WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 



minute ; and the hammers of a fulling-mill fhould be fo timed, 

 that each one will make from about 30 to 36 blows per 

 minute. This requires that the coga for the hammers fhould 

 be numerous, and fixed in the circumference of a large wheel 

 fixed on the axis of the water-wheel, otherwife the water-wheel 

 mull be made to turn fo quickly as to lofe a great part of 

 its force. A better way is to apply a cog-wheel on the axis 

 of the water-wheel to turn a pinion on the horizontal (haft, 

 which carries the cogs for the hammers, and this horizontal 

 fliaft may have a fly-wheel upon it, to regulate the motion 

 and render it uniform. 



Mr. Smeaton's proportions for a fulling-mill for two pair of 

 ftocks were as follows : — The water-wheel, 14 feet diameter, 

 7 feet broad ; it was a breaft-wheel, and the fall of the water 

 was five feet from the furface of the mill-pond to the tail- 

 water below. The fpur-wheel on the axis of the water- 

 wheel 72 cogs, and 9^ feet diameter ; the lantern turned by 

 It Z3 rounds. Upon the fame ftiaft as this lantern was a fly- 

 wheel of eight feet diameter, with a rim of caft-iron feven 

 inches fquare, and alfo the two cogs or tappets for each of 

 the four hammers forming two pair of ilocks. The fame 

 mill was adapted to be turned by the power of horfes in dry 

 feafons ; for this purpofe, another lantern of 13 teeth was 

 applied on the other end of the fame horizontal axis, which 

 could be occafionally turned by a horizontal cog-wheel of 

 90 teeth and 1 2 feet diameter, fixed on the vertical fhaft, 

 which the horfes turned. The levers by which the horfes 

 drew were 15 feet loiu^, fo that the horfes' track was 30 

 feet diameter. 



It required four horfes to work one pair of ftocks in this 

 mill, and when Mr. Smeaton tried the expenditure of water 

 at this mill, and alfo at another mill with an overfhot-wheel, 

 he found it required from 1200 to 1400 cubic feet of water 

 pir minute, falling one foot, to work a pair of ftocks. Taking 

 the force of a horfe at 352 cubic feet per minute raifed 

 one foot, this is very nearly equal to four horfes. Thefe 

 ilocks were ufed for fulling of bays, and we apprehend the 

 power for working the fulling-mills for broad-cloth is 

 greater. • 



Procefs of Milling. — A piece of cloth of fixty-two yards 

 long has fix pounds of foap allowed for it, which is diflblved 

 in water, and a handful fpread upon every yard in length ; 

 ihe piece is then put into the trough of the mill, and worked 

 for three hours ; during this time the cloth is frequently 

 moved in the trough, to expofe frefti furfaces to the aftion 

 of the hammers. The blows upon the cloth caufe a motion 

 of the fibres of the wool amongft one another, and the foap 

 facihtates this motion ; the fibres of the wool have the An- 

 gular property of moving always forwards in the direftion 

 of the roots of the hairs, when a number of hairs are rubbed 

 or worked together, but they will not retreat in the oppofite 

 direftion ; this produces the matting or entangling of all the 

 fibres together. After three hours milling, the piece of cloth 

 is taken out of the trough, and foaped again, then returned 

 and milled again for three hours. This is repeated four 

 times, making twelve hours milling in the whole, and then 

 a ftream of fair water is admitted into the trough, to wafti 

 away the foap. The piece of cloth, when taken out of the 

 mill the laft time, is generally found reduced to about 60 

 inches broad, and 40 yards in length ; before the operation, it 

 was 100 inches broad, and 62 yards in length. 



The operation of felting is fo well explained by 

 M. Monge, in the Annales de Chimie, that v^e think proper 

 to give an extraft from his memoir, in addition to what is 

 ftated in our articles Felting, Fulling, and Wool. 



If we examine a human hair, a fibre of wool, or the hair 

 of a rabbit, hare, beaver, &c. in a microfcope of the grcateft 



magnifying power, the furface of each hair appears fmooth 

 and even ; or at leaft if any inequalities are perceptible, 

 they feem rather to arife from fome difference in the colour 

 ai'.d tranfparency of particular parts of the fibres than from 

 the irregularity of their furfaces ; for their images, when 

 viewed by a folar microfcope, are terminated by even lines, 

 without any roughnefs. Neverthelefs it ia probable the fur- 

 faces of thefe objefts are formed either of lamina, which 

 cover each other from the root to the point, much in the 

 fame manner as the fcales of a fifh cover the animal from 

 the head to the tail ; or ftill more probably of zones placed 

 one over the other, like what is obferved in the ftrufture of 

 horns ; to this conformation it is, that fuch fubftances owe 

 their difpofition to what is called felting. 



If with one hand we take hold of a hair by the roots, and 

 draw it between two fingers of the other from the root 

 towards the point, we are hardly fenfible of any friftion or 

 refiftance, nor can we diftinguifti any found ; but if, on the 

 contrary, we draw it between the fingers from the point 

 towards the root, we are fenfible of a refiftance which did 

 not exift in the former cafe. A fort of tremulous motion is 

 alfo produced, which is not only perceptible to the touch, 

 but may alfo be diftinguilhed by the ear. 



It is evident, therefore, that the texture of the furface of 

 a hair is not the fame from the root towards the point, as 

 from the point towards the root. As this texture is the 

 principal objeft of the prefent memoir, it is necefl^ary to 

 demonftrate it by fome other obfervations. 



If a hair is held between the fore-finger and thumb, and 

 rubbed by them backwards and forwards alternately in the 

 direftion of its length, a progreflive motion of the hair will 

 take place ; but this motion is always with the root for- 

 wards, although the rubbing of the finger and thumb is 

 alternately in both direftions. This efFeft does not at all 

 depend on the nature of the Ikln of the fingers, or its tex- 

 ture ; for if the hair be turned, fo that the point is placed 

 where the root was, the movement then becomes con- 

 trary, viz. its motion is always direfted towards the root. 



What is obferved in the above inftance is entirely analo- 

 gous to what happens when country children, by way of 

 fport, introduce an ear of rye between the wrift and the 

 ihirt-fleeve ; the points of the beards of the ear are direfted 

 outwards, and by the various motions of the arm, this ear, 

 fometimes catching againftt he (hirt,fometimesagainft the flcin, 

 takes a progreflive motion backwards, but the beards always 

 refift its return, fo that it foon gets up to the arm-pit. It 

 is very clear, that this effeft is produced by the afperities 

 upon thefe beards, which being all direfted towards the 

 point, do not permit the ear to move in any other direftion 

 than towards that part which was united to the ftalk. 

 There can be no doubt that it is the fame with refpeft to 

 hair, and that its furface is befet with afperities, which being 

 laid one upon the other and turned towards the point refill 

 all motion, except towards the root. 



Thefe obfervations, which it would be ufelefs to multi- 

 ply, relate to long hair, which have been taken as examples ; 

 but they apply with equal propriety to wool, furs, and in 

 general to every kind of animal hair. The furface of all 

 thefe is, therefore, to be confidered as compofed of hard 

 lamelU placed one upon another, like tiles, from the root to 

 the point ; which lamelU allow the progreflive motion of 

 the hair towards the root, but prevent a fimilar motion 

 towards the point. 



From what has been faid, it will be eafy to explain why 

 the contaft of woollen ftuffs is rough to the ikin, while that 

 of cotton or hnen cloths is fmooth ; the reafon is, that not- 

 withftanding the flcxibifity of each particular fibre, the af- 

 perities 



