Chapter 1247
The Cotton Spinning Machine Turns into a Bomb, Red Star 32-Spindle Cotton Spinning Mach
This is not finished.
Zheng Xianfeng reached out to press the emergency stop button, pressed it twice, but the cotton spinning machine did not lose power, which clearly indicated that the wiring had been modified.
The cotton spinning machine originally used a floor-standing cast iron frame, with twelve anchor bolts at the bottom to fix it to the cement floor.
Deputy Section Chief Ma was a clever man. In order to prevent high-speed vibration, he actually abandoned the floor frame and directly welded thick cast iron counterweights on both sides of the frame.
The only problem is that the counterweight is not as stable as the floor-mounted frame.
As the cotton spinning machine shook more and more violently, it began to tilt, a sight that shocked everyone. Several technicians from the technical department even tried to right the machine.
"Run!" Li Aiguo shouted when he saw that the situation was not good.
The workers and technicians in the workshop, Director Zhao and the experts from the cotton textile industry department, as well as Zong Xianfeng, realized that something was wrong and turned around to retreat outside.
The fastest runner was Deputy Section Chief Ma. Although his hand was injured, his leg speed was even faster, and he disappeared more than two meters away in the blink of an eye.
It was Director Zhao from the Ministry of Industry who ended up at the very back.
The cotton spinning machine vibrated more and more violently, and tilted more and more severely.
finally.
Wow!
The entire cotton spinning machine tilted violently, and the heavy cast iron frame, carrying the weight of thirty-two spindles, slammed down on another old-fashioned cotton spinning machine next to it.
The ear-piercing sounds of metal twisting and parts cracking instantly drowned out all the gasps in the workshop.
In the chaos, no one noticed that Director Zhao slipped.
During the emergency retreat, he accidentally stepped on some scattered cotton yarn, causing him to stumble backward and lose his balance completely.
The tilted 32-spindle cotton spinning machine did not come to a complete stop. The weight of the counterweight caused the frame to continue tilting to one side, and the broken corner of the frame was about to smash hard into Director Zhao's back.
Factory Director Liu had already run far away, and it was too late to save them.
Deputy Factory Director Zhou and Deputy Section Chief Ma were secretly rejoicing when they saw this scene, and they froze.
The technicians and experts nearby were too busy retreating to notice anything amiss.
Just then.
A thick arm grabbed Director Zhao's lower back and shoved him hard to the right.
The push was so powerful that Director Zhao was sent flying sideways, crashing heavily to the ground.
Director Zhao lay on the ground, his mind blank, not yet able to figure out what had happened.
Then I saw the iron frame of the cotton spinning machine fall to the spot it had been in, and the cement floor shattered.
A bone-chilling cold instantly rose from Director Zhao's back, shooting up his spine and straight to the top of his head.
Looking up again, through the billowing smoke and dust, Director Zhao finally saw a young man standing not far away, slowly withdrawing his arm.
If it's not Li Aiguo, then who is it?
Everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Director Zhao, are you alright?" Deputy Factory Director Zhou rushed over and tried to help Director Zhao up.
"Get off me!" Director Zhao shook off his arm; he was furious, truly furious.
Factory Director Liu's face turned pale, Deputy Factory Director Zhou's face turned dark, and the faces of the people in the technical department of the No. 1 Cotton Mill all looked grim.
"Nonsense! This is utter nonsense! You're not modifying a cotton spinning machine, you're modifying a bomb!" Director Zhao roared in fury at the scene of devastation.
The cotton mill is now a mess. Two old cotton spinning machines were knocked down, and the ground is covered with cotton yarn and scrap iron.
Deputy Section Chief Ma's face turned pale, and he gritted his teeth as he said, "Yes, the cotton spinning machine was faulty from the start. It has nothing to do with me."
“We’ve used their original machines before, and there were no problems.” At this point, Squad Leader Hua could no longer hold back.
The technical department's renovation went wrong, and now that such a big incident has occurred, they're trying to shift the blame.
"Squad Leader Hua, what do you mean? Are you saying that our factory deliberately sabotaged the machines and caused such a big accident?"
Deputy Section Chief Ma now understood that if things escalated, only by sticking to a firm stance could he possibly shirk responsibility.
The meaning of these words is quite clear: Hua Shengnan, you work at the No. 1 Cotton Mill, so don't get sidetracked.
