The Scholfield Wool-Carding Machines

By Grace Rogers Cooper

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

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org


Title: The Scholfield Wool-Carding Machines

Author: Grace L. Rogers

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

Language: English


*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SCHOLFIELD WOOL-CARDING MACHINES ***




Produced by Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper, Greg Bergquist
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
https://www.pgdp.net









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._

Carding is the necessary preliminary step by which individual short
fibers of wool or cotton are separated and cleaned of foreign materials
so they can be spun into yarn. The thoroughness of the carding
determines the quality of the yarn, while the position in which the
carded fibers are laid determines its type. The fibers are laid parallel
in order to spin a smooth compact yarn, or they are crossed and
intermingled to produce a soft bulky yarn.


Primitive Carding

The earliest method of carding wool was probably one in which, by use of
the fingers alone, the tufts were pulled apart, the foreign particles
loosened and extracted, and the fibers blended. Fuller's teasels
(thistles with hooked points, _Dispasacus fullonum_), now better known
for raising the nap on woven woolens, were also used at a very early
date for carding. The teasels were mounted on a pair of small
rectangular frames with handles; and from this device developed the
familiar small hand card (see fig. 2), measuring about 8 inches by 5
inches, in which card clothing (wire teeth embedded in leather) was
mounted on a board with the wire teeth bent and angled toward the
handle. The wool was placed on one card and a second card was dragged
across it, the two hands pulling away from each other. This action
separated the fibers and laid them parallel to the handle, in a thin
film. After the fibers had been carded in this way several times, the
cards were turned so that the handles were together and once again they
were pulled across each other. With the wire teeth now angled in the
same direction, the action rolled the carded fibers into a sliver (a
loose roll of untwisted fibers) that was the length of the hand card and
about the diameter of the finger. This placed the wool fibers crosswise
in relation to the length of the sliver, their best position for
spinning.[1] Until the mid-18th century hand cards were the only type of
implement available for carding.

[Illustration: Figure 2.--HAND CARDS "USED ON PLANTATION OF MARY C.
PURVIS," NELSON COUNTY, VIRGINIA, during early 1800's and now in U.S.
National Museum (_cat. no._ T2848; _Smithsonian photo_ 37258).]

[Illustration: Figure 3.--THE FIRST MACHINE IN LEWIS PAUL'S BRITISH
PATENT 636, ISSUED AUGUST 30, 1748. The treadle moved the card-covered
board _B1_, in a horizontal direction as necessary to perform the
carding operation. With the aid of the needlestick the fibers were
removed separately from each of the 16 cards _N_. The carded fibers were
placed on a narrow cloth band, which unrolled from the small cylinder
_G_, on the left, and was rolled up with the fibers on the cylinder _I_,
at the right.]


First Mechanical Cards

The earliest mechanical device for carding fibers was invented by Lewis
Paul in England in 1738 but not patented until August 30, 1748. The
patent described two machines. The first, and less important, machine
consisted of 16 narrow cards mounted on a board; a single card held in
the hand performed the actual carding operation (see fig. 3). The second
machine utilized a horizontal cylinder covered with parallel rows of
card clothing. Under the cylinder was a concave frame lined with similar
card clothing. As the cylinder was turned, the cards on it worked
against those on the concave frame, separating and straightening the
fibers (see fig. 4). After the fibers were carded, the concave section
was lowered and the fibers were stripped off by hand with a needle
stick, an implement resembling a comb with very fine needlelike metal
teeth. Though his machine was far from perfect. Lewis Paul had invented
the carding cylinder working with stationary cards and the stripping
comb.

[Illustration: Figure 4.--THE PATENT DESCRIPTION OF PAUL'S SECOND
MACHINE suggested that the fibers be carded by a cylinder action, but be
removed in the same manner as directed in the first patent.]

[Illustration: Figure 5.--ILLUSTRATIONS FROM BRITISH PATENT 628, ISSUED
JANUARY 20, 1748, to Daniel Bourn for a roller card machine.]

