151 



[ 175 ] 



upon a reel. 5th. The skeins are sorted according to their qualities, 

 and then dyed. 



Before the silk is wound upon the bobbins, it must be prepared by 

 breaking the gum at the four corners of the skein, which lay upon the 

 reel when wound off from the cocoons: this is done by rubbing the silk 

 in those places between the fingci'Sj until the threads arc entirely sepa- 

 rated, it must then be opened and spread out upon the wheel, and all 

 the straggling ends cut short, and the gouts cleared away. 



The twisting of the compound thread is intended to unite the consti- 

 tuent fibres more firmly than they can be by the gum alone. This is 

 effected by the tramming machine, and the thread is called tram. It 

 is used for the filling of stufls, and for other purposes, and is, more or 

 less, twisted according to the objects for which it is intended. The 

 whole process, as at present commonly performed, is described in the 

 preamble to Mr. Shenton's account of his improved tramming machine, 

 to be given hereafter. His own apparatus will probably take the place 

 of those hitherto in use. 



The annexed cut gives a view of an apparatus* to double and twist 

 silk thread, which will be found very useful for domestic work. The 

 operation of it is apparent from its construction. In place of working 

 it with the bobbins placed between the two upright posts, they may 

 be fixed upon their basis, as seen at a b. In this case the threads are 

 conducted over a glass I'od, on the top of the frame c d, and, from that 

 to the spool e, placed above the box before the wheel. The axis of the 

 wheel is not parallel to that of the spool; hence, the band passing over 

 the wheel makes an acute angle with the axis of the spool. This ar- 

 rangement secures the point of the spindle in a hole which receives it 



To organzine silk, the thread is first twisted from right to left, as al- 

 ready said. The silk, in twisting, turns off on other bobbins, some- 



* From the Noiivelle Encyclopocdie Methodique, article Soierie. 