"Facts are facts," Squad Leader Hua said firmly.
"Alright! Since Deputy Section Chief Ma says so, then bring the original machine back for us to take a look." Director Zhao gave Deputy Section Chief Ma a cold look and spoke.
Director Zhao turned to Li Aiguo, his attitude softening: "Comrade Aiguo, thank you for saving my old man's life just now. Now I need to trouble you with something. Could you bring over the cotton spinning machine you made so we can try it out?"
Director Zhao was genuinely embarrassed when he said this. He had copied someone else's machine, and now that something had gone wrong, he was the one who had to bring the other person's machine back.
But there's nothing we can do. If this 32-spindle cotton spinning machine is truly effective, it will change the development of the domestic cotton spinning industry.
"You're too kind. The cotton spinning machine was originally modified for cotton spinning work." Li Aiguo asked Zong Xianfeng to go back to the workshop and bring the cotton spinning machine over.
The cotton spinning machine was just delivered and hasn't been installed yet. It's very easy to transport; you can just use a crane to lift it onto a truck.
Inside the cotton mill, everyone's face was grim. Deputy Section Chief Ma clutched his hand, wanting to leave, but since Director Zhao didn't speak, he didn't dare move.
Li Aiguo and Zong Xianfeng were quite relaxed, and Hua Shengnan brought them a chair to sit down.
Deputy Factory Director Zhou wanted to say something at this moment, but seeing Director Zhao's expression, he remained silent.
"The cotton spinning machine is here!" someone suddenly shouted from outside.
Because the cotton spinning machine needed to be installed, the wild car expert also brought several experienced mechanics with him.
The staff in the studio now work together very well; they can coordinate tasks effectively without needing to be told what to do.
The expert on the unlicensed car went into the workshop to report the situation to Li Aiguo, and was also stunned by what he saw.
"Is Dieter sabotaging this?"
"Uh, more or less. The Beijing No. 1 Cotton Mill has turned our cotton spinning machines into bombs," Zong Xianfeng said irritably.
"What a talent!" The untrained car expert shook his head with a smile.
“Our method is faster, isn’t that great? It’s just that our section chief isn’t very familiar with the operation. Besides, who knows if there’s a problem with your design?” Several people from the technical department immediately said upon hearing this.
The technical staff at Beijing No. 1 Cotton Mill were not convinced.
Li Aiguo was just a train driver; how could he compare to these professionally trained technicians?
The design concept may be fine, but when it comes to textile machine technology, it's definitely not as good as their cotton mill's technical department.
Moreover, the machine Li Aiguo made was a huge, clunky thing, with no paint on the outside and a slow speed.
Of course, the most important thing is...
Now that such a big problem has arisen, if the original design was fine, then their technical department will have to take the blame, and they can't afford to.
Factory Director Liu blushed slightly upon hearing this. He realized that the technical department was usually under the management of Deputy Factory Director Zhou, and he felt that he had neglected it.
Director Zhao's face flushed red upon hearing these words.
If he hadn't almost lost his life just now, he might have been fooled by these people in the technical department of the No. 1 Cotton Mill again.
But this is good too; let's put it to the test and see what it's really made of.
"Now that the machine has arrived, let's install the machine designed by Comrade Li Aiguo and see how it is!" Director Zhao said immediately.
All the workers in the workshop went out to help. Since there were no overhead cranes in the workshop, the workers had to use two wooden sleepers as supports to slide the cotton spinning machine off the truck and carry it into the workshop.
Then it was installed and secured.
Li Aiguo instructed the workers to first straighten the machine, and then found bolts and tightened them one by one.
Then, lubricant was applied and protective devices were installed.
Seeing that Li Aiguo had installed a protective plate, Deputy Section Chief Ma covered his hand, smacked his lips, and asked, "What's the use of this thing? It will definitely block the feeding of tampons and affect work efficiency."
Before Li Aiguo could reply, Director Zhao scolded him, "What do you know? Efficiency is important, but safety is even more important. Without safety, efficiency is meaningless. Look at the mess you've made in your pursuit of efficiency."
After saying that, Director Zhao looked at Li Aiguo and smiled, "Aiguo, this barrier should be a safety device, right?"
"That's right, this is called a safety guard plate. It automatically closes when the machine is running and can only be opened when the machine stops. It prevents workers' hands from getting caught in the guard plate while operating the machine," Li Aiguo explained as he assembled the machine.
