THIS TAPE HAS BEEN RECORDED ON AUGUST 21st 1979 AT 26 HARGREAVES DRIVE, RAWTENSTALL. THE INFORMANT IS JIM RILEY, MULE SPINNER AT SPRING VALE MILL. THE INTERVIEWER IS STANLEY GRAHAM.
We’ll go straight ahead Jim, we are starting on picture 56 aren’t we? No, 58, that’s it.
R- 58.
You put me right, we are starting on 58 that’s it. Now, you tell me what you're doing Jim.
R- 58. Now this picture is where I'm putting a full bobbin on the mules what's just been taken off the bobbin rack.
Yes. And of course that's the only time you can put it on, when the carriage has moved right out isn’t it. Well right up to the…
R- Yes. Well, right in, right up to the roller beam, yes.
Right in, yes, up to the roller beam. And there, aye, you have been doing fairly well for bobbins that day haven't you?
R - Yes, well, it was nearly a full creel there you see. Whether that’s because there were another pair stopped. Sometimes if one mule stopped and there's a spinner short then we, you know they accumulate does the bobbins.
Yes. Now just remind me, you told me how long those bobbins lasted on the mule.
R- They last about four hours.
Aye.
R- But there is different sizes of flanges, what they call flanges on the bobbins, some small and some large. The large ones, if they fill the bobbin to the top, those'll last five hours. Well that’s a long while for a bobbin.
Aye.
R- And the more big ones come up, then you have less creeling to do you see?
That's it, the better you like it.
R - And better we like it, the more weight we get off.
Yes. And creeling is what the next three pictures are about, isn’t it? Right, picture 59.
R- Yes well, this one's 59. That's where I've put one in, a full one, in place of the empty one, which I've just taken off.
Yes. Now, when you put it on, I’ve noticed you seem to do it without even thinking about it, but you sort of hold it in front of the bobbin beam and run a bit off it, and then lay it down on to it, so that all the ends are laid there ...
R – That’s right. All the ends lie straight.
Yes. And will they sort of automatically fall in between the, what do you call these little round V shaped wires?
R - These, these are guide wires.
Guide wires, yes.
R - This guides your ends down through it and into your rollers.
That’s it yes. Now when those are all laid on there, tell me what you're doing there, tell me what you are actually doing when you start off.
R – Well that’s when I've laid the bobbin in the creel and the end's out. All as I do then is break the front end off [and piece it on to the ends of the new bobbin] the back end, the ends, the old end of the old bobbin what I’ve took off. So as a matter of fact it’s a double end because I’ve twisted the two ends together.
[I’ve had to edit that pretty severely, the original didn’t make sense. SG]
Yes. Now when you take the old bobbin off do you break all those ends first or just break it when you're pulling the bobbin off?
(100)
R- No, I break it when I put the full bobbin on. I put the full bobbin on to the empty bobbin and then take the empty bobbin off. You can take the empty bobbin out before you put the full one in by just running, simply running your fingers across the ends and then you break them out. But we were always taught when we were younger, when we were learning spinning, always run your fingers along the guard wire there and break your ends out because you'll have a shorter end then to piece up. You won't have a long double end, if you know what I mean. There'll be less of a double end going through to your cop. But this is where they’re all laid out and then
I just start piecing one after the other.
So you'll piece between the roller and the guide wire?
R- That’s right yes.
Yes. And when you piece you don’t tie a knot, you just twist them together don’t you.
R- All as I do is break it and twist it with your fingers.
Just twist them together. Yes. I know it looks deceptively easy but I’ve no doubt it’s nowhere near as easy as it looks.
R – No it isn’t easy, no.
Now, something that I’ve just noticed on there, that rail that the bobbins are on, that the pikes on the end of the bobbin are resting against, there is a slot in it isn’t there, half way up there.
R- Yes, that's for to put your empty in, instead of taking your empty one out you can just move it up and put them in these little slots here before you put your full bobbin in. Because sometimes, if you put your full bobbin in when your empty one’s in you are liable to catch the side of your bobbin on to your flange. If you are taking your old one out you can catch the side of your new bobbin. So that's what them's there for so an you can put your empty bobbin into it before you put your full one in.
Aye. And does that lift it up far enough for you to be out of the way ?
(150)
R - It lifts, it lifts it up out of the road of your flanges so as the flanges don’t get caught. And then again, another reason why them come in handy, when you are scouring, you don’t need to take all your full bobbins off the top.
You just shove them all up.
R - You can just shove them all into them little recesses.
That’s it aye. To get them out of the way of the rollers, aye.
R - To got them out of the way of the rollers you see.
Yes, so you can clean underneath them.
R- And of course this is your wheel end.
Aye this is actually right at the end of the frame isn’t it.
R- This is your wheel end, at the end of your rollers. And they have a, a roller there, at the end, with teeth on them. Well it's called the pinion that.