[Illustration: Figure 6.--THE MOST IMPORTANT SINGLE FEATURE Illustrated
in Richard Arkwright's British patent 1111 of December 16, 1775,
provided "a crank and a frame of iron with teeth" to remove the carded
fibers from the cylinder.]

Another important British patent was granted in 1748 to Daniel Bourn,
who invented a machine with four carding rollers set close together, the
first of the roller-card type (see fig. 5). To produce a practical
carding machine, however, several additional mechanical improvements
were necessary. The first of these did not appear until more than two
decades later, in 1772, when John Lees of Manchester is reported to have
invented a machine featuring "a perpetual revolving cloth, called a
feeder," that fed the fibers into the machine.[2] Shortly afterward, the
stripper rollers[3] and the doffer comb[4] (a mechanical utilization of
Paul's hand device) were added. Both James Hargreaves and Richard
Arkwright claimed to be the inventor of these improvements, but it was
Arkwright who, in 1775, first patented these ideas. His comb and crank
(see fig. 6) provided a mechanical means by which the carded fibers
could be removed from the cylinder. With this, the cylinder card became
a practical machine. Arkwright continued the modification of the doffing
end by drawing the carded fibers through a funnel and then passing them
through two rollers. This produced a continuous sliver, a narrow ribbon
of fibers ready to be spun into yarn. However, it was soon realized that
the bulk characteristic desired in woolen yarns (but not desired in the
compact types such as worsted yarns or cotton yarns) required that the
wool be carded in a machine that would help produce this.

[Illustration: Figure 7.--NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS, in 1796, AN
ENGRAVING FROM JOHN J. CURRIER'S _History of Newburyport,
Massachusetts_, 1764-1909, vol. 2, Newburyport, 1906-09.]

In carding wool it was found more effective to omit the flat stationary
cards and to use only rollers to work the fibers. The method of
preparing the sliver also had to be changed. Since it was necessary to
remove the wool fibers crosswise in the sliver, a fluted wooden cylinder
called a roller-bowl was used in conjunction with an under board or
shell. As a given section of the carded wool was fed between the fluted
cylinder and the board, the action of the cylinder rolled the fibers
into a sliver about the diameter of the finger and the length of the
cylinder. Although these were only 24-inch lengths as compared to the
continuous sliver produced by the Arkwright cotton-carding machine,[5]
wool could still be carded with much more speed and thoroughness than
with the small hand cards. This then was the state of mechanical wool
carding in England in the 1790's as two experienced wool manufacturers,
John and Arthur Scholfield, planned their trip to America.


John and Arthur Scholfield

The Scholfields, however, were not to be the first to introduce
mechanical wool carding into America. Several attempts had been made
prior to their arrival. In East Hartford, Connecticut, "about 1770
Elisha Pitkin had built a mill on the east side of Main Street near the
old meeting-house and Hockanum Bridge, which was run by water-power,
supplied by damming the Hockanum River. Here, beside grinding grain and
plaster, was set up the first wool-carding machine in the state, and, it
is believed, in the country."[6] Samual Mayall in Boston, about 1788 or
1789, set up a carding machine operated by horse power. In 1791 he moved
to Gray, Maine, where he operated a shop for wool carding and cloth
dressing.[7] Of the machines used at the Hartford Woolen Manufactory,
organized in 1788, a viewer reported he saw "two carding-engines,
working by water, of a very inferior construction." They were further
described as having "two large center cylinders in each, with two
doffers, and only two working cylinders, of the breadth of bare sixteen
inches, said to be invented by some person there."[8] But these were
isolated examples; most of the woolen mills of this period were like the
one built in 1792 by John Manning in Ipswich, Massachusetts, where all
the work of carding, spinning, and weaving was still performed by hand.

The Scholfields' knowledge of mechanical wool-processing was to find a
welcome reception in this young nation now struggling for economic
independence. The exact reason for their decision to embark for America
is unknown. However, it may well be that they, like Samuel Slater[9]
some three years earlier, had learned of the bounties being offered by
several state legislatures for the successful introduction of new
textile machines.

