In working, the piece of cloth to be dewed is placed on the plattbrm at g; the end is passed over the first and under the second of the pair of rollers shown at h. lt then ascends in an inclined direction to the head of the machine at i, receiving the spray in its passage. The operation of the fan solids a strong blast from the air-nozzle across the top of tbe water-nozzle, which causes a. vacuum therein, leading the water to ascend to the top, when it is blown away in fine spray against the surface of the cloth as it travels upwards to the head, and, descending therefrom betweeu the rollers k, is plated by their oscillatory action npon the opposite end of the platform from which it started. By means of this machine, 15-20 ends of cloth ean be damped per hour. A damper enables it to be set to throw any quantity of water froni 1-6 lb. upon each piece or end.
After the cloth has been properly conditioned by the ordinary damping or dewing process, it is conveyed to the raising-gig, Fig. 1461. This machine is usually constructed about 65 in. in width on the teazle, but can be rnade much wider if required. It is shown in the illustration with recent improvements, such as the revolving turntable scray a, and expanding breast-roller b. The ohief part of it ie the teazle-cylinder c, mounted upon the shaft d, which is furnished with driving pulleys. The cyliuder is constructed with 16 oblong spaces e around its periphery, for the recep tion of the oblong frames called "rods," into which the teazles aro inserted, fixed by ineane of their ratems ; one side of the rod is coinposed of two parallel bars, having a small space between them for the admisbion of the stems. The rods are also etrengthened by cross-pieces, that, when inserted, the teazles arc firmly held in place. The other rollers shown are for the purpose of securing tho uniform tension of the cloth, and bringing the surface to he raised evenly against the revolving cylinder. The revolving scray a and the roller f with its oscillating arms are attachments whose function is to facilitate the revolution of the piece when the ends are joined together and it has become an endless web. The cylinder ie usually run at about 150 rev. a minute.
In operation, the piece of cloth is slowly drawu through the machine in a direction opposite to that in which the cylinder is revolving. This is contiuued until the enda of all the loose fibres have been brought to the surface of the fabric, when the piece is removed, and again washed off and dried, as a prelimieary to the first cropping or shearing process.
Whey the cloth is laid in the machine so that the cyliuder revolves in a direction parallel with the warp or longitudinal threads of the fabric, the action of the teazlea will be most effective upon the weft or transverse threads, which they will operate upon at right angles. It becomes question able, therefore, whether the action of the raising-gig ia as effectual as the hand process, and, at the same time, not more injurious to the durability of the fabric. It would appear that the
successive operations of putting the latter through the raising-gig must greatly impoverish the weft threads, from the beginning the weakest portion of the cloth. On the contrary, the cross raising of the hand procesa brings up the fibre from the warp threads equally as well as those of the weft. This difficulty is, however, almoat obviated by a plan of passing the cloth over the cylinders iu different directions.
After working some time, the teazle-hooks fill with wool, or " flocks," as the fibres drawn out of the cloth are technically called, which impede their operation. The " rods" are tbou taken out, and the flocks are cleared out by children, the rods being replaced by another set in order to prevent the stoppage of the machine. Contact of the teazle-points with the damp cloth also impairs their effioiency, and renders it necessary to remove them occasionally for the purpose of drying.
All attempts to eubatitute metallio cards for teazles have only been partially euccesaful, and as yet there is no likelihood of their superseding the natural article.
Cropping or Shearing.—After the cloth has been sufficiently long in the gig, it is with a little preliminary treatment of brushing next submitted to the operation of cropping. " Cropping " is the cutting of the raised nap (obtained ou the surface by the last process) to a uniform level. Formerly it was done entirely by hand, but 60 or 70 years ago a shearing-machine was invented and introduced, after great resistance from the croppera. It has subsequently been much improved, so that it may ultimately be regarded as having quite displaced the hand process. Fig. 1463 is an illustration of the machine in its present state of development, as constructed in this country. It will be understood that there are many modifications of and various forme of it, though the radical principles of each are the same. The essential parts of the machine are the metallic cylinder a, into which, and passing helically around it, are inserted a number of steel blades; a straight piece of steel, called a " ledger-blade," fixed &erase the machine in close proximity to the " spirals," the revolution of the latter in conjunction with the straight blade forming cutting edges; an arrangement of rollers by which the cloth is brought a.gainst the cutting blades ; and pile or setting-up rollers to raise the nap into the beet position for the action of the cutting blades. In working, tho long nap is brought against the ledger-blade, iu which position the revolving cylinder cuts it down to the desired length. The cloth is paesed two or three times lightly through, iu order to teeure uniform cutting.