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A narrow wooden board serves as a base. It has a pulley on the far side of the right end, its axle resting in a metal holder. On the left end a cross piece holds two short posts or maidens that support a multiplying pulley. Halfway between them a post holds a spindle head. Photo courtesy of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada.

Handwritten page from James Cochran’s Canadian patent #976, “Improvements on hand-spinning wheels and wheel-heads” from Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, dated May 9, 1871. Small, hard to decipher line drawings show the different parts and how they would work.

Top page of Cochran’s United States Patent, #129,459, “Improvement in Spinning-Wheels,” Patented July 2, 1872. Clear line drawings show side-view of device attached to table Fig. 1, top view Fig. 2, and the design of the clamp Fig. 3. With signatures on the bottom of the page.

Spinning wheel signed JOEL FARNHAM, formerly at American Textile History Museum in Lowell, MA, now at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI, has a flat table on four legs with a broad treadle between two front legs. Two parallel rectangular posts set into the table hold a drive wheel with twelve spokes. On the left side two curved posts hold the mother-of-all with the bobbin/flyer unit. A threaded rod goes from there into the front wheel support post. The tops of the wheel support posts are turned and hold a distaff arm with a bird-cage distaff.

Upright parlor wheel with curved and carved table on three turned legs, one round treadle set between front two legs. Two parallel rectangular boards set into the table hold the bobbin/flyer unit at the top and the metal drive wheel in the middle. Two ivory roundels applied to the front wheel post. The top one is stamped MARSHALL LATE, the lower one DOUGHTY YORK.

Close up of two ivory roundels applied to the front wheel post. The top one is stamped MARSHALL LATE, the lower one DOUGHTY YORK. Metal drive wheel can be seen behind them.

Upright parlor wheel with curved and carved table on three turned legs, one round treadle set between front two legs. Footman can be seen behind it. Two parallel rectangular boards set into the table hold the bobbin/flyer unit at the top and the drive wheel with a metal rim and wooden spokes in the middle. An arm extends to the right from the upper part that holds the bobbin/flyer to hold a distaff. Small amounts of ivory are used including the bobbin set into a metal flyer. Two ivory roundels have the stamp HARDY Late Marshall YORK.

Close up of two ivory roundels applied to the front wheel post. The top one is stamped “HARDY Late Marshall,” the lower one “YORK.” Metal drive wheel with turned wooden spokes can be seen behind them.

Small spinning wheel with three legs holding a slanted table. A T bar fits between the three legs to stabilize them. On the right side of the table is the drive wheel, its diameter is 17″, with 10 turned spokes. The pair of slanted wheel-support posts each has a wooden brace fitted between the post and the end of the slanted table. The bobbin/flyer unit is on the left side. and two parts of the distaff assembly. There is a treadle below the table.

Close up of drive-wheel hub and spokes coming out of it. Top of drive-wheel posts where the axle is secured by shaped caps with an ivory button and a turned wooden pin that secures each cap.

Close up of bobbin/flyer unit. Shows U-shaped flyer, bobbin with white thread on it and whorl on right end. At the bottom, a white thread passes through the metal hooks on one side of the flyer to the bobbin. Metal hooks can be seen on the other side of the flyer near the top of image.

Group of women spinning on a variety of spinning wheels in Germany in the 1980s. Some of the wheels have dressed distaffs. The small wheel on far right is similar in size and structure to Barbara’s. It is much smaller when compared to the Ashford traditional wheel next to it.

Spinning wheel has three turned legs that hold a rectangular table. The table has a slot for the drive wheel which has ten turned spokes and is held by a pair of slanted posts. A drive band goes from the drive wheel to the mother-of-all with a complete bobbin/flyer unit and the tension screw at the end of the table. The two spinner-side legs fit into the front treadle board, which rests on two round feet. The treadle has a replacement hinge. There is a turned rod between the two legs at the drive wheel end. A piece of paper blocks the view of the distaff on the left.

The flyer is constructed of three pieces of turned wood that are fitted together to form a U-shape. Metal hooks can be seen on the top part of the flyer and there is handspun yarn on the bobbin.

Detail of lower part of the wheel showing two legs going through the treadle board that sits on two round feet. It has a metal hinge holding the foot plate. On the left side of the table a small sliding tray that is attached has been pulled out. There is a knob on the front of the tray.

Hinders Farm spinning wheel shows the three turned legs holding a rectangular table. At the left end is the mother-of-all with two maidens and a complete bobbin/flyer unit on it. The tension screw can be seen at the left end of the table. At the right end of the table are two turned posts that should hold the drive wheel. Only the rim of the drive wheel can be seen on the ground next to the wheel. The only part of the treadle is the board between the two legs on the spinner’s side.