Both John and Arthur were experienced in the manufacture of woolens.
They were the sons of a clothier (during the 18th century, a person who
performed the several operations in finishing cloth) and had been
apprenticed to the trade. Arthur was 36 and a bachelor; John, a little
younger, was married and had six children. Arthur and John, with his
family, sailed from Liverpool in March 1793 and arrived in Boston some
two months later. Upon arrival, their immediate concern was to find a
dwelling place for John's family. Finally they were accommodated by
Jedediah Morse, well-known author of _Morse's geography and gazetteer_,
in a lodging in Charlestown, near Bunker Hill. In less than a month John
began to build a spinning jenny and a hand loom, and soon the
Scholfields started to produce woolen cloth. The two brothers were
joined in the venture by John Shaw, a spinner and weaver who had
migrated from England with them. Morse, being much impressed with some
of the broadcloth they produced, was especially interested to find that
John and Arthur understood the actual construction of the textile
machines. Morse immediately recommended the Scholfields to some wealthy
persons of Newburyport (see fig. 7), who were interested in sponsoring a
new textile mill.

[Illustration: Figure 8.--CROSS-SECTION OF A SCHOLFIELD WOOL-CARDING
MACHINE. The wool was fed into the machine from a moving apron, locked
in by a pair of rollers, and passed from the taker-in roller to the
angle stripper. This latter roller transferred the wool on to the main
cylinder and acted as a stripper for the first worker roller. After
passing through two more workers and strippers, the wool was prepared
for leaving the main cylinder by the fancy, a roller with longer wire
teeth set to reach into the card clothing of the large cylinder. Then
the doffer roller picked up the carded fibers from the main cylinder in
4-inch widths the length of the roller. These sections were freed by the
comb plate, passed between the fluted wooden cylinder and an under
board, where they were converted into slivers, and deposited into a
small wooden trough.]


The Newburyport Woolen Manufactory

A Newburyport philanthropist, Timothy Dexter, contributed the use of his
stable. There, beginning in December 1793, the Scholfields built a
24-inch, single-cylinder, wool-carding machine. They completed it early
in 1794, the first Scholfield wool-carding machine in America. The group
was so impressed that they organized the Newburyport Woolen Manufactory.
Arthur was hired as overseer of the carding and John as overseer of the
weaving and also as company agent for the purchase of raw wool. A site
was chosen on the Parker River in Byfield Parish, Newbury, where a
building 100 feet long, about half as wide, and three stories high was
constructed. To the new factory were moved the first carding machine,
two double-carding machines, as well as spinning, weaving and fulling
machines. The carding machines were built by Messrs. Standring,
Armstrong, and Guppy, under the Scholfields' immediate direction. All
the machinery with the exception of the looms was run by water-power;
the weaving was done by hand. The enterprise was in full operation by
1795.

John and Arthur Scholfield (and John's 11-year-old son, James) worked at
the Byfield factory for several years. During a wool-buying trip to
Connecticut in 1798, John observed a valuable water-power site at the
mouth of the Oxoboxo River, in the town (i.e., township) of Montville,
Connecticut. Here, the brothers decided, would be a good place to set up
their own mill, and on April 19, 1799, they signed a 14-year lease for
the water site, a dwelling house, a shop, and 17 acres of land. As soon
as arrangements could be completed, Arthur, John, and the latter's
family left for Montville.

[Illustration: Figure 9.--IN THE COLLECTION OF THE HENRY FORD MUSEUM,
DEARBORN, MICHIGAN, IS THIS ORIGINAL SCHOLFIELD WOOL-CARDING MACHINE of
the early 19th century. (_Photo courtesy of the Henry Ford Museum._)]

The Scholfields quite probably did not take any of the textile machinery
from the Byfield factory with them to Connecticut--first because the
machines were built while the brothers were under hire and so were the
property of the sponsors, and second because their knowledge of how to
build the machines would have made it unnecessary to incur the
inconvenience and expense of transporting machines the hundred odd miles
to Montville. However, John Scholfield's sons reported[10] that they had
taken a carding engine with them when they moved to Connecticut in 1799
and had later transferred it to a factory in Stonington. The sons
claimed that the frame, cylinders, and lags of the machine were made of
mahogany and that it had originally been imported from England. However,
it would have been most uncommon for a textile machine, even an English
one, to have been constructed of mahogany; and having built successful
carding machines, the men at Byfield would have found it unnecessary to
attempt the virtually impossible feat of importing an English one. If it
ever existed and was taken to Connecticut, therefore, this machine was
probably not a carding machine manufactured by the Scholfields. It is
more probable that the first Scholfield carding machine remained in the
Byfield mill as the property of the Newburyport Woolen Manufactory.

