The malletting machine

A machine used for fulling woollen cloth whose warp and weft threads are tightened by hammering. The effect of fulling is to give the fabric strength and elasticity.It also causes the piece to shrink and increase its thickness. The piece is placed in a tub filled with a mixture of water, urine and fuller's earth.It is then struck by "mallets" or "pestles". The mechanism is driven by a water wheel, which is why it is necessary to be near a river.