TEXTILE MANUFACTURES. 



revolving, but in such a 

 way that the upper side, 

 upon which the stuff is 

 received, preserves aflat 

 and horizontal surface. 

 The wire-cloth moves 

 upon a number of small 

 copper rollers, which 

 have an agitating hori- 

 zontal motion, and this 

 distributes the stuff 

 equally over the cloth, 

 giving a uniform 

 strength and thickness 

 to the paper. After 

 passing between a pair 

 of rollers, where it de- 

 livers the stuff, it is led 

 backwards again under 

 the frame ; and so goes 

 on in a continuous rev- 

 olution. Movable sides 

 are attached to the 

 upper surface of the 

 wire, which regulate the 

 breadth of the sheet to 

 be manufactured. 



The first pair of rol- 

 lers through which the 

 stuff passes are called 

 the couching - rollers. 

 The under roller is 

 simply cast-iron, while 

 the upper one is covered 

 with woollen cloth of a 

 peculiar texture, manu- 

 factured for the pur- 

 pose. It is upon this 

 upper one that the stuff 

 is delivered. The pres- 

 sure from these rollers 

 is slight ; and the pulp 

 is next led on to an 

 endless web of felt, and 

 passes between two 

 cast-iron rollers. The 

 machinery of this felt 

 must be so regulated 

 that it will go with the 

 same speed as the wire- 

 cloth and couching-rol- 

 lers, otherwise confu- 

 sion would ensue. In 

 passing through the 

 first pair of rollers, only 

 one side of the stuff is 

 rendered smooth ; but 

 in the second pair it 

 is reversed, and the 

 rough side is now 

 pressed. These rollers 

 are closer than the first 

 pair, and the pressure 

 being greater, the sheet 

 is now more dry and 

 firm. 



The sheet next passes 

 through two other pair 

 of rollers, which press 

 out the water, and ren- 

 der the paper smooth 



CALENDERS. 



J?-: 



SMOOTHING 

 ROLLS. 



If 



2D PRESS 



K'U.l.s. 



1ST PRESS 

 ROLLS. 



COUCHING 

 ROLLS. 



Fig. 24. 



and firm. It is then carried to the drying- 

 cylinders, which are hollow, and filled with 

 steam, introduced by pipes placed at both ends 

 of their axes. The paper is again passed through 

 a pair of rollers, to smooth it after being dried, 

 and is then wound upon a reel As one reel is 

 filled, it is taken off, and another put on in its 

 place ; and it is evident that the paper can be 

 made of any length the reel is large enough to 

 hold. Thus, at one end is seen running in a 

 stream of liquid resembling curdled milk, and at 

 the other comes out a finished fabric, the time 

 required for manufacturing thirty feet of which is 

 little more than a minute. 



The material used formerly was almost entirely 

 linen rags ; subsequently, rags of cotton were 

 introduced, but produced inferior paper. Now, 

 an enormous quantity of a species of grass is 

 used ; it is called Esparto and Alfa. The former 

 name is applied to that imported from Spain, the 

 latter to that from the north of Africa. Its 

 botanical name is Lygeum Spartettm. 



CAOUTCHOUC. 



This remarkable substance is now so largely 

 used in connection with textile fabrics, that a 

 notice of its properties and applications may not 

 be uninstructive to the reader. 



Caoutchouc was first seen in Europe about the 

 middle of the i8th century. It was then brought 

 from Guiana and other provinces on the eastern 

 coast of South America, and, from its valuable 

 power of cleaning paper, was called India-rubber. 

 It is the produce of several tropical trees, amongst 

 which Siphonia elastica yields the chief part of 

 the South American ; and various species of Ficus 

 the East Indian and African. The mode of 

 obtaining it is simple : In the cooler seasons of 

 the year, incisions are made around the tree, com- 

 pletely through the bark ; and the milky juice 

 which exudes is either immediately applied to 

 moulds of unburned clay, or collected in vessels. 

 If applied to moulds, it is dried, layer by layer, 

 over a fire made by burning the seeds of a species 

 of palm, till of the desired thickness. The appli- 

 cations of caoutchouc to useful purposes are very 

 numerous ; but our remarks must be confined to 

 the water-proof garments well known by the name 

 of Mackintoshes from the name of the inventor 

 they are formed of fabrics covered on one side 

 with the caoutchouc ; or two fabrics are joined 

 by a thin layer between them. To obtain the 

 material in the thin sheet required, it is heated 

 and kneaded by powerful machinery until it is 

 thoroughly softened without being liquefied ; it is 

 then spread upon the cloth by means of a flatten- 

 ing mill. 



By the important process of vulcanising India- 

 rubber, it has its utility greatly increased, and is 

 made to exhibit such properties, that it may be 

 said ' to form a new substance.' This condition 

 can be produced by kneading the India-rubber 

 with sulphur, and then exposing it to a tempera- 

 ture of 190 Fahrenheit 



By combining caoutchouc with sulphur at a 

 higher temperature, Mr Goodyear has imparted to 

 it the hardness and rigidity of wood, but at the 

 same time a plasticity which enables it to be pro- 

 duced in a variety of forms : this is now generally 

 termed vulcanite. 



383 



