Industrial Revolution at it's best!

[CJDaley]

Scientific American Journal, Volume 10, Issue 12, p 179 March 19, 1864

At the Government tailoring establishment at Millbank, England, where the army clothing is made, and about 60 sewing machines driven by steam are in operation, the material is cut out by machinery. A sharp thin endless ribbon of steel revolves like a band saw over pulleys driven by steam, and the cloth 6 to 8 inches thick, with the pattern chalked on the upper layer, is applied to the revolving knife, which rapidly and smoothly cuts it to the required shape; the hand of the workman being simply employed to guide the cloth so that the knife follows the chalked pattern.

[AZReenactor]

Re: Industrial Revolution at it's best!

A very interesting quote indeed. What was the source for it?

[paulcalloway]

Re: Industrial Revolution at it's best!

... the material is cut out by machinery. A sharp thin endless ribbon of steel revolves like a band saw over pulleys driven by steam, and the cloth 6 to 8 inches thick, with the pattern chalked on the upper layer, is applied to the revolving knife, which rapidly and smoothly cuts it to the required shape....

6-8" thick - should we conclude from this that pieces were being cut for as many as 20-30 coats/trousers at one time? That speaks to some truly enormous production capacity.

[paulcalloway]

Re: Industrial Revolution at it's best!

I was looking at the Making of American website, and couldn't find the citation for the date. Mr. Daley, would it be possible to post the exact page number?

Please don't interpret this as "down your neck" harsassment. I am seriously interested in this topic.

It's on page 179. In the left-most column about 1/2 way down.

[Agate]

Re: Industrial Revolution at it's best!

The French made use of Haraday's patent cutting machine as early as 1855 for the cutting of army clothing (see Scientific American, Vol 10, Issue 51, pg. 405). They had seen the recent invention (patented in the U. S. in 1854) in use at the French Industrial Exhibition during that year and immediately adopted it.

This perhaps may be the machine the "SA" was making referance to with regard to the above article.

It's somewhat odd that the United States Military Commission to Europe (1855-1856) didn't mention this in their final report (that I could find anyway, although the copy of the report that I reviewed was online and somewhat tough to access, and I may have missed it).

Anyway, no mention of a cutting machine among early (1861-62) legal testimony in Cincinnati involving clothing contract fraud cases.

Post has great potential, kudos and please keep it up.

John Sarver