SECOND SESSION.

THURSDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 28, 1911.

The Association met in the Casino of the Equinox House at 9.00 A. M., President HOBBS in the chair.

The PRESIDENT. The Secretary will give a notice relative to the evening session.

The SECRETARY. One of the papers this evening will be by Dr. N. A. COBB of Washington, on An Exact Method of Measuring the Cotton Staple. This is usually accompanied by a special form of stereopticon, but as it has not seemed feasible to do so in this hall, this paper will not be given in the dark. It is supposed, however, that a great many here will like to see it closer than it could be easily given before an audience, and Dr. D. E. EARLE who represents Dr. COBB, who was unexpectedly prevented from coming, has made arrangements to show it in a dark room back of the platform any time tomorrow afternoon or this afternoon. It will have to be shown to groups of about four or five. I commend this matter to your attention, because it is a beginning, I believe, of a new step in the determination of the length of cotton staple.

The PRESIDENT. A few years ago we were very highly instructed by a paper, in the discussion of which a speaker showed great power of analysis of the subject, particularly in its

relations to depreciation from various causes for which his legal as well as engineering training had specially fitted him. On this occasion he will speak upon Organization of the Carding Department in Cotton Mills, by which it appears that some of his conclusions are somewhat different from the opinions generally held and it must rest with him to show the soundness of some very important suggestions in the line of the greatest economy, and I have the pleasure of introducing Mr. HENRY K. ROWELL.

ORGANIZATION OF THE CARDING DEPARTMENT IN COTTON MILLS.

HENRY K. ROWELL, MEMBER Am. Soc. M. E.

Associated with CHARLES T. MAIN, Engineer, 201 Devonshire Street, Boston, Mass.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss briefly the organization of carding departments in cotton mills. In considering the entire organization of the mill, this department includes the picking, carding, drawing, slubbing and roving, up to the spinning frames.

The subject is divided under several headings, the first being a general statement of organization, then to a discussion as to the most economical size of machine for each process, then to a series of production diagrams for roving machinery, then to a statement of the law of variation in the cost of roving, and finally, to the exhibition of diagramatic floor plans showing arrangements of the carding and roving machinery for a 50,000 spindle mill.

The arguments are all founded upon facts obtained from well known New England mills, the information having been taken from the ordinary running conditions from day to day.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION.

Organizations of cotton mills may be classified under different heads, each class being made up of a different arrangement of machinery as follows:

A coarse mill requires a large amount of picking and carding with a comparatively small amount of roving machinery.

In mills of this class, it is possible to get along with only one process of drawing, and the roving may be taken directly from the slubber, or coarse intermediate to the spinning frame. It is advisable to run double roving on the spinning frame.

A medium coarse mill will have a smaller amount of picking and carding and will increase the number of roving spindles.

A mill of this kind would have two processes of drawing and two processes of roving, the slubber and fly frames. The spinning would be arranged for either single or double roving as desired.

A medium or print goods mill will continue to reduce the amount of picking and carding, and increase the number of .roving spindles.

A mill of this kind would have two processes of drawing and three processes of roving, with single or double roving in the spinning.

By introducing a fourth process of roving, or jack frame, such a mill can go onto fine numbers, while combing may be introduced if it is desired to have combed work.

A print goods mill makes the most flexible type of mill, as it is possible to adapt the organization of such a mill for different purposes, either for coarse yarns, or medium yarns, or fine yarns.

The discussions following, will be made with special reference to a print goods organization.

A strictly fine goods organization appears to be in a class by itself. The picking is reduced to a minimum, the carding should be light, the drawing should ordinarily be in three processes, and operated to do all the evening possible.

In the succeeding processes, the speeds of the spindles should not be excessive. The roving machinery should run about as fast as in the print goods mill.

A fine goods mill requires less power to operate the machinery than mills making coarser goods.

In organizing a mill to make goods for the general trade on print goods numbers, certain general rules can be applied in

proportioning the machinery throughout the several processes so that practically all the conditions likely to arise can be successfully met. Questions sometimes arise in placing the machinery as to the best size of machine to adopt for a certain process, and there is some variance of opinion in this matter, but the weight of opinion appears to favor the following general arrangement :

TABLE I.

Showing Relative Proportion of Machines of One Process to Another.

I set of picking, for 15 revolving flat cards, 40-inch lap.

10 revolving flat cards, for 9 deliveries of drawing, in each process. 2 slubbers, 12"x6" bobbins, 60 spindles.

66

15

each.

66

I slubber, 12"x6" bobbins, 60 spindles for 2 intermediate frames, 10"x5" bobbins, 84 to 92 spindles, each.

1 intermediate, 10"x 5" bobbins, 84 to 92 spindles, for 2 roving frames 7"x 32" bobbins, 160 to 168 spindles, each.

By following the above general rule for proportioning the machinery for the several processes, it is claimed that variations. due to climatic conditions, quality of stock, and changes required to be made from time to time, can be successfully met and compensated for with the least amount of loss.

CARDS.

There are two sizes of cards in use, both of which have their advocates, the 40-inch card and the 45-inch card. The width of the card establishes the width of the picker as a general rule, although it is possible to make 40-inch laps on a 45-inch finisher picker by making adjustments on the picker in a case where a mill might have 45-inch pickers and desires to use 40-inch cards.

A 40-inch card requires less floor space in width than a 45inch card. It requires about 33 per cent. less power to drive it. Its first cost is less.