When Was The Cotton Gin Invented ?
|
The usage of machines for processing cotton seeds and removing fibers dates back to the fifth century AD. Numerous paintings found in Ajanta caves in India are a standing testimony that people used singe roller machines to separate cotton fibers. Although these machines were in their stage of infancy and not as modernized as the cotton gin, they served the purpose of reducing man power. However, these gins required special skills for operation and could not be used by just about everyone.
|
During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries AD, India and China developed the double roller gins. These machines were used extensively until the 16th century AD and were adopted by numerous countries right through the Mediterranean.
In the eighteenth century, Eli Whitney of America created the modernized cotton gin, making it one of the most famous inventions during the Industrial Revolution. The model was designed in 1793 and received a patent on March 14, 1794. This design turned out to be a huge success, reducing the work of thousands of laborers who toiled all day long to remove fibers from cotton seeds. The amount of fiber separated for an entire day could be completed in thirty minutes with the help of cotton gin. The increased production and processing of cotton coupled with increasing demands the world over, resulted in high cultivation rates of cotton all over southern America. This helped the country’s economy flourish during the period.
In the late eighteenth century, Robert Watkins, Hodgen Holmes, John Murray and William Longstreet improvised the machine and brought about specific changes. Each one of them managed to patent their respective machines.
More Articles :
|
Cotton was one of the most widely cultivated crops in Africa, Asia and North America. During the fifth century AD, the Indians developed a single cotton roller that would remove the seeds from fibers without crushing the seeds in the process. Numerous paintings in the Ajanta caves of Western India are a standing testimony to the use single roller machines.