Yes. Right, turn over Jim, let’s see what's happening on picture 60 because you are piecing on your own, creeling on your own there.
R – Well, on 60 that's piecing up with my mate.
Aye. Tommy’s come down to give you a hand.
R - He's come down to give me a lift, Yes.
Yes. Now tell me, I’ll ask you this question, I were going to ask you before. Now I've noticed that most of these ends come straight down, but some of them are crossed. Like the outside one, nearest to the camera here, it's crossing over inside and the inside one’s coming out. Sometimes you have them crossed, is there any particular reason for that?
R - Not really no, but sometimes you, if you don't cross them over you'll come with your side end down and if it's straight it'll run off the side of your roller. So if you cross your end over it’ll not run off them.
Aye. That's it, it's tending to pull it in all the time, it’s tending to hold it against the outside of the guide wire. Yes, that's it.
R- That’s right, yes. And then some rollers are just a little fraction shorter than others. And if you don’t cross your ends then it'll keep running out from under your roller. So that's why we are crossing them.
(200)
Aye, that's it. And of course 61 is the same, it's the same bobbin but it's all been pieced up.
R – It’s the same bobbin, that and it's all been pieced up ready for setting on.
Aye. And I know the speed you work. I don't suppose you've any idea of how long it takes you to do that, have you?
R - No, not really. I haven't time to count.
It didn’t take you so long. I know it doesn't take you so long. I should think if you were pushed you could do one easy in 15 seconds on your own.
R - Yes certainly I could, yes. It doesn’t take long.
And I know when two of you get at it, it isn't stopped for two minutes.
R – No.
Now, you don't have to walk up to the middle of the mule to set it on again from there do you?
R - No we have what you call a starting rod which runs underneath them sickles. And you just set it on and it's worked from the headstock.
So you can stop the mule any time, that’s a safety device as well, isn't it?
R- We can yes, we can stop it anywhere in that wheelgate, wherever you are you can stop it.
Aye. Yes, if you have got anything faulty, if you have got your foot under one of the carriage wheels, you'd have a chance of stopping it, wouldn't you? Aye, that's it. Very good Jim.
R – Now, on picture 62..
Oh yes. Now this is a set of pictures I like. Now, just before you start talking about these pictures, this set of pictures from now on, really you could say that it's what 90% of spinning's all about isn't it? Piecing ends.
R - That's what it is, it's such as this is the main thing isn't it, that's what I do.
Yes. Piecing ends up. Right, we’ll go through these now and you'll tell me as much an you can about it.
(10 min)(250)
R - And this picture62 is where I've just pieced the end up and I'm just winding the waste round my fingers, off the end what I've pieced up. What could have dropped down on to the carriage. I'll wind it on to my fingers. It’s better picked up that way you know and that goes into the waste bin.
(250)
And your left hand's flying out again towards the …
R – Yes, towards the end…
And you are just going to feel the tension there, are you? Just feel it.
R - Just to feel the tension. Well, sometimes you get a little bit of a loop on and all as you do is just twist with your fingers to straighten it out, you see.
Yes that's it, before the carriage starts drawing out.
R - Before the carriage starts drawing it out. Then you don't get a big lump on it and things like that.
Picture 63.
R- 63 is where I've pieced up. This is where I have pieced it up going into the roller beam. I’ve pieced it before the mule touches the roller beam, and that’s the loose end what's broke off and I’m pulling it up out of the way. Which you can pick up before it comes in. That's the only place you can pick them up when they are going in, just before it touches your roller beam.
Aye, that's it. Now, just before it touches, because of course you can't piece up when it’s coming away because you have got nothing to piece up with have you?
R – No. Well that’s towards the end of the piecing there you see. Pieced up and then it comes out again you see. It's pieced up.
Yes, that’s it.
R- But a lot of spinners won’t pick up waste like that, a lot'll just piece it up and drop their end on to the carriage and then pick it off after when your mule starts coming out. A lot depends on how much waste in on your carriage at the time. If your end's been running down a few draws then you’ll have a bit of waste on your carriage. Then you’ll piece it up and drop your end on to your carriage or you might wait while it hits your roller beam, comes out, and then you'll piece it up and then you can take all your lot, all you have, all in together then.
Yes, that's it, because it’d be very easy to break some more ends when you were pulling that out wouldn't it?
R- That’s what happens, you break your ends, the other ends then. It goes on to your other end. And it’s only when you've about half an inch or an inch of your end you can gather it up. It's going in, but I don't know how much there is on there like. I don't know now, that might be the end, you see and I just pull it up and the end's coming up off the carriage there.
(300)
Aye. Picture 64 now. Yes, you have, you've just pulled it, that’s it, you have pulled up, you are balling it up in your hand, oh no, you’ve got hold of a cop haven’t you.
R- I’ve taken a cop off there.
Aye.
