MECHANICS AXD USEFUL ARTS. 79 



MANUFACTURE OF BAGS BY MACHINERY. 



THE Stark Mills, of Manchester, N. IT., are now engaged in the 

 weaving of bags, which is accomplished by the so-called " seamless 

 bag-loom." This loom produces a bag of any required length or size, 

 weaving sides and bottom without seam, of strong and durable mate- 

 rial, in the space of a few minutes. About one hundred and twenty 

 hands are now employed in the manufacture, and 30,000 bags a week 

 are made, which can be afforded at 25 cents each, or four per cent, off 

 for cash. 



IMPROVEMENTS IX SPINNING. 



MR. W. ROUSE, of Taunton, Mass., has recently made some valua- 

 ble improvements on the self-acting spinning mule, which are thus 

 described in the Scientific American. The improvements of Mr. 

 Rouse are designed to simplify the construction of the mule, in relation 

 to governing the revolution of the spindles in laying the thread on the 

 cops, and in backing off, preparatory to the said laying on, by a cam 

 barrel having an irregularly formed periphery, both in its length and 

 circumference. The cam is made to give motion to the spindles, by 

 means of a finger which bears continually on its periphery, and which 

 is attached to a swinging frame, furnished with toothed segments that 

 gear with toothed wheels upon a shaft, which, through a train of gear- 

 ing, drives the spindles. The cam is made to revolve at the time the 

 backing off should be performed, and also during the time the mule is 

 running up to the beam, when the winding of the thread on the spin- 

 dle is to be performed. Its periphery is of such a form, circumferen- 

 tially, that the finger will be running towards the axis at the 

 proper time for backing off, and from the axis at the proper 

 time for laying on. Thus, by causing the segments to move in oppo- 

 site directions, it drives the spindles in opposite directions. The cam 

 is of such a form on that part where the fi Hirer bears durino- the running 



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of the carriage, as v to drive the spindles with a constant accelerated 

 motion, which is necessary, owing to the decreasing diameter of the 

 cop towards the top, where the laying on of the thread finishes ; its 

 circumferential form varies at different parts of its length, which gives 

 it the longitudinal irregularity of form spoken of before ; this is to suit 

 the degree of speed, and the amount of back-off, at different stages of 

 the building of the cop, the form of which is a constantly changing 

 one, from the commencement to the termination of lavino- on the last 



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inch of thread. The finger spoken of having a slow movement from 

 end to end of the cam, it gives a changing movement to the segments, 

 and consequently to the spindles of the cops. There are some other 

 minor improvements connected with the working of this cop-making 

 cam. It is well known that the self-acting spinning mule is a compli- 

 cated machine, and does not produce such good work as the carriage 

 worked by hand. The improvements of Mr. Rouse greatly simplify 

 the construction of the mule bv reducing the number of parts, and 

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