bolts M6 x 100 mm with washer
and wingnut
− 2 screw eyes
Screw the buffers onto the bottom side of both
base side pieces.
Mount the base and the middle side pieces onto
the middle part:
These rails are marked A, B, C and D, which
indicates where they are to be mounted onto
the middle part.
Unscrew the barrel nuts from four of the
threaded ends, but leave the socket-head nuts
on. Insert these threaded ends from the back
side through the holes in the middle part, where
the side pieces have to be assembled.
Insert the barrel nuts into the holes of the side
pieces.
The barrel nuts have to face the inside of the
loom.
Fasten the side parts with the socket-head
screw wrench.
6
Replace the top side pieces one by one:
Remove the two screws that hold the front rail.
Unscrew the socket-head nut and remove the
side piece. If the threaded end remained in the
barrel nut, take it out and take the barrel nut out
too.
Insert the barrel nut into the new top side piece
and assemble it in the reversed sequence, the
barrel nut facing the inside.
Screwing the side piece to the front rail it is
important to find the thread that is cut in the
hole the first time: Lift the front rail and find its
hole with the tip of the screw. Now turn the
screw anti clock wise while giving some
pressure. You will feel and hear when the screw
falls in the original thread and you can screw it
in, which should easily.
Repeat the procedure at the other side of the
loom. Slip the shelf bottom into the slot of the
front rail (you may need to loosen the screws at
the side pieces one turn).
Slip the shelf bottom into the slot of the front
rail. You may need to loosen the screws at the
side parts one turn.
Fasten the shelf front to the top side pieces,
using two of the 50 mm screws.
7
Assembly of the back section of the loom
Take the warp beam, the back beam and the
two warp beam supports and place them
together as shown on the picture. Insert the
shaft of the warp beam through the right
support and slide the left support onto the other
end of the warp beam.
Attach the supports to the back beam with the
remaining 50 mm screws. At the right side you
have to use these screws to attach the metal
bracket.
Screw the two 4 x 25 mm screws a few turns
into the main uprights at the level of the holes in
where the back part will be attached. The
uprights are identical so you will find one pilot
hole at the inside and one at the outside of the
loom.
Place the back part in its location by inserting
the polyurethane dowels into the holes at the
rear of the loom.
Secure the polyurethane dowels by screwing
the screws completely into the uprights, while
holding the back part in a position that let the
dowel in completely.
8
Take the two carriage bolts with washer and
wing nut and secure the back part as shown on
the picture.
When the loom is not in use, you can fold the
back part of the loom after removing the wing
nuts and washers again.
Screw the two screw eyes into the pilot holes at
the backside of the warp beam supports. If you
are used to leaving the lease sticks in the warp,
attach them to these eyelets.
Assembly of the foot rail and treadles
Open hardware bag 2:
− 80 screws 4 x 17 mm
− 4 screws 5 x 50 mm
− 6 screws 6 x 70 mm
− 5 axles Ø6 x 122 mm
− 5 nylon spacer bushings
− 6 axle support blocks
Screw the small screws into eight holes of each
treadle, so far that the screw heads protrude
approximately 5 mm (3/16”) from the wood. The
thread of the screws should just disappear into
the wood.
Use the eight holes closest to the end of the
treadle; the other four holes are to be used for
an extension to twelve shafts.
Place the foot rail upside down (pilot holes up)
on the floor in front of the loom.
Assemble the treadles onto the foot rail. The
screw heads on the treadles should point to the
right.
Slide two treadles with a nylon bushing in
between on each axle. Use the axle suspension
blocks and the big screws to assemble these
pairs of treadles to the foot rail. On each side,
one pilot hole on the foot rail should not be
used, unless you are assembling four more
treadles of an extension to twelve shafts.
9
Turn the foot rail upside up again and connect it
with the four remaining screws to the base side
pieces.
Mounting the floating arms
Open hardware bag 3:
− 2 carriage bolts M8 x 60 mm with big
washer, bushing, small washer and cap nut
− 7 screws 4 x 17 mm
− 2 spring with a piece of Texsolv cord
− 2 short Texsolv cords
− 1 ratchet for the cloth beam
− 1 screw 4,5 x 20 mm round head
− 8 beam cords.