[Illustration: Figure 10.--AN ORIGINAL SCHOLFIELD WOOL-CARDING MACHINE
AT OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE, STURBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS. It is now run by
electricity. (_Photo courtesy of Old Sturbridge Village._)]

During the next half century, this mill was held by a number of
individuals. William Bartlett and Moses Brown, two of the leading
stockholders of the company, sold it in 1804 to John Lees, the English
overseer who succeeded the Scholfields, and he continued to operate it
for about 20 years. On August 24, 1824, the mill was purchased at a
Sheriff's sale by Gorham Parsons, who sold a part interest to Paul
Moody, a machinist from the textile town of Lowell. Moody operated the
mill for the next 5 years and at his death in 1831 his heirs sold their
interest back to Parsons. In 1832 it was leased for 7 years by William
N. Cleveland and Solomon Wilde under the name of William N. Cleveland &
Co. Following the expiration of the lease in 1839, a portion of the mill
was occupied for 3 or 4 years by Enoch Pearson, believed to have been a
descendant of the John Pearson who had been a clothier in Rowley in
1643, and subsequently various industries occupied other portions and
later the entire building, which burned with all its contents on October
29, 1859.

If the first Scholfield carding machine remained a part of the property,
therefore it must have been lost in that fire. However, the Scholfields'
importance to American wool manufacture was not contingent on the
building of one successful carding machine, regardless of whether it was
the first. It was the change in the scope of their business ventures
after their move to Connecticut that synonymized the name of Scholfield
with mechanical wool carding in America.

John and Arthur had built their woolen mill at Uncasville, a village in
the town of Montville, and there Arthur remained with his brother until
1801, when he married, sold his interest to John, and moved to
Pittsfield, Massachusetts. John and his sons continued to operate the
mill until 1806, when difficulties over water privileges spurred him to
purchase property in Stonington, Connecticut, where he built a new mill
containing two double-cylinder carding machines.[11] In 1813, leaving
one son in charge at Stonington, John returned to Montville and
purchased another factory and water privileges. He continued in the
woolen manufacture until his death in 1820.

Arthur, soon after arriving in Pittsfield, constructed a carding machine
and opened a Pittsfield mill. The following advertisement appeared in
the _Pittsfield Sun_, November 2, 1801:

     Arthur Scholfield respectfully informs the inhabitants of
     Pittsfield and the neighboring towns, that he has a carding-machine
     half a mile west of the meeting-house, where they may have their
     wool carded into rolls for 12-1/2 cents per pound; mixed 15-1/2
     cents per pound. If they find the grease, and pick and grease it,
     it will be 10 cents per pound, and 12-1/2 cents mixed. They are
     requested to send their wool in sheets as they will serve to bind
     up the rolls when done. Also a small amount of woolens for sale.

The people around Pittsfield soon realized that the mechanically carded
wool was not only much easier to spin but enabled them to produce twice
as much yarn from the same amount of wool. Although many brought their
wool to be carded at his factory, Arthur was not without problems. These
were evident in his advertisement of May 1802, in which he stated that
if the wool was not properly "sorted, clipped, and cleansed" he would
charge an extra penny per pound. He also added that he would issue no
credit. Shortly after this, recognizing the need for additional carding
machines in other localities, Arthur Scholfield undertook the work of
manufacturing such machines for sale. Through this venture he was to
spread his knowledge of mechanical wool carding throughout the country.


The Scholfield Machines

The first record of Arthur's sale of carding machines appeared in the
_Pittsfield Sun_ in September 1803. The next year, in May 1804, his
advertisement informed the readers that A. Scholfield continued to card
wool, and also that:

     He has carding-machines for sale, built under his immediate
     inspection, upon a new and improved plan, which he is determined to
     sell on the most liberal terms, and will give drafts and other
     instructions to those who wish to build for themselves; and
     cautions all whom it may concern to beware how they are imposed
     upon by uninformed speculating companies, who demand more than
     twice as much for machines as they are really worth.

