History of Thread Manufacturing

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History of Thread Illustrated The Evolution of Thread, published by Coats over a century ago, provides a fascinating photo journal from the past. A glimpse into life in America at the dawn of the industrial revolution, and the textile industry at the turn of the century.

	the history of cotton

	The invention of the "Cotton Gin" (which was short for Cotton Engine) by Eli Whitney in 1793 was the beginning of an era in the South, as cotton planting and spinning gained economic importance to the region as well as the country. Removing the seeds from the soft tufts of cotton once took hours by hand, but with the introduction of the Cotton Gin, this tedious process was replaced "overnight." The machine quickly and efficiently separated the seeds from the raw cotton, and produced rolls of crude batting, which were ready for the next manufacturing step. Production costs were cut in half, which made cotton goods affordable for millions of people.

	at the mill

	Once the seeds and rough materials were extracted from the cotton, the crude cotton batting was rolled and compressed into bales, to create compact units for shipment to the mill. Before the cotton could be processed, the bales were opened at the mill and distributed in large storage bins (called "sorting" or "seasoning" bins). The cotton was mechanically distributed loosely in the bins, which allowed air to circulate and dry the fibers, which may have become moist during shipment. This also allowed the compressed fibers to relax and regain their original shape after being tightly wrapped for many days during shipment. The "Picker" or "Scutching" Machine (at right) were used to pull the matted cotton to shreds and beat out the heavier dirt, mineral matter, seed, etc. The cotton leaves this machine in a rolled up sheet of rude batting.

Cotton Fields

cotton in the storehouse

Picker or Scutching Machine

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