The cotton yarn spinner, showing how the preparation should be arranged for different counts of yarns ..

Contents

Regulator, ^^

Under Flat Card, 34

Revolving Top Flat Card, 3^

Index To Tables

Flat Carding Table,

Roller "

Coarse Slubber, " .

Fine

Intermediate Fram? Table,

Fine Roving "

Coarse " " " .

Spinning "

Miscellaneous,

MoBXBU. Brothibs,

STEAM-POWER PRINTEBS,

US South Third St.

Philaoilpiiia,

Preface

TN introducing this work to the reader, it is earnestly re- ^ quested of him to have patience to read the introductory remarks, before he attempts to peruse its general contents, so that he may obtain a previous knowledge of why, and how, the writer desires he should become acquainted with the object of bringing before the Public such a book.

By a long experience with the machines, and the variety of yarns that can be made on them. I wish to show in a very concise manner, how they are made to perform such actions, by a thorough practical system of arranging and adjustments, which will produce in the first trial precisely what you want to do, and make, under the disposition of a competent man, for this work is not intended for Theorists, but men, who are perfectly acquainted with the machines, and Tyro's who are training under the discipline of their overseers, for It is dangerous and impolitic to the work and machinery to tolerate the unacquainted meddling with important and expensive machines, which should be handled by a mechanic, and not by empirics, who have the assumption to dictate and know more in a few months, than those who have labored a whole lifetime to secure a higher position, by the knowledge they have acquired so assiduously.

6 PREFACE

I have often wished for some one to introduce a more improved system of making different counts of yarn, by which the manufacturer can make his changes, from a schedule, having become impatient by the want of such a formula I undertook the task myself, in which you will find extracts from the general schedule put in a table form to suit the machine, and a place for it in the book.

When looking over these tables for the purpose of changing your counts, you will soon discover how consistent, is the preparation to the Numbers of Yarn.

Now this being the object, which induced me to write this work, that every manufacturer, individually and collectively, might, if he chooses, adopt this method, if he finds it the nearest and most economic manner, out of the many different ways of producing the numbers required, for there is only one way that is perfect under every advantage, and this we are trying to emulate, and in so doing, it is my earnest wish and desire that you will give this method a fair trial, that you may realize and be honestly convinced of its merits. If I am favored with such results that you feel confident of its success, there will be one more who has conceived the intelligent manner, which this system exhibits, and I feel confident will become general, that being so will be the climax of my ambition ' for it is natural I should feel so, having spent a lifetime in this business, acquiring knowledge by the experience and opportunities afforded me, am willing now, for the benefit of those who are inclined to be progressive, to turn over this accumulated capital for the general welfare of machinists and spinners, hoping they will invest it with as much care as I have used in acquiring it, trusting that the interest which will be derived from it may assume the proportion of my wishes.

PREFACE

With a view of reducing the price of this book, I have omitted the drawings and illustrations of various machines represented, they not being necessary for those whom this book is intended ; also, the lengthy calculations which are superfluous in a book of this kind, but have given the RULES, so that any question may be solved on the slate in a very brief and reliable manner, showing in every instance how the work has been epitomized, where it could be admitted for the benefit of the purchaser, and yet it contains as much useful information to those who have the responsibility of making the yarns, and more practical suggestions that have not been given in other works on the same subject ; submitting the same to your own judgment, by a strict perusal of its contents.

RICHARD CROSS.

TN commencing to write on the subject ©f making Yarns, our starting point will be from the bales of cotton we have received, these should be examined after taking the hoops and bandage off, spreading them open and selecting from them such as has been already classified according to the kinds of yarn you intend to make, for in making warp your stock will require to be of a more even staple, viz.: in length, and if you should have some bales that are not so good, but of about the same length, you may in making your mixing, put a certain percentage of this class, bat not so much as to reduce the strength of your yarn too much. You will first take from No. i bale and spread out on the floor, occupying about as much space as you need for the quantity you intend to mix. Then take from No. 2 bale of another quality and spread on the top of the first layer, and so on alternately, but if you have selected three kinds for your mixing, then you will take and spread them from Nos. I, and 2, and 3, then from Nos. i, and 2, and 3, and so on, keeping in view the space you have at command. This mixing must be regulated by the capacity of your mill and it would be well if you did not exceed over 5 feet in height, so that in taking it from the mixing to the opener you will be able to handle it much better, as it should be taken from top to bottom so that the classes may be kept proportionately mixed. Now this mixing is supposed to be for making warps, for which I proposed an average length of staple, and not to exceed in length the kind you intend to use generally and regularly.

lO MIXING.

