 The
countermarche system resembles the counterbalance loom and has the same advantages without
its disadvantages.Instead
of having the rollers at the top of the shafts, the system has one set of lams, two sets
of pulleys above the shafts and one set of pulleys below. In the diagram you can see the
treadle pulling down shaft number one while the other three are lifted by the action of
the lam. When the lam moves down, the cord attached to it goes around the lower pulley,
then around the upper one, lifting the shaft attached to it.
In a countermarche loom every shaft
is actively involved in each shed: each shaft is either lifted up or pulled down by each
treadle. Unbalanced sheds like three shafts against one are always large and clean.
Because you actually lift or pull down every shaft, you never have any problem with one
shaft lifting when it should not.
Advantages:
- Always gives a large, clean shed
- Effortless treadling
- Quiet
- Good system for rug making because it is possible to use high warp tension and
still get a large shed
- Possible to have more than four shafts (8, 12, 16)
Disadvantages:
- More tie-ups are needed before you begin to weave because you have to connect
every shaft to the treadles you are working with. For a ten treadle pattern, 80 tie-ups
have to be made under the loom
- The shaft combination is limited by the number of treadles on the loom
- More expensive loom |
