AMERICAN INDUSTRIES SINCE COLUMBUS. 457 



or case which causes the fabric to shrink in the direction of the 

 warp. The first closed cylindrical fulling machine came into use 

 about 1844. By its use this important branch of the work was 

 executed with a precision and certainty hitherto unattainable, 

 while much economy of room and saving of heat were effected 

 by suppressing the old fulling machines. 



After rinsing, tentering or dry stretching follows. In our 

 older mill-yards may still be seen the tenter posts and hooks, 

 upon which the cloth was stretched and left for several days to 

 dry in the open air. This operation is now quickly performed 

 by the use of revolving frames and steam coils. Raising fol- 

 lows, to open and disentangle the fibers, completely covering the 

 surface of the goods after milling and tentering. The "nap" 

 is raised by the use of the teasel, which earlier manufacturers 

 set in a frame, having crossed handles, and scratched over the 

 surface of the cloth. This frame formed a tool not unlike a curry- 

 comb in appearance, and was used by two men, who scrubbed the 

 face of the cloth as it hung in a vertical position from horizontal 

 rails fixed to the ceiling of the workshop. The machine upon which 

 this work is now done is called the raising-gig. It is a large cylin- 

 der, containing a number of iron rods closely set with teasels. It 

 travels rapidly, in a direction opposite to the movement of the 

 cloth, which, moving slowly, is brought in contact with the sharp 

 and pliant teasels, which 



raise the fibers by a series 

 of rollers, capable of ad- 

 justment according to the 

 amount of nap it is de- 

 sired to raise. The gig- 

 ging machine also, while 

 not originally an Ameri- 

 can invention, has re- 

 ceived from Americans 

 its most valuable feat- 

 ures. As early as 171)4 

 Walter Burt obtained in 

 America a patent for a 

 gigging -mill in which 

 the rotating barrel was 

 the distinguishing part; 

 and the names of Jersey, 

 Christie, Olney, Barrows, Beck, and Wells are honorably iden- 

 tified with its subsequent development. 



The process of cutting off at an equal height all the filaments 

 on the surface developed by napping was performed in the middle 

 ages by the use of enormous scissors, and this method was contin- 



Fig. 29. Head of Fuller's Teasel, and Heads of 

 Wild Teasel. 