Scholfield must have felt that some of his competitors were charging
much more for their carding machines than they were worth. Also, others
were producing inferior machines that did not card the wool properly.
Both factors encouraged Arthur to continue the commercial production of
wool-carding machines. In April 1805 he again advertised:

     Good news for farmers, only eight cents per pound for picking,
     greasing, and carding white wool, and twelve and a half cents for
     mixed. For sale, Double Carding-machines, upon a new and improved
     plan, good and cheap.

And in 1806:

     Double carding machines, made and sold by A. Scholfield for $253
     each, without the cards, or $400 including the cards. Picking
     machines at $30 each. Wool carded on the same terms as last year,
     viz.: eight cents per pound for white, and twelve and a half cents
     for mixed, no credit given.

With both carpenters and machinists working under his direction, he soon
abandoned completely the carding of wool and devoted his full time to
producing carding machines. An advertisement in the _Pittsfield Sun_
shows Alexander and Elisha Ely providing carding service there with a
Scholfield machine in 1806. Scholfield machines were also set up in
Massachusetts at Bethuel Baker, Jr., & Co. in Lanesborough in 1805, at
Walker & Worthington in Lenox, at Curtis's Mills in Stockbridge, at
Reuben Judd & Co. in Williamstown, in Lee at the falls near the forge,
at Bairds' Mills in Bethlehem in 1806, and by John Hart in Cheshire in
1807. Subsequently many more Scholfield machines were set up in many
other places as far away as Manchester, New Hampshire, in 1809 and Mason
Village, New Hampshire, in about 1810.

One of the difficulties that Arthur encountered in building these early
machines was in cutting the comb plates that freed the carded fleece
from the cylinder. These plates had to be prepared by hand, the teeth
being cut and filed one by one. In 1814 James Standring, an old friend
and co-worker, smuggled into this country a "teeth-cutting machine,"
which he had procured on a trip to England.[12] Standring kept the
machine closely guarded, permitting only Scholfield and one other
friend to see it. Standring used his machine to make new saws of all
descriptions and to re-cut old ones as well as to prepare comb plates
for the carding machines. But in spite of this new simplified method of
producing comb plates Scholfield's business did not flourish, for the
tremendous influx of foreign fabrics after the War of 1812 greatly
damaged the domestic textile industries, including the manufacture of
carding machines.

By 1818 Scholfield's friends had persuaded him to apply to Congress for
relief. To his brother John on April 20, 1818, he wrote:

     ... I have been advised by my friends to apply to Congress by a
     petition as we were the first that introduced the woolen Business
     by Machinery in this country and should that plan be adopted I have
     but little hopes of success but they say if it does no good it wont
     doo any harm but at any rate I should like your opinion and advice
     about it....

Apparently John felt the plan would not succeed, for on the following
December 17 Arthur wrote him again:

     ... With regard to applying to Congress I have given that up for I
     am of your opinion that it won't succeed what gave me some hopes I
     was advis'd to it by a member of the Senet who is a very
     influential man in Congress but he is now out and I think tis best
     to drop it....

Arthur never applied to Congress for the recognition his contemporaries
felt he deserved.[13]

Several changes in the construction of wool-carding machines took place
during this period. As early as 1816 John Scholfield, Jr., was reported
to have in his mill in Jewett City, Connecticut, a double-cylinder
carding machine 3 feet wide. And in 1822 a Worcester, Massachusetts,
machine maker advertised that he was "constructing carding machines
entirely of iron."[14] Although a few of these iron carding machines
were sold, they did not become common until 50 years later.[15]

There is no record that Arthur Scholfield manufactured carding machines
of a width greater than 24 inches, or entirely of iron. However, little
is known of his last business years except that he remained in
Pittsfield until his death, March 27, 1827.

