CALICO-PRINTING 



669 



401 



II Q.II 



measuring machines have been introduced to economise 

 labour. Fig. 400 is Knowles and Hayward's plaiting 

 machine, of which Mather and Platt are the sole makers. 

 It will plait goods of any quality or material, from the 

 heaviest drill to the finest muslin, however highly glazed, 

 laying them in folds of uniform length, which can be 

 varied as required : A is the framing of the machine ; B, 

 fixed table on which the cloth is plaited ; c, cams for lift- 

 ing the folding blade, to which are also attached the cards 

 for holding cloth, rising as the thickness of the folds 

 increases; D, folding knives, moving longitudinally to make 

 the fold, and vertically as the thickness of the folds in- 

 creases on the table ; E, spring for relieving the pressure 

 of the cards on the cloth whilst it is being passed under 

 the cards which hold it on the return of the blade ; F, 

 rack motion and compensating chains and weights for cams, 

 cards, and folding blades ; a, levers and quadrant raising 

 the cams, cards, &c., when taking outcloth frommachine ; H, 

 cloth being folded ; i, draw rollers to give equal and regular 

 delivery of cloth to folding blades ; K, driving-pulley, &c. 

 The next step is to fold these lengths into three, and 

 pile the folded pieces in an hydraulic press, where they 

 are pressed, and are then ready for packing and delivery. 

 Fig. 401 is a plan of a modern print works, erected by 

 Mather and Platt ; A', the singe house ; B', grey room ; 

 c', bleach house. The second story contains the drying- 

 machine after bleaching ; D', white room, the second story 

 being the white store room ; E', printing room, above this 

 is the ageing machine and ageing room ; F', colour house ; 

 G', finishing room, above, the drying-machine after the 

 dyeing, &c. ; H', dye house, single story ; i', boiler house ; 

 A, singe stove ; B, mixing cisterns for the kiers ; c, kiers ; D, 

 mixing cisterns for chloride of lime and sours ; E, washing 

 machines and engine; F, squeezers and engine; G, chloring 

 and souring machines and engine; H, white squeezer and 

 engine; i,piling winces; K,printing machines; r.,colourpans; 

 M, chloring, water mangle, drying-machine, and engine ; N, 

 starch mangle, and drying-machine ; o, finishing calender 

 and engine ; p, friction calender and engine ; Q, damping 

 machine ; R, making-up tables ; s, first dunging ; T, second 

 dunging; u, dyeing; v, soaping; TV, washing machines 

 and engines ; x, squeezers and engines ; T, boilers. 



Since 1840 there are no data as to the number of 

 printers in Great Britain ; but Mr. John Graham, in 

 an unpublished ' History of 

 the Lancashire Printers,' 

 gives a table, which he was 

 at considerable care to com- 

 pile from perfectly trust- 

 worthy sources, showing that 

 in the Lancashire district, 

 which includes also the con- 

 tiguous counties, there were, 

 in 1846, 128 firms employ- 

 ing 



540 cylinder machines. 



39 perrotines. 

 7187 block tables. 



The producing power of the 

 Lancashire district having 

 thus been doubled in 6 years. 

 Several printing firms, 

 both in England and Scot- 

 land, have since that period 

 much enlarged their powers 

 of production. There are 



