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Restored Hardy wheel. Rectangular wooden base with turned posts on right holding a spoked drive wheel with a metal rim and metal handle. On the left the restored bobbin/flyer unit and the three part distaff. The top part is dressed with flax fiber with a green ribbon around it. There is spun fiber on the bobbin.
Heavy cardboard formed into a rectangular box. Thinner cardboard above the front with hole and slot form for threads. At back of inside is a wooden dowel that connects through the side with a simple ratchet and pawl.
Rectangular piece of wood has alternating holes and slots cut our of the upper half, curves carved out of the bottom section for the weaver to hold it between her legs.
A rectangular wooden box has a hole and slot loom as the front side. Attached to the rear, held by two uprights, is a small reel around which the warp is wound. A rod can be placed between the uprights to keep the reel from turning.
On a rectangular wooden base, two uprights hold two harnesses (with wire heddles) operated by two hand-operated treadles. A separate beater is next to the front bar that holds the woven tape and there is a second bar at the rear to hold the warp.
A shallow, rectangular, wooden box on four legs holds one rigid heddle operated by a single foot treadle below it. Round bars hold the warp at the right end and the woven tape at the left end above the treadle.
Front view of Wheel #1. Two parallel wood boards form the base, joined in the front by the treadle bar and in the back by a turned stretcher. Four turned posts fit into the base and hold the table. Two short stretchers between the side posts and a long one in the back. The rectangular table is slanted with a deep slot. The drive wheel, with six turned spokes, that is held by a pair of short, slanted posts, fits into the slot. Mother-of-all with turned maidens on left, with the distaff behind it.
Rear view of Wheel #5. Structurally the same as Wheel #1 but simpler and slightly different turnings on legs, stretchers, wheel supports, and spokes. A round wooden footman, with a key hole, at the top connects to the treadle that has leather hinges on the front crossbar and the left side of the base. (Structure of wheel #1: Two parallel wood boards form the base, joined in the front by the treadle bar and in the back by a turned stretcher. Four turned posts fit into the base and hold the table. Two short stretchers between the side posts and a long one in the back. The rectangular table is slanted with a deep slot. The drive wheel, with six turned spokes, that is held by a pair of short, slanted posts, fits into the slot. Mother-of-all with turned maidens on left, with the distaff behind it.)
Front view of Wheel #4. Structurally the same as Wheel #1 but has more ornate turnings on the legs, stretchers, support posts for the drive wheel, the spokes and the maidens. The surface of the table is decorated. A nut is on the front tension knob. A spare bobbin is on the back of the table. (Structure of wheel #1: Two parallel wood boards form the base, joined in the front by the treadle bar and in the back by a turned stretcher. Four turned posts fit into the base and hold the table. Two short stretchers between the side posts and a long one in the back. The rectangular table is slanted with a deep slot. The drive wheel, with six turned spokes, that is held by a pair of short, slanted posts, fits into the slot. Mother-of-all with turned maidens on left, with the distaff behind it.)
Close up of rear view of Wheel #4 showing the back side of the table. A name, probably “Annamarie Mersten 1864” is painted on. (Thank you to a reader in Germany for assistance in interpreting the name.) A spare bobbin is on the back part of the table. The bobbin-holder rods driven into the back of the table are orifice rods.
Two wooden planks or rails, with three crossbars, form a track set on four legs. A drive wheel with 8 spokes and a crank is on the right end and a large triangular treadle is underneath it. A small, wooden trolley or cart, containing the accelerating wheel and the spindle, can move along the track.
Close-up of the left end of the track shows the threaded wooden screw going through the rail and holding the metal pulley that it adjusts and the nut. Each rail has a separate pulley and threaded screw unit. Bands go around the pulleys.
A small, rectangular wooden box, a trolley or car, fits between the track rails. Small posts on the right side of the top hold an acclerating wheel. On the left a pair of maidens hold the spindle to which it is attached.
Teeter patent: David B. Teter, Batavia Station, Iowa, #447,685, May 9, 1865. Line drawings from Teeter’s patent application. At top is a side view showing the track with the drive wheel on the right, in the middle the overhead view. Lower left are the two separate threaded screws that attach to the rails. They position the pulley to adjust the tension on the long bands that move the “car.”
Detail showing signature “cALeB BedWell AU 11, 1862” pricked into the top of the table.
Example of great wheel found in Dayton, TN, has “cALeB BedWell AU 11, 1862,” pricked into the end of the table. The slanted table is simpler than the others, a tapered rectangle. Two short legs at end of table have bead-like turnings, as does the drive-wheel support post on the right and the single long front leg on the left. Drive wheel has twelve spokes and a sliding tensioner, on the left. There are maidens but no spindle.
Drive wheel post and brace removed to show where number 6 is inscribed in the heart- or shield-shape medallion in front hole for drive wheel post, and the signature, J B 1868, is on the curved section behind it.
