1178 



WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE 



upon the axle of which the coupling-box i, i, is fixed, and, consequently, continually 

 revolves with it. At the end of the shaft of the drum, a pair of sliding clutches 

 k, k, are mounted, which, when projected forward, as shown by dots in Jig. 2143, pro- 

 duce the coupling or locking of the drum-shaft to the driving-wheel, by which the 

 drum is put in motion ; but on withdrawing the clutches k, k, from the coupling-box 

 , i, as in the figure, the drum immediately stands still. 



After operating upon the cloth in the way described, by passing it through hot 

 water for the space of time required, the hot water is to be withdrawn by a cock at the 

 bottom, or otherwise, and cold water introduced into the tank in its stead ; in which 

 cold water the cloth is to be continued turning, in the manner above described, for the 

 space of 24 hours, which will perfectly fix tie lustre that the face of the cloth has 

 acquired by its immersion in the hot water, and leave the pile or nap, to the touch, in 

 a soft silky state. 



In the cold-water operation he sometimes employs a heavy pressing-roller /, which, 

 being mounted in slots in the frame or standard, revolves with the large drum, rolling 

 over the back of the cloth as it goes round. . This roller may be made to act upon the 

 cloth with any required pressure, by depressing the screws m, m, or by the employ- 

 ment of weighted levers, if that should be thought necessary. 



Pressing is the last finish of cloth to give it a smooth level surface. The piece is 

 folded backwards and forwards in yard-lengths, so as to form a thick package on the 

 board of a screw or hydraulic press. Between every fold sheets of glazed paper are 

 placed to prevent the contiguous surfaces of the cloth from coming into contact ; and 

 at the end of every 20 yards, three hot iron plates are inserted between the folds, the 

 plates being laid side by side, so as to occupy the whole surface of the folds. Thin 

 sheets of iron not heated are also inserted above and below the hot plates to moderate 

 the heat. When the packs of cloth are properly folded, and piled in sufilcient number 

 in the press, they are subjected to a severe compression, and left under its influence 

 till the plates get cold. The cloth is now taken out and folded again, so that the 

 creases of the former folds may come opposite to the flat faces of the paper, and bo 

 removed by a second pressure. In finishing superfine cloths, however, a very slight 

 pressure is given with iron plates but moderately warmed. The satiny lustre and 

 smoothness given by strong compression with much heat is objectionable, as it renders 

 the surface apt to become spotted and disfigured by rain. 



Ross's Patent Improvements in Wool-combing Machinery, March 13, 1851. The first 

 improvements described have relation to the machine for forming the wool into sheets 

 of a nearly uniform thickness, technically known as the ' sheeter,' and consists chiefly 

 in combing with the ordinary sheeting-drum or cylinder-rollers, designated, from 

 their resemblance to porcupine quills, ' porcupine rollers ;' these rollers having their 

 teeth or quills set in rows, and the rows of one roller gearing or taking into the spaces 

 between the rows of the other. 



2146 



Fig. 2146 is an elevation of a sheeting-machine thus constructed: F F is the 

 general frame-work upon which the several working parts of the machine are mounted. 

 A is the main or sheeting-drum or cylinder, which is studded with rows of comb or 

 'porcupine' teeth a, a, a, the length and fineness of which are varied according to 

 the length of the staple of the wool or ether material to be operated upon. Instead of 

 the rows consisting each of a single set of teeth, two. three, or more sets may be 



