The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-05-27
The Clement Attachment.


frank H. Norton, in Agricultural Review. !
The Clement Attachment, as it is term
81. was exhibited at the Atlanta Interna-
tional Cotton Exposition, Atlanta, Ga.
nv F. E Whitfield, Sr., of Corinth, Miss
Few inventions in the interest of cotton
manufacture have ever aroused as much
interest. provoked as much criticism or
awakened as much discussion as this one
OF this invention writer in Scyi6ne1'S
Monthly THE CentHry) for January,
1857. SAYS "the idea must be regarded as
only second to the invention of the gin"
And further on. in the same article:
From an inspection of its parts, all that
has been claimed for this device seemed to
be lust and carrect." Mr.. Edward At
kinson has not hesitated to speak quite as
strongly concerning this invention. Now.
10 show what has actually been claimed
for the Clement Attachment: "Three
hundred millions of dollars saved to the
South annually by the manufacture of
cotton at home, where it will be forced to
be made by the Clement Attachment,
small gin substituted for and occupying
the place and space of the lickr-in and
feed-rollers on the ordinary factory card.
Il costs about S22s, and dispenses
with half the machinery. building and
motive power, and one-third of the opera
tiveS hitherto necessary, to convert any
given amount of seed cotton into yarns in
anv specified time. 1t saves one-half of
the usual waste and produces silver, rove
and thread fifty per cent. stronger than
can be made of ginned, baled and com
pressed cotton" These are very strong
claims it is to be admitted, but when it is
reeoIieCted that this machine does away
with seven different processes of the cot
ton manufacture, viz, the gin, press, com
press, opener, lapper, double lapper and
breaker cards. and causes the eighth ma
chine or Clement Attachment the first by
the new process, to do five times as much
work and that of a superior quality it will
be seen that the claims are perhaps sus-
tanned. The able industrial writer for the
Boston Commercial Bulletin who attend
ed the Exposition, announced that in his
Judgment the prediudices against the
Clement Attachment were ''groundless-"
Indeed except on the principle of sheer
conservatism. it is impossible to see why
prediucies exist on the part OF those to be
chiefly benefited, by abandoning them
the Southern manufacturers Of course,
=.
regard to those, QfaTfat Rritaira +i>a 49,
The Clerent Attachment, a small gin
ISx ISx36 inches, is substituted for the
Gcker-in and feed rollers in the ordinary
factory card; its saws are inches in diam
eter, with Il teeth to the inch, and revolve
from 40 to $50 times in a minute. The
brush connected with the saws is cvlin-
der covered with bristles. its periphery
-ay-DF,----r
and also having a TRAVERSE motion. A
ieed-ta5le IS placed above the card. and
connected with the attachment bv chute,
giving regular supply of seed cotton.
Acleaner of seed cotton, though not in
dsPenSlble, is advisable. and Wright's is
recommended. separating the seeds with
cotton on, enabling more accurate weigh
ing, besides perfect cleaning. The feed
apron IS made of laths ofwood on an end
less belt, and the cotton seed. after weigh
ing, IS spread on this-a little girl being
abe to attend two of them-at the rate of
10 10 20 ounces to the minute The cot
Ion runs between two rollers, the sup
/ ply being evened, and a third roller con
aiming sharp teeth. in rows. picks each
,eed from the cotton separately. The
mont OF the attachent is ribbed with
80 ~''''S Will l4tStI Slidi " lCGiI pro
ectng upward, and catching the cotton.
SAich IS dragged through the combing-
g.ateS leaving nothing but the pure fibre.
me revolving brush takes the cotton from
nc saws and the periphery of the card,
,'nS little faster than the brush, wipes
vi the latter. The cotton is never suf-
EIea 10 leave the machine or become tan
sTa' The work done by the attachment
amount to zoo pounds per day, the oil
-. .oid cong 20 pounds. while there is by
5lS process only one-fifth the carding to
w. II IS simple enough machine-only
attachment" but there is that in it
-gich' II 1t should be generally applied.
-H FeVolutlonize not only the cotton
--l..liacture, but the cotton trade of the
.-'ed States. The difference in profit
'ne South will be simply the difference
.@lue between the raw and the manu-
luied cotton. That there would be a
sSsIatIon among the "factors" and
'emen," nobody doubts; nor does
Gody doubt either that this very fact
a Yllo De one of the specific blessings to
~" II the train of the charge All
Il. can be accomplished, and more, by
r-.. south encouraging home manufac-
v5 80 and the North placing its capital
-l.e II can secure from twelve to twenty
0e"l' per annum in dividends.