Chapter 1243
The Gallic Family's Ideas, Successful Development of the Weaving Machine, Liu Qing
Just as Li Aiguo entered the laboratory to check the knitting machine, several seemingly ordinary SUVs, equipped with bulletproof armor, appeared on the streets of Beijing.
The passengers sitting in the large SUV were blond and blue-eyed, clearly Westerners. They had come from Nanyuan Airport and boarded one of these large SUVs, which are already quite common in Beijing.
"It seems the intelligence from the foreign affairs personnel stationed here was correct; the development of Dongda University is accelerating." In the SUV, the leader was Frank, the commissioner from France, who looked out through the tinted windows.
You can see quite a few cars and SUVs on the street.
The road was very wide, and there were rows of brand-new Huaxing minibuses.
Now, Huaxing Automobile Factory's production capacity has increased, and domestic bus companies, long-distance bus companies, and major factories are purchasing Huaxing minibuses to replace their old minibuses.
Although the price is a bit high, the maintenance is cheap and it saves fuel, so the cost is actually reduced by a lot.
The Frenchmen accompanying the group watched the scene outside the car window intently, their expressions changing slightly.
"They've only been around for a few years, how come they've grown so fast?"
"Even in our area, Huaxing minibuses aren't widespread. I originally thought they used minibuses to generate foreign exchange, but now it seems I underestimated the level of industrial and economic development here."
"I feel the same way. A while ago, the Russians made a mess of the Red Star coal cutting machine. I thought the Russians were too busy to deal with it. Now I think it's because the development here is too fast."
"This area has population and industry, so it probably won't be long before we can hold off the Russians and the United States."
"It was precisely because General Dai saw this point that he overcame all opposition to establish relations with this side." A group of Frenchmen whispered among themselves, looking curiously out the window.
The further into the city we went, the more vehicles there were on the streets, to the point of congestion, forcing the large SUV to stop and give way from time to time.
The vehicles on the road have also changed. There are fewer minibuses and more and more motorcycles, those chugging machines constantly weaving through the traffic.
Fortunately, the red light ahead came on, and the motorcycles all stopped.
"We should thank the Russians this time."
"Yes, if it weren't for the Russians wanting to take the Indians as their underlings, the American family wouldn't have turned their attention back to the Indians, and we wouldn't have been able to contact them."
"It's hard to believe that they started developing the second generation of mushroom eggs right after creating the first generation. I heard the progress is quite fast."
"The person in charge of the mushroom egg project was someone who had participated in the Manhattan Project back then. He gave up a lucrative position to come back. I really envy them for having someone like that."
"The original plan was to exchange information on second-generation nuclear warheads, but it seems that other military technologies can also be exchanged, such as fighter jet technology."
"I especially like those small planes that can beat up the Russians. I don't know how they manage to build such low-cost, high-speed small planes?"
The people who came to discuss cooperation were from France.
After World War II, the United States spearheaded the establishment of the Northern Pact, claiming to protect its Western European allies.
Commander Dai, however, knew Xiao Mei's family's true nature and knew that sooner or later he would be sold out by them.
So he stopped listening to Xiaomei's family and decided to build his own military system, especially in the research of mushroom eggs.
Back then, despite the opposition from the American family, the French team collaborated with the French family on the technology of the first generation of mushroom eggs.
Now that I've met someone who successfully got a giant mushroom egg, I can't miss out.
However, because Xiao Mei's family was keeping a close eye on things, the French family never had a chance.
Xiao Mei's family is currently in a terrible predicament due to the Russians, so they sent someone over to have a proper chat.
As for the future, there will definitely be more collaborations.
Once the French feel they've gained enough power, they can pull off a big move and leave the Northern Organization, which also requires support from here.
Our second-generation mushroom egg is under intense development. Although we are not following the same path as the French, we have exchanged a lot of experience.
As for the technology of small aircraft, since the core technology is the turbojet engine developed by Li Aiguo, which will be used in fighter jets and transport aircraft in the future, there are currently no plans to transfer the technology.
Li Aiguo was unaware of these circumstances and was currently testing an improved model of weaving machine with Zong Xianfeng, a wild car expert.
The weaving machine looks a size larger than the 32-spindle weaving machines used in factories in later generations, and the cast iron frame is made of 12# channel steel.
The body is painted with two layers of paint: a dark red base coat for rust prevention and an uneven layer of navy blue paint on the outside.
"Let's do a no-load test first." During the test run, Li Aiguo asked the others to step back a bit.
