SILK. 



The one in our plate contains only thirteen fpindles, and is in- 

 tended to be turned by hand, a method which is too ex- 

 penfive for this country, but is common in the fouth of 

 France, where many artifans purchafe their filk in the raw 

 ftate, and employ their wives or children to prepare it by 

 thele machines, which they call ovals, bccaufe the fpindles 

 B, 6, are arranged in an oval frame, G H. B is the handle 

 by which the motion is given ; it is fixed on the end of a 

 fpindle, R, which carries a wheel, D, to give motion to a 

 pinion upon the upper end of a vertical axle, E : this, at the 

 lower end, has a drum or wheel F, to receive an endlefs ilrap 

 or band, a a, which encompafles the oval frame G, and 

 gives motion to all the fpindles at once. The fpindles i, b, 

 ire placed perpendicularly in the frame G H, their points 

 relting in fmall holes in pieces of glafs, which are let into 

 the oval plank G ; and the fpindles are alfo received in col- 

 lars affixed to an oval frame H, which is fupported from the 

 plank, G, by blocks of wood ; {I and a are fmall rollers, fup- 

 ported ill the frame G H, in a fimilar manner to the fpindles : 

 their ufe is to confine the ftrap, a, to prefs againft the 

 rollers of the fpindles with fufficient force to keep them all 

 in motion. 



The tliread is taken up as fall as it is twiiled by a reel, K, 

 which is turned by a wheel, /;, and a pinion, i, upen the end 

 of the principal fpindle, R. The threads are guided by 

 pafling through wire-eyes, fixed in an oval frame, L, which 

 is fupported in the frame of the machine by a fingle bar or 

 rail, / /, and this has a regular traverfing motion backwards 

 and forwards, by means of a crank, or cxcentric pin, i, 

 fixed in a fmall cog-wheel, which is turned by a pinion upon 

 the vertical axis E ; the oppofite end of the rail, /, is fupported 

 upon a roller, to make it move eafily. By this means the 

 guides are in conitant motion, and lay the threads regularly 

 upon the. reel K, when it turns round, and gathers up the filk 

 upon it, as fhevi-n in the figure. 



One of the fpindles is lliewn at r without a bobbin, but 

 all the others are reprcfented as being mounted and in aftion. 

 A bobbin, e, is fitted upon each fpindle, by the hole through 

 it being adapted to the conical form of the fpindle, but in 

 fuch manner, that the bobbin is at liberty to turn freely round 

 upon the fpindle : a piece of hard wood is ftuck fall upon 

 each fpindle, jufl above the bobbin, and has a fmall pin enter- 

 ing into a hole in the top of the fpindle, fo as to oblige it to 

 revolve with the fpindle ; this piece of wood has the wire- 

 flyer, i, fixed to it : the flyer is formed into eyes at the two 

 extremities ; one is turned down, fo as to Hand oppofite the 

 middle of the bobbin e ; and the other arm, l, is bent upward^, 

 fo that tlie eye is exaftly over the centre of tlie fpindle, 

 and at a height of fome inches above the top of the fpindle. 

