COTTON • spinning, the art or process of reducing cotton-wool into yarn or thread. The most simple method for this purpose, and the only one in use for a long time in this country, was by the hand, upon the well-known domestic ma chine, called a one-thread wheel. But as the demand for cotton goods began to in crease, other inventions were thought of for expediting this part of the manufac ture. About fifty years ago an engine was contrived, for a more easy 4nd expe ditious method of spinning cotton, and a patent was obtained ; but the undertaking did not prove successful. Some years after, various machines were constructed by different persons for facilitating the spinning of cotton, but without producing any very material or lasting advantage. At length, about 1767, Mr. James Har grave, a weaver in the neighbourhood of Blackburn, in Lancashire, constructed a machine, by which a great number of threads (from 20 to 80) might be spun at once, and for which he obtained his Majesty's letters patent. This machine is called a jenny, and is the best contri vance for spinning woof, or shute, that has hitherto appeared. It is now com monly constructed for 84 threads, and with it one person can spin 100 English hanks in the day, each hank containing 840 yards.
The next and most capital improve ments which this branch of manufacture received were from Mr. Arkwright, after ward Sir Richard Arkwright, of Crum ford, in Derbyshire. He first brought forward his new method of spinning cot ton in 1768, for which he obtained a patent in 1769. In 1775 he obtained ano
ther patent, for engines which he had con structed to prepare the materials for spinning ; though one of these patents, being challenged at law, was set aside some years before it expired. The re sult of Mr. Arkwright's different inven tions and improvements is a combination of machinery, by which cotton is carded, roved and spun, with the utmost exact ness and equality ; and such a degree of perfection attained in spinning warp, as is not to be equalled in any other part of the the world. To these improvements this country is entirely indebted for the great extent of its cotton manufactures, large buildings having been erected for that branch both in England and Scotland, many of which contain several thousands of spindles, each.driven by one or more large water wheels ; and some of such extent, as to spin at the rate of one thou sand yards of twist or warn yarn in the minute. Other machines have been in vented at different times, and a variety of improvements made by different me chanics and manufacturers, one of which j in pariicular we must not omit to men tion. It is called a mule, being a kind of mixture of machinery between the warp machine of Mr. Arkwright, and the woof machine, or hand jenny, of Mr. Hargrave, and was also invented in Lan cashire.