WOOLLEN MANUFACTURE. 



applied to the (hears themfelves, inllead of to the culhion or 

 l>ed, and is much more convenient. 



The perpetual machines anfwer very well for lliearing 

 narrow cloth, when the (hears can cut at once acrofs the 

 whole breadth ; and then as the two (hears E work in fuc- 

 celfion over the fame furface, they crop the cloth twice over 

 in pafTmg once through the machine. It has been attempted 

 to (hear wide cloths in this machine, by making one pair of 

 (hears take one half the breadth, and the othei- pair the 

 other half ; but it is very difficult to draw a wide piece of 

 cloth fo evenly over the culhions, as to keep it ftretched to 

 the full breadth without any wrinkles in the lengthways of 

 the piece ; and if there are any fuch wrinkles, the cloth will 

 be cut very irregularly. In this particular, the firft 

 machines have the advantage, becaufe the cloth is ftretched 

 over the culhion by the workman with difcretion, and he 

 makes it tight before the cropping is begun. 



There have been many patents for the improvements of 

 ihearing-machines. Mr. Buffington's, in 1804, '^ f*"" ^ 

 method of ftretching or extending the cloth breadthways 

 whilft it is in the fliearing-frame. His plan is to attach 

 z narrow web of ftrong cloth to the lifts of the cloth, by 

 fewing or lacing ; the outer edge of this web is alfo fewed 

 to a cord or fmall rope, fo that the cloth becomes edged or 

 ibordered with ropes. Thefe ropes are condufted through 

 wholes or openings in the frame, which will fuffer the cloth 

 ^nd ropes to be moved in the direftion of their length ; but 

 as the ropes cannot draw fideways out of thefe openmgs, the 

 cloth may be continually ftretched in its breadth. The 

 openings (hould have rollers to facilitate the motion of the 

 xopes. 



Mr. Jofeph Fryer's patent (hearing-machine, dated 1802, 

 afts with three (hearing-blades, one long one, which extends 

 acrofs the breadth of the piece to form the lower or fixed 

 J}lade, and two other moveable blades of half the length, 

 which are jointed to the long blade at the two ends, and 

 are moveable thereon, fo as to cut in the manner of fciffar- 

 blades. The moveable blades are prelTed into contaS with 

 the edge of the fixed blade by fprings, and are put in motion 

 fcy means of two cranks upon an horizontal fpindle, fo that 

 the blades make their ftrokes or cuts alternately. The edge 

 of the lower blade is a ftraight line, but the edges of the 

 moveable blades are convex on the cutting fide, fo as to 

 eaufe them to interfeft the edge of the lower blade always 

 at the fame angle when they are wide open, as when they are 

 nearly clofed. 



The piece of cloth is condufted over proper rollers, and 

 I wound up by one, which is turned round by the machine, fo 

 as to draw the piece of cloth from one end to the other 

 ' with a (low and progrelTive motion. The cloth, when it is 

 ' immediately beneath the edge of the long blade, is bent 

 ' luddenly over a narrow ridge of metal, which is parallel 

 with the edge of the lower blade, but fo far diftant as to 

 i permit the cloth to pafs between them. This ridge of 

 ; metal is capable of adjuftment by means of fcrews, and can 

 I be placed fo that the nap of the cloth will be (horn longer 

 ' or (horter, as it is required. 



In fome. cafes, efpecially in fini(hing broad-cloths, inftead 

 I of drawing the piece from end to end, it may be more con- 

 venient to caufe it, or part of it, to move under the (hearing- 

 j blades from lift to lift, or from one fide to the other. This 

 I will require a machine confiderably larger, though the fame 

 ! blades will fufBce ; or it is found equally convenient to 

 ;£aufe the blades, at the time they are cutting, to move over 

 'the cloth in any diredlion, but more efpecially from lift to 

 iM. 



