5l 
of them are twisted together into a thread, which is passed through the 
hole in the agate. From this it runs through the “croisure” M, which 
will be hereafter explained, and over the guide H to the reel at F. Be- 
tween H and F’ the thread passes a guide, G, moving to and fro (in a 
- line perpendicular to the plane of the paper), which distributes it in a 
broad band over the surface of the reel. This facilitates the drying of the 
silk, without which the gluten would bind together the threads of the 
skein as it does those of the cocoons, and thus ruin its commercial value. 
In winter it is often necessary to use supplementary means to effect this 
drying. Perhaps one of the best is by passing a large steam-pipe near 
the reel, as at Y. The shaft of the reel carries at one end a friction- 
wheel, H, which rests on the large friction-wheel J that constantly re- 
volves on the shaft V, and thus motion is imparted to the reel. In order 
to stop the reel it is only necessary to raise the wheel H from its bear- 
ings by means of the lever Z. This movement presses the wheel against 
the brake-shoe A, and its motion is at once arrested. 
As has been said above, the thread is passed between the agate and 
the reel through the croisure. The making of the croisure consists in 
twisting the thread around itself or another thread so as to consolidate 
its constituent filaments and wring the water from it and thus aid in its 
drying. The mode of the formation of this croisure forms the principal 
distinguishing mark between the French and Italian systems of reeling. 
The former is called the ‘Chambon system.” Hach reeler manages two 
threads. These are passed through separate agates, and after being 
brought together and twisted twenty or thirty times around each other 
are again separated and passed through guiding eyes to the reel. The 
other system, called “tavellette,”* consists in passing the thread up 
over a small pulley C, down over another D, and then twisting it around 
itself, as shown at M, in Fig. 29, and thence to the reel. 
The cocoon filament is somewhat finer in the floss or beginning, thick- 
ens at the point of forming the more compact pod, and then very gradu- 
ally diminishes in diameter until it becomes so fine as to be incapable of 
standing the strain of reeling. Therefore a thread which is made up of 
five new filaments becomes so small when the cocoons from which it is 
drawn are half unwound as to require an addition. This addition might 
also be made necessary by the rupture of one of the constituent filaments. 
It is here that the skill of the operator is called into play. When her 
experience tells her that the thread needs nourishing from either of 
these causes she takes the end of the filament of one of the cocoons 
which lie prepared in her basin, and, giving it a slight snap or whiplash 
movement with the index finger, causes it to wind around or adhere to 
the running thread of which it from this moment becomes a constituent 
part. This lancing, as it is called, of the end of the filament, although 
in hand reeling performed in the manner described, is also accomplished 
mechanically, several devices having been invented for this purpose. 
*The trade name of the small pulley mentioned. 
