THE ECONOMICAL USE OF THE SHELL ROLLER.

BY MR. F. A. LEIGH, OF BOSTON.

MR. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN :

I HAVE much pleasure in submitting the following remarks to your notice, in regard to the economical use of the Shell Roller.

It will be readily admitted, that after the operation of Carding Cotton, the next important step in a mill is that of drawing it, in the different machines through which it passes before it is made into yarn. As the production of good work depends so much upon the condition and adjustment of the Top-Rollers, they require constant care and attention; and with all our care, there arises in the best regulated mills, a variation in the numbers, or counts, of yarn intended to be spun, that is apparently unaccountable, but can always be traced to imperfections in the Top-Rollers.

In introducing this subject, it is not my intention to discuss so much the advantages, or disadvantages, of the Shell Roller over any other kind, but merely to lay down a system of working them, which has proved a great success, and remedies in a great measure the irregularity and evils that at present exist. I introduced the system I am about to explain several years ago, in some of the largest concerns in England, and can testify with great confidence as to the results.

is

The First and most important advantage to be gained, a greater regularity of the work produced.

Secondly-A great saving of Labor, Oil, and Roller Cov

ering.

Thirdly

Much less "clearer" waste is made.

Fourthly Less breakage, and therefore a larger produc

tion of

yarn.

Before entering into an explanation of the above advantages, allow me to explain my system of cleaning and oiling the Rollers.

In my visits to the different manufacturing establishments in this country, I find the Shell Roller almost universally adopted, both in the Carding, and Spinning; and, as at present used, they are cleaned and oiled in the mills by the operatives. Now, upon my plan, I do not allow any one inside the mill to touch them; but appoint a competent person to take the entire charge of the Top-Rollers of the whole concern. This man is provided with a small room-adjoining the Roller Covering roomwhich is fitted up with a sufficient number of boxes to hold a complete set of Rollers for each kind of machine he has in the mill. He is also provided with two small machines; one for cleaning the Bosses, and the other for oiling the Spindles. The machine (if such it can be called) for cleaning the Bosses, is simply a small spindle running at a high speed, upon which cotton waste is wound to the diameter of the hole in the boss of the Roller requiring to be cleaned.

The machine for oiling consists of two plain iron Rollers, or Shafts, about 16 in. long (or as long as the longest Roller Spindle you have in your mill) and about 14 in. diameter; one is placed in a small trough of oil, fixed to the bench, and the other, held in bearings, about 12 in. or 14 in. above it; to this top-shaft, or Roller, a slow motion is given. Two pieces of tape, or flannel, about or 1 in. wide, work over the Rollers like small straps; which, as they revolve, bring up a fresh supply of oil from the trough on the bench. It will easily be understood, that the amount of oil brought up by these straps, can easily be regulated, either by their speed, width, or tightness; and that they can be set any distance apart, to suit the length of Spindle that may require oiling.

As the Spinning Rollers constitute the largest number of Rollers in a mill, and consequently require the greatest care, I will confine my remarks to them. At fixed times the man in charge takes a fresh set of Rollers - cleaned and oiled (and re-covered, if required) into the Spinning room takes the old Rollers away, re-placing them with the newly oiled ones. When the old Rollers are taken out, and put into conveniently sized boxes; they are carried into the "Roller Cleaning and

Oiling Room," in their dirty state, and the operation of cleaning and oiling, is commenced in the following manner.

The Bosses and Spindles are separated on the bench, after which the Bosses are thoroughly cleaned in the holes, by the spindle running with waste; the Spindles being cleaned by

hand.

If any Bosses require re-covering, they are detected in the operation of cleaning, and their places supplied with others; when the oiling and putting together of the Rollers is begun.

The mode of oiling the Spindles is by slightly pressing the bearings of the Spindles against the revolving tapes, as they come up charged with oil from the trough, which gives the Spindles sufficient oil, without wasting it, or any getting on the centre or ends of the Spindles; the Rollers are then put into boxes, and are ready for the next change in the mill.

The introduction of this system of cleaning and oiling the Rollers, and having one man to take charge and be responsible for the whole, enables one to carry out another system, which, to my mind, is of more importance, and that is the regular changing of Rollers from the front backwards. It is well known that after a time Rollers get hollow, and thus become unfit for drawing in the front lines, where the sliver is thinnest, but if moved to the second row, and so on, backward, where the "sliver" increases in thickness, they work much better than if they are newly covered, as they conform more to the form of the "sliver," and consequently draw the Cotton better at the edges, which makes a more perfect drawing, and much less "Flat" or clearer waste.