Unsigned example of great wheel illustrates the characteristics of wheels made by members of the Bedwell family: steeply sloped tapered table; short, turned, rear legs on left. The table has scalloped “waist” and wedge-shaped rear; drive wheel has twelve spokes with weighted rim ends. A brace goes between the drive wheel post and the table. Turned long front leg on right; turned spindle post on a sliding tensioner, on far right has maidens for direct drive but spindle is missing.
Great wheel marked JB 1868 typical: the steeply slanted table, scalloped “waist”; wedge-shaped rear, with short turned legs on right Replacement drive wheel on post and brace from drive wheel post to table. Single leg on left, sliding tensioner on table holds the short, round spindle post. Legs, wheel post and brace all have sections painted with what appears to be India ink or other “lamp black” paint.
Wooden base, shaped like letter H, has on the left end a round piece into which are set the two turned spindle posts holding the spindle. On the right side, taller pair of turned posts, with bulbous tops, hold the drive wheel. It consists of two flat discs with notches around the edges. The drive band rests on the lacing between the notches. A wooden handle was fashioned with turnings to match the other parts. All are painted dark reddish brown..
Hands hold two turned wooden pieces that are spindle posts. They are rounded with bulb forms on top. Lower, near the hands, are openings that will hold the leather bearings for the spindle. Post on the right is the unpainted replacement part.
Wooden base has two small posts on the left, rounded in the middle that hold the spindle. In front of it is a slightly taller post with a slot through the middle to hold the drive band. On the right are two tall support posts, round but thicker in the middle that hold the drive wheel. All the posts have mushroom-shaped pieces on the top. The drive wheel consists of two matching sets of multiple spokes that are laced together. The drive wheel axle bends down to hold a wooden handle. Most of the parts are painted tomato red.
Three upright Icelandic spinning wheels on display at the Textile Museum in Blönduós, Iceland. All have three turned legs holding a small table. On each one there is a turned post in front and a taller turned post in back of the spoked drive wheel. The drive-wheel axle fits between the posts and a footman connects to the treadle below the table. The mother-of-all goes from the front post to the back post. A maiden in front holds the bobbin/flyer unit that fits into the back post.
The rectangular table rests on four turned legs. Four short, turned posts on the corners hold turned crossbars that fit into a central post in the middle of the front side and a taller central post behind the wheels. The mother-of-all rests between the front central post and the rear post. A maiden holds the bobbin/flyer unit that fits into the rear post. The right-hand wheel, the drive wheel has ten spokes, as does the accelerating wheel on the left. Short posts on the crossbars have slots to hold the wheel axles.
The treadle is connected to the drive wheel on the right. A drive band connects the drive wheel on the right to the hub of the accelerating wheel on the left. Another drive band would go from the rim of the accelerating wheel to the bobbin/flyer unit above.
Accordion-arm spinning wheel consists of two vertical wooden uprights that hold two horizontal rails. A diagonal board goes from the lower rail through the right-hand upright. At the top of it is a solid wooden drive wheel and to the left is the accelerating wheel that is the same size. A wooden frame that can contract or expand is attached to the upper rail with the spindle unit on the last section of the frame. A foot pedal and a footman connect to a rod on the frame.
Detail of accordion-arm wheel showing U-shaped wooden unit that holds the spindle and the small wheel that rides along the beveled edge of the top rail.
Detail of right-hand side of accordion-arm wheel showing how band from drive wheel is attached to accelerating wheel and how the footman that is connected to the foot pedal .The top of the footman is screwed into the rod on the frame.
Rougly made wooden spinning wheel, rectangular table set on wide blocks of wood. On right single piece of wood has a piece of leather nailed on, spindle is attached to the leather. On the left two parallel wooden blocks hold a wooden wheel with four spokes. Band connects spindle and drive wheel.
Close-up of loom in Albuquerque Museum that dates from around 1775. In foreground are knots of yellow warp threads tied to rod. Threads pass through reed in overhead beater made of rough wood. Behind the reed are parallel sets of tie-up cords that control the four shafts that have string heddles.
Great wheel with narrow table, single leg at spindle post end, two legs at drive wheel end. Spindle post on left has bats head spindle set into side piece. Drive-wheel post on right holds large wheel with eleven spokes.
Great wheel attributed to Octave Vital Goulette of Gananoque, Ontario. Table rests on four legs. Spindle post on the left, with a receiver in back, and screw-style tension. Drive wheel post on right holds large wheel with twelve spokes.
Brantford-style great wheel. Incomplete example of great wheel, many found in area around Brantford, Ontario. Round, or barrel shaped table, also described as “lathe-turned.” has one very long leg on left and two short legs on right giving the table a very steep slant. Drive wheel post is on right but wheel is missing, as is spindle head.
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