148 
A paper was read entitled “ Notes on Cotton Spinning 
Machinery. Part II. — Roving Frames.” By J. C. Dyer, 
Esq., Vice-President. 
Having in Part I. of these Notes given an account of the 
inventions and improvements that had been applied to the 
mule jenny, and for converting it into the self-acting mule, 
the present paper in like manner traces the origin and pro- 
gress of the machines known as roving frames, which come 
next in the order of scientific interest, as having engaged the 
labours of many eminent mechanics, through a long course 
of years, to bring them into their present accurate form of 
working. The rovings are equalised by doubling and draw- 
ing before coming to the roving frame, in which they are 
again drawn and slightly twisted to fit them for spinning ; 
but the twist is not enough to give them strength to be 
taken up by the drag of the bobbin, as is the case in throstle 
spinning, so that the bobbins must be driven separately from 
the fliers and their speed must vary according to their dif- 
ferent diameters, so as to make the surface motion of winding 
on to correspond with that of the delivering rollers, and 
when the latter motion is changed the former must be made 
to agree with such change, which is called the differential 
motion ; and to make these agree with the frequent changes 
required was attended with much trouble and difficulty in 
working, which ultimately led to the introduction of the 
machine called the 66 tube roving frame,” in which the said 
differential motion was wholly dispensed with. In this 
frame the bobbins are mounted on cylinders and turned by 
the friction of their surfaces. Being geared with the deliver- 
ing rollers, their motions were thus made to agree at all 
speeds. But another property of importance in the tube 
frame was the twisting and untwisting of the rovings and the 
pressing of them hard upon the surface of the bobbins, so that 
the surface motion could be made accurate. This tube frame to 
a large extent was substituted for the bobbin and fly frame for 