Li Aiguo shut down the feeding mechanism and let the turntable idle for more than ten minutes. The motor, gears, and turntable started running without any abnormal noise, and the frame did not shake.
"Bring me a steel wire." Li Aiguo turned off the machine.
Before he could even speak, Zong Xianfeng was already loading a plate of galvanized steel wire.
The team members in the studio are now working together more and more smoothly; they can understand each other's intentions with just a glance.
The untrained repair expert was responsible for adjusting the counterweight, while Li Aiguo began to adjust the tension of the steel wire. This step was quite important, as both too loose and too tight tension would affect the weaving effect.
Later, we can build an automated industrial computer and install an electric motor on it to automatically control the tension. Thinking this, Li Aiguo placed the rubber hose on the machine.
"Start it up."
Zong Xianfeng pressed the switch.
The motor roared back to life.
Thirty-two spindles carrying galvanized steel wires rotate rapidly, weaving left and right, and after being regulated by brass guide plates, they form a dense mesh layer on the outer layer of the rubber inner tube.
"It actually worked out."
"This is much faster than the hand speed of the female workers in the textile factory."
"If I got one to take home, could I spin my own clothes?"
Everyone in the studio crowded around, craning their necks to look, marveling at the sight.
The workshop can now build small airplanes and large off-road vehicles, but this is the first time it has manufactured equipment for weaving.
"Has Patriotism succeeded?" Zong Xianfeng couldn't wait any longer.
"Don't rush, we need to finish braiding these tubes before we can inspect them," Li Aiguo said, and after one braided tube was finished, he placed another rubber tube on top.
The speed and weaving density of a 32-spindle weaving machine far exceed those of a 16-spindle weaving machine; in this day and age, that would be a game-changer.
Although the people in the workshop didn't understand textiles, they could tell that the machine-woven items were denser than the work clothes they were wearing.
"Maybe we should open a textile factory." The wild car expert who made this suggestion was immediately stopped by several people.
The studio is already overwhelmed with work, so there's no time or inclination to work on textiles.
The machine stopped an hour later, and the coils of galvanized braided tubing gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen.
Zong Xianfeng measured it with calipers and said excitedly, "Patriotism, fully qualified, coverage rate reached 99.5%, perfect fit."
Wow!
The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.
Nowadays, large machines such as excavators, loaders, and tunnel boring machines all need to use hydraulic hoses. Every time a hydraulic hose breaks, it wastes a lot of time and may even cause an accident.
With the advent of galvanized braided tubing, the chances of hydraulic hose rupture can be greatly reduced.
Then, the knitting machine went into full operation.
To manufacture as many hydraulic hoses as possible in the shortest possible time, first deliver them to coal mines to install on coal cutters, and then replace the hydraulic hoses on excavators and loaders in various locations.
Upon hearing this, Section Chief Xing came to the courtyard of the workshop and saw rows of hydraulic pipes neatly arranged on wooden shelves.
"The weaving machine has been built?" Section Chief Xing immediately understood.
Li Aiguo nodded: "We just finished assembling it. We plan to test it out while producing some hydraulic hoses."
"Let me see." Section Chief Xing walked into the studio.
Looking at the knitting machine, Section Chief Xing felt something was off. Why was it off?
It's one thing for a perfectly good maintenance depot like Qianmen to manufacture airplanes and excavators, but now they're even making textile equipment. What kind of nonsense is this?
"This machine looks pretty advanced, doesn't it?" Section Chief Xing knew Li Aiguo's habit: if he was going to do something, he would do the best.
"The speed is twice as fast as the old-fashioned textile machines in the textile factory, and the weaving density is several times higher."
Section Chief Xing nodded: "It's a waste to use braiding machines only to make hydraulic pipes. Why don't we convert them into textile machines, make a few more, and send them to the textile factory first? If they work well, we can then mass-produce them."
The output of braiding machines is very high, and the demand for hydraulic hoses simply cannot meet the production capacity requirements.
These days, it's very normal for different departments to help each other.
The Qianmen Locomotive Depot had received a lot of help from other factories, and Li Aiguo didn't mind, readily agreeing to help.
"If it's to be used for textiles, it needs to be modified further, with the main focus being the installation of safety devices." Li Aiguo was familiar with the workshop's situation and noted that some workers, in order to rush production, would often try to save time and not operate the equipment according to the requirements.
"You handle this as you see fit," Section Chief Xing said after a moment's pause, pulling Li Aiguo into his office.
"What are your thoughts on the ministry's plan to purchase 5,000 small aircraft?"
