Silk-reeling machine with traversing guide
Devanadora mecánica de seda con guía de vaivén
- Date
- c. 1090 · confidence medium
- Place
- Gaoyou, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Credited to
- Described by Qin Guan (Can shu)
- Field
- Tools
What it is
A pedal-driven machine that reels thread from several cocoons at once and spreads it evenly onto the reel by means of a guide driven by a belt transmission. It sped up and regularised silk production.
Needham considers it one of the earliest uses of a drive belt in a production machine.
What it led to
- more regular silk thread for export
- early use of belt transmission and connecting rod