Only three wool-carding machines attributed to the hands of the
Scholfields are known to exist today. All are 24-inch, single-cylinder
carding machines of the same general description (see fig. 8). They
differ only in minor respects that probably result from subsequent
changes and additions. One (fig. 9), now located in the Plymouth Carding
House, at Greenfield Village, Dearborn, Michigan, was discovered in
Ware, Massachusetts. Another (fig. 10), now at Old Sturbridge Village,
Sturbridge, Massachusetts,[16] was uncovered in a barn in northern New
Hampshire. The third (fig. 1), is in the U.S. National Museum in the
collection of the Division of Textiles.

Both it and the Dearborn machine have in former times been described as
"the original Scholfield woolen card." It is a romantic but
unsubstantiated idea that either of these is the first Scholfield
carding machine set up in the Byfield factory in 1794. The author's
opinion is that all three were built by Arthur Scholfield during his
years in the Pittsfield factory. Examination of the National Museum
machine supports this opinion. The woods used are all native to the New
England region. The frame, the large cylinder and the roller called the
fancy are constructed of eastern white pine (the Sturbridge machine is
also constructed principally of pine). The joints of the main frame are
mortised and tenoned. At the doffing end the main frame and cross
supports are numbered and matched, I to IIII, and at the feed end they
are numbered V to VIII but were mis-matched in the original assembly.
Further rigidity is achieved by means of hand-forged lag screws. The
arch of the frame is birch and the arch arm maple. The 14-inch doffer
roller is made of chestnut.[17] The iron shafts are square and turned
down at the bearings. The worker rollers are fitted with sprockets and
turned by a hand-forged chain. The comb plate, stamped "Standring," is
hand filed, and is undoubtedly one of those made before the
"teeth-cutting machine" was smuggled from England, for although
one-third of the plate is quite regular, the size and pitch of the teeth
in the remaining two-thirds are irregular. Part of this irregularity
might be explained as having been caused by the hand-sharpening of a
plate originally cut by machine, but the teeth in one 2-inch span not
only vary in size but have a pitch that would have been impossible to
produce after the original plate had been made.[18]

There is no doubt that this carding machine was made by Arthur
Scholfield, or under his immediate supervision, sometime between 1803
and 1814. It may well be one of the machines sent to southern New
Hampshire in 1809 or 1810, as it is known to have been run in Nashua and
Jeffrey, New Hampshire, in the 1820's and 1830's, after which it was run
by James Townsend in Marlboro, New Hampshire, from 1837 until 1890, when
it was exhibited at the Mechanics Fair in Boston. Mr. Rufus S. Frost
purchased the machine and owned it until his death in 1897. When the
Frost estate was settled, the old Scholfield wool-carding machine was
purchased by the Davis & Furber Machine Co., by which in 1954 it was
presented to the National Museum.

The disappearance of the original Scholfield carding machine is
regrettable, but fortunately the Scholfields' importance to the American
woolen industry does not depend on their having produced this one
machine. These brothers, arriving here at a critical time in our
nation's history, made important contributions to our economic and to
our technological progress--John by his mill operations, Arthur by his
ultimate work of constructing wool-carding machines for sale. Of these
two aspects, it is the contribution of Arthur that has had the more
far-reaching effect, for he spread his expert knowledge of mechanical
wool carding, in the form of machines, throughout the New England woolen
centers. His machines now stand as monuments to the work of both.


FOOTNOTES:

[1] The same type of hand cards were also used for cotton in Colonial
America, but because the cotton fibers were not laid parallel in the
sliver only coarse yarns could be spun. In ancient Peru the fibers for
spinning fine cotton yarns were prepared with the fingers alone. In
India the cotton fibers were combed with the fine-toothed jawbone of the
boalee fish before the fibers were removed from the seed. (J.F. Watson,
_The textile manufactures and the costumes of the people of India_,
London, 1866, p. 64.)

[2] Edward Baines, _History of the cotton manufacture in Great Britain_,
London, 1835, p. 176.

