Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1859-12-22
From the U. S. Economist.
COTTON manufacturers z,

From the u S. Economist.
Cotton Mas: ufacsu sers.-No. 2.
In the preparation of these papers, are aware that
much of the detail noticed may not be of value to the
practical spinner, the facts being already familiar to
him; but the incidental object i3 to make them in
terestng to the general reader we snail be more minute
than would otherwise be necessary.
The first operation after the cotton received, is to
open ten to fifty bales, circumstances may admit and
form bing or bunker of cotton-the object of which
is to properly mix the staple many different quail
ties found in the different bags, and such mixture
should be made so as to insure yarn of uniform quail
ty. This is often omitted altogether in this
try ntrusted to careless or incompetent persons but
its Importance cannot be Over-cstimated The manner
of making bling in the manufactures of England is
described follows Every bag bale that is to be
mixed should be brought forward by one, opened
and spread out equally the whole surface OF the
bling, beginning at the bottom and on, alternately
layer above layer or bag above bag, and pressed down
or trampled exactly in the same building a
hay stack"
The bling being formed, the cotton is taken from one
slde from top to bottom either by hand, in tie
approved way, by the OF instrument resembling
gardeners rake, which operation considered by
to be nearly equal the subsequent process of passing
1t through the willow 1t may be observed that
equal mixture be obtained with bling of fifty bales
than with a less number therefore, space will be re-
quired in the pickugroom sufficiently large to admit
that quantity besides the machines which prepare the
Gotten for the cards. This picking should occupy
wing OF the main building, 80 e by 70, for mill Of
four thousand spindles-a less number of sphdes not
being consistent with economical should
be separated by wall OF sufficient thickness prevent
fire, which it is peculiarly liable extending to the
other departments. Many of mills, indeed ma lori
ty of them, have small space in the main building
reserved for their pckng-room, sufficient to open only
four FIVE bales of cotton at time and only suff
GENTLY ia sc for the whpper and aPper. The first Of
these is designed to open the cotton and free it from the
ard a
puncurd with iron teeth, making 800 to 2400 revOu
lions per minute and which destroys the staple in
greater less degree. This may not be discovered by
casual observer the numbers perhaps, but
it would be impossible to produce uniform fine yarns
after such preparation. This machine so generally
adopted III the earlier history OF manufacturing, for It's
wonderful capacity in opening cotton, we'll as the
small space required in its management. We happy
to know, however, that its being abandoned by
the most practical spnnerS entirely untitled tor the
purpose designed but yet its counterpart is in
in than half of the mills in the United
States at the present time.
We have previously remarked that at an early period
in order clean the cotton it spread in small guam
titles to elastic table of tasseated cords through the
meshes of which the seeds and dust made to fall
by beating it by hand with slender rods while the spring
OF the table opened the nOts entanglements of the fl
bre. Afterwards the willow brou INT into genera
use for opening the staple. Its object to clean the
cotton slightly by winnowiDg action, and was simply
u cylindrical cage made of willow, with rotary axis
and cross arms From this all machines designed fol
that purpose have derived their Names although in then
construction they entirely different. The cotton
put into the hopper the upper end and turn
ing round the axis it umbed down the inclined plane
passed out the bottom, discharging in its progress
through the nterstces of the willow wands the earthly
impurities and afterwards passed through the spreading
machine. Previous to this, however, a simple but in
genOus cOntrvance used which consisted OF paral
lei series OF rods made strike upon table OF cords
in imitation OF beating by number OF hands-each Sc
ries of rods, after giving fat blow, drawn horizon
tally by sliding motion aud then raised vertically tc
discharge another blow by certain combinations of pow
err which equal to the manura operation but it be-
ing somewhat complicated, superseded by other
machines greatly inferior in every respect.
At the present tine the most approved openers are
substantially OF this construction. They do not have
the lated cords but their stead is used the raw
hide with pertoraons to allow the dust and eXtraneous
matter to pass and become separated from the staple
This simple machine being enclosed deposits the sand in
drawers which freed daily and prevents much of the
dust attendant the picking, while it does not njure
the fibre 1t is so eectua in cleaning the cotton not
to require much labor for the lapper We deem this
method Of opening and cleaning cotton of much i'm
portance to manufacturers, that shall give detailed
description of it in subsequent papers, and it is quite
inexpensive, we hope it may be adopted by all mill
owners. 1t is in practical operation at the Rockdalt
Mill Uxbrdge, Mass, and be seen also n the mills
of the Messrs Skaters who abandoned the whipper long
SINCE as being practically worthless