A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921.
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ORDER XII.—TEXTILE WORKERS

Sub-order 1.—Textile Workers

367.—Winders (not Silk), Reelers (not Silk), Beamers, Warpers



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baller (cotton yarn or thread), cotton baller ; yarn baller (cotton), ball winder (thread)
attaches cotton yarn or thread to cap of balling machine, round which ball is to be wound; starts machine; takes off ball when it is finished.
baller, warp ; warp folder
twists yarn, as received from mill warping machine, into balls, winding round the hand and tucking in any loose ends; balls are then sent to be sized.
baller, yarn (cotton)
see baller (cotton yarn or thread).
baller, yarn (woollen); woollen yarn baller
minds a balling frame, which winds woollen yarn for hosiery, etc., into balls; guides yarn through frame to flyer and spindle, which wind up yarn; frame stops automatically when balls reach required weight.
ball maker-up, cotton
a section beamer q.v. who, after winding, removes yarn and makes it up into ball, as ball warp.
ballooner, balloon minder
a warper q.v. who winds threads on a drum, called a balloon.
beamer ; beaming machine minder, beam warper beam winder machine warper (silk), runner-off, warp beamer, warping machine minder, warping minder
minds beaming machine, which winds warp yarns from bobbins on to revolving beams, i.e. larger bobbins, in preparation for warp dressing process; or from one set of beams, or from sectional or chain warps, on to weaver's beam, in preparation for weaving or for lace making; places one or more beams in supports of machine; guides each separate thread through guide eyes, or through a comb or feed, to keep it in position while it is being wound on to beam; sets machine in motion; stops machine when beams are full, and removes full beams; sometimes also keeps creels attached to machine supplied with bobbins full of yarn.
beamer, chain
a beamer q.v. who winds yarn in chain form (like a loose rope) on to beams.
beamer, lace ; machine lace beamer
as for beamer; cf. warper (lace).
beamer, Scotch ; Scotch dresser
winds coloured yarns on to beams, which are afterwards placed on creel of dry taping machine, and combined together, or re-united, on weaver's beam.
beamer, section
places bobbins of yarn in frame; guides yarn to circular blocks of wood called cheeses, very narrow beams, round which it is wound, for convenience in running off on to weaver's beam.
beamer, warp
see beamer.
beaming machine minder
see beamer.
beam setter ; beam lifter
places beams, wooden rollers with metal flanged ends, upon a truck fitted with an elevator, which raises them and swings them into position on beaming machine.
bit maker
see winder, bit (carpets).
bobbiner, bobbin machine attendant, bobbin machine minder
see winder.
carpet filler
supervises automatic winding of yarn intended for carpet weaving, from bobbins on to a drum.
chainer
see warper, ball.
chain maker
see linker.
cheeser, wool cheeser
see winder, cheese.
clearer, clearing frame tenter ; clearer winder, clearing frame winder, clear winder
places bobbins of doubled cotton yarn on spindles of clearing frame, or clearer machine, which removes bad ends, thick, soft places, dirty or badly made knots, or other imperfections from yarn, in preparation for gassing; cf. gasser (yarn) (398); guides yarn through vertical slits or between adjustable brackets to winding on bobbins, starts machine, and joins broken ends of yarn, as required, with mechanical yarn knotter or splicer; takes baskets of full bobbins from clearing frame to weighing machine; sometimes specifically designated, e.g. warp clearer.
cop filler, copper
minds a copping machine, which winds yarn, thread, or twine in cops, conical, cylindrical or cheese-shaped masses, formed upon a paper tube or cardboard centre; places cardboard centres on spindles, and removes cops when filled, copper, coir yarn, as for cop filler.
cotton filler (carpets).
a winder q.v. winding cotton weft yarn for use in carpet manufacture.
cotton plugger
as for winder.
dresser, Scotch
see beamer, Scotch.
drummer (not silk)
see winder, cheese.
fur filler (carpets)
a cop winder q.v. winding chenille fur, for use in weaving chenille carpets.
hank buncher (not wool warehouse)
(i) see winder, hank;
(ii) see reeler (not silk).
