To prevent these strips from coining in contact with one another their detachment is effected by two combs, the first of which is provided with teeth for the first, third, fifth strip, etc., and the other for the second, fourth, sixth strip, etc., two rubbing and two winding attachments being also used. Such a carding-engine is shown in Figure i (p7. 4o), while a carding-engine with only one comb is represented in Figure 2. Both machines are of German construction. Figure 5 (pi. 39) represents the "finisher" of an American carding-machine.
The complete carding-machine consists of three individual machines, known as the "first breaker," the "second breaker," and the " finisher" (pi. figs. 2-4), which constitute what is termed "one set." Figures 2 and 5 illustrate the first breaker, which is that part of the "set " with which the wool first comes in contact. In Figure 5, at the left of the machine, extends the feed-apron, upon which the wool is spread; this apron is similar to the one used on the wool-picker and brings the wool in contact with the first pair of rollers, which are known as the "dirt rollers." This spreading of the wool upon the apron is also now done automatically by means of the Bramwell feed (fig. 2). Figure 3 illus trates what is known as the "second breaker," through which the draw ing passes before reaching the finisher (fig. 4). Figure i illustrates a similar finisher with the Apperly feed attached. This feed is used to make automatic connection between the second breaker and the finisher. Figure 6 shows a Garnett machine and card combined. This machine is for opening, for reworking, the " hard waste "—that is, the yarn waste— from the weave-room.
Quite different from wool-carding is wool-combing, known as "worsted combing." In the latter process the object is to produce as smooth a thread as possible, since fabrics made of this yarn require very little if any felting or fulling. From the worsted-card (pl. 40,fig. 3) the drawing goes to the comb, and thence to the spinning-frame.
Figures i, 2, and 4. (pl. 38) illustrate a mule for spinning woollen yarn from the roving as it leaves the finisher-card, where, by means of rubbing, it has received sufficient solidity to be put on roving-spools, which are so inserted in a frame in the mule as to allow rewinding of the roving for drawing it to the required size, as well as for imparting the necessary twist.
Flax is a term employed to denote both the fibre of the flax-plant and the plant itself. There is abundant evidence that this important plant has been cultivated from remote antiquity- (see Gen. xli. 42) for the strong fibres of the bark, which are manufactured into linen. To prepare it for spin ning and weaving the following preliminary processes are requisite.
The leWling Process, which has for its object the removal of the seed-capsules, is the first to which the flax-plant is subjected after being pulled up by the root. It consists in drawing by hand successive bundles of flax straw through the upright prongs of large fixed iron combs, or " ripples." If the plant, after having been pulled, has been dried, the removal of the seeds is effected by means of the "seeding-machine," which consists of a pair of iron rollers, between which the flax is passed.
Reiting is an important operation which is performed for the purpose of separating the fibre from the woody "skive" or core, and also for decomposing and removing certain adherent gIntinous substances. Two processes—namely, cold-water retting and dew-retting—have been prac tised from the earliest times. AA/arm-water retting was adopted in Eng land in 1846.
which is the usual process, requires a pond of pure soft water not more than 4 feet in depth, and for retting an acre of flax it is calculated that it should be 5o feet long and 9 feet broad. In the pond are placed the rippled stalks, which, tied in bundles and covered with straw or sods, have placed above them stones of sufficient weight to.keep the flax submerged. Under favorable circumstances a fermentation is immediately induced through the influence of heat and moisture. The process is gen erally complet6d in about two weeks, when the flax is spread out and allowed to remain for several days in the open air; it is then ready for breaking and scotching.
which dispenses with fermentation, is accomplished by subjecting the spread-out flax to the influence of air, sunlight, dews, and rain.
Rating employs tanks, in which water is raised to a tem perature of from 75° to 95° Fahr. during the time the flax is kept in the tanks, which is from fifty to sixty hours. The different colors in flax are due to the different systems of retting.