Take the wooden posts, recognizable for the
steel rod at the end. These floating arms will
hold the moving breast beam.
Tap the carriage bolts into the holes.
Slide the large washer and spacer bushing,
over the carriage bolt and attach the floating
arms at the inside of the middle side pieces of
the loom.
Use the small washers and cap nuts to finish
the assembly by strongly tightening the cap
nuts.
Screw four of the small screws into the pilot
holes at both sides at the bottom of the floating
arms and a small screw at the inside of the
base side pieces. The heads of these six
screws have to protrude about 5 mm (3/16”).
Hook on the springs to the screw eyes on the
back at the top of the middle part.
Bring the attached cords down through the
screw eyes at the bottom of the main upright
and lead them along the roller.
10
Attach the free ends of these cords onto the
screw heads at the inside of the floating arms.
Use the short Texsolv cords to connect the
screw heads at the outside of the floating arms
and the inside of the base side pieces.
Installing the cloth beam
Slide the cloth beam lever onto the cloth beam
and make sure that the ratchet is on the right
side of the ratchet wheel.
Install the cloth beam with the wooden end into
the hole of the right middle side piece and the
metal end into the circular groove of the left
side piece. You will need to push the side
pieces apart to install the cloth beam in
between.
Attach the cord of the lever with the remaining
4 x 17 mm screw onto the side piece.
Use the 4.5 x 20 mm screw to attach the ratchet
onto the side piece. The ratchet has to turn
freely, so don’t fasten it too much.
If the ratchet on the lever is falling to the wrong
side while advancing the cloth beam you need
to shorten the cord one or two cord loops
Attach the beam cords onto the screw heads of
the cloth beam and the warp beam.
Assembly of the beater
Open hard ware bag 4:
− 2 beater hinges
− 2 buffers
− 2 bolts M6 x 70 mm with washer and barrel
nut
− 2 lag bolts 8 x 90 mm
− 2 spacer bushings 33 mm
− 4 washers
− 2 carriage bolts M6 x 80 mm with washer
and wing nut.
− 1 locking pin
− 3 strips of thin cardboard
11
Remove the reed from its location between the
lams by taking away the tie straps. You can cut
them but you can also lift the small ratchet
inside with the tip of a knife so they can be used
again.
Insert the locking pin into the hole in the top rail
and through the marked cord loops. Now the
shaft bars and lams are fixed in their neutral
position.
Turn the beater hinges into the bottom of the
uprights.
Connect the lower reed holder (the one with the
slanted side) to the uprights: Place the barrel
nut into the hole on the end of the lower reed
tray. Slide the upright with the notch over the
lower reed tray. Place the bolt with washer in
the hole and screw it into the barrel nut. Tighten
the bolt and, in the same way, assemble the
other upright on the other side of the reed
holder.
Screw the buffers into the holes at the sides of
the loom, see picture. If your loom has twelve
shafts you need to use the other hole you see
on the picture.
12
Place the assembly of uprights and lower reed
tray into the loom. First guide one hinge along
the side rail and then the other one. Put the
hinges into the openings in the base side
pieces.
Assemble the handle to the upper reed
holder
Slide a washer over the lag bolts and then put
them through the holes in the upper reed
holder.
Next slide another washer and a spacer
bushing over the lag bolts.
Hold the handle with the holes over the points
of the lag bolts and then tighten the bolts so far
that the spacer bushings are tightened slightly
into the handle.
Assemble the upper reed holder with carriage
bolts, washers and wing nuts. Insure that the
washers rest under the wing nuts and not
between upright and reed holder.
Fasten the wing nuts, while you keep the top
reed holder parallel to the lower one. You can
also do this by placing a reed in between. After
each tap on the bolt head you turn the wing nut
tight again until the square part of the head is
completely pressed into the wood.
Move the beater backwards, so it rests against
the buffers at the sides of the loom.
