James Hargreaves
Credit for the spinning jenny, the hand-powered multiple spinning machine invented in 1764, goes to a British carpenter and weaver named James Hargreaves. His invention was the first machine to improve upon the spinning wheel. At the time, cotton producers had a difficult time meeting the demand for textiles, as each spinner produced only one spool of thread at a time. Hargreaves found a way to ramp up the supply of thread.
Key Takeaways: Spinning Jenny
- 1. Carpenter and weaver James Hargreaves invented the spinning jenny but sold too many before he applied for a patent.
- 2. The spinning jenny wasn't only Hargeaves' idea. Many people were trying at the time to invent a device to make textile manufacture easier.
- 3. The increased size of the spinning jenny led to spinners moving their work to factories and out of the home.
The people who took the raw materials (such as wool, flax, and cotton) and turned them into thread were spinners who worked at home with a spinning wheel. From the raw material they created a roving after cleaning and carding it. The roving was put over a spinning wheel to be twisted tighter into thread, which collected on the device's spindle.
The original spinning jenny had eight spindles side by side, making thread from eight rovings across from them. All eight were controlled by one wheel and a belt, allowing for much more thread to be created at one time by one person. Later models of the spinning jenny had up to 120 spindles.