Project Gutenberg's The Scholfield Wool-Carding Machines, by Grace L. Rogers

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Title: The Scholfield Wool-Carding Machines

Author: Grace L. Rogers

Release Date: November 3, 2008 [EBook #27137]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY:

PAPER 1

THE SCHOLFIELD WOOL-CARDING MACHINES

_Grace L. Rogers_

PRIMITIVE CARDING 3

THE FIRST MECHANICAL CARDS 5

JOHN AND ARTHUR SCHOLFIELD 8

THE NEWBURYPORT WOOLEN MANUFACTORY 9

THE SCHOLFIELD MACHINES 12

[Illustration: Figure 1.--AN ORIGINAL SCHOLFIELD WOOL-CARDING MACHINE,
built by Arthur Scholfield or under his immediate direction between 1803
and 1814, as exhibited in the hall of textiles of the U.S. National
Museum (_cat. no._ T11100). The exhibits in this hall are part of those
being prepared for the enlarged hall of textiles in the new Museum of
History and Technology now under construction. (_Smithsonian photo_
45396.)]

By Grace L. Rogers

THE SCHOLFIELD WOOL-CARDING MACHINES

_First to appear among the inventions that sparked the industrial
revolution in textile making was the flying shuttle, then various
devices to spin thread and yarn, and lastly machines to card the
raw fibers so they could be spun and woven. Carding is thus the
important first step. For processing short-length wool fibers its
mechanization proved most difficult to achieve._

_To the United States in 1793 came John and Arthur Scholfield,
bringing with them the knowledge of how to build a successful
wool-carding machine. From this contribution to the technology of
our then infant country developed another new industry._

THE AUTHOR: _Grace L. Rogers is curator of textiles, Museum of
History and Technology, in the Smithsonian Institution's United
States National Museum._