HELMSHORE TEXTILE MILL:
•First image:
Showing a row of 8 'Breaker carding machines' - which brush and clean the cotton fibres. Instead of in the past people doing it by hand (using cotton carding paddles). After brushing the cotton it's then slightly twisted into long strands called 'Silvers' and stored into large cans. Comber waste was found during this process but because of it's soft, fluffy and cloud-like texture. It can be reworked before further processes. At this stage the 'cotton silvers' are extremely fragile and flimsy.
•2nd image:
The next stage was to put the silvers into this machine which is very similar to the first one. After its passed through the 'Derby doubler'- which just kept the fragile cotton strips in rows out of the cans. The only difference is it's contains leather straps so the cotton doesn't stick, also feeding wires so the cotton can be pressured further into being twisted and not being tangled with other yarns. Soft waste was found during this process, very similar to comber waste but slightly more twisted- adding strength the more it's spun.
On this whole floor of machinery- it was extremely warm. The maple wood on the floor to the windows- designed to not open but let natural light inside. Were all considered to keep the temperature high up into 80-90 degrees! Because of the warm climate cotton is grown in, the higher the temperate the cotton is worked and spun in, the better the quality of yarn>> furthering into cloth.