MANUFACTURE OF COtTON. 
small rollers, about an inch in diameter 
take up the cotton between them as it suc- 
cessively approaches them on the revolving 
cloth, and deliver it to a roller of from 
twelve to eighteen inches diameter, accord- 
ing to the s^ze of the engine, covered with 
cards of the fineness proper for cotton :(eards 
for the operation of carding cotton or wool 
by hand being used in most towns and vil- 
lages, need not be described here, and will 
also be found under their proper heatl): from 
this roller the cotton passes to another of 
about the same size, from whence it is deli- 
vered to the great carding roller, which is 
from two to three feet in diameter : a'lont 
the upper half of this roller several small 
rolle s are placed, of three or four inches 
diameter, between which and the treat rol- 
ler the cotton is carded, as well as between 
those of a larger size : another roller, of 
from twelve to eighteen inelns diameter, 
takes the cotton from the laige roller, and 
is again stripped of it by a kind of comb, 
with very short teeth of iron, which nim i- g 
up and down before the roi'er, strikes the 
cards in its descent in the direction of their 
teeth, by which the cotton is separated in a 
fine thin sheet, like a fleece, in which it pas- 
ses between a smooth roller (which is 
mostly covered with tine paper), and a" hol- 
low semi c' Imder, that form it into oblong 
rolls, similar to those made by cand-carding, 
but much longer: on the surface of the 
smooth roller are small projections, parallel 
to the axis, at the distance of four or five 
inches iioiii each other; which rolling the 
cotton between them and the semi-cylinder 
beneath, produce tiie effect described. 
These projections are formed in many en- 
gines by whipcord stretched tightly across 
in the proper places, before the paper is 
pasted on, which covers both them and the 
roller. 
When the cotton is thus formed into rolls, 
it tails into a receptacle, whence it is ta- 
ken to be slabbed. 
It is to be understood, that the operation 
of'earding performed by the several rollers 
describad is effected by each successively 
moving fester than the one behind it, and of 
course slower than the one before it, with the 
exception of the small rollers placed above 
the great roller, which move with an uniform 
velocity, and all much slower than the large 
roller. In some carding engines formerly 
a good deal of the motions were performed 
by toothed wheels and pinions, but of late 
years they are effected by band*, or straps, 
Which produce a much more equable and 
steady movement. The large rollers are 
generally made by placing two or more 
wlieels of cast iron on one axle, the circum- 
ferences of which wheels are cased with 
wood, which is attached to them by screws 
or rivets : the smaller rollers are formed in 
a similar manner on wooden disks; but all 
are made hollow to prevent warping. 
Stubbing;. When the cotton is carded, 
the long rolls into which it is formed are 
next drawn out into a thick coarse thread, 
of loose texture, and but little twisted, cal- 
led the slubbing. This operation is gene- 
rally performed by hand, on the common 
hand wheel, which is similar to that used 
for spimiins wool, but of a smaller size. 
Engines have been contrived by tvliich a 
number of shibbinas could be drawn out to- 
gether; but the hands required for joining 
the rolls of cotton m succession, and for 
other purposes about those engines, were 
fouad to he so many, that very li'tle, if any, 
saving was made by those machines. 
Robing. The slnhhing coiled into co- 
noidal rolls, called cops, are next brought 
to tte engine called the robing hilly, by 
which it is diawn out into a. finer thread of 
the same loose textu e as before, receiving 
at the same time a little more twist. 
The Robing Billy. This machine is con- 
t 'ived *0 give circular motion to a number 
of spindles, and at the same time draw out 
the siuhhing which is attached to them to a 
finer thread. The spindles are placed in a 
frame, so as to stand nearly perpendicn arly 
at about four inches from each other ; their 
lower extremities turn in sockets, and small 
collars of brass sustuin them about halfway 
up : their upper halves pi eject above the 
frame: to their lower parts are attached 
small pullies, or vi'hirls, fi om wdience bands 
pass to a horizontal cylinder of about six 
inches diameter, a little longer than the row 
of spindles, which is placed before them at 
a lower position, and which gives motion to 
all the spindles together when it is turned 
round. This cylinder is now almost uni- 
versally made of tin plate; wooden ones of 
the same dimensions, however carefully 
made, having been found liable to warp 
and lose their proper shape. To prevent 
the bands from slipping, coarse paper is 
pasted over the tin, which answers the pur- 
pose very effectual’y. The cylinder receives 
its motion from a wheel, (like the large 
wheel used in spinning wool hy hand, and 
of the same dimensions), with which it com- 
municates by a band : this wheel is turned 
by the hand directly, by means of a winch. 