hanker
(i) see reeler;
(ii) see winder, hank.
lifter, beam
see beam setter.
linker ; chain maker
watches proper working of a linking machine, which draws long lengths of warp yarns from bobbins set in a bank, or frame, and automatically links it into a chain; yarn is then wound on to weaver's beam, or sent out as chain warp; guides yam from bobbins into machine, joins broken threads.
pattern dresser (winding)
a warp dresser q.v. who specialises on pattern warping; arranges and alters bobbins of different coloured yarn or thread on warping machine to introduce a special design into warp of cloth being produced; cf. pattern dresser (mending) (379) and pattern dresser (making-up) (943).
pointer, cop pointer
watches, on twining frame, working of wires controlling formation of cops, i.e. yarn wound on short paper tubes; removes cops, when completed, from spindles, and prepares spindles for fresh cops.
quiller
a winder q.v. who winds yarn on to weaver's quills.
rander
see skeiner (twine).
re-beamer
see winder-on.
recluser
winds cotton fibre on to bobbins in manufacture of ramie gas mantles.
reeler (not silk)
hank buncher (not wool warehouse), hanker, hank winder, reel winder, skeiner, skeining machine minder, skein reeler, skein winder, swifter; receives yarn on bobbins or on paper tubes (cops), and arranges it on a shelf above machine; guides and attaches ends of yarn to swifts (skeleton reels), which revolve and wind yarn upon themselves, in skein form; controls power-drive of machine; mends broken threads; removes hanks or skeins of yam from machine when completed; sometimes also inserts a leasing to indicate separate cuts, i.e. a given number of threads, and ties it.
reeler, bobbin ; ring bobbin reeler
a reeler q.v. who reels cotton yarn from ring frame bobbins.
reeler, cop
a reeler q.v. who reels cotton yarn spun in cops, on spinning mules, as distinguished from bobbin reeler q.v.
reeler, ring bobbin
see reeler, bobbin.
reeler (rope yarn)
see winder, rope yarn.
reeler, skein
see reeler.
reeler (thread) ; skeiner (thread)
works hand reel, which winds twist yarn from twisting frame bobbins on to swifts, or skeleton reels, in form of skeins.
reeler, throstle
a reeler q.v. who reels yarn from throstle bobbins, reeler, top; a reeler q.v. who reels tops, combed wool, before spinning, into skeins.
reeler, twist
see winder, spool.
reeler, yarn (rope and twine)
see winder, rope yarn.
re-winder, double (cotton thread)
places in position bobbins containing strands of cotton thread, each strand consisting of several, usually three, single yarns twisted together; guides it to larger bobbins or beams, upon which it is to be wound, and starts machine.
re-winder, single (cotton thread)
see winder, single (cotton thread).
runner-off (warping room)
see beamer.
shuttle filler (asbestos)
minds winding frame, which winds asbestos yarn for placing in loom shuttles; cf. pin winder, weft winder.
skeiner, skeining machine minder
see reeler.
skeiner (thread)
see reeler (thread).
skeiner (twine) ; rander, slipper, winder (twine)
minds skein or rand machine, which winds finished twine into skeins; guides twine end from bobbin through guides to two hooks which are fixed at required distance apart; controls power which actuates leading screw guiding twine round hooks.
slipper (twine)
see skeiner (twine).
splicing hand (hosiery mills)
a hand wheel winder q.v. who winds fine yarn used for splicing socks or stockings from cops on to bobbins.
splitter, warp splitter, yarn splitter, warp yarn splitter ; warp dresser
(i) passes warp threads, which have been combined by doubler (dyeing) (366) q.v. for convenience in dyeing, through a splitting machine, which divides them up into original threads;
(ii) divides warp threads into sets of a given number, either by hand or in a special machine.
spooler
(i) see winder, spool;
(ii) minds a winding frame, which winds one or more threads on paper or wooden tubes, making very small cheeses called spools, either cylindrical or conical in shape.
spooler, thread
see winder, thread.
spooler, yarn (rope and twine)
see winder, rope yarn.
swifter
(i) see reeler;
(ii) rope and twine trade, see winder, rope yarn.
