What are the beater and the reed and what were they used for?

The beater is a part of the loom, hung by two vertical rods to the frame, equipped with an oscillating movement, at least as wide as the loom. The reed is secured to the beater.
The reed is made up of a series of parallel vertical strips (made of metal or cane) through which all the warp threads passed. These threads were arranged in the slots according to specific patterns, depending on the type of yarn used and the desired fabric.
The beater and the reed had the function of beating and compressing the weft thread against the warp, thanks to the oscillating movement impressed by the weaver once the shuttle had passed.