“I will obey the organization’s decision,” Li Aiguo replied immediately.
In fact, after the small planes achieved victory in the high-altitude battle, both Dean Chen and Leader Liu took note of the tactics of aerial guerrilla warfare.
The General Staff and the Academy also organized experts to discuss aerial guerrilla warfare, and they unanimously agreed that this unrestricted warfare tactic of fighting against a stronger enemy with a weaker force could be used in future wars.
Of course, we don't need that many small planes to deal with India; a thousand will suffice.
But small planes have other uses.
It can be used for firefighting, spraying pesticides, sowing seeds, fertilizing, etc.
These small planes can be used for civilian purposes on ordinary days.
In the event of a large-scale war, they can be loaded with shells and sent to the front lines.
Those employees who used to fly small planes could suddenly become fighter pilots.
This is called "hiding the army among the people," which is the same principle as the militia divisions that are being formed on a large scale in various places.
"Then the modification work will fall to your workshop." Section Chief Xing patted Li Aiguo on the shoulder, feeling that he had been too harsh on him. The man had just returned from Linxi and was already being assigned a new project.
"Section Chief, I'm fine. I have Zong Xianfeng and the others helping out in the workshop, and Chief Engineer Liu from the Aviation Industry Bureau is in the aircraft workshop." Li Aiguo's words weren't meant to be a show of humility.
He's basically doing design work now; once the blueprints are done, he hands them over.
"Take more rest. I have to go to the line workshop now." Section Chief Xing knew this too, nodded, and prepared to leave.
Li Aiguo found it strange: "Section Chief, I've noticed the workers in the line workshop have been quite busy these past few days. What happened?"
Mr. Zhang, a worker in the Hongxing Motorcycle Team, is often late for training these days, reportedly because he is working overtime.
"Ugh, don't even mention it. A train accident happened at the Fengtai Locomotive Depot a couple of days ago. Apparently, the aging tracks weren't detected in time, and a freight car overturned. The railway bureau is now requiring all locomotive depots' track inspectors to work overtime and check the tracks in the sections."
"That shouldn't be the case. Fengtai has already been equipped with flaw detectors, right? How could they not have detected it?" Li Aiguo wondered.
Since rail flaw detectors were equipped to the track inspection workshops of various locomotive depots, accidents caused by rail problems have almost disappeared.
"I don't know, maybe the lineman didn't use it according to the requirements."
After finishing his sentence, Section Chief Xing hurriedly went to the line workshop to keep an eye on things.
Li Aiguo didn't think much of it. He went to the station yard, found a coal truck that went to Linxi Mine, put the galvanized braided hydraulic pipe on it, and asked the driver to help deliver it to Linxi.
Li Aiguo had already made a phone call in advance, and the mechanics at the Linxi Coal Mine's electromechanical repair workshop would replace the hydraulic pipes of the coal cutter after receiving the goods.
The train drivers at the station were also discussing the train accident in Fengtai. Some thought the train driver was incredibly unlucky; the curve wasn't even that sharp, yet the train still veered off the tracks.
Some people believe it is entirely the responsibility of the line patrol workers.
“In accidents like this, if it’s confirmed that the cause was negligence, the sentence should be at least five years!”
"Five years is nothing. It is said that the losses were huge. The entire crew was seriously injured, two carriages were broken, and the locomotive was slightly damaged."
Li Aiguo stood by and watched the commotion for a while. When it was time to leave work, he put on his canvas bag, rode his motorcycle back to the courtyard house.
As soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw Xu Damao standing at the door of Uncle San's house, carrying mountain goods.
"Uncle, have a taste. These are walnuts I just got from the commune."
"Hey, Da Mao, thanks a lot!" The third uncle grabbed two handfuls of walnuts, his eyes narrowing into slits with excitement.
"Brother Aiguo, you're back." Xu Damao turned around, saw Li Aiguo, and quickly ran over, opening the bag.
"You should also pay some attention to patriotism."
"Thanks, Brother Da Mao." Li Aiguo, not understanding Xu Da Mao's intentions, grabbed a handful and went home.
Chen Xueru has returned and is cooking in the kitchen. There is a bag of walnuts on the table.
"Who sent this?"
"It's Xu Damao. He's delivering mountain products door-to-door now. I guess he's at a crucial moment in his promotion and is worried that the residents will report him." Chen Xueru wiped her hands and came out, taking the canvas bag from Li Aiguo and bringing over a basin of hot water.
