Box 1

Scope and Contents

Note: Traps in left mill (upper section) where friction is applied to "rope" of cloth creating the heat which along with the fulling soap results in felting action. U.S.Department of Agriculture; Negative #20406.

Scope and Contents

Gelatin silver print. Image depicts a six spindle weigh box that is further reducing the product as part of the drawing operation. Text: "Drawing (Six Spindle Weigh Box). The product coming from the two-spindle gill box is further reduced in size on this machine."

Scope and Contents

Gelatin silver print. Image depicts an eight-spindle reducer that further reduces the product as part of the drawing operation. Only six spindles can be seen in this photo, with the seventh partially visible on the right. Text: "Drawing (Eight Spindle Reducer). The product taken off the six-spindle weigh box is again reduced in size on this eight- spindle reducer."

Scope and Contents

Gelatin silver print. Image depicts a twelve spindle finisher, the final operation in drawing. Text: "Drawing (Twelve Spindle Finisher). This is the final operation in heavy drawing. Its product will be supplied to the Roving Frame (Rover)." See item 4 in this folder.

Scope and Contents

Gelatin silver print. Image depicts roving frames. The frame in the right foreground was manufactured by Prince Smith & Son of Keighley, England. Text: "Rover. These frames produce the roving by finally drafting the product of the 12-spindle finisher to the size required for the spinning operation."

Scope and Contents

Gelatin silver print. Image depicts a large room of spinning frames. Text: "Ring Spinning. The spools at the top of the frames contain what is known as roving. This roving is reduced in size through a set of rolls and wound onto bobbins revolving at high speed. In the operation of spinning, the amount of twist is controlled to give the resultant product the desired characteristics; namely, loftiness, strength, smoothness, resiliency, etc."

Scope and Contents

Gelatin silver print. Image depicts a male textile worker standing next to a ring spinning frame. Text: "Ring Spinning. This shows a close-up view of the ring spinning frame. On the top of the machine the roving will be seen as it passes through a series of rolls driven at varying speeds."

Scope and Contents

Gelatin silver print. Image depicts a line of cap spinning frames. Cap spinning is a different process from ring spinning and is used more often for spinning worsted yarns. Text: "Cap Spinning. Yarn produced by this process is spun with the aid of metal caps which differ from the rings. This process produces yarn of a different character which may be desired in certain fabrics."

Scope and Contents Gelatin silver print. Image depicts an automatic winder. Text: "Automatic Winder. Bobbins of yarn taken from the spinning frame are usually of relatively small size. In order to increase the efficiency of the subsequent operation, these bobbins are wound on larger packages. The winder automatically feeds bobbins into the machine as the yarn runs out and ties the yarn to the larger package. All the operator has to do is remove the large package from the machine, which is then ready for the...

Scope and Contents

Gelatin silver print. Image depicts twisting machines. Text: "Twisting. For certain fabrics two-ply yarns are required. Therefore, single yarns, as they come from the spinning frame, have to be plied and twisted. In this twisting operation two ends of single yarn are combined, twisted, and wound onto bobbins."