[Fig. 454.] is a horizontal representation of a gill machine, shewing the present improvements; but some of the upper portions of the machine are removed, to let the working parts be seen more clearly. [Fig. 455.] is a side view of the gill; and [fig. 456.] a vertical section taken longitudinally. The driving rigger or pulley a, is fixed upon the front roller b, commonly called the drawing roller, because when pressed upon by the upper wooden roller c, it draws out the fibres between them. The rollers d, e, f, are the ordinary back or holding rollers, for retaining the fibres, while they suffer powerful traction by the rollers b, c, over the needles or points of the heckle bars. The upper guide rail above mentioned, upon which the heckle bars slide, is shown at g, in [fig. 456.], and the lower guide rail at h; the series of heckle bars with their needles are represented at i, i, i, i, i, i; the upper worm shafts k, k, are mounted in brackets made fast to the sides of the frame; a similar pair of worm shafts l, being mounted in like manner below. These worm shafts k and l, on each side are connected together by toothed wheels m, and upon the axles of the lower worm shafts, bevelled pinions n are fixed, which take into corresponding bevel pinions on the transverse shaft or axle o. This shaft o, being connected by a train of toothed wheel work with the axle of the drawing roller b, as shown in [figs. 454.] and [455.], the rotation of the roller b, causes the shaft o to turn also, and the bevel geer n and o, produce the rotatory motion of the worm shafts k and l, which turn in contrary directions.
It will be seen, from [fig. 454.], that the ends of the heckle bars i, have nibs or projections which fall into the grooves of the screw or worm shaft, and that being supported below, upon their guide rails, as the worm-shafts k k revolve, the upper range of heckle bars will be progressively advanced towards the front part of the machine. By referring to [fig. 456.] it will be perceived, that as each heckle bar arrives at the front end of the guide rail g, a finger p, called a tappet or cam, on the shaft k, strikes it down to the lower guide rails h; and, in order that its descent may be truly vertical, weighted levers q q, in front, are made to press against the face of the heckle bar as it descends. This bar having now arrived at the lower guide rails h, lets fall its nibs into the grooves of the lower worm shafts l, by whose rotation the heckle bar is made to retrograde, or return towards the back of the machine. When the heckle bar has reached the hinder end of the guide rail h, a finger or tappet, r, on the lower worm shaft, comes under it and raises the heckle bar, guided by the back-weighted levers s, as shown in [fig. 456.], till it is elevated to the level of the upper guide rail g; when the threads of the upper worm-shafts take hold of its nibs as before, and conduct it forward upon the guide rail in the way already described. Thus the continued rotation of the worm shafts k k, and l l, causes the whole series of heckle bars to travel along the guide rails, and the tappets p and r, by alternately depressing and raising them at the ends of the said rails, cause them to move in a regular circuit, yet so as to preserve their verticality.
The claim made under this patent is, for every mode in which screw or worm shafts may be adapted to conduct the bars carrying the needles or heckle-teeth through a machine for preparing, drawing, or roving textile fibres.
In December 1835, Messrs. Hope and Dewhurst obtained a patent for improvements in the manufacture of flax, which deserve notice. These are of both a chemical and mechanical nature. The first consists in steeping the flax in dilute sulphuric acid, of a certain strength, and for a certain time, proportioned to the quality of the fibres, the coarser requiring the stronger application. By this means the gummy matter and the outer shell will be loosened and easily detached. It is then to be passed between squeezing rollers, afterwards well washed, boiled in a solution of soap and water for a few hours, and finally passed again through the rollers. These processes may be repeated till the flax acquires the desired glossiness and separation of fibres. It is next to be beaten, and passed once or twice over an ordinary heckle or stiff brush.
The second part, or the mechanical, is represented by the figures [457.], [458.], [459.], [460.], and [461.] [Fig. 457.] is a sectional elevation in part of the construction of the spindle, bobbin and flyer proposed for spinning all kinds of flax or hemp. [Fig. 458.] answers for spinning coarser yarns; [fig. 459.] shows how yarns are to be spun for weft, and wound upon what is called a “pin cop bobbin.”
a a a is the stationary or fixed spindle of the ordinary throstle frame, which is surrounded by the tube b b, and connected to the wharve or pulley c, by which the flyer d is driven. The flyer is furnished with guides or conductors e e, which lead the yarn immediately to the bobbin; this flyer is also provided with a small central shaft which supports it, and runs in the small cup or recess at the top of the stationary spindle a, and is fixed with the flyer to the tube b b, which is altogether carried round or driven by the wharve c.
It will be seen by [fig. 460.], that the wharve c, and tube b, are connected at bottom by a half-lap coupling joint or clutch; this is for the purpose of allowing the tube b to be slidden up the spindle, and more readily removing the bobbin when it is full of yarn, without stopping the frame, or removing the band from the wharve c, the tube of which runs in the step or cup h, fixed upon the bolster rail near the bottom of the throstle frame. The traversing of the bobbin or the copping motion is effected exactly in the same manner as in ordinary throstles, that is, by the lifting and lowering of the copping rail i, which in this instance supports the bobbin. In [fig. 458.] the flyer is constructed of twice the length of the bobbin, to allow this to rise and fall freely within it, and is connected at top by a slight cross piece, for the purpose of preventing the arms of the flyer from expanding by the centrifugal force, when turning with great velocity. The flyer for spinning coarse numbers requires to have an inner tube k, to support the spindle. The bobbins are supported upon a washer l, l. The spindle is allowed to revolve in a slight degree by the friction of the drag-weight m, m. This weight has a hole formed in it with a flat side, as shown in [fig. 461.]
Flax has been for a long period spun wet in the mills; a method no doubt copied from the practice of housewives moistening their yarn with their saliva at the domestic wheel. Within a few years the important improvement has been introduced, of substituting hot for cold water, in the troughs through which the fibres in the act of spinning pass. By this means a much finer, smoother, and more uniform thread can be spun than in the old way. The flax formerly spun to twelve pounds a bundle, is, with hot water, spun to six. The inconvenience of the spray thrown from the yarn on the flyers remains; aggravated by increased heat and dampness of the room, where this hot process goes on. Being a new expedient, it receives daily changes and ameliorations. When first employed, the troughs of hot water were quite open; they are now usually covered in, so as almost entirely to obviate the objections to which they were previously liable. With the covers has been also introduced a new method of piecening or joining on any end, which may have been run down, namely, by splicing it to the adjoining roving, whereby it is carried through the water without imposing a necessity on the spinner to put her hand into the water at all. In some places she uses a wire, for the purpose of drawing through the end of the roving to mend a broken yarn.