, 1883-11-29
SP0OIS.
EYo.r 7ncy -lrc llanrgactures.

An Eastern man describes visit &c
rrl what he saw at 4 spool factory in
Maine. 1t IS located at Searsport VII
Iaue. The company owns large tracts
of land il Northern Maine, from which
lie lumber for spool making IS cut,
White birch beng used exclusively.
IT, wood IS first sawed into pieces
f.sr feet IN length, and of nine sizes,
var-:ng by sixte5nths, from an inch to
m irch and half square. 1t is then
dried a- thoroughly rs it can be ont OF
doors. Inside the factory it first goes
g. /. .:ruugher," where the strips are
cut Ito cylinders of the length Of =
>r9ul, ard the hole bored; the turning
al boring being performed at one op-
o1a,-ou. and tie cutting off, with q
81. Il circular saw, a. another, all on
o.- machine These little cylinders
draa f.om the roughcr into the barrel
vl.r-ea they are removed TO the
"-a.trs. or revolving Slated cylin-
I G..s IN which tie fine dirt and fuzz
. liz IT. tha saw and bits are removed.
The l...c.s are then picked over by
| Ia.3 ard all imperfect ones are sorted
o-t t5 fed tie ever hungry fires under
t.. '.oil. +.
T.. next process is a more thorough
s..sau.u@ OF the blocks in loft, and
Is a t5cv 20 to the "reamcr," where
/ TIE center holes are made to the exact
.,.. ra tuirel, witch cannot be done by
Itie ougher on account of the shrink
ara : the wood after leaving that ma
/ cA "a. Until lately the roaming has
Ic done by an ordinary roaming tool
- ,filiug in a lathe, the work being fed
/ b. La J, bat = new machine has been
Lately Iut in, which Will ream tie spools
a., s:.s- rs two boys can feed them into
III. sp.uts. Iltis reamer was made by
| IL. compauy's machinist, Mr.. John Z.
| Ioge--, at the machine shop in the
factory, from patterns made by Mr.. r.,
! hc having seen a similar machine work.
/ l." - Ictregor's factory in Lincoln.
/ T.e machine ~ Usa in the Searsport
chop has some features which the build
ora -lein az il provements over over
I t.n "riS.ual, which was imported from
/ 4, %. Ind, i having lately been invent
ia =: { country, and lot yet patented
/ il 90 iH.t-d States. Ii consists of a
/ cyClyu@ shaft, with a roaming
Il each end, working cndwise,
.. a~i and forward about four
i1' hes. AZ each end spouts are ar
"a gl WITH feeding apparatus, which
frs the sTCols into the proper posi-
! Il -, E, hc bored, and then allows them
/ to drop ont into barrel below At
Cu j. os Hinton of the shaft two spooIs
-r, reamed, one at each end, the ma
chm turning out about 2l0per minute
Tie next machine is the "Enisher," "
VIII ch IS IN attachment 10 an ordinary
Ifha by which The spooIs are turned
| intp sEarc, at one operation, at the rate
o. from 1908 to 100 per hour.
r. ora are eight cutting knives on this
II chine: one at each end standing up
pc.p p,udicular to the length of the spool
fo. inning the end; one at each end,
horizontally, for turning the outside Of
tn fanga; between these two, others
stan ing diasonaIly, for the inside OF
the fang; another horizontally, for
tu-l.i G ont the space between the two
fang 81; and small circular chisel for
en- tiu% the finish on the top Of the
spool.
The spcols have row received their
ST. pa, L d IeeI only the finishing
10 .yhcs. Thee arc given first by the
"pa.is,Ior,," which are the same as the
r,l e.s above described, the friction of
| ,He sl;ools against each other giving
t.am The required polish. Then they
are .pain sorted by hand, and all i'm.
Perfect ones removed. after which they
go 70 the "emboaser," a sort Of printing
machine which stamps the number of
tn i3uead AMI some ornamental devices
upon he head of each spool. They
ars theu packed in stout sacks, holding
flola thirteen to sixty-six gross each,
g, &c rIing TO the size Of the spools.
The factory makes sixteen sizes OF
spooIs, for thread from No. to No.
IG1, and turns out, when running Q
full time, 500 gross per day.