The fabric shedder

This machine, which appeared in 1833 as a replacement for the "fouleuse à maillets", allowed a considerable increase in the production of sheets. It made thread tightening much more efficient. The piece of cloth, sewn "head to tail", is driven between rotating and pressing rollers. The machine consists of a closed wooden tub containing hot water with soap, alkali, urine and fuller's earth. The crushing is almost always done in carded form, rarely in combed form. After fulling, the "canvas" of the fabric should no longer be visible.This machine was also called a "Polka fuller". On the first example, the worker had placed a small puppet (unless it was the regulator of the machine) and, as a result of the vibrations of the machine (perhaps badly balanced), this puppet shook as if it were dancing the polka.