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How did the Jacquard loom use punched cards to create textile patterns?
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automation
At the top of the machine is a stack of punched cards that would be fed into the loom to control the weaving pattern. This method of automatically issuing machine instructions was employed by computers well into the 20th century.
The Jacquard loom, developed by Joseph-Marie Jacquard in 1804–05, revolutionized textile production by using punched cards to automate the creation of intricate patterns.12
The system functions as an automatic selective shedding device mounted atop the loom. Each warp yarn is connected to a cord suspended from a hook, which interacts with the loom's lifting mechanism (the griff). The process works as follows:
- Pattern Input: Each punched card corresponds to a single throw of the shuttle, with the pattern transferred from a designer's weave draft onto the cards.3
- Mechanical Selection: As a card moves into position on a cylinder, horizontal needles press against it.
- Weaving Action: Where a hole exists in the card, the needle passes through, allowing the corresponding hook to engage with the rising griff and lift the warp thread. Where no hole exists, the needle is pushed back, dislodging the hook from the griff so the warp remains stationary.3
This mechanism allowed for the automated production of complex designs like tapestry and damask.1