Now! Then! American comment on William Hirst of Leeds’s revolutionary and controversial labour-saving improvements to spinning and stubbing machines, patented today

11 January 1825: American comment on William Hirst of Leeds’s revolutionary and controversial labour-saving improvements to spinning and stubbing machines, patented today

Thomas P. Jones, Ed. 1827. Patent Granted to William Hirst, of Leeds, County of York, Cloth Manufacturer, for Improvements in Spinning, and Stubbing Machines. Dated Jan. 11, 1825. Journal of the Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, Vol. 3. Philadelphia: Franklin Institute. Get it:

Excerpt

Mr Hirst’s improvements (which, though intended for machines for spinning wool, may be extended to those for cotton) consist in having a double number of spindles in each machine, by placing a second row behind the first, so that each spindle in it shall be opposite to the interval between two of those in the first row, and by making the following alterations in and additions to some other parts of the machines, which this change renders necessary. First, as the number of threads is twice as great as before, the number of robings must be increased in the same proportion, which is effected by adding two more “creels,” or rows of robings, one above and the other below the two rows of the original machine. Secondly, the fluted rollers, which in the common machines are divided into separate bosses for each thread, with vacant spaces between them, are in Mr Hirst’s machines made continuous without any separations; to enable them to act on the double number of threads, which are to pass over them. And, lastly, the additional bands necessary for the increased number of spindles, are made to fall in on the vertical drums by which they are turned in the machines, by fixing on them the “warls,” or whirls, of the new spindles at elevations different from those of the primary row, so that the bands may move in separate horizontal planes, in such a manner as to avoid all contact and interference with each other. These improvements of Mr Hirst’s are of that simple species, the advantage of which is so very apparent as to create some degree of surprise that they have not been before adopted. They appear to us to be particularly beneficial, in such places where rents of buildings are high, as they cause the new machines to do twice the quantity of work, without occupying any more space than the old machines; and, moreover, have the farther advantage of requiring no additional expense in mill machinery, framing, or the wheel work of the separate machines, than is necessary for the original machines, which only performed half the work.

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To facilitate reading, the spelling and punctuation of elderly excerpts have generally been modernised, and distracting excision scars concealed. My selections, translations, and editions are copyright.
Abbreviations:

ER: East Riding
GM: Greater Manchester
NR: North Riding
NY: North Yorkshire
SY: South Yorkshire
WR: West Riding
WY: West Yorkshire

Comment

The Leeds Mercury commented immediately on the increased productivity caused by Hirst’s innovation:

The simple, principle of this improvement is, that he doubles the number of spindles in the mule, by putting two rows instead of one. The machine invented by Mr. Cartwright contained double the number of spindles in Sir Rd. Arkwright’s jenny, and Mr. Hirst’s machine therefore contains four times that number. Yet it is surprising that the old jenny is still used in most of the manufactories in this neighbourhood… Mr. Hirst has now a machine all ready for working, containing four hundred spindles, whereas the machines commonly used in this neighbourhood have not more than eighty or ninety. (Leeds Mercury 1825/01/22)

Hirst appended two testimonials to this effect to a letter three months later to the Mercury:

Leeds, April 29, 1825
Hurst’s and Heycock have milled two olive [?] pieces for Messrs. Pawson and Smith, of Farnley, in two days, which would have taken thein four days at their own mill; and their miller declares, they are better milled than they could have done them at their own place. Their miller was with them all the time, and asserts this himself.
(Signed) JONATHAN ROBERTSHAW, Miller to Messrs. Pawson and Smith.
Messrs. John Edwards and Sons, of Pye-nest, near Halifax, also sent two pieces of white Cassimeres to be milled. Their miller stayed till they were done, which was in seven hours, and says, that they would have taken from 12 to 13 hours at home.
(Signed) WM. KITCHIN,
Miller to Messrs. John Edwards and Sons, Pye-Nest.
(Leeds Mercury 1825/04/30)

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Original

Patent granted to WILLIAM HIRST, of Leeds, County of York, Cloth Manufacturer, for improvements in spinning, and stubbing machines. Dated Jan. 11, 1825.

MR. HIRST’s improvements, (which, though intended for machines for spinning wool, may be extended to those for cotton, and other fibrous substances,) consist in having a double number of spindles in each machine, by placing a second row behind the first, so that each spindle in it shall be opposite to the interval between two of those in the first row, and by making the following alterations in and additions to some other parts of the machines, which this change renders necessary. First, as the number of threads is twice as great as before, the number of robings must be increased in the same proportion, which is effected by adding two more “creels,” or rows of robings, one above and the other below the two rows of the original machine. Secondly, the fluted rollers, which in the common machines are divided into separate bosses for each thread, with vacant spaces between them, are in Mr. Hirst’s machines made continuous without any separations; to enable them to act on the double number of threads, which are to pass over them. And, lastly, the additional bands necessary for the increased number of spindles, are made to fall in on the vertical drums by which they are turned in the machines, by fixing on them the “warls,” or whirls, of the new spindles at elevations different from those of the primary row, so that the bands may move in separate horizontal planes, in such a manner as to avoid all contact and interference with each other.

These improvements of Mr. Hirst’s are of that simple species, the advantage of which is so very apparent, as to create some degree of surprise, that they have not been before adopted. They appear to us to be particularly beneficial, in such places where rents of buildings are high, as they cause the new machines to do twice the quantity of work, without occupying any more space than the old machines; and, moreover, have the farther advantage of requiring no additional expense in mill machinery, framing, or the wheel work of the separate machines, than is necessary for the original machines, which only performed half the work.

It seems probable, that the principle adopted on this occasion may be farther extended, by using three or more rows of spindles, in such machines, in place of the original single row; the only limits to this plan appearing to be the number of threads, that can be made to lie on the fluted rollers, without becoming entangled by their projecting fibres. It is true that even these limits seem capable of being enlarged, by having a second row of fluted rollers; but we doubt very much whether the difficulty of piecing the broken threads, and the other embarrassments, which the crowded state of the work, caused by this latter arrangement, might occasion, would not more than counterbalance any benefit, that might be obtained by its adoption.

519 words.