Weaving Loom Parts

1. Wood frame The wood frame is the skeleton of the loom and holds all the components together.

2. Seat for weaver Seat is for the weaver to be comfortable while weaving.

3. Warp beam- let off This is where the warp strings are stored.

4. Warp threads Warp threads are the threads that run vertical on a loom.

5. Back beam or platen A platen (or platten) is typically a flat metal (or earlier, wooden) plate pressed against a medium (such as string) to cause friction and feeds the strings into position.

6. Rods – used to make a shed Used to keep the cross in the threads and add tension to the strings (separates the strings)

7. Heddle frame A heddle is an integral part of a loom. Each thread in the warp passes through a heddle, which is used to separate the warp threads for the passage of the weft. The typical heddle is made of cord or wire, and is suspended on a of a loom.

8. Heddle- the eye Each heddle has an eye in the center where the warp is threaded through. As there is one heddle for each thread of the warp, there can be near a thousand heddles used for fine or wide warps.

Close up view of Heddles

9. Shuttle with weft yarn A shuttle is a tool designed to neatly and compactly store weft yarn while weaving. Shuttles are thrown or passed back and forth through the shed, between the yarn threads of the warp in order to weave in the weft.

10. Shed The term shedding refers to the action of creating a shed. A shedding device is the device used to raise or open the shed. Creating the separation is referred to as raising or opening the shed, while the reverse is known as lowering or closing the shed.

11. Completed fabric The fabric that has passed through the reed/beater bar on it’s way to be stored on the take off bar.

12. Breast beam Used to stop the beater bar from hitting the frame. Used in combination with the beater bar to pound warp string into place.

13. Beater Bar- Batten with reed comb A beater is a weaving tool designed to push the weft yarn securely into place. It holds the reed.

14. Batten adjustment Loom beaters typically take the form of a bar mounted across the loom. The actual beating is done by a metal insert known as a reed, which contains a number of slots, known as dents, which the warp threads pass through. This is the more common form, as floor looms and mechanized looms both use a beater with a reed.

15. Lathe Holds the reed. A reed is part of a loom, and resembles a comb. It is used to push the weft yarn securely into place as it is woven, separates the threads and keeps them in their positions, keeping them untangled, and guides the shuttle as it moves across the loom. It consists of a frame with lots of vertical slits. The reed is located inside the beater.

16. Treadles A treadle [from OE tredan = to tread] is a part of a machine which is operated by the foot to produce reciprocating or rotary motion in a machine such as a weaving loom (reciprocating).

17. Cloth roll- takeup This is where the cloth is stored until it is cut off the loom.