R- It’s probably got some waste on, picked some waste up off the carriage and it's gone round on a cop. So, instead of holding the cop there, with the mule running I've taken it off and there I'm taking it off, taking the waste off, pulling it off, and finding the end. Now then, number 65, this is where I’ve wound it all off and I'm putting my cop back on to the spindle, ready for to piece it up again. You see? And 66 I’ve just put the tube on there and what I'm doing there is just getting my cop level with the others. I've put it on and I’m just taking a bit off, so as it gets level with the other cops.
Aye, you can see it's up a little bit there, yes.
R- I can, see it. Yes I can see it's just raised up a bit down there…
Because you’ve not just pushed it down so far have you?
R- No. But, you see, if you push a cop farther down, then you'll get a nick in it. [because of the stage the winding of all the others has reached] It’s got to be level. If you raise it up a little bit and just take a little bit off…
Yes. That's it. Aye, you are sure it's right, you are sure it's right.
R - Then you can gauge it against the others.
Yes. And there, in picture 87 you are still pulling some off it, aren’t you.
R - I'm still, yes, I don't know whether it's the same end or not.
Yes it’s the same one, it was the next negative. You see, the negative number tells me it was the next negative.
R – Yes, that's right Yes.
It were only a fraction of a second after so it was when the carriage was…
R - Coming into the roller beam. Yes.
Coming into the roller beam again.
R – Yes well, I probably hadn't just wound enough off. I'm just winding a bit off there again.
Yes you are still winding it off. Aye.
R - And 68 I’m still doing it.
You are still winding it off. Yes, and there's the end…
R - There is the end running down on to the carriage.
(350)
The end running down on to the carriage, yes.
R - Still winding off.
Still winding off, you have not got it right yet.
R - No. And 70.
And 70, now then…
(15 min)
R- That's where I'm looking to see whether it's level or not, with my other cops you see. Now then, it looks like I've got it level there.
And you can see the waste under the carriage, how it's built up on each draw.
R - Each draw it builds up, yes.
Each draw you are getting a bit more laid under the carriage.
R - Getting a bit more and a bit more, you’ve got a lot there after a bit. Now picture number 71. Now I’m satisfied that it's level with my other cops, it’s ready for piecing up when the mule goes in.
Yes, and you are holding an end up there aren't you?
R – I’m holding the end up for, from the spindle.
You see you can't [see it]. Yes, it's vibrating so it’s not showing [on the picture] you can see it there, you can just see a bit of a blur there where it is.
R - So it's not showing, I can just see a little bit of a blur there where it's up.
And course you are moving that fast you know. You don't realise how fast you move.
R- Yes, and picture 72, that's where I'm doing, I’m piecing it up.
That's it, you are piecing it ...
R - That's, I'm piecing it up when it goes to the roller beam again. There you see?
Yea, that's it, aye.
R- Or rather I’m going to piece it up then I decide not to do it then. I decide to piece it up when it's coming out.
Yes. Aye, this here, look at the muscles in your arms, as your fingers are going up, that's with your fingers twisted isn't it, right back.
R - There yes, they are twisted, they show all the muscles on the back of your arms yes.
You know, have you seen them twisting and showed all the muscles up. Aye, right, picture 74.
R - That's the end of that piecing.
Aye, it's not quite, there you are.
R- Now on 74, this is where I'm taking all my waste up, what would run on to my carriage previous to my end running down.
Yes, and you can see it flying out. I've noticed when you do that, you reach down through it don't you? And then you sort of bring it out in one smooth movement.
R- Yes, one movement right out.
Yes because…
R- And you do it like that in perhaps two or three movements, it just depends how much you have on your carriage.
Yes, that's it. Because if that end caught up in those other ends as it was coming through, it'd just break those ends out wouldn't it? It’d just twist up between them and you'd have two or three ends down then.
R - Yes. Sometimes it won't do, sometimes it'll go on to the end. What I do [if that happens] I break it down, because you haven’t to let that [double yarn] go on to your copy you see? So you break them all down and start afresh.
Yes. And on picture 75, again, you are balling it up in your hand.
R- And 75, then that's finished. I've took it all off my carriage and that’s that. The end is completed.
(400)
Yes, well, I don't know but 1 can't remember whether 76 is a picture of it. Ah, that's it, it were just, that's just completion.
R - That's it. I’ve just completed. And then I'm just feeling the tension of that end and what have you off this.
Yes. I notice you just reach down, you don't just pick one up, you pick two or three up at a time, don't you?
R – Yes, finger span, three, four or five. Yes.
Yes. That's it. And that's just to compare them is it?
R - You just pull them up gently just to test them. You test that end what you have just pieced, if it's the same tension as your others.
Yes, that's it, aye. Tapers do exactly the same thing when they're taping to find out whether the yarn's elastic enough. They'll just pick one out you know, a very fine end, probably about 44s, it might even be 60s and just lift it up and let it run over their finger and feel how elastic it is. It tells them whether they've sized it properly Jim.