"It seems Xu Damao is determined to succeed this time." Li Aiguo's hands were covered in machine oil, so he washed them with soap and was about to go into the study to work on converting the knitting machine into a textile machine.
Before I even entered the study, there was a knock on the door.
Li Aiguo put the enamel basin back in the bathroom and went over to open the door.
Standing outside the door was Liu Qingquan.
"Qingquan, what a rare guest!" Li Aiguo warmly invited Liu Qingquan into the house.
When Chen Xueru saw Liu Qingquan arrive, she poured him some brown sugar water and handed it to him.
She knew that the members of these chartered crews had worked hard all day and preferred brown sugar rather than tea.
"You guys chat, I'm going to cook. Chef Liu, be sure to stay for dinner later," Chen Xueru said before leaving.
The kitchen door closed, and Liu Qingquan handed Li Aiguo a cigarette, smiling awkwardly: "Aiguo, I've come to ask you for a favor."
"Qingquan, what are you saying? I'm still a train driver in the 131 driver group, and you're the co-driver. We're a small team, so just say what's on your mind," Li Aiguo said, lighting a cigarette.
Knowing Li Aiguo's temperament, Liu Qingquan rubbed his hands together and said, "Have you heard about the accident in Fengtai?"
"I've heard about it, but I don't know the specifics. What, does it have anything to do with you?" Li Aiguo asked in surprise.
“Zhang Tuo, from the track workshop of Fengtai Locomotive Depot where the accident occurred, is my brother-in-law. He is currently being held in the police station of Fengtai Locomotive Depot. I visited him yesterday, and he said he was innocent and that he did not find anything unusual when he inspected the section of track where the accident occurred.” Liu Qingquan explained the situation.
Li Aiguo smoked a cigarette but did not respond.
People who make mistakes usually don't admit they've made mistakes; they just try to shirk responsibility.
Liu Qingquan looked at Li Aiguo and continued, "I know my brother-in-law. He's a very honest man, and he would never shirk responsibility. I vouch for him."
Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo's expression became somewhat moved.
He also knew Liu Qingquan well; he wasn't the kind of person to show favoritism. Besides, he was certain that such a matter could be thoroughly investigated.
"This matter is being investigated by the Railway Bureau's Safety Section. Here's what I'll do: I'll inquire about it for you." Li Aiguo didn't give a guarantee.
Even if it wasn't to help Liu Qingquan, the rail flaw detector was something Li Aiguo tinkered with, so it should be checked whether there were any design flaws.
"Thank you so much, thank you so much." Liu Qingquan stood up excitedly.
The security department has now issued an investigation report, pinning all the blame on Zhang Tuo.
He faces the prospect of being expelled from the railway system and imprisoned.
Zhang Tuo's parents died early, and he raised Liu Qingquan's wife single-handedly.
Since learning of her brother's accident, Liu Qingquan's wife has not been able to eat for several days.
Liu Qingquan was also anxious and asked many people for help, but because it involved the railway bureau's safety department, no one dared to speak on his behalf.
The only person who can investigate this matter is this train driver.
Liu Qingquan chatted with Li Aiguo for a few more minutes, but thinking about his wife, he didn't stay for dinner and left in a hurry.
night.
Quietly.
Li Aiguo spread out the blueprints for the weaving machine.
The principles and structures of galvanized steel wire braiding machines and textile braiding machines are similar, and the core components do not need to be modified.
The main change is replacing the steel wire spools with textile yarn bobbins and adding yarn anti-slip rings to each spindle.
The original heavy-duty spring-type steel wire tensioner was replaced with a textile-specific lightweight disc tensioner.
In terms of safety features, an openable metal guard should be installed to prevent hands and sleeves from getting caught during operation, and to prevent the yarn spool from accidentally falling off and injuring people.
The belt drive area guard and gearbox guard should all be installed.
That's how safety work works: it's better to have too much than too little; this is called safety redundancy.
After working late into the night, the basic blueprints are done. The next step is to adapt the tension.
Materials such as cotton yarn, nylon thread, polyester thread, fiberglass yarn, and hemp thread require different tensions, which can be handled by personnel from the technical department of Beijing No. 1 Cotton Mill.
The night grew deeper.
Li Aiguo stretched, picked up the Linggui Zhanshi wine that Chen Xueru had brought him, and drank it all in one gulp.
Lately, the two have been playing a game called "Journey to the West Roadblockers".
However, Miss Chen's clothes were too revealing.
Li Aiguo tilted his head and asked, "Wife, what role are you playing today?"
