Doubling (textiles)

Yarn may be doubled to produce warp for weaving, to make cotton for lace, crochet and knitting.

Carding combs the tangled lap into a thick rope or sliver of 1/2 inch in diameter, and removes the shorter fibres creating a stronger yarn.

During the carding process the staples are separated and then assembled into a loose strand (sliver or tow).

Repeated drawing decreases the quality of the sliver drastically, disabling finer counts from being spun.

The rovings are collected in a drum and proceed to the slubbing frame which adds twist, and winds onto bobbins.

The Derby Doubler was patented by Evan Leigh of Ashton-under-Lyne (21 December 1810 – 2 February 1876) and, though superseded, still continued in service in condensing coarse counts.

The process here is similar to that found in one of Arkwrights Water frames, though the size of the ring, spindle and traveller are predictably larger.

[10] High quality doubling depended on keeping the tension correct and feeding the produced thread evenly and tightly on a bobbin or flangeless paper tubes [11]