R – Yes, because sometimes, if your piece an end up when your mule's coming out and you've pieced it up too late you just need to feel at your end, and if it’s not twisted enough, you can feel it's soft.
So if it is too soft, what can you do about it?
R- Well. If it is too soft you break it down and piece it up afresh.
Aye. Is that right? You break it?
R – Yes. You've to break it. You get hold with your fingers and just break it down and then you wait till your mule goes in again and piece it up afresh. But you should always piece it up before it gets half way out as that's when it starts putting all your twist in.
That’s it. It puts the twist in. That's it, aye.
R – The nearer to the back it goes and the less twist in that end. It's got to have, your mule's got to have at least half of that twist in it, half of the mule's got to be twisting it.
Yes. And there again, that's all directed towards the same end, and that’s giving the weaver a perfect cop.
R- Yes, that's right. Because when that goes into the loom, if it's soft spun, too soft, it'll just break won’t it won't weave.
It'll break then yes.
R- And that's the idea of this with your fingers you know, you just keep testing to see if there's twist there.
Does anybody else ever come and test it Jim?
R – Yes, we have what they call wrappings and they're wrapped, I think it's twice or three times a week, Tuesday sometimes Wednesday, Thursday. And they take a wrapping. Now then they take wrappings off cops, two cops off every bobbin. And you send 15 cops altogether for to he wrapped, and they test them for strength. And if they are not the right strength they alter what they call your pinions on the headstock and it makes it [the yarn] heavier or makes then lighter, it just depends which way it is.
Yes. No, as I say, 1 know that down at Bancroft they have a high opinion of your yarn. It must have been good.
R - It's this particular stuff is that.
It must have been right. Aye. Now then, picture 77. Something a bit
R- This is just a picture of me cleaning my what you call clearers off. And they run across, when the mule’s running, on to the leather rollers and they just clean the leather rollers when it's running.
Yes, just that conical hardwood block, I think there's a better picture in 77, it shows you rubbing it with your hand there and then you’re picking the fluff off.
R - Picking the fluff off the ends there. And this is my other one, this is what sends that down the rollers you see.
Yes. Beautifully simple but it works.
R- It’s simple but it does work.
That conical block. How long does it take to go down one half of the mule? Would it take about 10 minutes or so?
R- Oh no, it takes longer than that.
More?
R- About half an hour.
Half an hour, aye.
R – Yes because they don't go right fast, they go right slow. And then there again a lot depends on how many times your mule's been stopped.
It just moves once, when it's been drawn out.
Yes, and of course it only moves when your rollers are going, when you are actually drawing. Yes, when you are drawing, yes that’s right.
R - And it goes slower. Now in some rollers, these, the round one, some has little brushes on, just for to go round and just touches your leather rollers and cleans them up but theme haven’t, there's nothing on them. And there's 79, it's just the both of them together.
Yes, it has a metal end on it hasn't it, that wooden roller. It goes into a slot in the end of that block. Aye.
R- Into a little slot in there near the back there, just for to push it along. Yes.
It's on a bearing, aye. Yes, there's only one end crossed on there, on that bobbin there on 79. It's the far end of that bobbin that's crossed.
R - Well, this one's crossed here, but you can't see it.
Oh aye, of course you can’t see it. Aye, it's just out of sight.
R - You can’t see it. This is the wheel end you see and you can't see it.
Yes, that’s it.
R - You see the two ends of there but it's out of sight.
That's it, yes. You are right.
R - Because we've crossed all our side ends.
(500)
Yes, you are right again Riley! You are right again.
R - Number 80.
Oh that's ...
R - That's a photograph of what we call the presser, for pressing your pirns down.
Yes. Andy that’s a nice picture of what’s going on at the end of the spindle when it's actually putting the twist in, in't it?
R - That's right yes.
They are flying off the end of the spindle.
R - But this actually doesn't come off your spindle.
No. It doesn’t come off, it's just…
R- It's just going round on top of the spindle, to put the twist in.
Round and round, that's it yes.
R- But it doesn't actually draw it up off the tube, it just keeps going round on top of the spindle.
No, that's right.
R- And these are, ah, I have a paper here. I didn't know. And these are 63” stretch, what they call stretch. That's from your roller to when your mule comes up the back, it's a 63 inch stretch.
Yes. So, one draw ...
R - Now then, when you break an end down, I'll show you on number 79. If you break an end down there where your rollers are…
Aye, just in front of the rollers, yes.
R - In front of the roller, and let it run slack and let your mule run on to the back, then break the end down off your roller and lay it down and measure it, it measures 42 inches does that end with no twist in.
Yes, that bit of roving measures 42 inches, yes.
R – It’s 42 inches. Now then. In fact your mule, what they call your stretch from them rollers when your mule gets on the back, it's 63 inches stretch. So in fact that end is being stretched 21 inches.
Yes, that's it, aye. So it’s being stretched at the same time as it’s twisted.
