Class VI.]

C’OTTOX MACHINES.

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chanism have necessarily interposed many difficulties to thetransmission of large, valuable, or delicate objects of thisdescription. Hence, notwithstanding the considerablenumber of beautiful and ingenious machines that areplaced in the eastern division of the building, any attemptto estimate from this collection the relative employmentof machinery in any branch of manufactures by theirrespective countries, or the relative standard of excellencewhich each has attained in the construction and contri-vance of machines, would lead to the most fallacious andunjust conclusions.

The machinery of the Exhibition, and the foreignmachines especially, must therefore be looked upon as acollection of miscellaneous articles, sent by individualswithout any principle of concurrence or any attempt toensure the fair and equable representation of every classof manufacturing machinery, or of the styles and modeof workmanship which prevail in different countries ordistricts.

It will of course be understood that the above remarksare strictly confined to the articles which belong to theclass of manufacturing machines ; for the portions of thebuilding wherein they are placed also contain many ofthose that are included in Class V., especially in theforeign departments, in which the machines of the twoClasses V. and YE are also mixed up with agriculturaland other mechanism of all kinds, and with hand-toolsand manufactured articles that properly fall under thedenomination of “cutlery” or “general hardware.”Many machines which are inserted in the Catalogue havenot been sent by their respective exhibitors, or they proveupon inspection to be either models of small importance,or to have been so deranged by the transit as to make itimpossible to set them in motion, or form any just opinionof their merits, especially in cases where the exhibitor isneither to be found, nor lias left any representative capableof explaining them.

In round numbers it appeal's that the English exhibitorsamount to about two hundred and twenty. France hascontributed between fifty and sixty; the United States ,fifteen; Belgium and the Zollverein , ten or twelve each;Russia and the Netherlands two or three; while Sardinia and Switzerland have merely sent some machine-toolsused in the manufacture of watches. Since it thus ap-pears that the machines sent by each country, whetherBritish or foreign, bear no proportion to the relative em-ployment of machinery, considered either with respect togeographical distribution or to the different departmentsof manufacture, it will be useless to examine each countryby itself. In the following more detailed survey of thecollection, the machines will be classed according to theirfunctions, including under each head all those that havebeen contributed by the different nations.

(A.) Conversion of Haw Material into a continu-ous Thread , and subsequent Processes. —(1.) Cotton.(2.) Wool. (3.) Flax and Hemp. (4.) Silk.

(B.) Weaving of all kinds. —(5.) Looms. (G.) Lace-frames. (7.) Kuitting or hosiery frames. (8.) Ilealdmachines, sewing machines, See.

(C.) Paper and Printing. —(9.) Making, cutting, andfolding paper. (Iff) Type printing. Ml.) Numbering,paging, and ruling machines. (12.) Lithographic andcopper-plate presses.

(D.) Working parts of the above Machines.

(K.) Machines for Working in Metal, Wood ,Stone, Clay, Leather , &c. &c.—(13) Lathes for metal(including also those for wood, &e.). (14.) Machines for

planing. (15.) Slotting. (16.) Shaping. (17.) Drillingand boring. (18.) Other machines and tools for workingmetal. (19.) Machines for sawing, planing, mortising,See. wood. (20.) Working iu other materials, as stone,coal, clay, leather, glass, &c.

(F.) Mills for grinding and preparing Flour , andother Vegetable Products.—(21.) Grinding. (22.)Separating.

(G.) Machinery for the Manufacture of Sugar.

(H.) Apparatus for Brewing, Distilling , andManufacturing Chemistry.

We cannot conclude these prelimenary remarks with-out expressing our cordial thanks to Colonel Lloyd; to

whose zeal, ability, and diligence, we have been sogreatly indebted throughout the whole period of ourlabours.

(A.) Conversion of Paw Material into a continuousThread , and subsequent Processes.

(1.) Cotton.

In the exhibition of machinery for spinning, and itspreparatory processes, Messrs. Hibbkrt, Pj.att. andSons (1, pp. 263—268) have taken the lead, by establish-ing and maintaining in operation a complete series, be-ginning with the opening machine and scutcher, and in-cluding the various carding engines, the drawing, slub-bing, and roving machines, two self-acting mules (the oneadapted to the weft, the other to the warp), and also athrostle, a winding-machine, and a doubling machine.This splendid series of nineteen machines is of their ownmanufacture, and contains many improvements on theordinary constructions, besides affording a completepicture of the progress of the raw material from the statein which it is imported, to that in which it is deliveredto the weaver. Attention must also be directed to thebeauty and excellence of the mill gearing and its framing,by means of which these various machines receive theirmotion from the steam-engine. This part of the work isexhibited by Messrs. Hick and Son, of Bolton (1, p. 268).The cotton cleaning and opening machine of the aboveseries is on Mr. F. A. Calvert’s construction, who alsoexhibits (27, p. 271) other specimens of his new andeffective method of making wool-burring, cotton cleaning,and carding cylinders.

Other makers have sent admirable specimens of someof these machines, each distinguished by peculiarity ofconstruction, important improvements, or beauty ofworkmanship. Amongst these the new throstle of Messrs.Sharp, Brothers, and Co. (15, p. 270), is remarkable.The principle of this machine, which is derived fromAmerica , is—that a small loop running on a ring is sub-stituted for the usual flyer, whence it is termed “ thering and traveller throstle.” The framing and disposi-tion of its parts are greatly improved by the presentmakers.

Messrs. Higgins and Sons (14, p. 270) exhibit theirroving-frame, and Mr. J. Mason (10, pp. 268, 269) adrawing-frame, a roving-frame, and a slubbing-frame,furnished with their patent collars, by which the spindlesrevolve with greater steadiness, and an increased velocitycan be attained. Also separating plates for the slubbings,and a brake motion for more effectually stopping themachine. Messrs. Parr, Curtis, and Madeley (6, p. 26S)exhibit an extensive contribution of machines, includinga cardiug-engine, drawing, slabbing, and roving-frames,and three patent self-acting mules, each of a differentconstruction. A new self-acting mule is also shown inoperation by Mr. G. P. Macindoe (24, pp. 270, 271), inwhich a radial arm is employed to produce the returnmotion, or putting-up of the carriage. Mr. R. Sutcliffe(42, p. 273) exhibits a doubling-frame of an improvedconstruction, in which the flyer is drawn by the bobbin,and other arrangements are carried out for the purpose ofobtaining a high velocity. Messrs. Gardner and Bazley(87, p. 279) contribute a small doubling-frame for lacethread, in which the spindles are driven hy contactwheels in lieu of bands, an arrangement tiiat has alsobeen used in the throstle of Messrs. Sharp already de-scribed. Mr. Paterson (2S, p. 271) exhibits a machinefor winding cops: M. De Fontaine Moreau (p. 273) amode of driving spindles witli tooth gear, and Messrs.Lewis and M‘Lardy (209, p. 292) a spindle for roving,slubbing, or doubling, which combines the advantage oftop bearings with facility of doffing.

The Foreign Department contains very few machinesfor the manufacture of cotton.

Mr. Risler (France , 1438) exhibits a machine, whichhe terms “ L’Epurateur,” for opening and cleaning cottonupon a new system, that promises great advantages;and Messrs. Stamin and Co. (France , 1021, p. 1227)contribute a large roving frame, of excellent workman-ship, in which the spindles are wholly driven by spur-