Having once made your mind up as to the numbers you intend to spin, your class of cotton can then be determined on, to secure uniformity of thread and the adjusting of the preparatory machines. You will find out by this mode of mixing that it will give the cotton a better chance of spreading and opening out by its elasticity and absorbing atmospheric moisture, and if need be, sometimes a little artificial will do no harm to strengthen if not used too soon after employing it. But these are measures not easily dealt with if not cautiously attempted, but act disastrously if not done expertly and by a trustworthy person, on whom you can rely for doing it properly, according to your instructions, but really should be made under your supervision if time will admit. I would also prefer cotton that has been baled for a length of time, for new cotton does not work so well as old, everything being equal, new cotton being too lively and elastic, or lofty, which makes it difficult to prepare, on account of its non-condensing quality which is a great art in preparing cotton.

This artificial mode of moisture I have already spoken of, is, by using water, put on each layer of cotton when mixing by a sprinkling can having a very fine rose, and, if by a strict measure to a certain area, you will be able to ascertain just the right quantity after a few exact trials, being governed by its facility of working and quality of production, you can determine by its results what kind of a specific it really is, to adopt when necessary.

There are other modes of mixing cotton besides this, but they are not so good and useful in their effects : for instance, if you take a bale of cotton and run it through the opener and make it into laps on the spreader, then take another bale and do the same, and so on. Then you put one of each kind on Lapp machine, which is a very ready

MIXING. II method of mixing ; but you lose the most important part, before mentioned, and which I wish to impress on your minds as very essential and an active principal in mixing cotton. It may not appear to those who have adopted the latter mode of mixing, of having the economy which they . claim, by dispensing with mixing on the floor, but I maintain that the first plan I explained is the best, both for the machines, and the better for it being ready of itself for manipulating. Here you see we gain two points over the other plan and will be better cleaned, for it is here in this room that we expect to leave all the trash and dirt, for what is done here should be well done, and not leave it to be carried on to another machine or card, before all the hard and tough substances have been driven out by the beaters, so as not to injure the card wire when it has progressed so far. This is a most important point and is the compound of the other two points, giving us a cleaner and firmer lap, saving waste and labor in not having to carry back the waste made from broken and sticky laps being made too hurriedly, allowing no time for the fibres to expand after being released from the great pressure which was on it in the bale, but pitched right on to the machine in lumps, to be ripped and torn from the feed rollers, having more pressure on them than where it leaves them almost without being beat at all, by being so unevenly spread on the apron and passing under the feed rollers thick and thin, or solid and puffy, which is complete murder. Hence the rough and reckless laps, which could have been avoided by a proper mixing being done according to an approved system of long standing, and evidently the best plan when exhibited by experiment, showing clearly a claim which I prefer.

On the other hand, by No. 2 plan, it is claimed they are

MIXING.

less liable to damage by fire, hence the premium on insurance will be less. Now I have some doubts respecting an allowance being made on that account, and whether the theory it presents before the Insurance Agent, is not a delusion, taking a prima-facia view of it, as they generally do, and whether it will stand as secure against fire as No. i plan will, after a proper investigation. It is very seldom a fire takes place, only by some foreign matter of an iron or flinty nature, being struck by the beaters, which must certainly have escaped detection by the handling of the cotton before passing under the feed rollers. Now such an accident might happen by either plan, but if this be the chief cause of fires, I am fully convinced that No. i plan of mixing will have the preference, from the very fact of its having a better chance of being detected by its greater handling, shaking and tossing in laying the mixing on the floor, and then being taken up again to spread on the feed apron. I will submit to the contrary only — if any Insurance Agent that has had great practice and opportunities of testing and averaging the numbers of fires and how they are ignited, whether from No. i or from No. 2 plan has had the least accidents by fire.

Although it is safe to say having once got on fire, the damage is not so risky when the cotton is in the bale, as it is when spread out in a mixmg \ yet, with the modern appliances for extinguishing these fires, it would be a rare occurrence indeed, if it should make any headway during working hours, and it must happen then, taking our argument through from a mixing point. But I am wandering away from my subject, for it is not the insurance I am treating on, but to look for a better class of yarn than is sent to market, which can only be made by clearing away some of the novelties advanced in the present decade, which have deteriorated more than excelled in the manufacturing of them, and more especially, at this part of it which we are now considering, viz : mixing and opening and the variety of devices employed on these machines to do it, but they are gradually wearing out, as well as the new ideas they promulgated in their favor, are vanishing, when meeting a more formidable and established practice, and entertained through long experience by being tested side by side with the facts on one side and the ideas on the other, have placed the former in a more permanent use by those who have experimented and chosen a more radical, than visionary view as to the choice of machines.