R- Stretched and twisted 21 inches.
Yes. And the twisting would tend to shorten it anyway wouldn't it? So it's putting a lot of tension on that yarn, isn’t it?
R- It's putting a lot of tension on it, and it's stretching it 21 inches that end, because 1 measured it the other day. Because they take, they do that sometimes does the overlooker. He'll come in and he'll break the end down and let it run slack, and break it off again when your mule's got on the back and then he'll lay it down outside the mule and he’ll measure it, how many inches it measures. And then he can tell how much stretch your mule's doing; and if it is stretching too much then they can alter it then you see? They can alter the stretch of your mule. If it’s stretching too much, if it’s taking too much out of the yarn you see? And you wouldn't think as it would stretch 21 inches.
(550)(25 min)
No, you wouldn’t would you? No, the fibres must be like sliding over each other until the twist goes into it, mustn't they? And then of course that locks them up, the twist.
R – Yes. And when any students come in and we explain things to them we tell them about that and you know, it's surprising, they are surprised how much stretch there is on them ends.
Yes, because when you come to think, if you tried to stretch it 21 inches you’d break it.
R- You'd break it You'd think so yes.
You’d nearly think so. If you tried to stretch it 21 inches. Aye.
R- So it's just really stretching a lot there isn’t it.?
Aye, and that was one of the things I wanted to ask you about. Picture 81. Now I've seen you do that a lot, now you tell me what you are doing.
R- 81. Well, my end’s broke down on the cop. It didn't actually break down on the top of my spindle. So I've put my finger round the bottom for to stop that spindle so as I can get hold of that end and pull it up, work it up to the top of my spindle. See?
Aye I see. Because of course if it's going round and is putting twist in…
R- As it’s going round it’s putting twist in.
You couldn’t get hold of it.
R - You can’t get hold of it. And the only time you can get hold of that end if you don’t do that is when your mule's going to back off then your spindles go the other way around when it backs off. Then you just get hold of that end, and you just pull it up when it’s backing off.
Aye, that's it, aye.
R - Otherwise you stop it with your finger. But sometimes you have to be careful because it'll burn your fingers ‘cause it's going round at a terrific pace is them spindles you know?
While we are just on these two pictures, 80, you can see that stop rod can’t you?
R – That’s the stop rod for stopping your mule.
Yes, just under the two faller rods.
R- Under the two faller rods, yes.
Yes, the spindles that the faller rods are on, they the axles on them, there is a thin rod, and it just ends underneath the presser and that's the end of your stop rod isn’t it.
R - That's rights yes.
So this'll be down at the end of the mule; well, it would be because that's where you leave your presser yes?
R - That is, that's at the end of the mule, we leave it there after we have done, pressed down, on the other mule, we just walk across and put it on ready for starting on your other mule. So, that’s the wheel end now.
Yes. And again of course these are Northrop pirns, these are aluminium pirns.
R- They are aluminium, yes.
Yes, aye. Did you? Of course you did, you wound on to pirns straight from the mule for the weaver’s looms at Goodshawfold didn’t you?
R- Yes we did, yes.
Aye, but not Northrops?
R- Not Northrops, we didn't use them, we just used ordinary, what they call Welsh hat.
(600)
That’s it, Welsh hat, paper tube with a metal end.
R - On paper tube yes.
Yes. Now then, picture 82 forward.
R - 82 is just a view of the mule room.
Yes, well, these are different views of the mule aren’t they?
R- Different, yes.
Now these weights here, there's some weights on the right hand-side of the picture, hanging down on chains. Are they to bring the fallers back? Faller wires?
R- Not those, no. They, the small ones is on your counterfaller. When it backs off it brings that counterfaller back with the weight. We've got to have them on because if you don’t, you only need to touch this counterfaller and it falls over. So you’ve got to have weights on to keep it up ...
Aye. Yes that's it aye.
R- Because if you just touch them they fall over. Now then, these big weights, you've got to have these on for your weight on your cop, it winds on tighter, the more weight you have on the tighter your cop goes. You see, whatever counts you are on, you alter these weights. If you are an fours you might have another bigger weight, you might have three on there instead of two. But also, if you have too much weight on and you are on a fine count, then your spinning goes all to cock, you have too much weight so you take a bit off and you just slur them under there on to the floor, out of your road. But more or less you have them two big ones on, you see there's two on there?
Yes, on 83. Yes.
R- Yes. But on fours, on a thicker count, you have got to have three on so as you get a tighter cop, that’s what they are there for. And you've got to have the same weight all the way across. But if you are going to, it's got to be distributed evenly has them weights. But if you want a little bit extra weight putting on then you put one of these small ones in your middle one and leave your two end ones with these two big ones on.
This in the area where we can’t, and I realise that you can’t go into too much detail, because I mean, you'd just lose somebody, but what’s this we are looking at here on pictures 82 and 83. Is there a name for it or is it just part of the headstock?
