Textile Manufacturing | ClipArt ETC

This ClipArt gallery offers 67 illustrations of textile manufacturing including ginning, scutching, carding, spinning, weaving, knitting, and finishing of cotton, wool, and other fibers. This gallery illustrates commercial scale processes. For illustrations of hand weaving, please see the Fabric Arts gallery in the Crafts section.

A bundle of goods corded for transportation.

Bale

A bundle of goods corded for transportation.

Cotton bales on a horse drawn buggy.

Cotton Bales

Cotton bales on a horse drawn buggy.

A small cylindrical piece of wood or metal with a border at one or both ends, on which thread is wound; a kind of spool.

Bobbin

A small cylindrical piece of wood or metal with a border at one or both ends, on which thread is wound;…

An sectional illustration of a carding machine. Carding is the processing of brushing raw or washed fibers to prepare them as textiles. A large variety of fibers can be carded, anything from dog hair, to llama, to soy fiber (a fiber made from soy beans), to polyester. Cotton and wool are probably the most common fibers to be carded. Not all fibers are carded; Flax and bast, for example, is retted then threshed.

Sectional View of a Carder

An sectional illustration of a carding machine. Carding is the processing of brushing raw or washed…

"Roller and Clearer Carding Machine." — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893

Carding Machine

"Roller and Clearer Carding Machine." — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893

Clothing

Manufacturing and sale of clothing.

"Combing Machine." — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893

Combing Machine

"Combing Machine." — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893

An illustration of a cotton chute in Savannah, Georgia.

Cotton Bundles

An illustration of a cotton chute in Savannah, Georgia.

Cotton Centennial

A cotton press yard of the Cotton Centennial in the 1884 World's Fair in New Orleans, Louisiana.

This illustration shows the machine used to compress cotton.

Cotton Compresser

This illustration shows the machine used to compress cotton.

"The Cotton-Gin, a machine that processes cotton."—E. Benjamin Andrews, 1895

Cotton Gin

"The Cotton-Gin, a machine that processes cotton."—E. Benjamin Andrews, 1895

A section of the cotton gin, showing the cotton passing frrom the feeder over the cylinders.

Cotton Gin

A section of the cotton gin, showing the cotton passing frrom the feeder over the cylinders.

Eli Whitney's cotton gin, which made the production of cotton many times more efficient.

Cotton Gin

Eli Whitney's cotton gin, which made the production of cotton many times more efficient.

A Cotton Gin (short for cotton engine) is a machine that quickly and easily separates the cotton fibers from the seedpods and the sometimes sticky seeds, a job previously done by workers. These seeds are either used again to grow more cotton or, if badly damaged, are disposed of. It uses a combination of a wire screen and small wire hooks to pull the cotton through the screen, while brushes continuously remove the loose cotton lint to prevent jams. The term "gin" is an abbreviation for engine, and means "machine".

Cotton Gin

A Cotton Gin (short for cotton engine) is a machine that quickly and easily separates the cotton fibers…

An illustration of a modified cotton gin.

Cotton Gin

An illustration of a modified cotton gin.

This mechanical drawing of a cotton gin depicts internal moving parts, where the machine was intended to separate cotton fibers from seeds.

Cotton Gin Machine

This mechanical drawing of a cotton gin depicts internal moving parts, where the machine was intended…

Cotton Machine

"Three-cylinder Opener, Beater, and Lap Machiine." — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893

Spinning cotton in a mill.

Cotton Mill

Spinning cotton in a mill.

Looms in a cotton mill.

Cotton Mill

Looms in a cotton mill.

An illustration of a cotton mill in Columbus, Georgia. A cotton mill is a factory housing spinning and weaving machinery. Cotton was the leading sector in the Industrial Revolution, as a cotton spinning was mechanized in mills.

Cotton Mill

An illustration of a cotton mill in Columbus, Georgia. A cotton mill is a factory housing spinning and…

A machine used in the 19th century to open cotton.

Cotton Opener

A machine used in the 19th century to open cotton.

Cotton Press

This illustration shows the tool used for pressing and baling cotton.

