Visitor Info
Things to See
What's New
Contact Us
Education
Collections
Cloth Making
Friends
Cloth Making Menu
An Introduction
Who Did What?
Clothier
Woolstapler
Dyer
Willower
Scribbler
Blender
Carder
Slubbing
Spinner
Quilley Winder
Warper
Weaver
Finishing
• Burler
• Scourer
• Mender
• Fuller
• Tentering
• Raiser
• Shearer
• Presser
• Factor
|
Spinner
Early spinners worked on a drop spindle,
drawing out and twisting the wool fibres to make a yarn. Wool is
easy to spin because the scales on each fibre cling together helping
to make a continuous yarn. The spindle was made of either wood
or bone with a weight, or whorl at the base acting as a flywheel.
Twisting the spindle put twist into the fibres, producing a strong
yarn. Warp yarn was spun harder for strength.
When a length of yarn
had been made, the spinner stopped to wind it onto the spindle
and then the process was repeated. (Try doing this and you will
know why it is called a drop spindle).
In the 14cen, spinning was done on a great wheel, again with the spinner standing
to work. A spindle mounted onto a frame was connected to a wheel which the spinner
turned by hand. The drawn fibres were held at an angle to the spindle so that
each time they slid off the end of the spindle, a twist was added. Yarn was wound
onto the spindle by holding it at right angles and turning the wheel.
The first machine made to spin yarn was the
spinning jenny, invented by James Hargreaves in 1764. Hand operated
by one person, the jenny produced dozens of lengths of yarn atthe
same time.
By 1793, women and children could earn 4 to 5 shillings a week.
Before any wool was attached
to the jenny, it had to be carded and slightly twisted into slubbings.
Bobbins of slubbings at the front of the machine were converted
to bobbins of spun thread at the back.
Yarn was wound onto cones which held 10 times the amount of a bobbin if it was
warp yarn.
This of course took the place of several hand spinners
and meant that the weaver could be kept supplied with
as much yarn as he needed.
Once the yarn had been spun, it could be plyed or doubled (called doubling) to
create a thicker , softer thread.
Modern Spinning Methods
Ring Spinning
Ring spinning was first invented in America in the 19cen and was mostly used
to make heavy carpet yarns. Not until the 1950s was the method used to spin thread
for the fine woollen industry.
Developments in the suppression of the ‘balloon’ which was formed
prior to the winding on of the yarn onto the spindle; the improvement of the ‘false
twist’ tube which twisted the yarn in the drafting zone (this would be
the draw in the mule) and the introduction of lightweight plastic ‘travellers’ all
took away a great deal of the strain from the slubbing and the yarn. This meant
that continuous spinning was possible, in contrast to the ‘spin and wind
on’ process of a self-acting mule.
The self-acting mule (see one in Trowbridge Museum), has a maze of gears, cams
and ropes, with one electric motor powering the whole machine.
Electronic Mule
This mule has individual DC electric motors for all the motions which makes it
expensive to run. It is used mainly for the production of fine Cashmere and lambs
wool yarns for the hosiery and knitwear industry.
|