General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

4

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

METAL WITH WOOD, FIBRE, LEATHER, SYTHENTIC, GLASS/ FUR IN SHUTTLE

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

355.0 cm

Width

204.0 cm

Height

200.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Industrial Technology

Category

Industrial equipment

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Crompton Knowles

Country

United States of America

State/Province

Massachusetts

City

Worcester

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

Textile manufacturing has been an important industry in Canada since the mid-nineteenth century. Since its early days, the textile industry was mainly based in what is now Ontario and Quebec. Early European settlers produced home spun textiles (from hemp, and later wool or linen-wool blends), but textiles were also imported. (A. B. McCullough, The Primary Textile Industry in Canada: History and Heritage, Ottawa: National Historic Sites, Parks Service, 1992, p45) By the early 19th century, elements of the textile industry had moved from outside the home, into factories (McCullough p46). The earliest factories worked with wool. Cotton (never used substantially in home production because cotton cannot be grown in Canada) factories were first established in Lower Canada in the 1840s (McCullough p52). By the beginning of the twentieth century, the textile industry was well established in Canada. Canada started importing synthetic fabrics in the early twentieth century, but did not start manufacturing them until after 1924 (McCullough p10). The synthetic sector grew throughout the mid-twentieth century and continued to expand after the Second World War, in part at the expense of the natural fibre sector (McCullough p145; Douglas Hallam, The Textile Industry, p272-273). Synthetic textiles became increasingly popular after the war due to a combination of factors: post war shortages and a population boom created a greater demand for fabric than natural textile production could meet; North American companies wanted independence from European suppliers; industries towards independence from the European producers such as English woolens and French silk finery; and a successful series of advertisement campaigns that promoted artificial fabrics as the “choice” garments of modern men and women (Susannah Handley, Nylon, 25-53). Although the textile industry always relied heavily on imported raw materials (wool from England and Australia, cotton from the United States, and petrochemical compounds for synthetic fibres from the United States and Japan ), at its peak in the mid twentieth century it not only filled more than half of the demand of the domestic market, but also managed to meet the requirements of the military (Hallam 273, 277). In the 1960s and 1970s, the international market pushed the industry to rationalize. In most cases, only major firms survived (McCullough 147). The textile industry was an important Canadian employer. According to A. B. McCullough, of the Canadians working in manufacturing in 1880, 13% worked in the clothing industry and 5% produced textiles (p9). The industry supplied crucial industrial employment in the difficult years of 1930-1935. Throughout the twentieth-century, there were a number of periods of labour unrest, which variously focused on working hours, safety, and wages. By the 1970s, Canadian textile workers earned the highest pay in the sector across the globe (McCullough 95-114). This loom was used in DuPont Canada’s Kingston mill, which manufactured synthetic textiles. Its parent company, E. I. du Pont de Nemours, created by Elenthere Irenee DuPont in 1802, originally specialized in the production of black explosive powder, which it supplied to the American military and which also was used in frontier exploration/expansion (Handley 13-14). DuPont continued to develop and produce explosives throughout the nineteenth century (14-15). In 1902, DuPont began to expand and greatly diversify its output with plants manufacturing various chemical components, varnishes, and dyes (Handley 24). Additionally, it contributed to the evolution of modern chemical engineering and enriched the rapidly growing faculty of chemical engineering in MIT (Pap Ndiave, Nylong and Bombs, p57). DuPont has been influential in textiles since the mid-twentieth century. Much of the company’s success was due to its work with synthetic fibres. DuPont engineered a large portion of the synthetic fabrics of the twentieth century, the best-known being nylon. Nylon revolutionized the manufacturing of stockings, eliminating the need for silk. As of 2019, a small subsiduary of DuPont still deals with innovative textiles such as nylon, Kevlar, and Tyvek. DuPont had had investments in Canada for sometime, and in 1954, the company created DuPont Canada Limited. DuPont Canada played a big role in the textile industry. In 1960s and 1970s, DuPont Canada was the leader in sales and second in employment in the sector (Richard paul Olsen, The Textile Industry) . The DuPont research and development facility in Kingston, Ontario had a multimillion dollar budget and contributed to the advancements in the field of chemical engineering (Julia McKay, Quality People Fiber).

Function

TO AUTOMATICALLY WEAVE FIBRES INTO CLOTH

Technical

This model of a loom – W-3A – boasted an innovative design and cost effectiveness. It could be converted to operate as either an automatic bobbing changing loom with 4 shuttles or non-automatic manual bobbing changing loom with 7 shuttles – in other words, the loom could operate with either increased speed and lesser color combination, or with reduced speed but a more intricate color combination. Additionally, it could be further modified to produce terrycloth-like fabric with a wide range of textures (see supp info for equipment specification list). This is an industrial loom powered by an electric motor that was likely used in production of synthetic fabrics. This loom was manufactured by the Crompton and Knowles Corporation – a US company operating in Massachusetts that designed, patented, and manufactured a variety of complex textile machinery and the electric motors for it (Crompton & Knowles Loom Works. Weaving machinery for cotton, silk, woolen, worsted and special fabrics. Worcester, Mass., Crompton & Knowles Loom Works [c1918]). According to Alan McCullough, the Canadian textile industry generally imported technology (p11). DuPont Canada acquired this loom through Crompton and Knowles Canada, based in Montreal, which provided and installed equipment for Canadian mills. It also supplied spare parts, various accessories, and personnel to service the machines and train the mill employees.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

MFR'S PLATE (NOT FULLY LEGIBLE - HAS PAINT OVER IT) 'CROMPTON & KNOW[LES] LOOM [?]/ [?]O. 269 W WORCHESTER, W-3A MASS., U.S.A. SER. 1/ [CENTRAL LOGO:] CROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOM WORKS/ C & K/ A Loom for every woven Fabric/ WORCESTER, MASS., U.S.A./ REG. U.S. PAT. OFF./ MADE IN U.S.A.' ALSO MK'D: 'U.S. AMERICA' & 'PATENTS' [SEE SUPP.INFO. FOR PATENT NUMBERS]/ PLAQUE 'WORSTED LOOM'/ ON FUSE BOX INCLUDES PLAQUE 'WORSTEDLOOM' & MFR'S PLATE INCLUDES 'SQUARE D/... PAT'D. 1934/ AMPERES/ 30/ H.P. 10/ VOLTS/ 575 AC', LABEL '550 VOLTS'/ OTHER COMPONENT MKGS INCLUDE 'CROMPTON AND KNOWLES LOOM WORKS/ APPROVED TEXTILE TRANSFORMER UNIT'

Missing

N/A

Finish

PAINTED GREEN, APPARENTLY NOT ORIGINAL FINISH, WARP BEAM PAINTED REDDISH BROWN, VARNISHED WOOD PTS & DULL SILVER-COLOUR PTS/ COVERS ON FUSE BOX & CONTROL BOXES PAINTED BLUE

Decoration

N/A