We give a view of a hank sizing machine by Messrs. Heywood & Spencer,
of Radcliffe, near Manchester. The machine is also suitable for fancy
dyeing. It is well known, says the _Textile Manufacturer_, that when
hanks are wrung by hand, not only is the labor very severe, but in
dyeing it is scarcely possible to obtain even colors, and, furthermore,
the production is limited by the capabilities of the man. The machine
we illustrate is intended to perform the heavy part of the work with
greater expedition and with more certainty than could be relied upon
with hand labor. The illustration represents the machine that we
inspected. Its construction seems of the simplest character. It consists
of two vats, between which is placed the gearing for driving the hooks.
The large wheel in this gear, although it always runs in one direction,
contains internal segments, which fall into gear alternately with
pinions on the shanks of the hooks. The motion is a simple one, and it
appeared to us to be perfectly reliable, and not liable to get out of
order. The action is as follows: The attendant lifts the hank out of the
vat and places it on the hooks. The hook connected to the gearing then
commences to turn; it puts in two, two and a half, three, or more twists
into the hank and remains stationary for a few seconds to allow an
interval for the sizer to "wipe off" the excess of size, that is, to
run his hand along the twisted hank. This done, the hook commences to
revolve the reverse way, until the twists are taken out of the hank.
It is then removed, either by lifting off by hand or by the apparatus
shown, attached to the right hand side. This arrangement consists of a
lattice, carrying two arms that, at the proper moment, lift the hank off
the hooks on to the lattice proper, by which it is carried away, and
dropped upon a barrow to be taken to the drying stove. In sizing, a
double operation is customary; the first is called running, and the
second, finishing. In the machine shown, running is carried on one side