After the textile workers who were watching understood, they all nodded.
"That's a good idea. Quite a few people in our workshop have been injured because they got caught in the machines."
"Yes, didn't Xiao Liu get caught in the accident last month? Luckily, he reacted quickly and only suffered a finger fracture. If he had reacted any later, he would have lost an arm."
"With this safety guard, we can work with peace of mind from now on."
Hearing the murmurs, Director Zhao turned to Deputy Section Chief Ma and angrily berated him: "Look at this layman, he can design a safety guard plate! What have you technical department accomplished all these years?!"
Deputy Section Chief Ma hung his head and remained silent, but he did not give up.
If Li Aiguo's machine also malfunctions, then if the machine crashes, it won't be his problem.
After replacing the broken wire with a new one, Li Aiguo reconnected it and said, "It's installed."
"Let's begin," Director Zhao said, seeing that everyone was ready.
"We'll take care of it." Several technicians from the technical department stepped forward, their eyes darting around.
"No need, let the textile workers operate it. Whoever's job it is, let them do it." Although Li Aiguo had confidence in the cotton spinning machine, he couldn't let others mess around with it. Besides, no one knew what these people were up to.
Factory Director Liu, who had been silent all along, nodded: "Let Foreman Hua operate it; she's an experienced textile worker."
Squad Leader Hua had previously assisted Zong Xianfeng in modifying cotton spinning machines and was already proficient in their operation. He then led several female textile workers onto the machines.
Turn on the power.
The cotton spinning machine emitted a soft humming sound.
"The operating speed is just right, and the vibration of the machine body is within a reasonable range," an expert from the Ministry of Textile Industry noticed at a glance.
"And these safety features, I've seen them, there are several. Even if some greenhorns get on board, there won't be any accidents."
"Yes, this cotton spinning machine is much better than the previous one."
As the warp beam slowly rotates.
A newly made piece of cotton cloth gradually unfolds and spreads out.
The texture is firm yet not stiff, with a fine and regular pattern. Every inch of the weave is even and neat, without any skipped stitches or missing stitches.
As soon as the first bolt of cotton fabric was taken down, an expert from the Ministry of Textile Industry stepped forward, picked up a yarn measuring instrument, and carefully measured it. His tone was full of praise: "This fabric is outstanding! The twist uniformity is controlled within ±2%, far exceeding the old Russian 16-spindle cotton spinning machine we used before."
“This 32-spindle machine not only doubles the number of spindles, but its drafting mechanism is also far superior in stability. This fabric would be a top contender in international textile competitions!” Another expert nodded in agreement.
"The most crucial aspect is its stable operation, requiring minimal intervention from textile workers throughout the entire process."
At this moment, Deputy Section Chief Ma and the staff of the technical department had turned ashen-faced.
Director Zhao picked up the cloth and examined it carefully, nodding and saying, "This is a practical cotton spinning machine; it doesn't blindly pursue speed."
Instead, stability and security are prioritized. Only when these two aspects are guaranteed can efficiency be maximized.
Patriotic comrade, what are your thoughts on today's events?
Deputy Section Chief Ma and the technicians all turned their attention to Li Aiguo.
“Personally, I support improvements, but improvements shouldn’t be done blindly!” Li Aiguo answered directly without even looking at them.
Upon hearing this, Deputy Section Chief Ma gritted his teeth. He'd only made a small mistake; was it really necessary to be so ruthless?!
However, he currently has no right to speak at all.
"I understand!" Director Zhao nodded. With Li Aiguo's words, things would be much easier.
"The Ministry of Textile Industry also supports equipment improvements," Director Zhao said sharply, making his stance clear.
He then said sternly, "But you must admit your failures and thoroughly understand other people's technology before you can make changes. If you know nothing and dare to make random modifications in pursuit of speed, that is dereliction of duty."
Factory Director Liu nodded and then said, "Our factory will definitely handle this matter strictly."
"The results of the investigation must be reported."
Director Zhao's expression softened somewhat, and he looked at Li Aiguo and said, "Although your Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop is not a subordinate unit of our Ministry of Textile Industry..."
But since you did develop a 32-spindle cotton spinning machine, I think this technological innovation award should be given to you.”
The experts from the Ministry of Textile Industry, who were at a loss as to how to handle the situation, all agreed upon hearing this.
"Yes, such a good cotton spinning machine should be promoted as soon as possible."