I will again remark in choice of stock for making good warps, it must be an average length of staple when they are made by a continuous spinning — such as Ring & Flyer, and cap Frames, and the uniformity of the thread is in accord with the uniformity of staple, of cotton, so it would not be very wise to use fly or short weak cotton in the mixing, unless they are very coarse yarns, and then very sparingly.

Now, in mixing filling, or weft, or hosiery yarns the mixing may be more general in the use of different grades from the same class of cotton, according to the numbers of yarn and its adaptability, for the filling for sheetings we could not pretend to use the same class of cotton as would be required for making hosiery yarn, so it will be a matter of judgment how far you can encroach with the lower grades and keep your goods up to the standard, or having the same features one time as at any other time, by which if you have acquired a good sample, then hold on to that system, and you will surely succeed if you have made a moderate margin between the raw cotton and the goods. In your mixing for this kind of yarn you have an advantage over warp yarn in using inferior stock, and in the use of intermittent spinning, called the mule, which assists by a propensity belonging to it, to recover by this act of stretching the uneveness of the thread caused by a mixture of unequal fibres. In mixing for hosiery yarns, you should choose a clean and spiral natured class, so as to give it elasticity, and make it bulky ; the South American cotton is the best for this kind of yarns, such as Perus, Marahnams, Bahia and (New Orleans and good Mobile). I think the two latter will suit for the kind of hosiery yarns for this market, as the fineness is not absolute here so much as cheapness with the laboring class of people.

The same class of cotton I would use for making fine watps, and for a coarser kind I would mix Tennessee and Middling, Upland and Texas, for i6's up to No. 20's warps. But in mixing for filling or weft, use Low Middling, Uplands and Texas, and grade them according to numbers of yarn you are going to make, allowing a percentage of Fly, if you choose to use some of your own from double carding only. Also a per cent, of your waste which you will have to use up by putting in the mixing only, as it would be injurious to use it indiscriminately in the making of good yarns, or even salable yarns. This method of mixing promiscuous lots of cotton together, which I have been in the habit of seeing at various mills, is a complete slaughter of what would probably have been a salable article, if the mixing had been made with some kind of ordinary judgment, instead of rushing through anyhow, but which is usually done by the hands working in the department, being indifferent to the responsibility placed upon them for making good laps instead of seeing that they are neat and well made, having smooth selvedges and properly condensed, so that no waste from that source returns to be battered up again to the loss of the manufacturer, by weakening the staple and waste of time and labor by this repetition.

OPENING.

Now we will begin to open this cotton from the mixing already made, by taking it from top to bottom in your arms, and then spreading it on the apron of the machine, or in the funnel, according to the construction of the machines, of which there is a great variety, and this I will leave to your choice from your own good judgment to select, making preference to them that consume the least power, and leaves the cotton in a very loose and open condition, so that it will spread even under the feed rollers ; this can be done best by a cylinder that has teeth laid transversely, making it a revolving rake. This kind of a beater is not so rigid, and will tease the lumps out more easily at its first initiation, and loosen it out by passing over the grate bars which are set to suit the grade of cotton you are using, which can be closed or opened wider, by an attachment outside of the machine, and showing by an indicator their inclination. You will judge for yourself by examining the droppings if there is any loss of cotton by coming through them ; if there be too much cotton among them, the grate bars must be closed a little to prevent this waste, for in some mixing, there will be a great difference and should be inspected every day, and kept clear and clean, that all extraneous matter may not be retarded but allowed to be forced through by the force of the revolving rakes and their own gravity, and drop underneath and be carried l6 OPENING.