twinder
see winder.
warp dresser
see splitter ; cf. warp dresser (369).
warp dresser (wool)
rectifies faults in parallelism of yarn, and joins threads broken in sizing process, as sheet of warp threads issues from drying cylinder of sizing machine and is wound on beam; cf. warp stretcher (369).
warper, ball warper, machine warper, mill warper ; chainer, chain warper, warp mill attendant
places a number of full bobbins in a frame; gathers yarns from these bobbins, and unites them to form a loose rope or chain; attaches this rope to a large upright cylinder and sets machine in motion, causing cylinder to revolve and wind yarn upon itself; stops machine when enough yarn has been wound, and detaches yarn therefrom; sometimes specifically designated, e.g. coir yarn warper, coloured warper, yarn warper.
warper, beam
see beamer.
warper, chain
see warper, ball.
warper, cloth ; piece warper
a ball warper q.v. engaged on a warping machine during process of manufacture of cloth in the piece.
warper, elastic thread ; rubber warper
prepares rubber threads for warps, i.e. foundation threads, of clastic web, and runs a specified number of elastic threads side by side on to a beam, for use in weaving.
warper (flax and hemp)
winds yarn from big spools on to warper's beam, in readiness for yam dresser (369) q.v.; places spools in upright frame, or bank; guides yarns through a series of reeds, or combs, which keep them in place, and attaches them to winding-on roller; controls power-drive of machine; watches machine to ensure even tension of threads in warping; mends yarns broken in warping.
warper, hair
as for beamer ; sometimes specifically designated, e.g. fancy hair warper, horse hair warper.
warper, hand
a warper q.v. who winds threads into beam, turning beam cylinder by hand.
warper (lace)
winds yarn for warp threads off wooden bobbins or spools on to warping mill; rewinds from mill to warp beam, usually maintaining sections of warp on beam; places bobbins in creel, guides yarn ends through mill to beam; puts in position and removes beam as necessary; starts and stops machine; cf. beamer.
warper, machine; warping machine minder, warping minder
(i) (silk industry) see beamer;
(ii) (other textiles) see warper.
warper, pattern
a machine warper q.v. generally employed on warps for hand looms used in pattern designing.
warper, piece
see warper, cloth.
warper, rubber
see waiter, elastic thread.
warper, section
a machine warper q.v. minding a warping frame which winds yarn upon a cylinder in several distinct sections, corresponding to places each will occupy in woven fabric.
warper (silk)
as for beamer.
warper, woof
warps weft yarn (not, as usually, warp yarn), in preparation for dyeing.
warp folder
see baller, warp.
warp mill attendant
see warper, ball.
weft pirner
a winder q.v. who winds yarn on pins or pirns.
winder yarn winder (not silk) ; bobbiner, bobbin machine attendant, bobbin machine minder, twinder, winding machine minder
minds a machine called a winding frame, which winds yarn from bobbins, skeins, or hanks on to larger bobbins or spools, or on to reels, or paper tubes (oops); guides end of yarn through machine to bobbin, spools, etc., and attaches it thereto; controls power-drive to machine; mends threads broken in winding; sometimes specifically designated according to type of yarn wound, e.g. coir yarn, coloured (yarn), cotton, flax, jute, lin, linen (flax), mohair, ramie, twist (cotton), wool, worsted winder; according to kind of holder on to which yarn is wound, e.g. bobbin winder, bottle winder, brass bobbin winder (lace and net), card winder (for retail sale), cheese winder q.v. cone winder, pin winder, pirn winder, quill winder, ring winder, ring bobbin winder, spool winder, tube winder, tubular winder; or according to machine used, e.g., Letson, Universal, Yankee winder.
winder, ball (thread)
see baller (cotton yarn or thread).
winder, beam
see beamer.
winder, bit (carpets) ; bit maker
a winder q.v. who minds a winding frame which winds bits of yarn, from bobbins of same colour, fibre, and quality, on to one bobbin.
winder, cheese ; cheeser, drummer (not silk), drum winder, wool cheeser
operates winding frame which winds yarn from one or more cops or bobbins on to paper or metal tubes, cylindrical or conical in shape, known as cheeses, for use in doubling, warping, or gassing frame.
