Arkwright started working on his invention on the spinning frame in the 1760’s but it was not perfected until 1768. The spinning frame was very heavy and was not able to be powered by hand so horse power was used. Although the spinning frame was a fast and effective way of spinning the thread that was produced was of a low quality. However the thread was also strong and thick. The hand spinning workers, who supposed that their means of spinning would be destroyed by competition from the machine, forced the inventor to move to Nottingham.
Arkwright had a keen business mind but for this business to work he needed money, so he went into partnership with Jedediah Strut. He also went into partnership with two stocking manufactures. With the money form donations and the money that the three men put in they were able to put a fourteen-year patent against the spinning frame. Together, in 1771, they built a cotton-spinning factory in Earnford, which can be found in Derbyshire. The factory was very successful because he had many loyal employees and this was because there were many things he did for his workers: -
- He gave them a warm, dry place to live.
- He treated the children well.
- He employed whole families.
- He built the Greyhound hotel.
- He had two annual balls.
- He gave each family 1 weeks holiday ant the end of each ball.
- Kept the employees healthy.
The spinning frames where powered by horsepower but although horsepower worked well to power the spinning frame Arkwright found something that was ever better. H2O (water.) Arkwright factory was situated near a fast flowing river so that the water weal could work to its full potential.
The spinning frame then became known as the water frame. Although his invention had a patent on it was being copied by manufactures. He tried to get people to pay him for using his ideas but this made him become very very unpopular.
In 1778, Arkwright travelled all over Britton advertising his mill, he picked up a lot of new orders for his cotton and in 1789 he invited writers and artists to visit the famous mill to write about it and paint pictures of it. He used these to advertise the mill and make the mill even more famous.
However, sadly, in 1792, he died. When he died his whole empire was worth about half a million pounds. He was also knitted Sir Richard Arkwright.