(30 min)(650)
R - Well it's just the front part of your headstock.
Yes. And this lever here with the half gear?
R - This is what you call your quadrant this. That's your quadrant. And that controls your winding faller. And it also makes these cops right and all. Your quadrant, that’s what it is.
Yes. This piece of rope here that’s fastened at the end on the frames and going back, what’s that?
R – That’s your undercarriage band.
Undercarriage band yes.
R - Well that runs down the side of here, and it runs underneath your carriage right to your wheel end.
Yes. There is one for each side isn't there?
R- There’s actually two under there and they cross one another underneath. And one goes to here and one goes underneath to your wheel end.
Yes. And I should point out, it’s clearer in 83, that the thick rope that's on the floor there is nothing to do with the mules, it’s a piece of rope that was there. The rope splicers were in, and that piece of rope had a block and tackle on the other end of it. And it was fastened to the other pillar, further up, and they were stretching that rope before they spliced it. It’s when we were talking about stretching ropes before you splice them.
R- Yes.
Well that’s what they were doing. But they were doing it with a block and tackle on the floor; and you can see what good condition that floor's in there, can’t you? It’s a beautiful floor.
R – Yes it is.
It is. Absolutely beautiful. Which is the rim band on 83?
R- This with the cover on.
Aye, that wheel with the cover on. Yes.
R - This is the rim band with the cover on, and your band runs along there on the top and you see it again at the bottom ...
Yes, at the bottom.
R- And right through the headstock, right at the back.
Yes. And what's the thicker rope that you can see in the middle Jim, is that part of your rim band as well, that?
R- That’s not the rim band no.
Ah. You're right, you're right.
R – Eh! It’ll come to me in a minute.
You're right.
R - I didn't know, I forget, I can mention it every time and…
It’s right, it’ll come back to you.
R - It'll come, it'll come in a minute.
I’ll see it again in a minute or two, don't worry, it's all right.
R- Yes, that’s my check band.
Check band, that’s it.
R- Yes. Yes well, sometimes, when that comes loose, your check band, that checks your mule going in from your roller beam, from when it’s on the back, into your roller beam. If that check band is slack then your mule'll go in at a terrific pace and it'll hit your roller beam. It’ll bang. Yes, and then your mule'll come out and you'll get your ends all wound up the top of your spindle.
Aye, when it bounces back, right? Yes.
(700)
R - When it bounces back and it bangs, and then you've got to lift your fallers up to take it off the top. Because if you don't, when it backs off again it’ll break down.
Yes. Break them.
R- So you've got to have that pretty tight, so as your mule can be checked. That's what it means isn’t it? It checks your mule when it's going in you see.
Yes, check, that's it. It’s funny you saying that, because I noticed one of those sets of mules up in the top, when I was watching those running as the carriage went in, when it got to the roller beam it was sort of hitting it with a fair clout you know. Not too hard, but it was hitting it you know.
R - Yes. But that's because with this check band, if you have then too slack, they go in too hard, and they hit your roller beam too hard. And you can always tell when one of them's going to break because as you’re piecing up on the other mule, you can hear that. It’ll hit your roller beam and you know then that it’s come slack, it's breaking. And a lot of times they break at what's called ‘on the knot’ at the back where they are knotted, that's where they break mostly.
Yes. That’s the knot on to the frame at the back is it?
R- Yes, because it's a thick band is that.
It Is.
R- On 84, 84's just a front view, that's the plate at the front. Now then this band…
Yes, the one that's going through the…
R- This is what you call a steadying band. It just steadies your mule, that's all. That one, this band here just on your left hand-side of this small one, that's what you call your quadrant band. That controls your winding of your winding faller. If that's too slack, then your winding faller keeps going up and down and then it can put a nick in your cops you see? So that's got to be tight, that's your tightest band on your mule is that one. That's what you call your quadrant band then that has to be tight. If it isn’t then your fallers keep waving up and down when it’s going in and out. So that has to be tight. Yes, that’s the tightest band on your mule that. You can’t slacken that, it's got to be tight all the time.
(35 min)
R- That's the block what you put under when you're doffing.
That's just over ...
R- That's to take your fallers down.
Yes. Just over where it says Taylor Lang and Company there is a little block of wood.
R- That's right, yes.
Aye. And what's the little handle next to it?
R – That’s to wind what you call your builder back when you are starting to doff which I’ll show you later on in another photograph. It shows your builder in another photograph. And this is somebody’s presser what they have just put on the side there.
Oh it’s a presser isn’t it, aye.
R - You took them at the holidays, did you?
Yes that's it, aye.
R- Well, they'll have just put it there out of the road.
Yes, that’s it. And that's been cracked once or twice and all, that on top there hasn't it? It’s been welded.
R - That's been welded has that, yes.
(750)
Aye. Fairly polished up. Will that be with leaning on it?