An illustration of a cotton press which presses the cotton into compressed bundles which is helpful in transporting.

Cotton Press

An illustration of a cotton press which presses the cotton into compressed bundles which is helpful…

An image showing the process of picking cotton and then loading it upon merchant ships.

Picking and Loading Cotton

An image showing the process of picking cotton and then loading it upon merchant ships.

A short fruit limb of cotton bolls.

Short fruit limb of cotton bolls

A short fruit limb of cotton bolls.

An illustration of a river boat stacked with bundles of cotton.

Transporting Cotton

An illustration of a river boat stacked with bundles of cotton.

Whitney's cotton gin had a permanent influence on America's slavery. With-out a cotton-gin a slave could seperate only 1 pound of cotton a day. With the cotton-gin, a slave could seperate a thousand pounds.

Eli Whitney's Cotton-Gin

Whitney's cotton gin had a permanent influence on America's slavery. With-out a cotton-gin a slave could…

A primitive cotton-gin used to seperate seeds from the cotton.

Primitive Cotton-Gin

A primitive cotton-gin used to seperate seeds from the cotton.

Mather and Platt's Horizontal Drying Machine

Drying Machine

Mather and Platt's Horizontal Drying Machine

Diagram showing the Horizontal Drying Machine threaded with cloth

Drying Machine Diagram

Diagram showing the Horizontal Drying Machine threaded with cloth

Diagram showing the Horizontal Drying Machine threaded with cloth

Drying Machine Diagram

Diagram showing the Horizontal Drying Machine threaded with cloth

An illustration of a dye-jigger.

Dye-Jigger

An illustration of a dye-jigger.

An illustration of an automated dye-vat.

Automated Dye Vat

An illustration of an automated dye-vat.

"Self-stripping Flat Carding Machine" — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893

Flat Carding Machine

"Self-stripping Flat Carding Machine" — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893

A machine that separates the seeds, seed hulls, and other small objects from the fibers of cotton.

Cotton Gin

A machine that separates the seeds, seed hulls, and other small objects from the fibers of cotton.

Invented by Eli Whitney, the cotton gin is a machine that quickly separates the cotton from the seeds.

Cotton Gin

Invented by Eli Whitney, the cotton gin is a machine that quickly separates the cotton from the seeds.

A machine seed in separating the seeds from the cotton fiber.

Cotton Gin

A machine seed in separating the seeds from the cotton fiber.

An illustration of a man hauling cotton.

Hauling Cotton

An illustration of a man hauling cotton.

Wire Heddle

One of the sets of vertical cords or wires in a loom, forming the principal part of the harness that…

Originally the Jacquard machines were mechanical, and the fabric design was punched in pattern cards which were joined together to form a continuous chain. The Jacquards often were small and only independently controlled a relatively few warp ends. This required a number of repeats across the loom width. Larger capacity machines, or the use of multiple machines, allowed greater control, with fewer repeats, and hence larger designs to be woven across the loom width.

Jacquard Machine and Harness

Originally the Jacquard machines were mechanical, and the fabric design was punched in pattern cards…

"The modern system of cotton manufacture dates no further back than back 1760. Prior the mechanical inventions of Hargeaves, Arkwright, Crompton and Cartwright, the arts of spinning and weaving were entirely domestic, and the instruments of manipulation much the same as those which had been in use in the East for centuries before." -Lupton

The Spinning Jenny

"The modern system of cotton manufacture dates no further back than back 1760. Prior the mechanical…

An illustration of a jute opener.

Jute Opener

An illustration of a jute opener.

An illustration of a jute softening machine.

Jute Softening Machine

An illustration of a jute softening machine.

