The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-10-08
South Carolina Cordage Manufactory.

1 Among the industrial enterprises OF
Charleston, the Factory Of tue South Caro-
lima Cordage Company, on Meeting street,
near Spring street. is one Of the most notice.
able, when considered as an adjunct to the
plantation and country interests. Bale rope
is no small item in plantation expenses, and
it is an evidence of the deep interest felt in
the welfare Of the country by the city capi
taIists, that factory, almost exclusively de.
voted to IFS manufacture, should be main.
tanned at home. So long rs this and simi.
lar mills are in operation in The South, the
planter is no longer at the mercy of the
| Northern manufacturer.
| This Company manufactures either ma
mia, hemp. or cotton cordage. lis ma
chinery sof the best construction, and pc.
caliariy adapted for its purpose Its fore.
man is skilled in the manufacture OF cord
age, conversant with its various depart.
inents, ami fertile in expedien,s for emer-
gencies. twenty-five operatives are at
present employed at the factory, producing
about iwnelyth three cwt. Of rope per day, Of
a quality equal 10 any in our market.
AT present the Factory is running upon
Manila. This is not hemp, but fibre
from tho bark of a plant, belonging to the
same natural order as the banana, the plan
tain and the sirelitzias. 1t comes to the
factory in comparatively clean and pure
state, so that III Its manufacture very little
waste is experienced. When the bale is
opened, the first process is to cut the Ma.
niila into certain lengths, suitable for hack
ing 1t IS then placed in large revolv
ing wheel, thickly set with spikes, by
means Of which it is combed, or arranged in
parallel fbres. II is then, in bundles Of
uniform weight, placed in the lapper,
through which 1t passes twice. The duty
OF the lapper is TO unite the hacked bun
dies into one band or silver. From the
lapper 1t passes 10 the drawing carriage or
frame, passing twice through tbs also.
When the bands leave tue lapper, their
ends are loose and tender, aid unfit for
| spinning into smooth yarn. In the draw.
ing fame they are united, doubled and
drawn into long, soft and uniform rov.
ing; that Is, ii has received single twist by
being drawn through an eye All of the
preceding operations have been performed
in one room; from which, by chute, the
ro.lng Is passed into the spinning room.
The spinning is performed by jennies, ON
which the rowing is spun into yarn or
strands; thence it passes 10 the twister,
wherein several strands, generally four. are
twisted into small cord. These small
cords, each upon its own bobbin, are then
taken 10 the rope layer, the peculiar and
serviceable machine Of the establishment.
The machine is the invention of Philos b.
| Tyler, of Springfield, Massachusetts, for
which he received letters patent in June,
1854. Three bobbins are placed in the
machine at one time-for larger rope more
can be used-the cords from each bobbin
are passed through pierced tube, by which
they are united into one rope, and run
! through the flyer for perfection Of twist
The merit Of this machine consists in the
variable friction, by which the proper amount
OF strain shall be obtained to produce rope
of unifoim twist, regardless of the uneven.
ness of the cord or the different amount up.
on the bobbins. From the flyer by screw
motion it is wound upon another bobbin.
Each machine is capable Of making 600
lbs. per diem. Nothing now remains bu,
10 lay it more carefully in coil, as, from
the velocity Of the flyer, it is laid upon TIE
receiving bobbn uneyeniy. This being
done, II Is ready for market, in coils weigh
ing 45 lbs, or thereabouts, each
This is the regular system by which the
best Manila rope is manufactured. For
inferior qualities and for hemp, some slight
variation from this process is necessary to
prepare the rowing for the jennies. For
! Cotton rope, the process is distinct 10 the
twisting machine, being similar to all cot.
ton picking, carding aud spinning, except
that a large aud strong yarn is the product.
Beyond tue twisters, Cotton hemp and Ma
nilIa pass through the same process.
! Observation OF this manufacture to one
who is not annoyed by little dust and
smell OF oil, inseparabIe from swiftly NOV.
ing machinery, is very gratifying and in
ierestlng. Tue great amount of labor is
| performed 10y the machines, which only re-
quire the attentive eye aud ready hand to
control and assist their motions. To such
an extent IS thi. the case, that the produc.
ton OF The mill is almost cwt. per day for
each empIoyee-a large result truly. One
hundred pounds of merchantabIe Manila,
| hackIed, carded, spun, twisted and laid into
rope, by single person, in a single day of
ten hours, with the aid Of machinery
This Company is composed of gentlemen
identified in feeling and interest with the
prosperity of the City and State. 1t is en-
phatsaly South Carolina enterprise, de-
voted TO the production OF one of the most
necessary articles for bringing the principal
product OF our industry into the markets
of the world, and is under the immediate
superiniendence Of young Charlestonian
who received his mechanical training in
our midst. The rope manufactured com
pares favorabIy with any with which il is
brought into competition, and it has, there
fore, every motive OF economy and conve
nience to induce lis general encouragement,
and support Charleston Mercury.
WHEAr.-To o PREvENT SPorLING Ii
BINs.-.AttiIin Burlingame, a farmer o
Cortland county. n. Y, who writes us that
! ha Is II vears old mil nf .,o,,r.a los A. n I