Loom with "Flying Shuttle"

The flying shuttle devised in 1733 by John Kay revolutionized the rhythm of work with the loom. Until the invention of the flying shuttle, weavers had thrown the boat shuttle through the open shed with one hand, caught it in the other, and, after forming the counter shed and beating in the Weft tread, thrown the shuttle back to the other side, a constant back and forth. A second weaver was required to produce wide sheets of cloth.