Box 1

Scope and Contents Gelatin silver print. Image depicts the combing process of wool slivers. Note the pile of finished coils on the left. Text: "Combing. This process removes shorter fibers below a desired length for worsted processing. It combs the longer fibers which are retained and arranges them in parallel order. During this combing operation, neps and other impurities, which have not been previously removed, are also taken out with the shorter fibers. The short fibers, called noils, are the basis for...

Scope and Contents

Gelatin silver print. Image depicts combed slivers being processed through a gill box. Text: "Finished Gilling. A number of combed slivers are processed through the gill box which further parallels the fiber mass by means of drafting rolls and fallers. These fallers consist of a number of tapered pins which move at a faster surface speed, thus performing a combing action."

Scope and Contents Gelatin silver print. Image depicts combed slivers being reduced to a fine roving through the process of drawing. Text: "Drawing (Mix Gill). After combing and top making, it is necessary to further blend the various fiber components and to reduce the heavy sliver down to a relatively fine roving which can be used on the spinning frame. Here we have an overall view of some of the drawing operations. The first operation is the Mix Gill. Here we see a number of tops blended and drafted through...

Scope and Contents

Gelatin silver print. Image depicts the process of drawing the blended slivers onto spools as slubbing. Text: "Drawing (Two Spindle Gill Box). Thoroughly blended and mixed slivers are run together, drafted and wrapped onto large spools as slubbing. From this point all slubbing will be reduced in size, twist inserted and wrapped onto spools."

Scope and Contents

Gelatin silver print. Image depicts a row of drawing frames. Text: "Drawing Operations. A general view showing the frames and manner in which the stock is drawn down to size and wrapped onto spools."

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."