Jacquard loom engraving, 1874
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.
Jacquard loom
weaving
Also known as: Jacquard attachment, Jacquard mechanism
Jacquard loom, in weaving, device incorporated in special looms to control individual warp yarns. It enabled looms to produce fabrics having intricate woven patterns such as tapestry, brocade, and damask, and it has also been adapted to the production of patterned knitted fabrics. The Jacquard system was developed in 1804–05 by Joseph-Marie Jacquard of France, and it soon spread elsewhere. His system improved on the punched-card technology of Jacques de Vaucanson’s loom (1745). Jacquard’s loom...
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