The prohibition against the
manufacture and wearing and using of pure cotton fabrics came to
an end in 1774 on arguments of Arkwright made to Parliament that
his pure cottons would bleach, print, wash and wear better than
fustians. This was the first all cotton cloth made in England.
In 1775, Arkwright added machines to do work prefatory to
spinning. Raw cotton was first fed by a sloping hose to a feeder
that was perpetually revolving. From here it went a carding
machine of three rollers of different diameters covered with bent
metal teeth. The first, with teeth bent in the direction of its
revolution, caught up the cotton fibers. The second, revolving in
the same direction but much faster, carded the fibers into the
requisite fineness by contact with the third, whose teeth and
motion were in the opposite direction. Next, a crank and comb
detached the carded cotton so that it came off as a continuous
ribbon. Then the ribbon went into a revolving cone, which twisted
it on itself. Eventually Arkwright became rich from his creation
of the modern factory, which was widely imitated. He established
discipline in his mills and he made his presence felt everywhere
there, watching his men and obtaining from them the steadiest and
most careful work. He provided housing and services to attract
workers.
After cotton, the inventions of the spinning jenny and the water-
powered frame were applied to wool.
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