"There is a shortage of cotton textiles all over the country right now."
"We should break with convention."
"I think this technology would win an award not only in our bureau, but also internationally."
Regarding awards, Li Aiguo has always adhered to the principle that the more the better.
Zong Xianfeng, in particular, and the Wild Car Experts and the technicians at the studio also deserve this honor.
"Come on, Aiguo, let's go back to the bureau. We need to have a proper talk about the mass production of cotton spinning machines." Director Zhao warmly pulled Li Aiguo's arm, ready to leave.
Li Aiguo thought of the cotton spinning machine, so he called Zong Xianfeng to disassemble it, carefully load it onto a truck, and transport it back to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop.
This is a prototype. If it is to be mass-produced, some improvements will be needed.
Director Liu and the other leaders of the Beijing No. 1 Cotton Mill felt a mix of emotions upon witnessing this scene.
Given the relationship between the two companies, if they can discuss things amicably and work together on the renovation, Beijing No. 1 Cotton Mill will also have contributed to the renovation work and will be able to share some of the credit.
It was originally a happy occasion for everyone.
Now look what's happened! The workshop is in this state, the cotton spinning machines have been taken away, and the Ministry of Textile Industry has been angered. It's like losing everything.
After Li Aiguo and Director Zhao left, Factory Director Liu angrily announced that a meeting would be held immediately.
"Factory manager, my hand is still bleeding. Could you please get it bandaged first?" Deputy Section Chief Ma was a little scared, so he put on a pitiful look and raised his hand.
"Let's have a meeting first!" Director Liu didn't even glance at him, put on a stern face, and went into the meeting room.
Inside the meeting room, Director Liu spoke first: "I want to apologize for the failure of this renovation. It was my negligence in managing the technical department that led to this mistake. I made a big mistake. The technicians in the technical department did not understand the cotton spinning equipment, which was the main reason for the failure."
After saying that, Director Liu looked at Deputy Director Zhou and said, "Old Zhou, what do you think?"
Knowing that this was a sign of impending repercussions, Deputy Factory Director Zhou immediately stood up and said, "I also bear a great deal of responsibility for this failure. I will make a self-criticism to the factory committee later."
In addition, I approved the improvement project because I listened to Deputy Section Chief Ma.
Deputy Section Chief Ma is the person most responsible. Given the enormous losses he caused the factory, I believe he should be handed over to the Discipline Inspection Office for further processing.
Bang!
Deputy Section Chief Ma felt as if a huge accusation had fallen from the sky, and he immediately became anxious.
If it's just a disciplinary action or a pay cut, I can accept it. But once you're in the disciplinary inspection office, it's probably hard to get out.
"Director Zhou, I modified the cotton spinning machine for the benefit of our factory. You can't put all the blame on me."
Seeing that Deputy Section Chief Ma was desperate, Deputy Factory Director Zhou immediately slammed his hand on the table and stood up:
"No need to say anything more, come here, detain Deputy Section Chief Ma and send him to the Discipline Inspection Office for a thorough investigation."
"Yes." Several security officers rushed in, grabbed Deputy Section Chief Ma's arm, and dragged him out.
After the door closed again, Deputy Factory Director Zhou continued, "As for the other technicians in the technical department, they acted without organization or discipline for their own selfish reasons. Director Zhao of the Textile Industry Department didn't say anything, and Factory Director Liu didn't say anything either."
You lot spoke first, deliberately distorting the facts and attacking the comrades in the Qianmen Locomotive Depot's workshop! I suggest each of you receive a major demerit and have a year's bonus deducted.
The punishment was already severe, but the technicians didn't dare utter a single word.
They feared being taken away by the disciplinary inspection department, just like Deputy Section Chief Ma.
You should know that cotton mills were the most popular factories in those days, and textiles were in high demand. You could make a fortune just by reselling them on the black market.
Even mid-level leaders like Deputy Section Chief Ma might not be clean themselves.
"Alright, Lao Zhou, everyone made mistakes in this matter. The technical department should make rectifications first. Meeting adjourned!" Director Liu originally had some opinions about Deputy Director Zhou, but now that he saw that Deputy Director Zhou had sacrificed a pawn to save the king, he could only give up.
When Li Aiguo learned of the outcome, he had already returned to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop from the Ministry of Textile Industry.
