The Textile Business

The term 'textiles' refers to products made by transforming any kind of fiber (including silk and synthetics) into finished fabric. Textile mills contain all the machinery required to perform the many required operations.

After cleaning and combing the raw fibers, the two main steps are spinning the fiber into yarn, and then weaving the yarn into lengths of finished fabric. Both were formerly manual processes, performed at home, by women.

All this requires is a spinning wheel, a weaving loom, and plenty of manual labor. By 1810, both these tasks are being performed at high speed by textile mill machinery, using first waterpower, and then steam.
Textile industry, 1820s

  Many Strands, One Fabric
Fabric begins as heaps of disorganized fibers (top left). After cleaning and combing, the fibers are stretched and twisted into yarn. Fabric is made by weaving softer crosswise yarn through the longer and stronger lengthwise strands, going first under, then over (bottom left). The loom at top center is loaded with all the longer strands stretched towards the weaver.

Power looms

  Advanced Machinery
The magic of the power loom is how the shuttle is sent from side to side without being touched by the operator. At each side is a vertical wooden stick with a hard wooden head, which acts like a mallet to drive the shuttle from side to side. The mallet is pulled back (to the left, in center photo) and then suddenly released with great force. The head of the mallet whacks the pointed end of the shuttle (top right), sending the shuttle flying to the right. A similar mallet at the other end works in the opposite direction.


Textile mill layout, 1830s

  Layer Cakes
Textile mills are organized like a big layer cake, with the power unit at the bottom. Canal water is diverted into the basement level, where it turns a series of waterwheels (lower left) or water turbines. The mill shown at top left has water turbines. Either way, leather belting is used to transfer power to overhead power shafts on each floor. Long rows of identical machines on every level (right) are connected to the power shafts. Operators typically tend several machines, keeping everything operating smoothly.