1 Mr. Fryer alfo contemplated the finifhing of the cloth 

 Vol. XXXVIII. 



by the fame machine which performed the (hearing. Thus 

 after the cloth has undergone the operation of (hearing or 

 croppmg, m its pa(rage down to the cylinder on which it is 

 wound up. It is expofed to a current of fteam thrown out 

 froni a horizontal tube at a number of fmall apertures, fo as 

 tp give foftnefs and pliability to the cloth ; a brulhin'g cy- 

 linder is next made to move againft it, by which the re- 

 maining wool or fur is laid in one direftion. It then pafles 

 between two polilhed metal cylinders, which are made 

 hollow, and kept hot by the admilTion of fteam or other- 

 wife. Thefe occafion a great prelTure on the cloth, and 

 diflipate all the water imbibed from the fteam. 



Rotatory Shearing-Machine — A very complete machine 

 for cropping cloth of any breadth was invented by Mr. Price, 

 of Stroud, in Gloucefterftiire, and for which he obtained a 

 patent in 18 15. This machine (hears or crops the cloth 

 acrofs the breadth, beginning at one end of the piece, 

 and continuing regularly to the other. For this pur- 

 pofe, the cloth is condufted through the machine by the 

 motion of rollers, and is drawn over a bed or fupport which 

 lies beneath the ftationary or fixed blade of the (hears or 

 croppers, (which anfwers to what is called the ledger-blade 

 in the common ftiears, ) fo that the cloth paffes between the 

 bed and the ftationary blade. 



The moving blades of the (hears are fixed on the circum- 

 ference of a cylinder fituated above the fixed blade, with its 

 axis exaftly parallel thereto, and capable of revolving by the 

 power of machinery, fo that the edges of the moving blades 

 will be carried againft and pafTed over the edge of the fixed 

 blade, in order to cut away all the wool of the cloth which 

 rifes above the edge of the fixed blade. Several fuch moving 

 blades are fixed upon the fame cylinder, to aft in fucceffion 

 againft the fixed blade ; and thefe moving blades are placed 

 obliquely to the axis of the cylinder, or in fuch a manner 

 as to form portions of fpirals ; but as all parts of the 

 cutting edges are equidiftant from the axis of the cylinder, 

 it is manifeft, that in the revolution of the cylinder, every 

 part of each fpiral edge is brought in fuccelHon into 

 contaft with the fixed blade, fo that in its revolution it 

 crops off all the wool, which by the progrelfive motion of 

 the cloth over its bed is raifed up againft the fixed edge. 

 The edges of the moving blades are placed at fuch a degree 

 of obliquity to the axis of the cylinder, that at the wme 

 inftant the end of one ceafes to cut againft the edge of the 

 fixed blade, the following revolving blade will begin its 

 aftion at the other end of the cylinder ; therefore, by the 

 time that any one of the revolving edges has paffed over and 

 made its cut againft the whole length of the fixed blade, and 

 is ready to quit it, the fucceeding revolving edge is brought 

 into aftion, and when this has paffed, the next in fuccelEon 

 begins, fo as to keep up a continued aftioni 



The cloth is ftretched in width by a contrivance which he 

 calls ftretching-bands, to prevent it getting into folds or 

 wrinkles, which would be injured by the (hears, or make 

 irregularities in the (hearing. Thefe ftretching-bands are 

 endlefs ftraps or bands, each of which is extended over 

 two wheels. The bands have (harp pins projefling from 

 them to prick into the lifts at the edges of the clpth, and 

 the bands being fo fituated that one of them lies exaftly 

 beneath each lift, they will be caufed to circulate round their 

 refpeftive wheels by the motion of the cloth. The llretth- 

 ing of the cloth is effefted by the pofition of the wheels on 

 which the bands circulate, the direftion of the band} being 

 flightly oblique to the lengthways of the cloth. The 

 endlefs ftraps are fo fitted into grooves or troughs, that they 

 are firmly retained to move ftraight forwards in their oblique 

 direftion ; and the direftion of the obliquity is fuch, that the 

 4 Q bands 