The advantage of System in any part of a mill cannot be over-estimated, and always leads to economy and regularity; but I know of no point which demands such careful attention, and is so vital in its effects, upon the yarn, as the Top-Rollers. As a proof of what I have said, I may here mention a test which was made by Mr. J. W. Smith, of the Merrimack Mills, Lowell; the trial was made on a Spinning Frame, and although it was only intended to prove the superiority of the Shell Roller over the ordinary kind, still it shows what variations exist, and how sensitive the Top-Roller is to its condition.

Mr. SMITH says: I made a series of experiments to test the superiority of "Leigh's Patent Loose Shell Roller" over the

Solid Top Rollers for Drawing Cotton. Below, find a brief synopsis of many trials, to test the evenness and quantity of yarn from Spinning machines, when one boss of the solid top is larger than the other. Average counts of 90 trials from a 1-inch Solid Roller Boss, was, No. 28, 43; from the other Boss, of the same Roller, ths inch diameter; No. 26, 43, variation two counts. From the Leigh Roller, No. 28, 50. The Leigh gave a uniform count, or number, nearly the same as the large Boss of the Solid Roller. All the experiments denoted the same unevenness, in proportion to the variations of the Solid Rollers.

Experiment to test the difference in quantity.

To 640 revolutions of the Steel-fluted Rollers. The large Solid Boss, 1 inch diameter, gave 1994 inches of yarn, to 1904 inches, from the small Boss 48ths inches diameter. The Leigh, or Loose Boss, gave 1993 inches, nearly the same as the large Boss. The experiments were made with much care, and practically prove the great superiority of the Leigh Rollers over the old kind. We find a large saving in the cost of re-covering the Rollers.

The Rovings for the above test were carefully selected, and perfectly uniform in Hank, so that all the irregularity proceeded from the draft of the Spinning Frame.

In my own experience I have known a variation in counts of over 7 per cent. from the same Roller during the day, according to its condition as regards oil. I am now speaking of the Solid Top Roller, which always loses from 3 to 5 per cent. of its speed, in its best condition, from friction; and an idea may be formed of how slight a thing affects the speed of the Top Rollers. If you press the Clearer a little with your hand, you will perceive its effect in retarding the speed of the Rollers, and taking up slack ends in the Frames; the fact being, that when an end is slack, the Roller is in the best condition, and, as it delivers more sliver than the others, and consequently over-runs the taking up motion of the Bobbin.

With the Shell Roller, however, slack or hard ends are of rare occurrence; and when this system is properly carried out, they cease to exist.

I could quote many more examples of the irregularity of

delivery of Top Rollers, but as the subject is so well understood, and has been so ably discussed by your President and others, I am sure it would only be a waste of your time to do so. I shall, therefore, content myself to enlarge upon the advantages I claim for this system, and quote a few facts as a proof of its great saving.

First. There is greater regularity of the work produced. This arises solely from the fact, that the Rollers are kept in perfect order, by being so regularly cleaned and oiled, which causes a uniformity of speed, that otherwise could not be obtained, and which is so essential to uniformity of counts.

Secondly. I claim "a great saving of labor, oil, and Roller covering." Many parties, to whom I have explained this system, have predicted that it would take much more labor, and that it would be costly and troublesome in its introduction. The reverse is the fact in all cases. On the principle that no one man could make a watch, at anything like its present cost, so, a division of labor is always beneficial and economical, whenever it can be employed. As regards the amount of labor, I may say that I know of several concerns of over 50,000 Spindles, where one man and a boy do the whole of the work, viz.: clean, oil, and re-cover the Rollers of the whole concern. In one case, two men have done the work, to my own knowledge, in The a concern of over 100,000 Spindles, for the last six years. saving in oil and leather will be obvious, and there is no paste or varnish required for the leathers.

Thirdly. "Much less waste is made." If you consider that no oil gets on the leather, and less abrasion of the leather takes place; also, that they are regularly moved backwards as they get hollow, where the sliver is thicker, thus drawing the edge of the sliver better, you can easily understand that less waste will be made.

Lastly. "There is less breakage, and therefore a larger production." Nine-tenths of the breakages occur through imperfect Top-Rollers: they either do not revolve with freedom, and give out the length intended, or their surfaces are so rough and abraded, that there is a constant tendency to lick the Cotton, which laps round the Roller, breaking not only the first end, but often all which the imperfect Roller supplies. In Spinning, especially, it is of the greatest importance to keep free from