industrial revolution mill works · grinding of corn into corn meal and wheat into flour. these...

The Rise of Mill Towns

& The Industrial Revolution

THE

INDUSTRIAL

REVOLUTION

Before we go any further, let’s take a moment to

ask a few key questions:

What is progress?

It is often defined as the forward or onward

movement toward a destination. But what is the

destination? When we work on a project, we often

say that we are making “progress,” slowly but

surely reaching our “goal.”

Why is progress often associated with the

Industrial Revolution?

Does technology always make things better? Are

their tradeoffs?

The Industrial Revolution does not

mark the beginning of the use of tools.

Humans have used tools for thousands of years.

Tools can either be simple or complex.

Simple tools are powered by hand (thus the term

“hand tools”) or by one or more domesticated

animals (for example a horse or mule used to pull

a plow or wagon).

THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Simple Tools


The Industrial Revolution marks a

change in tools and how

they were used.

Prior to the Industrial Revolution humans used

simple tools to do work.

After the Industrial Revolution humans made

complex tools and the complex tools did the work.


Complex Tools


Complex Tools


Complex tools are too big to be powered by hand.

Complex tools require an external source of power

other than that provided by humans or

domesticated animals. Thus, complex tools are

commonly referred to as engines or machines.

One complex tool can be used to provide power

for another complex tool. For example, a steam

engine can be used to power a cotton bailing

machine.

Sources of Power


One of the earliest sources of external power

involved the use of flowing water.

Water has weight (mass), and as it flows

downstream (downhill) its potential energy is

converted to kinetic energy (or energy in motion).

Water wheels capture and convert the kinetic

energy of falling water to rotational energy,

which is used to turn mechanical links, shafts,

and gears of complex machines.

Examples of Mechanical Links, Shafts, and Gears

of Complex Machines


Sources of Power


One of the earliest uses for water wheels was the

grinding of corn into corn meal and wheat into flour.

These processes were done in a grist mill.

“Grist” is an Anglo-Saxon word that means,

“a grinding.”

About every community or settlement that was near

a creek or stream had a grist mill. Many large farms

and plantations had their own grist mill.

George Washington’s grist mill is about 2.5 miles

west of his home at Mount Vernon.

George Washington’s Grist Mill


Built in 1771

THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTIONWater powered mills performed many functions.

As we have seen, grist mills ground grain into

grain meal or flour.

A saw mill cut logs into lumber.

A “gin” is a mill that removes seeds from cotton

so the cotton can be spun into thread.

A textile mill wove thread into fabric.

Water powered mills came in many sizes.


In addition to performing several functions, the

sizes of mills varied depending on the amount

of work to be performed.

The amount of work performed depended on

the size of “market” that bought the products

produced by the mill.

If a grist mill sold its grain meal or flour to local

Residents, its output might be fairly small.

If a textile mill sold its fabric throughout a state

or region, its output was large.

A Small Mill


A Medium Mill


THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTIONA Large Mill

How Much Water Does a Mill Need?


As stated, mills use the energy derived from

flowing water to perform work.

A small mill that only grinds grain during harvest

season might need water only during a particular

time of year.

A large textile mill that weaves thread into

fabric may need a continuous supply of water

to power its looms throughout the year.



If a mill that needed a continuous supply of water was

not located on a continuously flowing stream, a

”mill pond” would be created by building a dam near

the mill.

The size of the dam and its resulting mill pond was

dictated by the amount of water the mill needed.



A medium size dam for a medium size mill pond for

a medium size mill.



The dam and mill pond shown in the previous slide.

Mill PondDam

Mill



The dam and mill pond shown in the previous slide.

Mill Pond

Dam

Mill



The dam and mill shown in the previous slides.

DamMill



A large size dam for a large size mill pond for

a large size mill.

A Very Large Water Wheel for a Very Large Mill


The Anatomy of a Mill


As was stated, mills use the energy derived from

flowing water to turn the mill’s water wheel.

The axle of the water wheel extended through

the outside wall and into the interior of the mill.

To this extended axle various gears, shafts, pulleys

and belts were attached. As the water wheel’s axle

Turned, it caused all of the attached gears, shafts,

pulleys and belts to turn.



These attached gears, shafts, pulleys, and belts

enabled the energy of moving water to be transferred

from the water wheel throughout the mill

The machines that did the work in the mill were

all attached to, and derived their energy from,

these attached gears, shafts, pulleys, and belts



TRANSFERING POWER AROUND A MILL



TRANSFERING POWER TO

OTHER FLOORS IN A

MULTI-LEVEL MILL

The Life of a Mill


Some mills had a short life and were not operated

for many years.

Some mills had a long life and went through

many changes.

The Contributions of Mills


Mills have been used for well over 100 years.

During that time they allowed a more cost effective

manufacture of products by increasing output

without an equivalent increase in the cost of

production.

industrial revolution mill works · grinding of corn into corn meal and wheat into flour. these...

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