Making Wool Upholstery Cloth Part 2
Description
The original catalog description provided by the Ford Motor Company reads as follows: Captions only. “The cloth is now finished, a durable product, beautiful in appearance. Each roll is automatically measured. Eighteen hours have elapsed since we saw the fleece until now.” “As with iron, steel, glass, and other materials, so also is it true of the upholstery cloth used in closed Ford cars.” “Awaiting the call from the barber shop.” “The latest is sheep ‘bobs.’” “All samples of blends and colors used in yarns are first made on this miniature carding machine.” “You have an opportunity now of seeing the quality and workmanship used at all times in Ford upholstery construction.” “This product reaches the four corners of the earth.” “With the check received for the wool shipment farmer Jones goes shopping for the whole family.” “With the Spring comes the shearing and the wool buyer’s opportunity to carefully select his purchase.” “All these are finishing operations. A storage rack aids in steady production.” “The cloth is now finished, a durable product, beautiful in appearance. Each roll is automatically measured. Eighteen hours have elapsed...” “The cloth must prove up to 17 ounces per yard.” “A truck takes the finished rolls to the cutting department and a small sample goes to the laboratory for test.” “The test in the laboratory. Determining the tensile strength. This machine registers the number of pounds pressure the cloth will stand in tearing.” “The strips of cloth from the waste are used here.” “The dye test -- where the violet rays show how long the color withstands without fading.” “Thus Ford made cloth is a proven quality before being used. In the mammoth cutting and sewing departments. Several layers of cloth are cut at one time.” “The blade.” “Its action.” “Cutting the pattern.” “Sewing a cushion.” “Even the thread with which the cushions are sewn is tested.” “Stuffing the cushion with padding.” “Making a Ford cushion as all Ford cushions are made -- with care.” “There are 85 double rubs a minute under 100 pounds pressure.” “After 190½ hours of rubbing this is how the cloth looked.” “A rough usage test. A few minutes of this test and if the cushion doesn’t fall apart -- we figure it is a good cushion.” “Threading the harness which moves the warp ends up and down in the loom.” “Each of the 2,424 ends must be pulled through the eyes -- like this.” “Warp and harness being installed in loom.” “Tying ends of yarn to leader apron.” “One man operates 4 looms.” “If a single thread breaks the loom automatically stops.” “A shuttle.” “The shuttle speeds like an arrow from one side of the loom to the other, weaving the cross threads.” “Slow motion pictures illustrate this action.” “As if by magic the cloth grows before our eyes.” “When the rolls of cloth are removed from the loom they are sewed into one long strip.” “The Burling shears are next applied to the surface of the cloth to remove loose end knots, etc., and make it smoother.” “Close inspection is made to see how the shears are cutting.” “Fulling the newly woven cloth.” “This shows the result of the fulling process.” “Soaping preparatory to the final washing.” “In the washing, water is sprayed and sucked through the cloth.” “Going into the dryer.” “The cloth undergoes another inspection as it comes from the dryer.” “The cloth is then sheared - note how blade automatically raises over seams.” “-- Brushed.” “-- Sprinkled.” “-- And pressed.” “All these are finishing processes...” [1926]
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