• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

The Journal of the TEXTILE INSTITUTE Official Journal for Communications (Transactions) released fpr Publication by the British Cotton Industry Research Association (including its Rayon and Silk Sections), the Wool Industries Research Association the Linen Industry Research Association and the Technological Laboratory of the Indian Central Cotton Committee CONTENTS PROCEEDINGS SECTION Lancashire Section—The Past, Present and Future of Cotton Spinning Machinery— Sitigton .......................................... ... P13-P23 Reviews ................................................... .........................................P24-P25 Notes and Announcements—-Additions ' to the Library; Annual General Meeting: Mather Lecture: Election of Officers, 1945: Examinations, 1945; Vacancies; Diplomas; Institute M em bership; Obituary .......................................................P25-P27 Institute Meetings ... ...................................................... P28 STANDARDISATION SECTION Testing Cloths for Tensile Strength—Practical Details in Testing Cloths for Tensile Strength— The Staff of the. Testing Dept., Shirley Institute, B .C .I.R.A . ...................................................... S1-S14 TRANSACTIONS SECTION 3—The Optimum Conditions for Setting Strained Animal Fibres — Hind and Speakman ... ... ... ... ... ... T19-T34 ABSTRACTS SEC T IO N ...................................................................A53-A92 STANDARDISATION ISSUE THE TEXTILE INSTITUTE ST. MARY’S PARSONAGE, MANCHESTER TELEPHONE BLAc.KFRIA.RS 2016 FEBRUARY 1945 THE JOURNAL OF THE TEXTILE INSTITUTE Vol. XXXVI FEBRUARY 1945 No. 2 Lancashire Section THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF COTTON SPINNING MACHINERY By G. H. A. S in g t o n (Paper delivered to the Lancashire Section 2$th November 1944) It might be interesting to you all here this evening were I to touch on what our predecessors did well over one hundred years ago; what we are doing to-day, and what those who come after us may be able to achieve after we have left this mortal coil, in years to come. I therefore propose to divide what I have to say into three categories under the heading of " Yesterday, To-day and To-morrow.” It is easier to speak of the past and present than it is of the future for I do not pretend to be a clairvoyant and I like to hope that the reason for such a very large number being present here to-day is in no way due to any feeling you may have that I may be about to predict what the future will bring to us in the way of new machines, new processes and new ideas. Beginning with yesterday, I have collected from the original machines used in the cotton spinning industry in the days of Crompton, Arkwright, Har­ greaves, and others, various parts of their machines and, Gentlemen, I can assure you these are the actual parts themselves, and have alongside them placed the same parts as taade by the present-day textile machinery makers. After this talk is finished, I would invite you all to come and look at these various parts and you will see—an extraordinary resemblance between the flyers of to-day and as they were then, for in those days ring spinning was unknown. There is precious little difference too between the fluted rollers of that time and of to-day; the weights themselves bear a striking resemblance to each other; the top rollers with their leather covering untouched since they were put on two centuries back are identical with the solid top rollers on to-day’s machines. I think, in general, one may say that the actual spinning at that time was very much the same in principle as the spinning is to-day, at least the system then adopted has undergone little change in this respect. So far as the drawing is concerned the system of having rollers running at different speeds, particularly in the drawing frame and on the spinning frame, is the same. It is true that Proceedings on the drawing frame there was no system of Ermens’ clearers, but there was a top clearer and that I have brought with me. Reverting to the carding, the cylinders were of wood and had only a diameter of 36 in. and a doffer a diameter of 14 in. The system of flats had already come into being, these being 9 to 12 in number and carried in a stationary position in the card, I have brought with me one of these wooden flats clothed with the actual card clothing of those days. I have also brought a modem flat clothed with the fillet clipped on, as we all know it. As to machinery before the carding such terms as hoppers, openers, Crigh- tons and scutchers were unknown, all they then used was a wooden machine which was called a “ lap maker.” This was of a “ Heath Robinson ” type, con­ sisting of a long wooden table on which the cotton was placed by hand, being manually