Two kinds of flyer frames were in general use, the live spindle-flyer and the dead spindle-flyer. The live spindleflyer moved with the spindle, and the bobbin rested upon a drag carried by the traverse or copping rail. The dead spindleflyer, an American invention, took its upper bearing in a plate above the spindles, and its lower bearing upon the dead spindle itself. The bobbin rested on a washer on the dead spindle, and revolved with it. The principle of spinning was the same. The yarn was wound upon the bobbin by the falling behind of the latter in speed, as compared to the speed of the flyer.

The flyer frame made strong and satisfactory yarn; but, owing to the rapid revolutions of the flyers through the air, a great deal of power was consumed, and the speed was limited to about four thousand turns per minute, owing to the tendency of the flyers to spread. The dead spindle-flyer was the one most extensively adopted in this country.

In 1829 Mr. Danforth of Patterson, N. J., invented a remarkable spinning machine, known as the cap or Danforth frame. The flyer, which had been thought a necessity, was dispensed with entirely.

A dead spindle was fitted in the rail, carrying on its top a hollow cup. On this spindle a cast-iron tube with a whirl at the bottom took its bearings, and the bobbin was fitted to that tube. The bobbin had a reciprocating motion, to wind the yarn in suitable layers. The rapid motion of the yarn through the atmosphere served as the drag, and the

bottom edge of the cap fixed the vertical position of the yarn when wound.

This machine produced yarn very rapidly, as compared to the flyer, and more rapidly than the ordinary ring frame which succeeded it. It was necessary to run it rapidly, in order to obtain a proper drag upon the yarn. The objection to its general adoption was the imperfect character of the yarn, which was uneven, and in other respects less satisfactory than the "throstle" yarn.

RING FRAMES.

In the year 1828 the first patent that I can find on a ring spinning frame was issued to Mr. John Thorpe of Providence, R. I.

I will make a digression here. Mr. Sawyer, president of the Chicopee Manufacturing Company, told me two or three days ago that he had had brought to him within about ten days, by a gentleman across the water, what this man thought was a great invention, and carried to Mr. Sawyer, as an inventor, to see what he thought of it. He produced his sketch of this great invention, but it was an indentical reproduction of the John Thorpe invention, with the peculiar ring which Mr. Thorpe introduced in his patent in 1828. Mr. Thorpe happened to have this paper, and he brought it out and showed it to the gentleman, and he went no further.

A few years later, patents on ring frames were issued to Mr. Samuel Brooks of Baltimore, Md., and to Mr. Geo. H. Dodge of Attleborough, Mass.

Evan Leigh, in his "Modern Cotton Spinning," says that ring spinning was said to have been invented by Mr. Jenks of Pawtucket, R. I. There seems to be no certainty on this point; but whoever the inventor was, he certainly has conferred a great benefit upon the human race.

In the ring spinning frame the flyer is dispensed with, and the bobbin is carried with the spindle, and at the same speed. On the traverse rail is fastened a flanged ring, which is made as hard and as smooth and as nearly round

as possible. On this ring is sprung a small piece of steel wire, bent in a half circular form with the ends turned in, called a "traveller." The yarn, in going from the rolls to the bobbin, passes through this traveller; and the drag, or winding on, is obtained by the falling behind of the traveller in speed, as compared with the speed of the spindle and the bobbin. Different travellers are used for different sizes of yarn, and the yarn may be wound more or less compactly upon the bobbin by varying the weight of this traveller, and thus increasing the drag and the friction on the ring. The ring and traveller have a reciprocal vertical motion, and wind the yarn as fast as it is spun in layers upon the bobbin. The revolution of the spindle gives motion to the thread attached to the bobbin, and through that to the traveller.

The speed of the spindle and bobbin is greater than the speed of the traveller, by the number of times that the yarn is wound around the bobbin. The amount of twist in the yarn is equal to the number of revolutions of the traveller, while a given length is being spun.

By doing away with the flyer, the power required to drive the machine was greatly reduced, and the speed increased, so that the frame as a whole was much more effective. It was rapidly introduced in America, until in 1860 the larger number of spinning frames in use were ring frames. The flyer was still ITIVE DRIVE for Bobbin.

COMMON SPINDLE WITH POS

COMMON SPINDLE WITH

largely run on coarse work, and some mills were equipped with the Danforth or cap frames.

Manufacturers were divided in preference between what was known as a positive drive spindle, which carried a loosely fitted bobbin by a pin; and the spindle with taper blade, which carried the bobbin by frictional contact. Each form had its advantages; but the tapering spindle, carrying the bobbin by frictional contact, became, ten years later, the standard structure.

At this time the ordinary weight of the spindle varied from twelve to sixteen ounces, and the most rapid speed was five thousand five hundred revolutions per minute. At this speed, from seventy to a hundred spindles were ordinarily run by one horse-power.

During these ten years successful efforts were made by various builders, particularly by Mr. John C. Whitin of the Whitin Machine Works, and Messrs. Fales & Jenks of Pawtucket, R. I., to reduce the weight of the spindle, and consequently the power required to drive it. The spindles were reduced in weight to eight, and in a few cases even to six, ounces, with some saving of power; but the speed could not be increased, as the lighter spindles sprung more than the heavier ones before used, and were more likely to throw off bobbins in spinning. The twelve-ounce common spindle was the best of that type for durability and

Taper Seat for BobBIN. steadiness of running.

The sleeve whirl surrounding the bolster bearing was during this period applied to ring spindles by Mr. John E. Atwood of Stonington, Conn. About

1866 Mr. Francis J. Rabbeth of Ilion, N. Y., made some improvements thereon. Quite a large number of these "Rabbeth" spindles (see illustration on this page) were put into use in both spinning frames and twisters. The advantage claimed for this device was, that the spindle ran in a tube which contained both bolster and step bearings. The oil did not need to be replaced oftener than once in several months.

During these ten years, also, various minor improvements were made in the common forms of spindles and their bearings, the principal ones being in the methods of lubrication. The ordinary bolster bearings required oiling three times a day, and the step bearings every day. With the improved ones, oiling was necessary at the bolster bearings once a week, and at the step about once a month.

In 1870 Oliver Pearl, overseer at the Atlantic Mills, Lawrence, patented an improvement in ring spindles, which might have been deemed important but for its being quickly followed by an invention of much greater value. He conceived that the power required by a spindle could be reduced by cutting off a part of the spindle above the bolster bearing, and chambering out the bobbin to make it lighter, while the balance of the spindle" was preserved by cutting off weight and

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