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HISTORY |
INITIATIVES |
Amerigo Meucci constructed in early 900, at the old mill, built by Franco Meucci, the first carbonization of Vernio, asking to borrow 5000 lire.
In addition to the mill operated a bakery and a grocery shop, with an adjoining warehouse for the wholesale trade in cereals. After that of Angelo Peyron there are "one of Mr. Ciatti and lanificio Meucci".
This quote is thus clear that the construction of Lanificio Meucci is older and dates back, in all likelihood the last decade dell'800. Our thesis is confirmed in the data derived from the journal of the textile sector "Wool" which gives the date of launch of the "carbonization, stracciatura, spinning carded for third" of Amerigo Mercatale for Meucci, in 1897. The activities in the late 20's were put on two and 48 workers were using. Both the mill that the factory used the hydraulic system which characterized the whole of the Val Bisenzio. Indeed, upstream of the bridge had been carried out Mercatale a hydraulic system of about 60 meters, which, through a bridle in stone and masonry, the water of deviava Bisenzio in a gorila, to collect it later in a large storage tank, the "Margone", which served to fuel the mills of the mill. All this happened at the end dell'800 during the Cisalpine Republic, which ended with the Congress of Vienna of 1815. Until then, it was not possible, in the fief of Vernio by any person engage in the milling business, which was a sole prerogative of the Bardi. The change in the intended use of the building, led to major original plumber who was fitted with a large turbine that, while heavily mutilated in the late 80s, is still functioning thanks to the recovery made by the Municipal Vernio.
Deserves a special report on the operation of the turbine powered by the waters of Margone who had previously served the mill. Falling water forcefully imparting energy to a wheel shaped oak tree connected to a horizontally placed. At most it was placed in a cast iron flywheel with a diameter of 4 or 5 meters and weighing 50 kilos. The weight made it easier to move that sent the fly, then continued by force of inertia. Fly around the turbine was fitted to a belt transmission, which is linked directly to a long shaft, horizontal position to the ground and from which other straps receiving the motion to be transmitted to the various machines. Later with the advent of electricity the plant was further transformed by the insertion of Kaplan type propeller with vertical axis and adjustable steel blades, the kinetic energy of water was thus transformed into electricity through of a dynamo with an available power of about 75 HP. The phases of the cycle in the textile industry "Lanificio Meucci" in the course of its history from birth until the closure and dismantling were: the sorting of rags (which were working men and women), the charring, the stracciatura, then spinning and in recent years, the dry fibers. These are the first steps of wet textile carding that requires a large supply of water that the river Bisenzio could easily make available.
The rags, after having been carefully selected for quality and color sorting manually done by the "cenciaioli", were subjected to carbonizzatura during this procedure were removed all the impurities and the plants remained intact wool and complements. With the next phase, the stracciatura / unraveled, the rags are disintegrated and processed wool that mechanically washed and dried ready for the various stages of spinning. The preparation of the mixture using a machine called lupa batter operated dall'allupino; carding done with cards and divider (range) and spinning with a spinning mobile cart or self acting done by spinners. In this particular type of work the laborers of Val Bisenzio have distinguished capacity for experience and professionalism. Some news are taken from the technical report of the recovery plan of a former Meucci Mercatale of Vernio "prepared by the engineer who has used common materials Annalisa Marchi, Carla Chiodini, Elena Sodini, Daniela Chiaramonti and A. Giovannelli.