water frame
water frame, In textile manufacture, a spinning machine powered by water that produced a cotton yarn suitable for warp (lengthwise threads). Patented in 1769 by R. Arkwright, it represented an improvement on James Hargreavesβs spinning jenny, which produced weaker thread suitable only for weft (filling yarn).
This article was most recently revised and updated by Robert Curley.
Citation Information
Article Title:
water frame
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
19 September 2019
Access Date:
November 13, 2026