The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1843-07-25

eyes anu Poihts. In the annexed cut we can rac
the wire through the processes Of change hitherto un
dergone.
But although have little bits of steel, which
might by curtesy be called needles, they have very
ma ny processes to undergo before they are deemed
finished especially fn accordance with our previou.
suPposition, they are ofthe finer quality There arc
very many workshops which we have yet to glance
through the first of which is that Of the sso-stfaight
ener.' The 'fer and his two sapitters (who togeth
get ready about four thousand needles in an hour,
are very likely TO bend in slight degree the needle.
under operation; and, indeed, so are likewise the
'stampers' and the seye'- makers. To restore the
straghtness Of the wire is The office of the soft
sraightener,' who is frequently female And here
we cannot refrain from remarxng on the neat and re
spectacle appearance of the females engaged in the
Observation-Disclosures Their earnings are on an aver
age from eight to twelve shillings awee Except The
youngest girs; and their appearance and general de-
meanor are credtabe both to themselves and thoss
by whomthey are employed. The writer happened
to be passing through the main street of Redditch at
time when the work people were pouring from the
different needefactories, their way home dinner
and an opportunity thus afforded for observing
manner, but also the air OF responsibility which gen
orally pervnded them,-in which many of the opera
lives OF the Great Metropolis initiate them with
advantage.
The softstraightencr' is seated in front Of bench
near the font edge Of which is placed small stec
plate On this plate the needles are placed, parallel
or nearly So; the strasgbener employed is steel bar
from foot 70 half% yard long, an inch or two in
width. and perhaps quarter of inch thick 1t is turn
ed upwards aditlle at the ends to be somewhat
convex at the lower surface; and is held by both
hands at the two ends. By curious management Of
this instrument, the soft-straghtencr separates each
individual needle from the group of which it forms
part and rolls it over two three times with the low
surface of tho instrument, pressing it against the
iron plate, and thus working any curvauros or ir
Irregularities which may have been given to it by the
previous operations 1t would seem much more sim
pie TO place the needles, one by one, on the iron
plate, and roll them with the bar Of metal till straight
ened; but great expenditure Of time would result,
from such plan. AS 1t is, the heap of needles is
placed parallel on tho iron plate and Mlght touch
each one is separated from its fellows etraightened
and passed into tray beneath. So quickly is TIM
done that three thousand needles can be thus Straight
ened in an hour by one person.
The needles by this time pointed eyed and
sraghtened; but before they can be brought to tina
beautifully finished state with which we are all famil
lar, is necessary that they should be hardened ant
tempered by peculiar application of heat. Ate
being examined, to that the preceding processss
are fifty performed, the needles are taken to shor
provided with ovens or furnaces. They laid down
on bench, and by means of two trowel-lke instru-
ments, spread in regular thick layers on narrow plates
or trays Of iron. In this way they placed on
shelf or grating in heated furnace. When the pro-
per degree of heating has been effected the door is
opened, and the needles are shifted ON the iron
tray into sort Of colander of perforated vessel i'm
mersed in cold water oil. When they are quite
cooled, the hardening is completed; and if it has
been effected in water the needles simply dried
but fin oil, they well washed in an alkaline IL
quor TO free them from the OIL Then ensues the tenn
pering processes The needles placed on iron
plate heated from beneath and moved about with
two little towels until every needle has been gradu-
ally brought to a certain desired temperature.
We now leave the furnace-room and proceed to
one of the upper of the factory, where multi
tude Of minor operations conducted incident to the
finishing of the needles Notwithstanding the soft
strengthening which the needles underwent after
they pointed and eyed, they have become slight
ly distorted in shape by the action of the heat in the
processes just described, and to recfy this they
dergo the operation of hammer Strengthening A
number Of females seen seated at long bench,
each with tiny hammer, giving number of light
blows to the needles: the needles being placed on Il
small steel block>with very smooth upper suriace
This is rather tedious part of the manufacture, the
workwoman not being able to straighten more than
FIVE hundred needles in hour, degree of quick
ness much less than that which we have had hitherto
to notice.
We leave the tinkling hammers and follow the
needles to the Only part Of the manufacture which
involves apparatus other than Of very small size
This is the securing process. In of the lower
rooms of the factory twelve machines, looking
like manges, or perhaps correctly like marble
polishing machines,-a square slab or rubber working
to and fro on long bed, stone, or bench. The OBJ
iect of this process is rub the needles against
another for very long period, till the surfaces of all