SILK. 



two or more threads of the raw filk, (lightly twifted in a 

 machine ; and the thread employed by the ftocking weaver 

 is of the fame quality, but compofed of a greater number 

 of threads, accordmg to the thicknefs defired. Organzine 

 filk is compofed of two, three, or four threads of raw filk 

 twifted, and fo combined as to obtain the greateft ftrength : 

 fur this purpofe, each thread of raw filk is twifted feparately 

 upon itfelf by a mill : the twift is given in a right-handed 

 diredion, and extremely tight. By a fecond operation of 

 twitting, two of thefe threads are combined together, the 

 twift being given in a contrary direftion, and not above 

 half as tight : this forms a thread fimilar to a rope. This 

 defcription of filk, ufed for the warp of ft;uffs, is of 

 the utmoft importance to the manufafturer, for none of 

 the principal articles can be fabricated without it. The 

 Italians, from whom we formerly imported the filk in 

 the ftate of organzine, for a long time kept the art of 

 throwing it a profound fecret. It was introduced into this 

 country by the enterprife and (l-cill of Meffrs. Thomas and 

 John Lombe, the latter having, at the ri(l< of his life, and 

 ■with wonderful ingenuity, taken a plan of one of thefe 

 complicated machines in the king of Sardinia's dominions, 

 from which, on his return, they cftablifhed a fimilar fet of 

 mills in the town of Derby. (See Derby.) In confider- 

 ation of the great hazard and expence attending the under- 

 taking, a patent was granted to fir Thomas Lombe in 17 18, 

 for fecuring to him the privilege of working organzine for 

 the term of fourteen years ; but the conftruftion of build- 

 ings and engines, and the inftruftion of the workmen, took 

 up fo much time, that die fourteen years were nearly ex- 

 pired before he could derive any advantage from it ; in 

 confequence of which, he petitioned parliament, in 173 1, 

 to grant him a further term : but parliament, confidering 

 it an objeft of national importance, granted him the fum ot 

 14,000/. on condition that he fiiould allow a perfecl model 

 of the machinery to be taken, and depofited in the Tower 

 of London for public infpeftion. Similar mills were, in 

 courfe of time, eretled in different parts of the country ; 

 but owing to the difficulties that were experienced in pro- 

 curing raw Italian filk of the proper fize for organzine (the 

 exportation of which was prohibited by the Italians), and 

 to the milk having fubfequently found employment for 

 other purpofes, the quantities worked into organzine, for 

 many years, bore fcarcely any proportion to the imports 

 from Italy ; it has however been fince revived and im- 

 proved, in confequence of which it is now carried on to a 

 very confiderable extent, as well in other parts of England 

 as at Derby. 



The procefs which the filk undergoes to bring it into 

 this ftate, confifts of fix different operations, i. The filk 

 is wound from the fi^ein upon bobbins in the winding ma- 

 chines. 2. It is then forted into different qualities. 3. It 

 it fpun or twifted on a mill in the fingle thread, the twill 

 being in the direftion of from right to left, and very tight. 



4. Two or more threads thus fpun are doubled or drawn 

 together through the fingers of a woman, who at the fame 

 time cleans them, by taking out the flubs which may have 

 been left in the filk by the negligence of the foreign reeler. 



5. It is then thrown by a mill, that is, the two threads are 

 twifted together, either flack or hard, as the manufafture 

 may require ; but the twilt is in an oppofite direclion to 

 the firft twift, and it is wound at the fame time in (keins upon 

 a reel. 6. The fkeins are forted according to their different 

 degrees of finenefs, and then the procefs is complete. 



The firft operation whicli the raw filk undergoes is wind- 

 ing, that is, drawing it off from the fkeins in which it is 

 imported, and winding it upon wooden bobbins, in which 



ftate it can go to the other machines. The winding-frame 

 is fhewn at Jig. 2. of the plate, or rather a part of it, 

 which will wind fix threads at once, and by increafing 

 the length it may be made to receive any number. Each 

 of the fkeins is extended upon a flight reel A A, called a 

 fwift ; it is compofed of four fmall rods, fixed into an axis, 

 and fmall bands of firing are ftretched between the arms to 

 receive the fuein, bnt at the fame time the bands admit of 

 Aiding to a greater or lefs diftance from the centre, fo as to 

 increafe the effeftive diameter of the reel, according to the 

 fize of the fkein, becaufe the fkeins, which come from dif- 

 ferent countries, vary in fize, being generally an exaft yard, 

 or other fimilar meafure, of the country where the filks are 

 produced. The fwifts are fupported upon wire pivots, upon 

 which they turn freely when the filk is drawn off from 

 them ; but in order to caufe the thread to draw with 

 a gentle force, a looped piece of firing, or wire, is hung 

 upon the axis withinfide the reel, and a fmall leaden weight, 

 c, being attached to it, will caufe a fufficient friftion. B, B, 

 are the bobbins which draw off the threads ; they are re- 

 ceived in the frame, and are turned by means of a wheel be- 

 neath each, the bobbin having a fmall roller upon the end of 

 it, which bears by its weight upon the circumference of the 

 wheel, and the bobbin is thereby put in motion to draw off 

 the filk from the fwift. D is the layer, a fmall light rod of 

 wood, which has a wire-eye fixed into it, oppofite to each 

 bobbin, fo as to conduft the thread thereupon ; and as the 

 layer moves contlantly backwards and forwards, the thread it 

 regularly fpread upon the length of the bobbin. The mo- 

 tion of the layer is produced by a crank fixed upon the end 

 of a crofs-fpindle, E, which is turned by means of a pair of 

 bevelled wheels from the end of the horizontal axle, upon 

 which the wheels for turning all the bobbins are fixed. 



Thefe winding-machines are ufually fituated in the top 

 building of the mill, the frames being made of great length, 

 and alfo double, to contain a row of bobbins and fwifts at 

 the back as well as in front. Two of thefe double frames 

 are put in motion by cog-wheels from the vertical fhaft, F, 

 which afcends from the lower apartments of the mill, where 

 the twifting-machines are placed. The winding-machines 

 require a cor.ftant attendance of children to mend the ends 

 or threads which are broken ; or when they are exhaufted, 

 they replace them by putting new fkeins upon the fwifts. 

 When the bobbins are filled they are taken away, by only 

 lifting them up out of their frame, and frefh ones are put in 

 their places. 



A patent has been lately taken out by Meffrs. Gent and 

 Clarke, for a new conftruAion of the fwifts for winding- 

 machines : they are made with fix fingle arms inftead of four 

 double ones ; and the arms are fmall flat tubes, made to 

 contain the ftems of wire forks, which receive the fl<ein in- 

 ftead of the bands of firing in the common fwifts. Thefe 

 forks admit of drawing out from the tubes until the fwift 

 is fufficiently enlarged to extend it ; but as they extend the 

 fiiein at fix points inftead of four, as in the common one, 

 the motion is more regular. Inftead of the weight which 

 caufes the friftion, a fpring is ufed to prefs upon the end 

 pivot of the axis, and make the requifite refiftance. 



The twiiling of the filk is always performed by a fpindle 

 and bobbin, with a flyer, but the conftruftion of the machine 

 which puts the fpindle in motion is frequently varied. The 

 limits of our plate do not admit a reprefentation of the great 

 machines, or throwfting-mill?, fuch as are ufed at Derby, and 

 at almoil all ths other great filk-milk in England. In^ff- 3- 

 we have given a drawing of a fmall machine, which is fimi- 

 lar in the parts which atl upon the filk ; and indeed many 

 mills employ fuch machines conftrufted on a large fcale. 



The 