"The White Bone Demon." Chen Xueru blushed.
Li Aiguo: "."
night.
It was lively and bustling.
****
The next morning, Li Aiguo looked at Chen Xueru, who was still fast asleep, and chuckled.
"That White Bone Demon is too powerful! It took five attacks to defeat her!"
Because Ms. Chen was exhausted, Li Aiguo went to the state-run canteen outside to buy some fried dough sticks and then cooked cornmeal porridge when he came back.
He Yushui liked fried dough sticks, so she joined in and ate breakfast.
Since starting high school, He Yushui has grown very quickly and is now nearly 1.7 meters tall, even taller than in the original novel.
"Sister-in-law, are you feeling unwell?" He Yushui asked as Chen Xueru walked out listlessly.
"Cough cough, it's nothing, I probably just caught a cold." Chen Xueru's face was slightly flushed.
"How about I take Xiaohongsheng and the others to school for you today?"
Li Aiguo was not home, Chen Xueru was busy with her work at the neighborhood office, and He Yushui often helped take the children to school.
It just so happens that Liu Tianquan's son, Liu Kuangsheng, is attending the kindergarten of the Geological Exploration Department, and He Yushui can send him there as well.
The three little ones all liked the gift from Aunt He Yushui and looked at Chen Xueru with expectant eyes.
"Thank you very much." Chen Xueru nodded.
The three little ones were very happy. He Yushui would always buy them some candy or other snacks, the kind that Chen Xueru usually wouldn't allow them to eat.
After eating and drinking their fill, He Yushui took the child upstairs, while Chen Xueru went to the neighborhood office.
Li Aiguo then rode his mountain bike to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.
Chief Engineer Liu of the aviation department has already started working on expanding the production of small aircraft.
Li Aiguo then handed over the blueprints for the 32-spindle cotton spinning machine to Zong Xianfeng, asking him to manufacture a prototype according to the blueprints, and then contacted the Beijing No. 1 Cotton Mill.
Director Liu was particularly pleased to hear that the Qianmen Locomotive Depot had manufactured a 32-spindle cotton spinning machine.
"Don't worry, Aiguo, I will have our cotton mill technicians help you."
After hanging up the phone, Director Liu contacted Deputy Section Chief Ma of the Technical Department.
"What? The Qianmen Locomotive Depot actually built a cotton spinning machine?" Deputy Section Chief Ma frowned.
"It will be delivered to the textile workshop soon. Now we need to provide the tension parameters of the materials. Old Chen, if this 32-spindle cotton spinning machine is really made, it will be a great thing for our factory. You have to be on your toes."
"I understand." Deputy Section Chief Ma put down the phone, his brows furrowed tightly.
"We haven't even made any progress in our innovative technologies yet, and we're already trying to help the Qianmen Locomotive Depot with cotton spinning machines. What kind of nonsense is this!"
A technician asked in a low voice, "Section Chief, are we still going?"
“Go, of course we’ll go.” Although Deputy Section Chief Ma was frustrated, he knew the importance of the 32-spindle cotton spinning machine and dared not slack off. He led several technicians to the textile workshop.
At this moment, the 32-spindle textile machine was already placed on the workstation, and Foreman Hua was leading several textile workers to study how to use it.
"Gentlemen, this is the cotton spinning machine we manufactured. You are all veterans in cotton spinning technology. Please take a look and see if there is anything that can be improved."
"This design is truly ingenious."
Although Deputy Section Chief Ma did not have a good impression of Li Aiguo, he had to admire the design of the 32-spindle cotton spinning machine.
It combines the practicality of the Russians with the sophistication of cotton spinning machines from Western Europe.
"Comrade Zong, come here, let me take a look at the power output mechanism of this cotton spinning machine." Deputy Section Chief Ma's eyes lit up, as if he had thought of something, and his attitude immediately became enthusiastic.
Zong Xianfeng was busy in the cotton mill, while Li Aiguo returned to his office and was about to contact the railway bureau's safety department when he received a call from Ma Dele of the safety department.
"Hey buddy, we need your help with something this time."
"Section Chief Ma, please speak," Li Aiguo asked, a thought suddenly occurring to him.
"There was a safety accident at the Fengtai Locomotive Depot. We found out it was caused by negligence on the part of the track patrol workers. The workers claimed they inspected the tracks according to regulations, but they can't provide any evidence. We would like to ask you to take a look."
Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo was delighted.
This is like a pillow being delivered to someone who's about to fall asleep.
"Wait here, I'll be right there."
(End of this chapter)