153 Mil. WILLIAM FAIRBAIRN : MEMOIR 



The shaftj with its large and small wheels Avorking alter- 

 nately had a pulley with a catch upon it, and was driven 

 by the mill-work; and was forced into a corresponding 

 catch upon the small shaft when the mule was to be set 

 in motion by the steam power. The power in this instance 

 was Savery's, which was used to raise water upon a 

 water-wheel. There was a worm upon the rim axis, with 

 a wheel upon it, the number of whose teeth determined 

 the revolutions of the rim. The second drawing, which 

 had generally been performed by hand, had also to be 

 performed by the machine itself. This had heen done in 

 a few instances before power had been applied. From the 

 simplest of these methods I took the hint, drawing a shaft 

 from the rim by a strap from a small pulley upon the rim 

 axis, and a large one upon the small axis which had the 

 small pinion upon it ; so that when the drawing- out wheel 

 and band were disengaged from the front roller, they fell 

 back into the small pinion whose axis was revolving at a 

 very slow speed, and consequently gave a much slower 

 speed to the second stretch or draw, as it is called, the 

 speed of which was more or less, according to the numbers 

 to be spun. 



" Messrs. A. and G. Murray at that time, like myself 

 and partners, were machine makers, and to a small extent 

 we were both engaged in fine spinning by hand. They 

 fitted up, upon the principle above described, a few pairs 

 of hand mules, which they had previously made for one of 

 their customers in Derbyshire, who had water power. 

 Mr. Drinkwater, of Manchester, was the most extensive 

 fine spinner at the time of which I speak. He was one of 

 the early water spinners, and in possession of the most 

 perfect system of roving making. His large mill in 

 Piccadilly was filled with mules of one hundred and forty- 

 four spindles each, all of which were worked by mens' hands. 

 Mr. Owen, the philanthropist, was then his manager, and 