winder, clear; clearer winder, clearing frame winder
see clearer.
winder, cop
(i) winds yarn from cops, short cylindrical paper tubes, on to bobbins;
(ii) winds weft yarn from spinning frame bobbins, or from hanks, into form of cops, either on a bare spindle, or on a paper tube thrust on a spindle; removes cops from spindle as they are completed.
winder, doubling
minds a doubling winding frame; draws ends of several threads through stop motion on to tube or bobbin, upon which they are collectively wound.
winder-down
a winder q.v. who winds yarn from cops to bobbins (cf. bobbin winder), ready for clearer q.v.
winder, drum
see winder, cheese.
winder, elastic thread ; rubber winder
winds rubber thread from hanks on to bobbins, ready for use by elastic thread warper q.v.
winder, fold
see winder, patent.
winder, hand wheel; hand winder
winds yarn on to bobbins on a band wheel.
winder, hank ; hank buncher (not wool warehouse), hanker
(i) see reeler;
(ii) winds yarn from hanks or skeins on to bobbins, pirns or cheeses, ready for warping or for use as weft.
winder, Jumbo
minds a chapon cup, or Jumbo, machine, which both spins yarn and winds in on to a large cop for use in blanket weaving.
winder, lustre (silk)
as for beamer.
winder, mottle
winds mottled yarns, for Brussels, Wilton, or tapestry carpets.
winder, patent ; fold winder
a winder q.v. who operates winding machine which stops automatically if yarn breaks, and which winds two or more yarns together on to a single bobbin.
winder, reel
see reeler.
winder, rope yarn ; reeler (rope yarn), swifter, yarn reeler, yarn spooler
a yarn winder q.v. who winds yarn suitable for rope and twine making on to bobbins.
winder, rubber
see winder, elastic thread.
winder, sally (wool)
a winder q.v. who puts full bobbins on to pegs at back of winding machine and attaches a number of threads to cheese spool; replaces empty bobbins with full ones.
winder, single (cotton thread) ; single re-winder (cotton thread)
a winder (cop, ring, or tube q.v.) winding thread on to bobbins, when only one thread at a time is being wound.
winder, skein
see reeler.
winder, slip
(i) (tape trade) winds tape, by machinery, in lengths of 216 yards, into a hank, ready for bleachers;
(ii) places skein (or slip) of yarn on a skeleton reel (swift) of winding frame, and winds it therefrom on to bobbins.
winder, spool ; spooler, twist reeler
a winder q.v. who minds a machine which winds yarn or thread on to spools.
winder, thread ; thread spooler
(i) a winder q.v. who winds thread on small reels or spools by hand or by machine; adjusts layers of thread, cuts and locks end of thread in nick of spool, and polishes surface of filled spool;
(ii) winds hanks of thread into skeins, balls, etc.
winder, throstle
a winder q.v. who operates machine which winds yarn from throstle, or flyer, frame bobbins, spinning or doubling, on to larger bobbins.
winder (twine)
see skeiner (twine).
winder, warp
a winder- q.v. who attends a drum-winding frame, which winds yarn from hanks on to large spools, in readiness for warper q.v.; places hanks on swift (skeleton reel) or ryce, and guides yarn end through machine to winding-on spools.
winder, weft ; woof winder
a winder q.v. who winds weft yarn into cops, or other form convenient for insertions in weaving shuttle of loom; sometimes specifically designated, according to description of weft, e.g., black weft winder, white weft winder.
winder, weight
a winder q.v. who minds a machine on which each spindle stops automatically when a certain weight of yarn has been wound.
winder, woof
see winder, weft.
winder, worsted
see worsted filler (carpets).
winder-on ; re-beamer
operates a machine which unwinds dyed yarn from dyer's beam, and winds it on to weaver's beam.
winding machine minder
see winder (not silk).
worsted filler (carpets) ; worsted winder
a winder q.v. engaged in winding worsted yarns.

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From: A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921,
Ministry of Labour, 1927. Digitised by Peter Christian, August, 2016.   This text is in the Public Domain.