Isaac Wixom Lamb

Background

Isaac Wixom Lamb, the son of Rev. Aroswell and Phebe (Wixom) Lamb, was born in Hartland, Livingston County, Michigan. He was descended from Valentine Wightman, first of the family of pastors of Groton Church, Groton, Connecticut.

Education

He received a common-school education in the district schools followed by a preparatory-school course at Kalamazoo, Michigian. He then entered the Baptist Theological Seminary at Rochester, New York.

Career

As a boy Lamb had earned his spending money by braiding whip lashes by hand, and while attending the seminary he was in the habit, while poring over his books, of not only braiding lashes but doing all sorts of knitting as well. He had always shown an aptitude in mechanics and an interest in invention, and upon returning to his home in West Novi, Michigan, he began to work seriously upon a machine to braid whip lashes.

For this device he secured patent No. 24, 565 on June 28, 1859. He thereupon began working on the perfection of a knitting machine, and in order to expedite his work, removed about 1861 to Detroit, Michigan. On September 15, 1863, he secured patent No. 39, 934 for a knitting machine capable of knitting not only tubular goods such as the legs and feet of hosiery, but flat, single-ribbed or plain work as well.

In 1864 Lamb removed to Rochester, N. Y. , where he sold an interest in his invention and in the following year organized the Lamb Knitting Machine Manufacturing Company. About the same time a second company to manufacture the machine was established at Chicopee Falls, Massachussets Going to Europe, he secured patents in France, England, and Belgium, and in 1866 established factories in Paris and in Covet, Switzerland.

He had meanwhile continued improving his machine and in 1865 had secured three patents which when added to his original machine made it capable of producing thirty different kinds of knitted goods. The machine, too, could be operated at the rate of 4, 000 knots a minute.

Upon his return to the United States in 1869, he gave up his business connections and was ordained in the Baptist ministry; and until 1899 he was engaged in active pastoral work in various localities throughout Michigan. He still devoted his leisure to invention, however, and secured more than fifteen patents, chiefly for further improvements of his knitting machine. In 1895 he organized the Perry Glove & Machine Company in Perry, Michigan, to manufacture gloves with machines of his own design. He was president of this company and mill superintendent at the time of his death. In the disposal of his knitting machine patents Lamb realized comparatively little financially. He gave much to church and charitable causes. He died in Perry.

Achievements

• Lamb was best known as an inventor of knitting-machine. This was the first successful flat, as contrasted to circular, knitting machine to be designed in the United States. Furthermore, it could knit fine or coarse yarn with equal ease. He was also the founder of the Lamb Knitting Machine Manufacturing Company. In 1879, he also perfected and patented leaf turning paper, and in 1883 he devised an improved windmill and derrick.

Connections

Lamb was twice married: first, on September 25, 1861, to Caroline Smith of Hartland, Michigan. ; and after her death, to Mrs. Elizabeth L. Phelps on March 21, 1880.

Father:

Aroswell Lamb

Mother:

Phebe (Wixom) Lamb

Spouse:

Caroline Smith

Spouse:

Elizabeth L. Phelps