R - I don't know, I think they get broke, like, with taking them off you know? If a band breaks, if a steadying band breaks then Arnold comes in sometimes and he'll happen take it off and he’ll just drop it on the floor. Well you see, they are only cast iron and they break. But now we've a lot of mules being broke up for scrap and what have you, the firm’s bought a lot of them you see so we've a lot of spares. So this
must have been welded like a few years ago when they hadn’t a lot of spares
you see?
Yes. Now then, picture 85. Now I don't expect you to describe everything on that picture Jim, it’s…
R- I can’t describe all that lot!
Well, you say what you can about it.
R- These straps what’s down, this is the twist strap and carriage strap what drives your mule.
Yes now those are the belts and this was during the holidays of course.
R- Which we take off you see.,
Yes. Why do you take them off during the holidays?
R – Well, so as they don’t stretch you see.
[I’m not too sure Jim was right here. They would have shrunk I would have thought rather than stretched.]
That's its aye.
R - They don’t stretch and then you have your same tension on your belt when you put them back on again as what you had when you stopped at the holidays. But if you leave them on you'll have too much stretch and then you, they pull out you see, they stretch out. And then you'll not get the same drive off them.
Yes. And of course a lot of the actions of your mules depends on the fact that your belt pulleys are being moved off one pulley on to another, off a loose pulley and on to a first speed and a second speed.
R- Well, you start on the middle, that's your loose pulley and then it comes over on to your first speed when it's coming out.
That's the nearest one to you isn’t it.
R- That's the nearest one to me here. The front ones are your carriage pulleys. But this, it starts on your middle pulley, your loose pulley, it comes along to your first speed when your mule's coming out. Then it's putting a bit of twist in there because your twist is moving round at the same time which is the lever here at the top.
Yes. At the right hand-side of the pulleys yes.
R- At the right hand-side of the pulleys. And then half way out, then this arm moves the twist right over, your twist belt right over on to the third speed, and then when it gets over there that's when it's putting all your twist in.
Yes. And that's when the mule takes come driving isn’t it.
R – That’s when it's driving at the top you know, it's a full, full drive.
Yes. I see that these belts here, belts at Whitaker’s, they seem to go in for lacing them with leather, don't they?
R - They lace them with leather yes.
Is that the best way?
R- Yes, I think it is, yes.
You certainly don't get that clicking when the belt fasteners are going round.
R – No. They had belt fasteners at Ilex, they don't use laces, but they always use laces at Whitaker’s and they always have done.
Aye.
R- And all these wheels at your front here.
Under that little guard? Yes.
R- Under that little guard, these here speed wheels. You can alter them for the speed of your mule, to make it go faster or make it go slower. The bigger the wheel you put on. I don't know, I think it's the slower it goes. And the smaller the wheel the faster it goes. And these wheels on here, they are a 56 speed wheel. You can go as low as 50 and as high as 58. But the least you get down to is 50 and then it's putting more twist in, it put more twist in your mule. But as you go up, and your mule's coming out a lot quicker then you take a bit more twist out of your ends you see.
Aye that's it.
R- But the overlooker balances it all up. You see with his twist wheels and his speed wheels, and he does all that you see. As soon, when he start wrapping his tensions on the ends he can alter all this you see?
So an overlooker has to start off as a spinner.
R- He starts off being a spinner does an overlooker. He's got to know all his headstock. And they used to go to night school once over did an overlooker for learning but they don’t seem to do it now.
Aye. I want to ask you about that later. I want to ask you a bit about that, about training. What's this rod that’s going over the top here, that looks to have the bend in it, the small rod that's…
R - That's your, the rod on an earlier picture, your starting and stopping rod what goes into your mule. It goes along your mule, but it comes up there you see.
Yes, on a bracket, that's it, yes.
R- On the top, on a bracket and on the top you see? And this chain here down at the front here, that's what you call your backing off chains. That alters your winding faller, when it's backing off it’s coming up.
Aye, that's it, yes
R – Yes. See the tighter you have that and it's not coming up as far. As you are about slack, then your fallers'll come higher up. And you've got to have that just a certain tension, now the overlooker comes and sees to that you see. Although you can alter it with a little ratchet thing on the front here, you can alter that, you can tighten it or slacken it but we don't touch it once the overlooker's set it. See, he gets you the right tension on it. It can pull your ends down see, if you have it too slack you can have your fallers coming too high. And it pulls your ends from under your rollers.
Aye.
R- You see and pull it right up and pull your ends. So it's got to be a certain tension has that. And this is what you call your steadying band.
Yes, steadying band coming in. Yes.
R - Goes on that little pulley and right under and it runs on to your back shaft which runs under these drums. And it goes to your clock, you know, the clock under these pulleys under here what works off your back shaft.
Yes well that's something, I want to get a picture of that, for I haven't one way or the other.
R- Yes, you haven't taken one of that have you?
Because that’s the same as the pick clock.
