Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-06-19


needles. The pieces are then passed into a
machine, in which, by burrs of hardened
steel, the wires are flattened at the ends bv
cutting away nearly half the steel for an
inch from the points /; and are then ground
, to points on emery wheels. In this process
the grinder takes from so to IS needles at
. time in his hand, all Of which are ground
at oncc-an operation, of course, requiring
. great skill in order to secure perfect unifor-
nifty Of size and sharpness. The needle.
are next taken to a " cramping machine. -
which cramps or bends the hooked mint.
into the desired shape. The pieces are then
cut in two, the butts being at the same tins
swaged by the machinery into proper shane
for receiving the caslngs of lead, which are
attached at the knitting mills before using
in the knitting machines. The needles are
then polished by being placed in revolving
cylinders together with emery in eoarse
granules are hardened and tempered in
whale oil heated to 600 or 200 degrees, and
finally put up in punches of 1000 each for
market. The operations We have described
are mostly performed by girls. Messrs
Merrill Il Co. turn out now about 30 900
|
high reputation among those who Use
them; and there is no good reason why they
should not supersede the English knitting
machine needles, which are still extensive
" used in this country.
THE NEW BASKET FACTORY OF GEO. /. LOOMS
We hardly remember the starting Of
new mechanical enterprise in Burlington
I 81 -. "a .f
than the factory for the manufacture Of
baskets, just started by George |. LOomi.
of this city. The splint baskets, in
such common use for bushel baskets. mar
most part made by hand, in small way.
all over the country. \ year or two ago.
Mr.. 5. l. Russell, having secured patent,
on different machines for the purpose, start
ed basket factory at Chicago, which i,
now turning out SII thousand basket, q
week The baskets are much superior to
the handmade, in every respect, and have
driven other kinds out Of the market to th.
extent that the demand for Russell baskets
could be supplied. The second factory Of
the kind in the United States is that in
this city which we are now describing.
1t occupies the ground and building on
Pearl street, formerly occupied by the steam
tannery of E. C. LOOMS L Son. The main
building was constructed with view to
change to some other kind of manuiactur-
ing, whenever it should become desirable.
and i excellently adapted to itspresent pur-
pose. The machinery is driven by hand
some stationary engine of 20 horse power
The material mainly used is the wood IF
the Elm and Black Ash, 50 abundant ID
this region. of this the splints. standard,
hoops and handles of the baskets are made.
The bottoms are of pine. Let Us trY AMI
describe the making of bushel basket. By
this process.
The lumber Is first brought into the mil
in the shape of boards and planks, and :
sawed into pieces Of the proper dimensions
by circular saws. Taking square piece
of planned three-quarter-inehp pine stuff some
twelve inches square, the workman first
places it under an upright drill, which
bores half-ineh hole in the centre. lie
places it next on the spindle of lathe, and
with few touches of turning chisel. cuts
from the whirling square circular disk
OF wood about foot in diameter. Apply
ing to the swiftly-whirling edge a cutting
tool of the proper shape, he next cuts int
it a groove, an eighth of an inch wide AMI
an inch and quarter deep. The bottom :
smoOthed on sand-papering machine and
Is then ready to receive the standards or up
right splints. For these a piece of elm
plank, say an inch and half thick an
thirty inches long is taken, and placed on
where revolving cutters givea
curved ehamfer on each side of one of the
ends 1t Is then placed in a steam cylinder.
and softened BY the action of steam. Taken
from this, it Is placed hot and steaminc
in kind of guillotine, in which q
big knife is rising and falling. vita
ilso lateral motion which gives sheer
ng cut. This. with each stroke, at the rate
VI hundred strokes minute, cuts from
he edge Of the plank a thin strip Of elm.
apering almost to a point at one end. A
quantity of these are next taken
% block, or form, exactly of the shape OF
he basket to be made. The circular pine
'ottom before made, Is attached to the bot
ON of the block by screw bolt, 4 row o.
taudards Is inserted in the groove in the
dge of the bottom, and each made fast hy
irving in slim timed nail. The stand
rds are next bent up around the block, -
1rm the warp of the basket which i now
bout to be woven. They are confined at
be top by a hoop of iron, open at one point
" width sufficient to leave one standard
ncOnfned- The splints are cut from
piece of steamed elm board. abeat five
let long, in machine in which a cutter
avels like shuttle along the edge Of the
oard, cutting at each passage one or tvo
OGDEN ribbons, of any desired width,
hieh are to make the wool Of the fabric
hese strips arc then woven out and in be-
Veen the standards, the block being turn
50 a. 10 release every other STANDARD in
ceession from the encircling hoop. il
is way basket Is soon woven. Tie o..
then strengthened with hoops, eat b.
achinery anu bent on a form the pro
citing ends of the standards are trimmed
with circular saw 1.-THE top is sn5o,he5
d the sharp edges taken off by holding
EN- Tor minute to sand-paper telt
lie handles, also cut by machinery, are at
shed and fastened by staples of timed
re, cut and bent by a simple ma
Inc, and the basket is done. 1t light.
Doth, handsome basket, with a solid bot
N, which takes all the wear and will out
t dozen splint bottoms 50 strong that
leayy man may stand on the bottom with
fear of collapsing it ana each ta>ke,
exactly like every other, that tbey san
used for bushel measures, with NJ a.,
enable variation in capacity. OF coar>e.
business Is not confined TO bushei hd--
: A large number of sizes and >-y-e-
made; some with oval or oblons bot
Is, some with balls some without lhe
ID bottoms some very cheap in s1S.e
others more expensive but all male
h a great saving Of labor over the ca
IS.
he weaving Of the baskets is mostly
c by boys, some Of whom are ALREADY
ing excellent wages. Mr.. LOOMS en-
Is ut present twenty hands and H.
Dry, with its present machinery, j. of
lefty TO turn out siI hundred finished
tets day. which can be readily in
sed to thousand day. The basket
shipped to New York. Boston, and other
Is, and find ready sale As a new
ch IF husiness- ~ .r.i: -