Now we will check if the beater is even and
make a correction if necessary. First check if
the hinges protrude the same distance from the
bottom of the uprights. Take the beater by its
handle and pull it towards you, one or two
inches.
If the beater is even, both uprights will leave the
buffers at the same moment and also tough the
buffers at the same time when you let the
beater go back and rest against them.
If this is not the case, the beater is not even and
you will correct that with the small cardboard
strips from the hardware bag.
The upright that leaves the buffer latest when
you pull the beater, is the one that needs one or
more cardboard strips in its slit connection with
the lower reed holder.
Unscrew the M6 bolt several turns, so that
some play is created in this connection.
13
Slide a cardboard strip completely into the slit at
the bottom and fasten the M6 bolt again.
Check if the beater is even now, and if not, use
one or two more strips in the slit.
Assembly of the brake of the warp beam
Open hardware bag 5:
− 1 wooden dowel
− 2 screws 4 x 35 mm
− 1 carriage bolt M8 x 55 mm with 4 washers,
bushing, 1 washer and a cap nut
− 1 threaded hook with a knurled nut
− 1 lag bolt 6 x 30 mm.
− 1 ratchet
− 1 screw 4,5 x 20mm
− 1 spring
Slide the brake disc over the wooden end of the
warp beam and fasten it with the dowel and the
two screws 4 x 35 mm.
Screw the lag bolt 6 x 30 mm into the pilot hole
in the warp beam support, just so far that the
thread of the bolt disappears into the wood.
Hang the spring onto the head of this lag bolt.
Tap the carriage bolt into the hole of the lever
from the side that is curved and slip on four
washers and the bushing.
Hook the spring onto the hook of the lever.
Insert the lever with the carriage bolt and the
bushing through the hole in the warp beam
support.
Complete this assembly with the last washer
and by tightening the cap nut.
Attach the threaded hook and the knurled nut to
the bracket as shown on the picture.
Guide the cable two turns around the brake disc
and insure that the turns don’t cross each other.
Slip the eye of the cable onto the threaded
hook, while you lift the lever.
With the knurled nut you can adjust the position
of the brake lever, which should be about
horizontal. Lift the lever with your knee to
release the tension while you turn the knurled
nut.
14
Tying the treadles
In hardware bag 6 you will find shorter and
longer tie-up cords for the treadles.
The tie-up cords are pre-cut in the correct
lengths. The longer cords should be used to
connect the upper lams to the treadles, the
shorter cords should be used to tie the lower
lams.
If a shaft is tied to a treadle by means of its
upper lam, the treadle will pull the shaft down,
so the tie-ups to the upper lams correspond to
the X marks of a weaving draft. If a lower lam is
tied to a treadle, the treadle will lift its shaft up,
so these tie-ups correspond to the O marks.
Tying-up a countermarch loom, using a
weaving draft for a singular tie-up, that only
shows X marks, the blank squares are the
tie-ups to the lower lams and the other way
around, if the weaving draft is showing only O
marks, the blank squares are the tie-ups to the
upper lams.
First make the tie-ups to the upper lams. Loop
the cord around the lam and pass one end
through the last loop (see page 2) in the other
end. Tighten it after the cord is positioned in the
groove in the lam, right above the treadle to be
tied.
The tie-up cords of the upper lams have to pass
the lower lams. As a rule these cords pass
behind of the lower lam, associated with the
same shaft. That will help you to avoid the error
of tying-up both the lams of a shaft to the same
treadle: In front of each cord passing the lower
lams, the groove in the lower lam should not be
used for a tie-up.
The cords should be tied to the screw heads on
a treadle in a sequence, corresponding to the
shafts.
Tie the lower lams to the treadles: Each groove
in the lower lams that is not past behind by a
cord should be tied to the screw head on the
treadle right below.
When all the tie-ups are made, check if all the
cords are about the same tightness. If there are
big differences, you probably misjudged which
loop was the last loop of one or more cords.
Another cause may be that one or more lam is
not fixed to the right level (see next subject).
