10M WOOLI.KN AND WoltSTKD MANt'KACTt 



\\OOLI.KN AND WORSTED MANUFACTURES. 100J 



Each comb consists of two or three row* of steel teeth, 6, one 

 row longer than the other, inserted in a wooden stock or head, t, from 

 which protrude* * handle, (/, at right angles to the direction of the 

 teeth. The workman first heats the teeth of one of the combs in the 

 ind fixes it in the post, teeth uppermost. Ho then takes a small 

 handful of wool, consulting of about four ounces, sprinkles it with oil to 

 increase the pliancy and ductility of the filaments, and works it about 

 between his hands to equalise the oil on every part of the fibres. The 

 comber then takes half the bundle of oiled wool, and dashes it on the 

 upturned teeth of the comb, till it is all deposited there, and caught 

 between the teeth sufficiently firm to be retained. The comb with its 

 wool is placed, points downwards, in the store ; and the comber next 

 fixes the other heated comb in the comb-poet, Inys the other half of Un- 

 bundle of wool on it, and places this likewise in the stove. When both 

 combs with their supply of wool are properly warmed, the comber holds 

 one of them over his knee with liin left hand, while seated on a low 

 stool, and with the other comb, held in his right hand, he combs the 

 wool upon the first, by introducing the points of the teeth of one comb 

 into the wool contained in the other, and drawing them through it. 

 This is repeated till the fibres are laid parallel. The wool which 

 remain* uncombed on the teeth, and which constitutes about one- 

 eighth of the length of the fibres, is unfit for spinning into worsted, and 

 is consequently applied to other purposes. In machine comliiiifr, the 

 apparatus sometimes consists of two wheels of large diameter, like the 



the sliver of wool becomes elongated to a state of still greater tenuity 

 while passing between them. It is then caught by a second pair of 

 rollers it, kept in close contact by the weight t> ; and at these rotate 

 still more rapidly than the former, the sliver is still more elongated, 

 F E A . F 



Combing-Wheel. 



one here sketched, having wires placed round the circumference, 

 parallel with the axis, and pointed at one end so as to act like teeth. 

 A boy. sitting on the ground, strikes wool on the points of the teeth 

 in one wheel, so as to moke it adhere to and between them. The two 

 wheels are then made to rotate, the distance between them being such 

 that the teeth of the one can draw through or comb the wool lying on 

 the teeth of the other. This is effected with great rapidity ; and when 

 the combing is completed, the lop or combed worsted is taken off by a 

 boy or girl in a continuous sliver from the upper part of the wheel, 

 while the n>,ilt or uncombed part is removed by another boy. 



When the wool has been combed either by hand or machine, it is 

 transferred to the tirtal-iny-framt, the object of which is to open out 

 any fibres which may have escaped the action of the combs. In this 

 machine the wool, after passing between rollers, is exposed to the 

 action of a kind of endless comb, travelling round two rollers distant 

 from each other ; and the arrangements as to relative velocities are 

 such, that the wool becomes somewhat drawn out as well as combed 

 parallel, and leaves the machine in the form of a roll or narrow belt. 

 The sliver of wool proceeds to a large bobbin or cylinder, round which 

 it is lapped into a continuous rolL It is then passed a second time 

 through a breaking-frame, having teeth finer and more closely set than 

 the former. The soft woolly riband is then subjected to the action of 

 a machine analogous in principle to the dratrinij-frume of the cotton 

 manufacture ; the object being to extend the length, diminish the 

 thickness, and equalise the number of fibres of the sliver. Hitherto 

 the woolly fibres are merely slightly coherent, without having any 

 twist ; but they arc now passed through a raring-machine, pre))aratory 

 to the process of spinning. The working parts of this machine are 

 Hlightly shown in section in the annexed cut. The wool-carding or 

 sliver passes beneath a roller r, towards a cylinder K, tlio surface of which 

 is studded with points or teeth. The wool, after being acted on by 

 these teeth, passes between the pair of rollers A, where it is preened by 

 the upper roller being urged downwards by the weight c. Of these 

 rollers the upper one is of wood covered with leather, and the under 

 one of iron, fluted parallel with the axis ; and the rollers being made 

 to rotate faster than the feeding-roller F, it necessarily follows that 



Jiuvirg.Machinc. 