R Yes, just the same.
Very good
R - And this is your rod for setting on
Yes, it's hung down from the ceiling but it's ...
R- It’s hung down from the ceiling up here and it sets these belts going round, you see?
(850)
Yes.
R- Now then, under this cover here…
Which is?
R- These are what you call your pinions. Now then, the overlooker could come and alter them happen twice a week depending on your stuff, how bad your stuff is. If your stuff's going lighter or heavier then he takes a wrapping the same as I said, he takes these cops off and then he comes and he pulls this cover up and takes a pinion off here and puts another one on, and it’s putting more stuff through your rollers, it puts more stuff through your rollers off your bobbin you see?
Yes. Because the amount of roving that comes out through your rollers of course, is governed by how much those rollers turn.
R – That’s right, that's it.
Yes. But those rollers aren't like fine spinning rollers, they don’t actually put any draft in do they? They are not drafting rollers.
R - They do draft.
Do they draft?
R - Oh yes, oh yes they do draft.
Oh I didn't know that.
R- Yes, they do draft.
Aye.
R- And these also draft and all under this cover and all. Them belong to your drums for the bobbins.
Ah, to the drums at the back that the bobbins rest on yes.
R - These ran your drums on your bobbins you see? Them under there
So, if those are moving slower than them little rollers at the front…
R - Than these little rollers at the front.
It’s putting drafting between the bobbin and the rollers yes.
R- That’s where you are getting your draft from.
So are you getting draft like you do on fine spinning, between the two sets of small rollers?
R - It must be the same, just the same.
Aye. That's it aye. So really you are getting two lots of draft there. One between the small rollers and the bobbin.
R – Yes, the small rollers and the bobbin.
Governed by the speed that the big roller underneath moves.
R - That the big roller’s go on.
And then one lot between the front roller and the back roller.
R- Your steel roller and your back roller.
Aye, that’s it, aye. Oh I didn’t realise you got that. Because I mean, that’s really the same as Crompton's original mule, that's how his original mule worked. I must have a look at a fine spinning mule and see what the difference is you know. I know where there is one, there is one at Manchester, I must have a look and see what the difference is. Because I don't understand enough about the difference between fine spinning and the condenser spinning.
R- This rope, can you see this rope right at the back ...
Ah, right at the back, yes.
R- That's your drawing up band which is ran on to this pulley what you can see at the back, this pulley at the back.
Aye, a little pulley, yes.
R- That draws your mule in. If you haven’t got that on it’ll not draw your mule in, it draws your mule up does that and it goes to a pulley up at the top where your shafting is. And the thing is of course, what I've said, in your twist, this in your twist peg this on the front here.
Aye, that bar that’s going up the side.
R- That's going round all the time, that puts your twist in.
And that’s the one, if it misses stopping it, it'll put double twist in won't it?
(900)
R- That’s the one what, if it keeps going round it puts your double twist in.
Well done. And everybody has a good laugh, is that right?
R- Yes. I sit coming to the end of this one?
Well it is but you are all right Jim. You are all right because I don’t think there is much on these next three pictures. Ah, wait a minute, there is on those , yes now, picture 86. Now then, that's just a closer view of the headstock. And, really, it's the same thing that we have been describing before.
R- The same.
The chain's a bit clearer on that.
R- Yes the backing off chain yes.
Yes. The backing off chain.
R - Now then this thing here…
Now then wait a minute, let’s see if we can…
R - That's what you call your thumbscrew that.
Yes, now what we are looking at, if you look at the spindles on the right-hand corner of the picture you can see the spindles with the cotton winding on to them, with the twist winding on to them. And then just in front of them is the stop rod on a bracket. Now if you follow the stop rod on to the left, half way along the first straight piece of stop rod there is a little lever sticking up behind.
R – It’s got a wing nut on.
Yes, and it's got a wing nut on top of it and a rod going down. Now what's that again?
R - That controls your winding of your mule. When you start your mule up after you have doffed, that wing nut has to be at the top then your mule'll wind, this is your chain at, right at the bottom of your picture as you can see.
Yes, you can see the chain.
R - That winds right at the bottom of your set and that controls it. Now then, if you turn that wing nut down then it'll stop winding. So it’s got to be at the top when your mule's, when you've doffed your mule at the bottom. Now then, when your mule’s been running about half an hour your cops get built up and then that gives over winding, see? That's what it's there for, and that’s your winding peg that controls your winding on your mule. But if you set your mule on and you don't wind that wing nut up to the top it will wind then your fallers dip and break all your ends down.
So you've got to alter that wing nut as you’re going on.
R - That's to be altered all the time your mule's running till your cops get built up, until eventually it gives over winding.
I've seen you reaching there every now and again into the headstock when it was running.
R- Yes, you’ve got to watch that all the time.
Aye, when the carriage runs in?
R- Yes.
I've seen you reaching and just…
SCG/17 July 2003
9,140 words.