Archeologists have found a model of a loom in an Egyptian tomb from 4,000 years ago. Yet the development of loom technology was slow until 1733, when John Kay (1704-1780) invented the flying shuttle.
Looms interlace two sets of yarn or threads together to form cloth. The first set of threads is placed lengthwise along the loom and is called the warp. The second set of threads is called the weft. The weft is carried between the warp threads by a shuttle. In traditional looms, weavers passed the shuttle through the warp by hand, and it was a slow process. Kay's flying shuttle moved on wheels in a track through the warp when the weaver pulled a cord. This was much faster than hand weaving, and could also be used to create much wider fabrics than previously possible.
Kay did not receive much benefit from his invention because weavers saw the flying shuttle as a threat to their livelihoods. They believed—incorrectly as it turned out—that the demand for cloth was constant, so if looms were more efficient, fewer weavers would be needed. Although manufacturers were glad to use Kay's invention, they did not pay him any royalties. Kay died a poor man in 1780.
The flying shuttle created a huge demand for yarn. At the time, yarn spinning was a slow process done by hand. Over the next fifty-five years, inventors worked on machines to increase the productivity of spinners. These included the spinning jenny, the water frame, and the spinning mule. All these inventions made cotton items affordable to many more people.