away as often as it accumulates there, to prevent it from stopping up these useful appliances. The cotton is then allowed to pass on to the cylinder cages, either on the machine or else up through a wooden flue, extending across the room at the end, drawn by a fan by which during its passage, it tilts and dances over a false bottom made of lattice-work, under which are doors that can be unbuttoned, and taking out all the leaf, moats, and non-fibrous matter that has fallen from the loosened cotton on its way to the cage at the other end. This arrangement excels all previous devices, and is done automatically I may say, although not without power, as the fan requires considerable, but the cotton leaves its residue without any beating whatever, in leaving the cages here it falls down an upright trough or box which is made to conform with the feed-rollers, in such a manner as to become a self-feeding apparatus, and goes along under the feed roller, where it is subjected to a little more raking by the first beater, when it is now about prepared for the rapid beaters and made into a lap. These laps are then put on the finisher lap machine, the apron sides are made to receive three or four laps or doublings; here I would use only one beater, with two blades running 1300 revolutions, and the fan 5500 feet per minute, and the speed of the cone or regulator or evener, should run about as many revolutions as' will give the feed roller a surface velocity of seven feet per minute, so with a draught of three on this machine as a finisher, the surface velocity of lap roller will be eighteen feet per minute or six yards — equal to a lap of 26 lbs. at 10-8 ozs. per yard in 6^ minutes, averaging 2000 lbs. of laps in 10 hours. This gives us some idea of the required weight, to be received from the opener or scutcher to keep the finisher supplied. Now the opener will require a less number of revolutions on the first porcupine, (as they are often called), on account of there being more blades or rakes to it, and then again, the feed apron will require to be slowered at a rate of four feet per minute, and the feed roller five feet per minute, with a weight of 37/ ozs. spread on three feet of length of apron, unless fed automatically and then the weight will be the same.

I have reason to believe that the ist beater or porcupine or cylinder will answer best with our cotton, with 6 of the rakes laid transversely on this cylinder running 800 revolutions per minute, this would give the fibres 4800 blows, equal to 100 licks to every inch delivered to it, and I should say that that is raking it pretty well for a start. As it advances to the next feed roller there will be another draught increasing in surface velocity, but the beaters here are two bladed with a constant speed of 1300 revolutions, reducing this beating as it progresses, to the lap, in ratio with the draught, and the speed of the lap roller is constant with the feed apron on this machine; it having no regulator attached to it. I may as well state here, that those who have charge of these machines should look to the grate bars being kept up to their places, they are usually set about i inch from beater blades, and )^ inch apart although these distances are not to be considered permanent, but are meant as an approximate to what is required. You will also see that the fan is properly placed underneath the cages, if it be an eccentric fan, then the longest radii of cover will be toward the feed roller and drive the air out toward the lap using an open belt for the fan and a strict attention to the draught regulators, so as to keep an evenly spread sheet before passing under the cages, seeing that all parts of the machine are made air tight, only what is necessary through the regulators for exhaustion by the l8 OPENING.

fan, and this air should all pass through the grate bars and cages, the heavy substances being driven through the grate bars against the current of air going through them where the beater is dashing the cotton against the sharp edges of these bars, and making it into flakes and spongy fleeces, when passing along with the draught, it drops some of the lighter material, such as leaf, moat etc., through the bars which are of alternate depths and kind of arched at the tops, this convex side being toward the beater it has just left, and underneath these bars must be a box fitted so as to exclude any air from passing through them; the dirt which accumulates should be let out by a door fitted underneath, held up by two iron arched levers and retain their position by a weight being fastened on the same rod at right angles and by raising this up on the outside of machine, the arched lever falls down and the door resting on them, letting all the rubbish fall on the floor, which should be repeated several times a day. Having passed through the cages it now comes to be calendered, which is a most essential appliance for keeping good the work that has already been done, and securing to the laps a firmness of texture so they will unroll without making waste, and this can be done best by the four rollers over each other, and lever weighted ; for spring and rubber attachments are a complete nuisance, for there is no regularity of pressure that can be obtained by them, and no solid substance can go under them without bursting them all up ; and besides, we require precision in the amount of pressure at each end of the calenders, which can be acquired exactly by leverage, and rendered free from accidents. I prefer sureties to notions and guesses in such parts of a machine where there is such power required, by giving strength and durability to its component parts, also simplicity of construction, with a view to its economy in the value of these machines.

Now, we will suppose the machine to be placed in position, by being set convenient and in line with the driving shaft, all the other drivings are supposed to be fixed and permanent on the machine by the maker, with regard to their speeds and draughts, so as to need no mechanical contrivances applied after leaving the machine maker, for the manufacturer has not the facilities at command, neither does he expect to spend any more money on them than for the belting to drive them with. After setting the beaters, the belts can be put on and the journals limbered up, so that they will run smooth and steady without heating; for, by pouring oil and tallow on to prevent heating, the grease gets inside of the bearing and runs on the grates and beaters, and if not cleaned off before putting cotton through, the laps will be spoiled, by having no regularity of surface, which has been caused by the beater blades or axle having lumps of cotton hanging to them on this grease. When you have made this all right, you may then adjust the levers on the fluted rollers, leaving them ample room for rising and falling in case any undue variations to thickness may occur; and when you have them right, see to making them secure, to prevent unequal pressure, then the calenders may be weighted, leaving a good margin for altering, as they cannot be made secure until you have made a few laps, and seen how they unroll themselves at the card. When being satisfied that they are condensed enough only, fgr excess will require more power to drive them, you will then make the weight secure, so as not to slip on the lever. You see by this method of weighting there is no increase of weight on the calender if any hard substance should go under them, but simply rises and lets it go ; but where springs and rubbers are used, there is no relief, but extraordinary pressure, and increases in proportion to substance.

