[Illustration: THE TEXTILE EXHIBITION, ISLINGTON.]
In the recent textile exhibition at Islington, one of the most extensive
exhibits was that, of Messrs. James Farmer and Sons, of Salford. The
exhibit consists of a Universal calender, drying machines, patent creasing,
measuring, and marking machines, and apparatus for bleaching, washing,
chloring, scouring, soaping, dunging, and dyeing woven fabrics. The purpose
of the Universal calender is, says the _Engineer_, to enable limited
quantities of goods to be finished in various ways without requiring
different machines. The machine consists of suitable framing, to which is
attached all the requisite stave rails, batching apparatus, compound
levers, top and bottom adjusting screws, and level setting down gear, also
Stanley roller with all its adjustments. It is furthermore supplied with
chasing arrangement and four bowls; the bottom one is of cast iron, with
wrought iron center; the next is of paper or cotton; the third of chilled
iron fitted for heating by steam or gas, and the top of paper or cotton. By
this machine are given such finishes as are known as "chasing finish" when
the thready surface is wanted; "frictioning," or what is termed "glazing
finish," "swigging finish," and "embossing finish;" the later is done by
substituting a steel or copper engraved roller in place of the friction
bowl. This machine is also made to I produce the "Moire luster" finish. The
drying machine consists of nineteen cylinders, arranged with stave rails
and plaiting down apparatus. These cylinders are driven by bevel wheels, so
that each one is independent of its neighbor, and should any accident occur
to one or more of the cylinders or wheels, the remaining ones can be run
until a favorable opportunity arrives to repair the damage. A small
separate double cylinder diagonal engine is fitted to this machine, the
speed of which can be adjusted for any texture of cloth, and being of the
design it is, will start at once on steam being turned one. The machine
cylinders are rolled by a special machine for that purpose, and are
perfectly true on the face. Their insides are fitted with patent buckets,
which remove all the condensed water. In the machine exhibited, which is
designed for the bleaching, washing, chloring, and dyeing, the cloth is
supported by hollow metallic cylinders perforated with holes and corrugated
to allow the liquor used to pass freely through as much of the cloth as
possible; the open ends of the cylinders are so arranged that nearly all of
their area is open to the action of the pump. The liquor, which is drawn
through the cloth into the inside of the cylinders by the centrifugal
pumps, is discharged back into the cistern by a specially constructed
discharge pipe, so devised that the liquor, which is sent into it with
great force by the pump, is diverted so as to pour straight down in order
to prevent any eddies which could cause the cloth to wander from its
course. The cloth is supported to and from the cylinders by flat perforated
plates in such a manner that the force of the liquor cannot bag or displace
the threads of the cloth, and by this means also the liquor has a further
tendency to penetrate the fibers of the cloth. Means are provided for
readily and expeditiously cleansing the entire machine. The next machine
which we have to notice in this exhibit is Farmer's patent marking and
measuring machine, the purpose of which is to stamp on the cloths the
lengths of the same at regular distances. It is very desirable that drapers
should have some simple means of discovering at a glance what amount of
material they have in stock without the necessity of unrolling their cloth
to measure it, and this machine seems to perfectly meet the demands of the
case. The arrangement for effecting the printing and inking is shown in our
engraving at A. It is contained within a small disk, which can be moved at
will, so that it can be adapted to various widths of cloth or other
material. A measuring roller runs beside the printing disk, and on this is
stamped the required figures by a simple contrivance at the desired
distances, say every five yards. The types are linked together into a
roller chain which is carried by the disk, A, and they ink themselves
automatically from a flannel pad. The machine works in this way: The end of
the piece to be measured is brought down until it touches the surface of
the table, the marker is turned to zero, and also the finger of the dial on
the end of the measuring roller. The machine is then started, and the
lengths are printed at the required distances until it becomes necessary to
cut out the first piecing or joint in the fabric. The dial registers the
total length of the piece.
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