The second wheel is of a unique design. It has four legs, a horizontal table, two vertical rectangular posts which support the drive wheel and at the top of which is mounted the distaff crossarm. A long tension screw, threaded into the near wheel post, adjusts the distance of the flyer from the drive wheel. The turnings on the maidens, legs, and wheel spokes are very similar to those found on the three-legged Farnham wheel. At the center of the pivoting arms are holes to accommodate a long pin to hold an additional bobbin.
Some clones are unsigned.
The design of this style of four-legged wheel is generally attributed to Farnham, but whether Farnham was the originator of this design is not known. The problem is the replacement of original parts long since lost. Distaffs, flyers, treadles, and even the drive wheels are frequently missing after a century or more in storage in some forgotten attic or barn. Because Farnham wheels are now in high demand and somewhat expensive, it occasionally happens that someone who has an incomplete Farnham wheel, usually a dealer, will attempt to complete the wheel with parts which are not Farnham and which do not really fit. Replacement of one or two parts, expertly done according to the original design, is quite acceptable, provided the repairs are pointed out to a prospective buyer.