[3] The wire points of the worker roller pick up the fibers from the
faster moving main cylinder, carding the fibers on contact. A stripping
action takes place when the wires of the worker roller meet the points
of the stripper roller in a "point to back" action. This arrangement is
used to remove the wool from the worker and put it back on the wire
teeth of the main cylinder. Illustrated in W. Van Bergen and H.R.
Mauersberger, _American wool handbook_, New York, 1948, p. 451.

[4] The doffer comb, a serrated metal plate the length of the rollers,
removes the carded fibers from the last roller or doffer.

[5] This was no great disadvantage at this time, as wool was still being
spun on the spinning wheel. The mechanical spinning of woolen yarns was
an obstinate problem that was not solved until 1815-1820. It then was
necessary to piece these 24-inch slivers together before they could be
spun until 1826, when a device for the doffing of carded wool in a
continuous sliver was perfected by an American, John Goulding, and
patented by him.

[6] A.P. Pitkin, _The Pitkin family of America_, Hartford, 1887, p. 75.

[7] From a letter written in 1889 by Mayall's son; A.H. Cole, _The
American wool manufacture_, vol. 1, Cambridge, 1926, p. 90.

[8] From a report of the visit of Henry Wansey in 1794, cited by W.R.
Bagnall, _The textile industries of the United States_, Cambridge, 1893,
p. 107.

[9] Slater introduced the Arkwright system of carding and spinning
cotton into America in 1790. Bringing neither plans nor models with him
from which to build the machines, he relied instead on his detailed
knowledge of their construction. England prohibited the export of
textile machines, models, and plans, and even attempted to prevent
skilled artisans from leaving the country. George S. White, _Memoir of
Samuel Slater_, Philadelphia, 1836, pp. 37 and 71.

[10] R.C. Taft, _Some notes upon the introduction of the woolen
manufacture into the United States_, Providence, 1882, pp. 17-18. The
Scholfield sons, of whom three were still living in the 1880's, were
quite elderly at the time Taft talked to them; only James, aged 98,
would have been able to remember the Connecticut move.

[11] There is no record of the carding machine made of mahogany which
John's sons reported had been transferred to the Stonington mill.

[12] This is probably the machine that gave rise to stories of a carding
machine having been smuggled from England during the early Byfield days.
J.E.A. Smith, _The history of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, from the year
1800 to the year 1876_, Springfield, 1876, p. 167.

[13] U.S. 15th Congress, 1st and 2nd sessions, _The debates and
proceedings in the Congress_, vols. for 1817-1819 (2).

[14] _Worcester Spy_, July 10, 1822.

[15] A natural delay. Although the cylinders and the card clothing wore
out and had to be replaced, the heavy wooden frames of the early
machines remained long in serviceable condition.

[16] Once again in use, it is now powered by electricity. A pound of
slivers from it (about 260) may be purchased for $3.00.

[17] The author is indebted to William N. Watkins, U.S. National Museum
Curator of Agriculture and Wood Products, Smithsonian Institution, for
the identification of the woods in the specimen.

[18] The author is indebted to Mr. Don Berkebile of the Smithsonian's
U.S. National Museum staff for his examination of the metal teeth on the
comb plate of this machine.





End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Scholfield Wool-Carding Machines, by 
Grace L. Rogers

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SCHOLFIELD WOOL-CARDING MACHINES ***

***** This file should be named 27137.txt or 27137.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
        https://www.gutenberg.org/2/7/1/3/27137/

Produced by Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper, Greg Bergquist
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at
https://www.pgdp.net


Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
will be renamed.

Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
redistribution.



*** START: FULL LICENSE ***

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
https://gutenberg.org/license).


Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic works

1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works.  See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.

1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
States.

1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
copied or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
1.E.9.

1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.

1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg-tm License.

1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
that

- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."

- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
     License.  You must require such a user to return or
     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
     Project Gutenberg-tm works.

- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
     of receipt of the work.

- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.

1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
your equipment.

1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.

1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.


Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm

Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org.


Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
https://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.

The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
[email protected].  Email contact links and up to date contact
information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
page at https://pglaf.org

For additional contact information:
     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
     Chief Executive and Director
     [email protected]


Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
particular state visit https://pglaf.org

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
donations.  To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate


Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works.

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.


Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.


Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:

     https://www.gutenberg.org

This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.