Spinning wheel with slanted table and turned legs, but the treadle and footman are missing. Bobbin/flyer unit on left. Drive wheel on right with a thick rim has 14 spokes.

Rear view of upright wheel. Small rectangular wooden table on three turned legs. Two tall flat posts hold the drive wheel and the footman is attached to the treadle. The treadle bar is between two legs. At the top of the posts is a rod for holding the bobbin for a shuttle for weaving.

Two flat rectangular boards that have been carved. The one on the left, painted dark green, has a row of points at the top, and two curves carved on the sides. There are two cut-outs that also have points for holding the fibers. The one on the right, painted light green, is narrower on the top and the sides are straight. There are two cut-outs with points. Most of the points at the very top are broken off.

Two Torock from West Coast region are next to each other. They are spool-shaped cage distaffs and the cage is divided into two halves. They are intricately carved. The one on the right has a little ball that is carved inside and the date 1861 in Roman numerals.

Three blånkräkla, blånkrona or tow crown distaffs. The two on the left look like they were made from a tree branch with a post and small pieces sticking out and the bark striped off. The one on the right has a turned post and arm, the top part has a circular base with wooden spikes inserted into it.

Sixteen Swedish distaffs for flax from the collection of Kirsi Manni are arranged in a row. All are carved from wood and some are painted. From the left the first three are elliptical in shape. Next is a long pole carved at the top. The next nine are spear-shaped with intricate carvings and cut-outs. The last three are flat rectangular boards with sections cut out with teeth-like points to hold the flax fibers.

Close-up of two distaffs called rock parallel to each other showing carved, spear-shaped heads, with the details of the carvings on the right-hand ends.

Three Rockhuvud distaffs typical of those attached to spinning wheels in Dalarma region are arranged one above the other. Each one has a post to set into the wheel table, an arm that projects out, and the distaff at the top. They are all turned but the one at the top is plain wood and not as ornately carved as the other two that are also painted. The distaff part at the top is a narrow conical shape.

Ornately carved and painted distaffs from northern regions of Sweden. Four long spear-shaped distaffs are in row. From the left the first one is triangular in shape painted blue/gray with delicate carvings. The second has notches at the top and square boxes cut out at the bottom that have small bells in them. The third is triangular, painted blue with two cut-outs. The fourth one, painted green, is more conical with curved, swirl-like cut-outs.

A wooden table with a short leg on the left and two higher legs on the right, has a large wheel with 10 spokes on the right. A treadle pad has an arm that connects to a footman. The footman goes across to the accelerating wheel, counterbalance weight, and spindle post, which is in an upright vertical position.

Close up of left end shows the parts of counterbalanced wheel in neutral position.
1-Treadle base;
2-Treadle arm;
3-Footman;
insert shows 4-Footman hook;
5-Spindle post

On the lower right a purple-socked foot is pushing on the treadle. Numbers show the steps to twist the wool fiber.
1. The spinner turns the wheel clockwise;
2. the right foot slowly presses the treadle forward/down;
3. the footman moves to the left, pushing the footman hook also to the left;
4. the spindle post subsequently rotates counter-clockwise, causing
5. the spindle to move away from the spinner.
The large arrow pointing to the left shows the direction in which the spindle is moving.

On the lower right a purple-socked foot is pushing on the treadle. Numbers show the steps to wind the yarn onto the spindle.
1. The spinner continues turning the wheel clockwise.
2. The yarn is moved towards the table, perpendicular to the spindle shaft.
3. The right foot slowly presses the back of the treadle downward,
4. causing the footman and footman hook to be pulled to the right.
5. The weight, which was lifted upward during the twisting action, is being pulled downward by gravity, facilitating the clockwise rotation of the spindle post,
6. which moves the spindle closer to the spinner.
The large arrow pointing to the right shows the direction in which the spindle is moving.

Great wheel with spindle post in foreground. Table has board tensioner with large bolt on top. Drive wheel has 12 spokes and a flat rim.

Wooden table on four legs that have braces between the legs and the table. Metal drive wheel with handle on left. Accelerating wheel on right with bands that connect to spindle half way to drive wheel.

Line drawings of patent for Canadian Patent #201, given in 1868 to Daniel H. Spragg, mechanic, and Isaiah W. Holden, mechanic, County of St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. Upper diagram is view from top. Lower drawing is side view showing table with drive wheel on right and accelerating wheel on left. Not very detailed.

Map of Estonia has Suur-Pakri highlighted in blue on the northwest coast on the Gulf of Finland, and the Estonian National Museum in Tartu in the southeast.