until its thickness is so small that the fibres can scarcely cohere. Hut 

 in order to give them the requisite coherent strength, they are slightly 

 twisted by the bobbin and fly o, that beautiful contrivance which is so 

 extensively adopted in the textile manufacture?. One fork or leg of 

 the rotating flyer o is hollow or tubular, and down this tube the 

 delicate cord of wool passes ; then, by the rapid rotation of the flyer, 

 the wool or rortity becomes wound on the spindle of the 1 

 concentric with the flyer. The straight or rectilinear motion of tho 

 roving while approaching the flyer, combined with the circular motion 

 at the flyer itself, imparts a twist to the roving, sufficient to enable it 

 to undergo the process of spinning. 



The spinning of the worsted bears so close a resemblance to tlmt "f 

 cotton, as described in COTTON MANTFACTCBE, and SHXNINO, that a 

 reference to those articles will suffice to convey a general notion of tlm 

 process. When spun, the worsted yarn is wound on a reel, and in 

 thence made up into hanks of 580 yards each. These hanks reeeivo 

 denominations according to the number of them which go to a pound, 

 and the yarn derives its name in like manner : thus, No. 24 yarn has 

 24 hanks to the pound. In some instances the hank is reckoned at 

 8JO yards. The hanks are tied up into pounds ; the pounds ai 

 bined into bundles; and the bundles ore made up into bale 

 each, ready for the market. 



line terminate the operations of a worsted-mill ; for the dyeing of 

 the yarn, and the weaving into the various kinds of textile f.ibi ! 

 us to other deportments of industry. [Dvi:iN.; ; \\"I:AVIN<;.] 



The worsted manufacture, like that of woollen, has been marked by 

 the introduction of many new machines and ; . ithin the last 



few years. Two or three of be briefly noticed. English 



wool is becoming less and less fitted fur cloths, and more and more 

 fitted for worsteds. Moreover, a length of staple, necessary under the 

 old process of combing, is less needed under the modern. I'via l.ntli 

 of these causes any kind of English wool, from three-inch 

 upwards, is rendered available for one or other of the numerous kinds 

 of worsted manufactures. Carding-machines in great variety have 

 been adopted ; and the chief inventor, Mr. Litter, made an attempt in 

 1855 to overturn the patent-claims for many of them, but failed in a 

 court of law. Messrs. Croft and Steel's machine, introduced at K. 

 in 1S57, has a number of combs, each forming a circular segment; 

 they are fixed to the outer ends of radiating arms carried by a hori- 

 zontal disc, which rotates on a vertical axis. Tho combs, while 

 rotating, pass in front of a feeding apparatus, and have a pi 

 combing motion given to them by means of cranks ; they advan 

 retire, rise and fall, and rotate, all at once. Each comb takes its 

 proper quantity of wool from the feeder, and carries it round to the 

 drawing-oil' roller. There are circular brushes to clean each comb 

 after ita passage, and a hot cliamber in which the teeth are warmed. 

 The great increase in the facility of machine-combing has been OIK: 

 cause of the more rapid advance of the worsted than of the woollen 

 manufacture. Another is, that the fly-spindles, which so late a 

 only made 2800 revolutions per minute, are now driven at the rnor- 

 mous velocity of 6000 revolutions. Another is, that while woollen 

 cloth, from its great width (ot't.-n !P feet, before beiiij.; milled), eami"t be 

 woven at more than about 50 picks of the shuttle per minute, worsted 

 weaving is often conducted at the rate of 160 picks. So great is tho 

 facility now offered for the use of cotton in mixed goods, or stuffs and 

 worsteds, that out of 100 pieces of all kind*, taken indiscriminately 

 from those produced in the Bradford district, it is estimated ";"> have 

 cotton warps ; while tho total weight of the whole produce is supposed 

 to be two-thirds wool and one-third cotton. One of the curious 

 novelties of recent years is Messrs. Saunders and Smith's proe 

 utilising the ijrcate resulting from the various scourings and w,' 

 to which the wool is subjected. Iron pipes convey the greasy water to 

 a tank, whence a pump draws it up to other tanks, where it is heated 

 by steam to 160 Kahr. Certain chemical substances are added, by 

 which the creamy sud is converted into a scum and a sediment, v. ith a 

 liquor between them. The liquor is drawn off as useless. The scum 



