CHAPTER IIREELING

Early Reeling and Twisting

Vaucanson’s Filature

Silk Manufacture in Europe

The next step in the production of silk is called reeling, and for this purpose the modern filature has been developed. The actual existence of reeling machines is by no means modern, however, for it is a well-known fact that the Chinese knew how to use raw silk as far back as 5000 years ago. Old prints dating back 3000 years show that the hand “reelers” then in use differed little in principle from the highly developed filatures of today. Although China knew how to reel and twist silk for several thousand years, it was only in the third, fourth, and fifth centuries A. D. that other countries, such as Japan and Eastern Europe, took it up. The first filatures were, of course, extremely simple, operated entirely by hand, and produced a very coarse thread. Although a little progress was made during the Middle Ages, the turning point came in 1750 when Vaucanson, a French engineer, invented the first real filature—which combined several reelers, giving the whole process more speed and turning out a product of considerably better quality. This marked the beginning of Europe’s interest in what had so long been an exclusivelyOriental industry, and from then on the French, Italians and Spanish in particular took up the study of sericulture and the reeling and manufacturing process. The result was to put the industry on a scientific basis which it had never reached in the East.

The Reeling Basins

“Stoving”

The reeling process is the first step in which machinery plays an important part. When the cocoons are ready they must first be submitted to the “stoving” process, or stifling, in which they are exposed to heat sufficient to kill the chrysalis inside. This is followed by further drying, after which the cocoons are shipped in bags to the filatures and may be kept indefinitely without injuring the filament.

“Beating”

Waste Material

As a preliminary to reeling, the cocoons are immersed in boiling water to soften the gum that holds the fibre together. While in the water they are brushed with a coarse brush to remove the heavy outer strands of the cocoon—a process called “beating.” These outer strands are usually too harsh and broken to be reeled, but are afterwards utilized as so-called waste which is used for spun-silk manufacture.[4]This applies also to the innermost layers of the cocoon. About one-half of the thread on a cocoon actually finds its way into thrown silk. The remainder is “waste.” When, by brushing, the true threads are reached it is possible to start reeling, and barring occasional breaks these threads are continuous all the way down to the chrysalis.

FOOTNOTES:[4]See Chapter IV.2.

[4]See Chapter IV.2.

Reeling Basins

While being reeled the cocoons are floated in basins of very hot water, each basin feeding a reeling machine. A single cocoon strand is too fine to use commercially, so several are taken at a time, varying from three to seven or eight according to the size of thread desired. The size used in this country most extensively is known as13/15deniers and is reeled from six or seven cocoons. During the reeling the water is kept at about 60° C., but if the cocoons are very dry a higher temperature is required. A heavy smoke issues from the basins and not only humidifies the room but also penetrates the silk, rendering it very gummy and hard. This is overcome by the use of steam-heated tubes running over and around the machines.

Each reeling machine and basin is in charge of a girl who is responsible for its operation and for the reeling of thread of correct size. She must keep careful watch that the filament comes off the cocoons steadily and that all breaks are immediately taken care of, exhausted cocoons being replaced by new ones at the proper time. In many filatures each girl is charged with so many cocoons and must turn in a proportionate amount of reeled silk at the end of the day.

Twisting

Human Element

The twisting operation is an important part of the reeling process, for the raw silk threads, being composed of parallel cocoon filaments, cohering only by their natural gum, would, unless twisted, mat up and become unworkable. Various methods are used to obtain this torque, the general idea in each case being to run the separate cocoon threads through small rings or eyes and then unite them in one thread large enough to reel. In spite of the many mechanical devices and improvements brought out in the last few years, the success of the reeling operation still is dependent on the reeling girl’s ability and care. It is particularly important that she be able to judge the number of cocoonsof a certain size and texture needed to make a thread of the required denier.

Rereeling Room

Testing the Skeins

Color of Raw Silk

The raw silk is reeled on travellers in hanks known as skeins and varying from 50 to 100 grams in weight, which are taken off by the reeling girl and the ends of the thread tied up to facilitate the work at the mill. Before leaving the filature it is also subjected to critical tests and examinations for size, winding, cleanliness, irregularities, etc. The color of raw silk as it comes off the cocoon and is reeled into skeins is either white or yellow, though some sorts have a brownish or greenish tinge. Tussah silks have a brownish-yellow color. The coloring matter in the cultivated silks is only in the gum and boils out with it, but the color in the tussah is in the fibre, rendering it very difficult to bleach.

“Books” of Raw Silk Skeins

Reeling Wild Silk

Waste Silk

Tussah, or wild silk, is not generally reeled by the wet reel process, as the cocoons are apt to be closed up at each end by gum. In China this gum is softened by burying the cocoons in manure instead of immersingthem in hot water. This is known as dry reeling. It very often happens that the tussah cocoons are unfit for reeling, due to being pierced or tangled. Silk from these imperfect cocoons is again classed as “waste,” along with the frisons, or outside and inmost layers of the cultivated cocoons, which, as has been stated, are used to make spun silk. In this country waste silk is often called schappe, although strictly speaking this name should only be applied to waste silk degummed by the French process of fermentation.

Baling

Picul Bale

The raw silk, having been reeled and twisted into skeins, is next marked and tied together in bundles of skeins known as “books” each bearing the mark or “chop” of its grade. These are packed in bales for shipment, the weight of the bales varying in different countries. In Japan and China they are called picul bales and weigh 133⅓ pounds. Italian silks, on the other hand, are packed in shipping bales of about 200 pounds.

Of the countries producing raw silk, Japan and China occupy the leading positions by a large margin, the former contributing roughly one half of the world’s supply, and the latter about one third. Italy ranks a poor third with about one tenth, and France, the Near East, India, Spain and the Balkans contribute the balance.

Japan

Although the greater part of the raw silk produced in the various countries is exported for manufacture abroad, a certain percentage is retained for home spinning and weaving. It is estimated that about 65 per cent of the Japanese output is exported, approximately 90 per cent. of which goes to the United States.

China

In China over one half of the output is held for domestic consumption, the remainder being divided about equally between Europe and America.

Italy

The Italian raw silk—a very high quality product—finds its largest market in France, principally in the city of Lyons, the silk center of Europe.

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