"A section of part of a lace machine. E is the cylinder or beam upon which the lace is rolled as made, and upon which the ends of both warp and weft threads are fastened at starting. Beneath are w, w, w, a series of trays or beams, one above the other, containing the reels of the supplies of warp threads; c, c represent the slide bars for the passage of the bobbin b with its thread from k to k, the landing bars, one on each side of the rank of warp threads; s, t are the combs which take it in turns to press together the twistings as they are made. The combs are so regulated that they come away clear from the threads as soon as they have pressed them together and fall into positions ready to perform their pressing operations again." —The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

Lace Machine

"A section of part of a lace machine. E is the cylinder or beam upon which the lace is rolled as made,…

"Single Scutcher and Lap Machine." — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893

Lap Machine

"Single Scutcher and Lap Machine." — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893

The first completely automated loom was made by Jacques Vaucanson in 1745. A different power loom was built by Edmund Cartwright in 1785. Originally, powered looms were shuttle-operated but in the early part of the 20th century the faster and more efficient shuttleless loom came into use. Today, advances in technology have produced a variety of looms designed to maximize production for specific types of material. The most common of these are air-jet looms and water-jet looms. Computer-driven looms are now also available to individual (non-industrial) weavers. Industrial looms can weave at speeds of six rows per second and faster.

Loom

The first completely automated loom was made by Jacques Vaucanson in 1745. A different power loom was…

Loom used to make textiles

Loom

Loom used to make textiles

A mechanized loom powered by a drive shaft. It eased the process of constructing fabric.

Cartwright's First Power Loom

A mechanized loom powered by a drive shaft. It eased the process of constructing fabric.

Shuttle Loom

Any loom that uses a shuttle. Most looms use a shuttle of some sort, however there are some shuttle-less…

This machine is used to weave cloth, the purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension.

Weaving Loom

This machine is used to weave cloth, the purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension.

Machine For Inserting Diagonal Strips in Woven Cane Work

All woven seats need a protective finish. Caned surfaces may be left natural and waxed, or they may…

A machine for compressing bolts of cloth or waste into compact bales for shipment.

Baling Press Machine

A machine for compressing bolts of cloth or waste into compact bales for shipment.

Arkright's water-frame wheel, the first power spinning-wheel.

Power Spinning Wheel

Arkright's water-frame wheel, the first power spinning-wheel.

This cotton press design allowed for cotton to filter through a windlass, later received by the hoop.

Cotton Press

This cotton press design allowed for cotton to filter through a windlass, later received by the hoop.

Calico printing was the first "operation connected with the printing of cloth."- Lupton

Calico Printing

Calico printing was the first "operation connected with the printing of cloth."- Lupton

"Sewing-horse. In saddlery, a sewing-clamp with its supports. a, seat; b, legs; c, c', clamping-jaws, c' hinged to c at d; e, strap fastened to c' passing through c, and attached by chain f to the foot-lever g, the latter pivoted at h; i, spring which opens the jaws when not pulled together by e; k, ratch which g engages to hold he jaws together." -Whitney, 1911

Sewing Horse

"Sewing-horse. In saddlery, a sewing-clamp with its supports. a, seat; b, legs; c, c', clamping-jaws,…

Shuttle

An instrument used by weavers for passing the thread of the woof from one side of the cloth to the other,…

The term shuttle loom refers to any loom that uses a shuttle. Most looms use a shuttle of some sort, however there are some shuttle-less looms. A shuttle is a tool designed to neatly and compactly store weft yarn while weaving. Shuttles are thrown or passed back and forth through the shed, between the yarn threats of the warp in order to weave in the weft.

Shuttle for Looms

The term shuttle loom refers to any loom that uses a shuttle. Most looms use a shuttle of some sort,…

"The operation which succeeds that of the drawing frame is slubbing, where the sliver has a certain amount of twist imparted to it, and is wound on a bobbin. In this process the end or sliver from the last head of the drawing frame is drawn out by means of three pairs of rollers, and this is twisted as it emerges from the front line of rollers by the action of vertical spindles and flyers, which at the same time wind the ends upon bobbins in successive layers." — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893

Slubbing Frame

"The operation which succeeds that of the drawing frame is slubbing, where the sliver has a certain…

A cylinder of wood, plastic, cardboard, or other material on which wire, thread, or string is wound.

Rack Spool

A cylinder of wood, plastic, cardboard, or other material on which wire, thread, or string is wound.

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