 The thread from the bobbin, e, is palled through both the eyes 

 of this wire, and mull evidently receive a twill when the fpin- 

 dle is turned ; and at the fame time, bv drawing up the thread 

 through the upper eye, l>, of the flyer, it will turn the bobbin 

 round and unwmd therefrom. The rate at which the thread 

 is drawn oft from the bobbin, compared with the number of 

 revolutions which the flyers make in the fame time, deter- 

 mines the twin to be hard or foil ; and this circumllance is 

 regulated by the proportion of the wheel, />, to the pinion 

 f, from which it receives motion ; and thefe can be changed 

 when it is required to fpin dillerent kinds of filk. The 

 operation of the machine is very fimple ; the bobbins filled 

 v.ith filk in the winding-machine,^^. I, are put loofe upon 

 the fpindles at e, and the flyers are lluck fall upon the top of 

 the fpindles : the threads are condutled through the eyes of 

 the flyers b, and of the layers L, and are tiien made fall to the 

 reel K, upon which it will be leen that tlierc are double the 

 number of Ikeins to that of the fpindk'8 reprcfented, bccaufe 



one half of the number of the fpindles is on the oppofite fide 

 of the oval frame, fo that they are hidden. With this prepara- 

 tion the machine is put in motion, and continues to fpin the 

 threads by the motion of the flyers, and to draw them oft 

 gradually from the bobbins, until the flieins upon the reel are 

 made up to the requifite lengths. This is known by a train of 

 H'heel-work at ti o p, confilting of a pinion, n, fixed upon the 

 principal fpindle R, turning a wheel o, which has a pinion 

 fixed to it, and turning a larger wheel p ; this has another 

 wheel upon its fpindle, with a pin fixed in it, whicli at every 

 revolution raifes a hammer, and ftrikes upon a bell, j, to in- 

 form the attendant that the flceins are made up to a proper 

 length. When this machine is employed for the firll opera- 

 tion of twilling the organzine, the wheel, /j, mult be larger, 

 and the pinion, i, fmaller than reprcfented, in urdur that the 

 reel, K, may be turned flowly, and the threads will therefore 

 receive a Itronger and clofer twill. Alfo, the handle C is 

 turned in an oppofite direction to that in which it mult move 

 for the final throwing oft' the two or three twilled threads to- 

 gether ; and as it mull alfo move for twilling the raw threads 

 together for the warp of filk-lluff^s, and for weaving flock- 

 ings, this reverfe movement makes no alteration in tiie ma- 

 chine, except that it will give twill in a contrary direction ; 

 for it is always nccelfary, when two or more twilled threads 

 are combined by twiRing, that the twill of the original threads 

 Ihall be in the oppofite direction to that twill which unites 

 them into one thread, in the fame manner as for making 

 ropes, organzine filk being in facl fmall repe, and llocking- 

 filk or warp being only yarn. The filk which is intended 

 to be dyed, is previoufly twilled very flightly in this machine, 

 and of courfe in that diredlion which will fuit the purpofe for 

 which it is ultimately intended ; viz. whether for yarn or 

 organzine. 



The great mills for twilling filk, originally introduced by 

 Mellrs. Lombe, though very complicated, are fiir.ple in their 

 operation, becaufe the complexity arifes from the great 

 number of fpindles which are afluated by the fame U'.ovc- 

 ment, every one of which produces its efledil independent of 

 the others, and in the fame manner as the oval which we 

 have dffcribed. A maciiine is contained in a circular frame, 

 of which the diameter varies from ll to 13, 15, and even 

 17 feet ; but 15 feet is the general fize of the original Pied- 

 montefe machines. In the centre of the frame is a perpen- 

 dicular axis or fpindle, coining up through the floor of the 

 chamber, andrifing to the cieling ; it is put i;i motion by a 

 communication of wheel-work from a water-wheel, or other- 

 wife from a horfe-vvheel. The axis has upon it two, tlirec, 

 or four horizontal wheels, according to the height of the 

 machine, which revolve with it, and are of a lulficicnt fize 

 to fill nearly all tlie interior of the circular frame, and aft 

 upon the pulleys or rollers of the fpindles, wliicli are fup- 

 ported vertically in the frame, and arranged round the ma- 

 chine, at equal dillanccs, in a circle, the number being pro- 

 portioned to the dimenfions of the machine. The Ipindlcs 

 are alfo arranged in as many diftcrent Itages of height as there 

 are wheels upon the vertical fpindle ; (or the circumference of 

 each wheel prelles againll the roller."! of the Ipindles which 

 are arranged round it ; and thus, when the wheel revolves, it 

 gives a very rapid motion to all the Ipindles at once, by the 

 contaft of the edge of the wheel, but without any Ilrap, 

 as in the oval. Each fpindle has a bobbui, filled with filk, 

 fitted upon the top of it, and from this the filk is carried 

 up to a horizontal reel, which is turned round (lowly by the 

 machine, and draws oil the thread gradually lr<nn the bob- 

 bin : the flyer, being all the while in rapid motion, Ivvillg 

 the thread upon itlelf, or, if two or three threads are pre. 

 yioufly wound togcilier upon the bobbin, they will bo 

 ' ^ twilled 



