Ring frame spinning

The bobbins from the carding process are put on large revolving drums at the top of the ring spinning frame, extending end to end throughout its length (twelve bobbins in all). These supply the soft strands of fibre to over 160 whirling spindles, each twisting and winding the yarn onto large tubes situated on the spindles. The ring platform moves slowly up and down the spindle and controls the shape and size of the tube being covered in yarn. When all tubes are sufficiently full they are removed from the spindles, stacked neatly into wheeled bins and taken into the yarn store to await the next process.

Although ring spinning frames are a much later invention than the old spinning wheel, they use the same principle of twist being imparted continuously by the difference in speed between delivery of the soft fibre strands from the condenser bobbin (held at short intervals under two 'twist rollers') and the fast revolving spindles. This method of spinning produces a far greater amount of yarn than the old 'mule spinning frame'. Therefore a much greater amount of uninterrupted yarn length is held on each tube for use in the various other rewinding processes.

Mike French