Then you will next examine the racks, and lap rollers, and friction pulleys that are enclosed on top of racks and see to their being perfectly free and easy, both racks working up and down freely and dropping simultaneously on their bearings, so that the pressure on the ends of lap roller will be equal, and producing a lap in shape of a true, solid cylindroid in appearance \ there must also be strict attention paid to the brake before starting the machine, taking the precaution to set the weight on the end of the friction lever, so that you can turn the shaft by hand, when the brake is applied at first, for sometimes it gets neglected, and then by extra friction being on, the lap roller gets sprung and the wheels break, causing a great expense to remedy, especially if your mill is a long distance from the machine maker ; but this can all be avoided by using the present advice. I may here state that it is much better to have a lap dish to roll your lap in when taking from it the roller, if the machine is so placed as to leave room for drawing it out, because by taking a lap and dumping it on a block it very often loosens the roller ends, which are costly to fix again, besides the lap is handled much better when the roller is drawn out in the dish preventing rough and bad selvedges. You will next direct your attention to the feed apron, having previously set your feed roller to Beater blades about 3-16 inches off; you can then adjust your apron sides square with the machine, so that the apron will run free and keep the slats or lattices from catching at the ends and ripping off. There is an arrangement attached to the sides, by which, with the extension screws and bracket, will, by moving in or out the end of the apron roller, brmg it square and clear of catching ; it is also useful for giving the apron the right tension, as it will get a little slack at times by the lattice belts stretching a little. We will now fasten the regulator to the machine, making the driving cone axle plumb, when in gear with the feed roller. In setting the evener for the weight of lap to be used there is a stud behind the cone box which can be moved ; or the regulating lever that moves the belt quadrant, has a long slot in it which can be lengthened or shortened to suit the variable weight, and by making the leverage shorter from the stud to the belt shifter, it is not so liable to run the belt off the cone, when the weight varies on the feed, although it does not work so sensitive, as when the leverage is shorter on the other side over the screw.

REGULATOR OR EVENER.

The principle of the regulator is, that the apron is made to vary its speed according to the thickness of cotton spread on apron, that is intended to go between the feed rollers ; for if it goes through thick, the apron goes slower. The speed of driving cone is in proportion to the length, moved by the belt shifter, these belt forks moving always to keep the belt at right angles with the cone shaft and the diameter of the two cones at the point where the belt is running, when added together will always be a constant sum. Now, leaving a certain weight of cotton on one yard of apron, will give a length equal to draught when the cone belt is in the centre of cones, and to get the thickness will be to suppose the lap to weigh so much to one (i) yard and to lose five per cent., then the weight and per cent, of loss will have to be spread on the apron ; in consequence, the top feed roller will be lifted up by the thickness of cotton, and that should be equal to centre of cone, or set so by long nut or by sett screws in bracket at the end of lever; the weight lap can also be altered if you should require it, with the same draught by the resetting of cone belt in the centre, when the thickness of feed is under the rollers, the speed of apron is in inverse ratio to the thickness of cotton going through the rollers, or this multiplied by the revolution of the roller, geared in the driving cone will give the speed of apron. But generally in reviewing this evener for regulating, it simply amounts to this, that the lap roller velocity is constant, and the driving cone is constant, so when the cone belt is in the centre the draught is constant because the driving cone is constant. Now suppose the lap should be a little too heavvjthen the attendant goes and unscrews the long nut a little and that moves the cone belt from the centre, which causes the driven cone to be slowered, hence, an increase in the draught and the weight of lap decreased; but by doing so he has left a greater margin on one end of cone, and shorter on the other end, which should not be, when you have got the desired weight, so he will just reduce the weight spread on the apron and screw the long nut up again until the cone belt runs in centre again leaving room for variations in feeding, caused by laps running out, and sometimes going through double and single by which will be seen the utility of conjoining such a useful and almost indispensible piece of mechanism to the machine. In examining two of these machines, made by different firms I found the draught of Taylor and Langs to be \l t1 eo i8 = 3'04 draught and Whitings to be r li II Z tl = 2.53 draught.