The ordinary spindle carries an extra wharve, from whioh, power is transmitted by means of a band to the creel spindle, mounted in raila. On the top of this spindle, ia placed the bobbin con taining the threads to be twisted. Being fixed on the apindle, the bobbin revolves with the spindle, which puts in half the required twist before the thread re,aelies the rollers. Aa this result is accomplished without any increase of the speed of the spindle, the advantages of the process will be obvious. It enables the produetion of every spindle to be doubled, whilst cost in wages is not increased. Only half the space is required, as compared with the ordinary method, the shafting, gearing, complementary fittings, cost of supervision, and all other expenses, being obviated.
This maebine is known as " Murray's patent," and ia made solely by Thomas Unsworth, of Manchester. Wheu it is used, the bobbins are prepared for it preferably upon the winding-doubling macliine of the same maker, described in the article on Rope (see p. 1595). The single having thus received the twist necessary for forming organzine, in which two strands of the single are eom bined, it is taken to the doubling-machine, Fig. 1234, in which two threads or more if required aro wound upon one bobbin in a manner as perfectly parallel as possible, in order that all may be of exactly the same length, whieli, in the subaequent operation of twisting, is requisite to produce organzine of the best quality. It (lifters so little from the machines previously described, that it calls for no further notice.
lIaving been doubled, the threads are again brought to the spinning-frame, and, for organzine, are twisted about 8 tfines an ineh, but in a direction opposite to that of the first twist. When tram is required, this is the only twisting or spinning to which the thread is subjected, and in this it only receives about 4 turns an inch, the reault being that a soft spongy thread is formed, well adapted to cover the warp threads, and show up the lustre of the fibre.
Reeling.—Reeling is the next and last operation so far as the throwster's portion of the business is concerned, except the packing for the ma,rket. The reeling-machine, Fig. 1235, is aimply a hank winding machine, in which the Bilk, as it finally leaves the spinning-frame, is wound into a form to fit it for the operations of boiling, to olear it from the natural gum, and dyeing, in which the richest colours are imparted to it previously to ita being woven or otherwise fabricated into the numerous articles of luxury for which from the first it has been designed. This machine, like all the others
illustrating this article thus far, with the exception of Fig. 1233, is made by Enoch Rushton, Macclesfield, and is fitted with his self-acting eount-guider and stop-motions. The former registers in yards the exact length of each skein ; when the length required has been reeled, the guider makes a lateral movement, and alongside the firat skein runs another the same length, and so on in suc cession until the reel is full, when it stops the machine. By thia means, perfeot uniformity in the length of skein or hank is secured. These skeins, being afterwards carefully weighed on dramming- or deniering-machines, being all of one length, can be " sized " or assorted with great correctness.
After silk is thrown, it is generally reeled into skeins of 1000 yd., and to ensure regularity, these are assorted as just described, and arranged in lots, dram difference in weight defining the lots. Thus, if 1 skein weighs + oz. 4 dr., it is denominated 4-dram silk ; if dr. lighter, it is 31-dram silk, &c. Where the greatest regularity is desired, and the expense is not au obstacle, silk is reeled into half-skeins of 500 yd., or quarter skeins of 250 yd., and then carefully weighed and assorted as before. This process is called " half- " and " quarter sizing." In France, tbe skein measures 520 yd., and is weighed in deniers, the denier being equal to 0.825 gr.
When the process of assorting or sizing has been completed, the silk is gathered into hanks, twisted into knots, arranged in bundles, and pressed in the manner shown in Fig. 1236.
Silk, besides being thrown into the form of organzine and tram for weaving, is made to assume numerous other special forms and designations, according to re quirement. Amongst these, may be men tioned embroidery-, fringing-, sewing-, knitting-, and machine-silks. There is, however, no essential difference in them, all being simply combinations of the number of threads needed to give the thickness, and of variations in the twist required to obtain the effect.
Silk at this stage becomes a mercantile article, known as " thrown silk," and as such is sold to manufacturers, who weave or otherwise work it into the forms in which it is presented to the consumer. In many instances, the processes of throwing and manufacturing are cotubined in one establishment.