448 



FLAX 



30 feet in length, and contain 200 to nearly 300 spindles; that is, 100 to 150 on 

 each side. 



A A A A (figs. 979 and 980), framing ; 

 BB, stand for roving bobbins ; c, driving 

 pulleys fixed upon the axle of cylinder D, 

 from which pass endless cords to drive 

 the spindles e c ; F, step-rail of spindles ; 

 o, collar rail for ditto ; H, bobbin lifter ; 

 i i, front roller ; K K, back roller ; L, back 

 pressing roller; M, top pressing roller 

 (these are generally made of box wood, 

 but sometimes of gutta-percha); N N, 

 levers in connection with the excentric to 

 produce the rise and fall of the bobbin 

 lifter ; o o, thread-plate ; Q Q, saddles or 

 transverse burs resting on the axles of 

 the back and front pressing rollers, so 

 that one lever and weight acts for both 

 by the connecting rod and lever r r, which, 

 in order to cause more pressure on the 

 drawing than on the back roller, is placed 

 on the saddle nearer the former than the 

 latter. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, train of 

 wheel work, by which the movements are 

 distributed, a a a, the trough of hot 

 water maintained by steam-pipes at the 

 di-sired temperature ; bb, guide rods or 

 pipes to cause the roving to pass under the 

 water. In order to avoid the rollers be- 

 coming indented by the roving always 

 passing on the same place, they are 

 caused to traverse the breadth of tho 

 rollers by a traversing guide rail, moved 



by an excentric at the worm and wheel c ; </, flyers, and/, spindles. 



Here it may be proper to introduce a description of the machines for twisting the 



yarns when spun into ' threads' used for sewing, &c. The yarns spun for this pur> 



