Tools & manufacturing · 1733

Flying shuttle

A shuttle knocked across the loom doubles a weaver's output.

John Kay patented the flying shuttle in 1733. Faster weaving created a yarn shortage that spurred mechanized spinning.

Arcs above join it to what it stood on, arcs below to what it led to. The bar places this stretch on the tree's whole timeline.

What it built on 1

The dashed line marks when it first worked.

Output of key industries in England, 1270-1870 Latest: Coal: 3.77k index (1700=100) (1870) Source: Our World in Data

Patents awarded in England, 1700-1851 Latest: 455 patents per year (1851) Source: Our World in Data

GDP per capita in England/UK since 1000 Latest: 38.4k int.-$ (2011) (2022) Source: Our World in Data