All shafts will be tied to all treadles used, some
to rise and some to fall. If you want to change
the tie-up, only unhook the cords from the
screw heads and slide the cord over the lam to
the groove where you need it. On some lams
you will need to add more cords, on some lams
they will be left over. You may leave that cords
looped over the lams at the sides.
Adjusting the shaft bars and lams
Shafts and lams are already adjusted of the
correct height. They may need a correction
after some time.
You can check the correct level after putting the
locking pin into the hole at the top of the castle
and through the marked loops of the parallel
cords. Now the whole system is locked in its
neutral position. If the marks on the cords fade,
mark them again with a felt pen.
The adjustment of shaft bars and lams can be
done in steps of 12 mm, by clicking them into
next loop of the cord. For finer adjustment you
have to turn the white nut that adjusts the hook,
attached to the cord.
15
The correct height of shafts and lams is easy to
understand and therefore easy to keep in mind:
In their neutral position the shafts have to be
fixed at the height that the warp on the loom
passes through the middle of the heddle eyes.
The distance between the shaft bars should be
far enough to keep the heddles stretched, but
remain moveable along the bars.
The lams should be at such a height, that their
tie-ups to the treadles keep the treadles in an
angle whereby the row of screw heads is
horizontal.
The difference in height of the upper and lower
lam has to correspond to the difference in
length of the tie-up cords to the treadles.
Adding or removing heddles
If you need to add heddles to a shaft, pull the
hook that connects the upper shaft bar to the
cord, out of its cord loop. Slip over a bundle of
heddles and push the hook back into the same
loop again. Repeat this with the lower shaft bar,
but untie the bundle before you attach the lower
bar into the cord again.
Naturally, reverse the steps to remove heddles
and don’t forget to tie them together at four
places, right after you release the tension by
unhooking the lower shaft bar.
If your warp doesn't need the whole weaving
width of the loom, you can leave the heddles
that you don't use on the shafts at the sides.
Clicking the hook out or into the cord is easier
after you release its tension by taking the cord
out of one or two rollers at the castle top. By
releasing the tension this way, the whole cord
changes place a bit and you have to pay
attention to use the same loop, pushing in the
hook again. The potential error shows up when
you replace the cord onto the rollers: The shaft
bar differs in level. To avoid errors you could
mark the loop with a felt pen.
The cross sticks
If you are used to leaving the cross sticks in
your warp while weaving, the cross sticks
should be tied to the screw eyes at the back of
the warp beam supports. By doing this, you will
avoid the lease sticks following the warp toward
the shafts, when you advance the fabric.
Cross sticks in between the back beam and
shafts reduce the usable depth of your loom.
The raddle
The plastic raddle strip on top of the castle has
2 dents to 1 cm (5 dents to the inch).
Because the raddle is built up from 10 cm strips
with half an opening at each end, you will lack
one opening for a loom wide warp. In that
situation you have to add some more warp
ends into the openings at the outside.
The middle of the raddle is marked as a guide
for starting to thread the warp.
Threading through
The warp always should be threaded through
the heddles of at least four shafts. Using only
two shafts for a tabby, you will overload the
shaft bars and lams. Lock the shafts, not in use,
in their neutral position.
Tying the warp to the beams
The apron rods are marked at the spots where
the cords have to be attached. The diagram
shows the usual loop to do this.
After the warp is threaded through the heddles
and the reed, the warp ends have to be tied to
the apron rod of the cloth beam. For this job the
breast beam should be blocked, otherwise it is
impossible to get an even tension on all warp
ends: Every time you tighten a bundle of
threads, the breast will move and release all the
other warp ends. When you take the spring
cords off the floating arms, the short cords you
installed to connect the arms to the loom will
block the breast beam.
16
Adjusting the warp tension
Release the warp tension after you have tied
the warp to the apron rod of the cloth beam, by
lifting the brake lever of the warp beam.
By attaching the spring cords to the screw
heads at the floating arms you can adjust the
tension on the warp: The tighter you tension the
cord, the more tension you will get on the warp.
Be sure to adjust about the same tension on
both sides.
