What immediate problem followed John Kay’s 1733 Flying Shuttle invention?
Answer
Spinning famine
The Flying Shuttle, invented by John Kay in 1733, drastically increased weaving speed and fabric width because it allowed the operator to propel the shuttle swiftly across the warp threads using cords or pedals, eliminating the physical reach limitation of the weaver's arm span. This leap in weaving efficiency meant that weavers could process yarn far faster than the existing spinning technology—which relied on traditional spinning wheels with only a single spindle—could supply it. This resulting imbalance in the production pipeline created a severe shortage of spun thread, known specifically as the spinning famine, driving subsequent mechanical innovation in spinning technology.
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