MANUFACTURE OF COTTON. 



the ends, are turned in a lathe, and from 

 it, by a hook, depends a weight that press- 

 es it" against the steel roller that lies be- 

 neath. Springs are used also to give the 

 same pressure, and where they can be 

 regulated so as to give exactly the same 

 pressure to each roller used, are prefera- 

 ble to weights, which, from the number 

 wanted, are a considerable load to the 

 floors oi the spinning mill, and by all get- 

 ting inio a vibratory motion when at work, 

 very much shake the building. The steel 

 rollers have, at their extremities, small 

 toothed wheels of brass, which are con- 

 nected with other wheels, and pinions at 

 the side of the frames, so regulated by 

 the number of their teeth, that the se- 

 cond roller goes round faster than the 

 first, and the third faster than the se- 

 cond. Tiie covered rollers are each 

 moved by the steel rollers on which they 

 press, and by this means the slubbing is 

 drawn out twice successively before it 

 passes to the fly. The spinning part for 

 each thread consists of a spindl^ placed 

 vertically, which sustains the fly and the 

 bobbin. The fly is a steel wire, bent 

 round from the top of the spindle, so that 

 a small ring at its extremity may be about 

 an inch and a quarter from the spindle 

 outwards, and the length of the bobbin 

 below its top, to which it screws on by a 

 small ferule : through the ring the twist- 

 ing slubbing passes to the bobbin, whose 

 office is merely to roll up the twist as it 

 is spun by the swift revolutions of the 

 spindle the bobbin is about three inches 

 long, and is perforated longitudinally, so 

 as to permit the spindle to turn round 

 freely within it. That the twist may be 

 rolled up equally on every part of the 

 bobbin, it is necessary that the bobbin 

 should be moved up and down on the 

 spindle with a slow motion ; for this pur- 

 pose all the bobbins in the large frame 

 rest on a horizontal bar of wood, moved 

 up and down by two arms suspended on 

 centres that receive this motion from the 

 revolutions of an heart wheel, or wheel 

 of an oval firm. The weight of each of 

 the bobbins pn-ssing it on this bar pre- 

 vents its being turned round by the spin- 

 dle, and this resistance causes the fly to 

 wind the twist on it by degrees, ge'ntly 

 pulling it round in proportion as the cir- 

 cumference of the bobbin exceeds the 

 length of twist spun in each revolution of 

 the fly. The six spindles, which answer 

 to the six divisions of the steel rollers, 

 are turned round by bands, which pass 

 round an horizontal drum, the axis of 

 which ascends upwards, and gives motion 

 to the fluted rollers by a pinion on its 



top ; this axis receives its motion from 

 other bands, which .pass to large drums 

 turned by horizontal shafts, running the 

 whole length of the spinning rooms, which 

 ultimately receive their motion from the 

 water wheel, or other primary moving 

 power. 



Several sets of the rollers, with their 

 spindles, are fixed in one wooden frame ; 

 the spindles are all outside, and the wood- 

 en frames'are generally double, to contain 

 two rows of the frames of rollers, by 

 which they take up less space. The 

 spindles are divided, as described, to cor- 

 respond with the rollers, that when any 

 thread breaks, not more of them may be 

 stopped than this small number. Each 

 set of rollers, and their attendant spindles, 

 are stopped instantly by raising a little 

 socket turning on the upright axis, which 

 elevates a small vertical bolt that passes 

 through the small drum to a projecting 

 arm on the lower part of the axis ; above 

 which arm, when this bolt is raised, the 

 communication between the drum and 

 the axis ceases, and the drum remains at 

 rest, while the axis revolves within it un- 

 interrupted. 



By similar contrivances the drum which 

 gives motion to all the small drums in 

 one wooden frame, can be stopped at 

 pleasure. Each horizontal shaft, which 

 sets the large drums of a whole room in 

 motion, may also be stopped at pleasure, 

 and this system pervades the whole mill, 

 by which means, when any one part be- 

 comes damaged, it may be stopped with- 

 out interrupting the motion of the rest. 



In some mills, instead of the large 

 drums, toothed wheels are placed, which 

 impel round small shafts, that pass be- 

 neath the frames, where, by correspond- 

 ing wheels, they turn small-toothed 

 wheels on every upright axis beneath 

 each small drum ; but the motion given 

 by the large drums and bands, is account- 

 ed to be more steady and uniform than 

 that thus produced. 



The general machinery of the cotton 

 mill, by which the various engines de- 

 scribed are set in motion, is as follows : 

 The moving power, whether a fall of 

 water, or a steam engine, is, by interven- 

 ing wheels, adapted to its nature, made to 

 turn round a vertical shaft, which passes 

 through all the stories or floors of which 

 the mill consists ; in each of which it is 

 furnished with a horizontal toothed wheel, 

 which gives motion to a vertical wheel, to 

 which is attached a horizontal shaft going 

 across one end of the floor, which gives 

 motion to two or more other horizontal 

 shafts, according to the breadth of the 