The warp tension should always be judged with
the floating arms in the vertical position. The
arms move to the front when you advance the
cloth beam, and move backwards when you lift
the brake lever.
To advance the fabric while weaving, first lift the
brake lever. Due to the springs, the breast
beam moving toward to you, will pull some warp
from the warp beam. Advancing the fabric using
the cloth beam lever, you will bring the floating
arms back in their vertical position. Now the
moving breast beam demonstrates its other
feature: The warp tension is automatically the
same as it was before you advanced the fabric.
If you advance the fabric too far, first you have
to release the warp tension by lifting the brake
lever, than you can take both the ratchets out of
the ratchet wheel of the cloth beam. Turn the
cloth beam back and put in the ratchets again.
Now stand at the side of the loom and lift the
brake lever turning the warp beam backwards.
Adjusting the height of the beater
The beater hinges are screwed with their
threaded ends into the bottom of the beater
supports. This construction allows you to adjust
the beater level: Turn the beater hinges in- or
outwards. The beater height should be
adjusted, so that the lower shed just touches
the lower beater bar. So if you use a smaller
shuttle for fine yarn, you may adjust the beater
a bit higher, because a big shed is not needed.
Always be sure that the beater has the same
height at both sides. You can check this by
making a shed and watching the lower warp
ends touch the lower beater bar.
Folding the back section
To fold up the back section of your Spring, you
have to remove the wing nuts and washers at
the bottom of the warp beam supports.
If there is a warp on the loom, you can keep it
folded by the tension of the warp. In the other
case you have to tie the back section to the
main upright of the loom.
Folded, you can move the Spring through most
doors.
17
Maintenance
Your Spring loom is easy to maintain. One
month after you assembled it, retighten screws,
bolts and nuts of the construction, including the
part that was already assembled. Thereafter,
check all bolts, screws and nuts once a year.
Check points for proper functioning of your
Spring loom
− Check the level of the shafts, lams and
treadles, while the parallel cords are locked
by the pin in their marked loops.
− Check that the parallel cords run through
the grooves in the black plastic ends of the
lams and shaft bars.
− Check that both the spring cords run in the
grooves of their rollers.
− Check that the washers are underneath the
wing nuts, where the top beater bar is
attached to the supports. If the washer is
located in between the beater bar and the
support, it will make the beater unstable and
the wing nut will damage the wood.
When things do not work smoothly
The shed is poor or hard to make.
May be caused by:
− The treadles are tied too high or too low.
− The lams aren't adjusted at the right level.
− The beater is adjusted too high.
− The lease sticks are in the warp between
the shafts and the back beam.
− The fabric should be advanced.
− The tie-up cords to the treadles cross each
other.
A treadle cannot be pushed down.
May be caused by:
− The locking pin is still in the parallel cords.
− An error in tying-up the treadle: The treadle
is tied-up to both the upper and lower lam of
the same shaft.
During tying the warp to the apron bar of the
cloth beam, the tension on the warp stays
irregular.
May be caused by:
− The spring cords have not been unhooked
from the screw eyes of the floating arms.
− One of the extenders is not fixed onto its
support.
− The brake cable doesn't run properly over
the brake disc or the cable needs to be
tightened.
− One of the short cords doesn't block the
floating arm.
The warp wouldn’t come off from the warp
beam.
May be caused by:
− The brake lever has to be lifted further.
− The brake lever is adjusted too high:
release the cable a bit.
− While weaving with a very low warp tension,
the warp wouldn't pass the cross sticks:
Take them out. If that doesn't solve the
problem, you have to beam the warp beam
by hand, while lifting the brake lever.
The cloth is slanted.
May be caused by:
− One of the wing nuts that hold the warp
beam supports came lose.
− The beater is not adjusted on the same
level at both sides.
− The tension of the springs is not the same
on both sides.
− One of the spring cords has slipped of the
roller.
The cloth cannot be advanced.
May be caused by:
− One of the ratchets of the cloth beam is not
in the ratchet wheel.
− The apron bar of the cloth beam is caught
on one of the floating arms.
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