opened while doing so. The cotton passed between a pair of calender rollers and was rolled into a lap on a wooden lap roller. One method of preparing rovings was by the use of the lantern frame which coiled drawn material into a container in the shape of a lantern, similar in principle to what is now obtained by a depositing coiler. Mule spinning was introduced in 1767, two years before Arkwright’s Water Frame. It had a stationary carriage and a movable creel, the whole being worked by hand. A large diameter wheel turned by the operatives was employed to turn the spindles, and the creel was traversed backwards and forwards by the operative by hand to perform the drawing operation. When the desired length of draw had been obtained, the operative would secure the rovings by hand pressure on a long rod which trapped the rovings and prevented further delivery, and the operation of final twisting was carried out in this position. Still turning the large hand wheel and driving the spindles, the creel was traversed to its forward position near the spindles and the process of winding was done at the same time. This meant that the two hands were actually operating four things at the same tim e: — (а) Driving the spindles, (б) Traversing the creel, (c) Nipping the rovings, (d) Controlling the faller for winding on the cop, all with two hands, and that so far as history relates was all the operatives possessed at that time, although they certainly needed four. It is from this stock that the expert craftsmen of Lancashire have sprung. These mules contained only about 50 spindles per machine. The flyer spinning frame, known as the water frame, was introduced in 1769. Incidentally the name water frame was given because it was driven by water power. Most of the parts displayed are taken from this frame which was manufactured by Arkwright. Perhaps, however, the greatest change in principle that has taken place is in the machinery before carding; many machines, as you know, have been introduced which were unknown in Arkwright’s days, and the methods of cleaning and opening of cotton have changed radically since those days. I shall speak of this later. And now as to to-day. W hat is happening in improvements, modifications and gadgets to increase production and improve the quality of the yarn spun ? I have read through two papers which I wrote in 1931 an d 1938, and I find they con­ tain a great deal of matter which is completely up-to-date to-day. In fact, I find that I can add very little to what I said then as to “ Novelties in Cotton S pin n in g .” The increasing importance of opening combined with cleaning has been more than ever confirmed during recent years. Lancashire Section The number of cleaning points, by which is meant the number of times the cotton is beaten from the moment it leaves the bale until it becomes a lap ready for the card, depends very largely upon the particular type of cotton used. But even that cannot be said to determine definitely the number of cleaning points necessary, because each season would seem to bring forth a slightly different condition in each particular type of cotton baled. Speaking generally, however, I think one may say it has been found that, given a sufficient open­ ing prior to the first cleaning or beating point, the following is what should be adopted: — No. of cleaning points 7 ... Indian—low Bengal of very short staple and dirty. No. of cleaning points 6 ... Low Middling American, say £ in. to f in. No. of cleaning points 5 ... Good Middling American, say $ in. to 1J in. No. of cleaning points 4 ... American and Uppers Egyptian, say 1Jin.to ijin. No. of cleaning points 3 ... Sakel—ij in. to in. The use of striker cylinders as against 3-bladed or 2-bladed beaters would seem to be advisable throughout, as being less liable to damage the actual staple itself, because the number of revolutions per minute of a 2-bladed beater must be greater than the number of revolutions per minute of a 3-bladed beater, in order to obtain the same number of beats, and this means that the force of the blow is greater and more liable to damage the fibre. However, at the final beating point, especially so far as Indian and low middling cotton are con­ cerned, a 3-bladed beater seems to be still the more popular for a finisher lap. A reason for such preference is the fact that the finished lap for the card has a more compact appearance, i.e. is less lofty and therefore less bulky for carry­ ing, and less inclined to “ flake off ” during transport, though against that is the fact that the more closely compressed the lap, the less easy it is for the card to do its work. The use of cages such as the Shirley, the patent condenser and dust cages following beaters, for the elimination of dust and dirt are being more and more applied everywhere.

Load more

  94

Copy Link