griff
An arrangement of parallel bars for lifting the hooked wires which raise the warp threads in a loom for weaving figured goods.
griff: the hooked-wire lifter in a figured loom
A griff is a mechanical frame of parallel bars mounted in a loom that raises and lowers the hooked wires, or lappets, which selectively lift individual warp threads to create pattern. In figured weave, unlike plain weave where all warps rise and fall together, certain threads must be lifted in precise sequences to produce designs. The griff does this lifting work by engaging with the hooks that hang from above and pulling them upward at programmed moments in the weave cycle.
The griff consists of a grid or framework of horizontal rods or bars, typically made from iron or steel, arranged in rows that correspond to the number of hooked wires in use. As the loom cycles through its motion, the griff rises and falls, controlled by the pattern mechanism of the loom, whether that is a jacquard, dobby, or simpler cam-driven system. When the griff moves up, it pushes the hooked wires up; when it drops, springs or gravity pull the hooks back down, releasing the warp threads they had been holding.
Different widths of loom and different design complexities require griffes of varying span and height. A narrow loom for fine work may have a griff with 50 or 60 bars, while a broad loom for heavier figured goods could have many more. The bars themselves must be rigid enough to withstand repeated impacts as the mechanism accelerates and decelerates at each stroke, yet the griff as a whole must move smoothly without binding or misalignment, or the pattern will slip.
Common problems and wear points
The connection between the hooked wires and the griff bars is a wear point; the hooks can become bent, broken, or loose over time, leading to dropped stitches or pattern faults. The griff bars themselves can develop flat spots or become sprung if the loom is run fast with a dull or sluggish mechanism. Uneven rise or fall of the griff across its width will cause skew in the pattern, a defect that is difficult to correct without stripping and re-timing the loom.
The term griff, also spelled griffe, likely derives from the French word for claw or hook, reflecting the way the bars grasp and lift the wires. This vocabulary is now most common in mills and workshops that work with traditional dobby or jacquard looms; modern industrial weaving has largely replaced this mechanism with electronic or pneumatic systems. Understanding how the griff works remains essential for anyone maintaining or troubleshooting older figured-weave equipment.