After a brief meeting, the Ministry of Textile Industry decided to put the replacement of the old 16-spindle cotton spinning machines with 32-spindle machines on the agenda and to start mass production as soon as possible.
"Zong Xianfeng, let's reconsider the equipment needed for mass production."
Mass production for civilian use cannot be done without regard to cost, unlike military products. Although the structure of cotton spinning machines is not complicated, mass production is quite difficult.
Just as Li Aiguo was busy preparing for mass production, Section Chief Xing of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot received a call from the Ministry of Railways.
"Go right away? Okay, okay."
When Section Chief Xing arrived at the Ministry of Railways' conference room, he was somewhat bewildered to see leaders from the Ministry of Textile Industry present.
When Section Chief Xing heard that the Ministry of Textile Industry wanted to purchase 32-spindle cotton spinning machines, he was even more dumbfounded.
"What is this 32-spindle cotton spinning machine? I heard Comrade Li Aiguo mention it the other day. They just made a spinning machine to weave hydraulic pipes. Could it be the same kind of equipment?"
"Made just to weave hydraulic pipes?" The leaders of the Ministry of Railways were surprised, knowing that the people in the Ministry of Textile Industry attached great importance to cotton spinning machines.
"Yes, Li Aiguo used old parts without submitting any application reports or working overtime." Section Chief Xing now understood.
If the studio keeps working overtime, the more complex and difficult it is to obtain the necessary materials, the more difficult it will be to produce the equipment.
Just like with the turbojet engine, the workshop was busy for more than half a year, and the maintenance depot also contacted the Aviation Industry Bureau.
"Cough cough cough," the leaders of the Ministry of Textile Industry were smoking when they realized the origin of the cotton spinning machine, and they were all choked by the smoke.
"It's the same machine, just with some modifications. Section Chief Xing, this batch of cotton spinning machines is extremely important, as it relates to the overall situation of cotton spinning work. Your Qianmen Locomotive Depot must pay close attention to it."
"Yes, yes, yes," Section Chief Xing was even more confused. Li Aiguo could affect the overall situation of cotton spinning by simply fiddling with a piece of equipment.
This kid is a cotton spinning genius.
However, Section Chief Xing soon became worried.
There are simply not enough workers at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot right now, and there are also troublesome things to do, such as purchasing materials.
"Old Xing, we at the cotton mill know you're very busy."
In that case, we can add some extra cloth.
In addition, I suggest that your locomotive depot could organize more joint activities with our subordinate cotton mills.
Upon hearing this...
Section Chief Xing immediately perked up and nodded, "Don't worry, our Qianmen Locomotive Depot will definitely build the cotton spinning machine as soon as possible."
In those days, cloth was hard currency. The Qianmen Locomotive Depot was doing better now, but they still didn't get much cloth each year.
With this batch of fabric, we can give each employee a new set of work clothes.
More importantly, it involved networking with female cotton mill workers.
The cotton mill was famous throughout Beijing for its large number of female workers, and it was also famous for its many young men working on the railway.
Now, the two families' joint matchmaking can facilitate many marriages and solve the personal problems of railway workers.
The other party's sincerity was truly remarkable.
Mass production of cotton spinning machines progressed rapidly under the joint impetus of the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Textile Industry, and the design was soon finalized, with the name "Red Star 32-spindle Cotton Spinning Machine".
The front of the mass-produced cotton spinning machine will be painted with a red five-pointed star.
The Ministry of Cotton Textile Industry showed great sincerity. Before mass production even started, the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 Cotton Mills in Beijing contacted the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.
Every evening, a ballroom dance party was held in the workers' club at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.
The female workers at the cotton mill were also satisfied with the workers at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, as the railway company offered good wages and benefits.
In just a few days, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot received more than two hundred marriage applications.
Therefore, the Women's Federation of Qianmen Locomotive Depot decided to hold a group wedding.
Li Aiguo, as a major contributor to the wedding, was invited to be the officiant at the wedding.
Early in the morning, Li Aiguo changed into a clean Zhongshan suit, and Chen Xueru also dressed up beautifully, and they went out of the courtyard together.
"What did Aiguo do?" Uncle San asked Yan Jiecheng with some curiosity.
"You don't know yet, do you? Brother Aiguo helped more than two hundred couples get together in one go. The workers in the section call him the super matchmaker!"
The third uncle was a little depressed.
"My matchmaking record has been broken by this kid?!"
(End of this chapter)