What machine did Leonardo da Vinci design to manufacture threads for textiles?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a spinning machine to manufacture textile thread more efficiently. His textile studies explored mechanisms that could twist fibers into a continuous yarn.

Spinning transforms loose fibers such as wool or flax into thread by drawing them out and adding twist. Leonardo’s notebooks contain proposals for mechanizing parts of this process, reflecting the importance of textile production in Renaissance workshops and trade.

Leonardo did not invent spinning itself, which had been practiced for thousands of years with tools such as the spindle and distaff. His contribution was to imagine machinery that could increase output and reduce repetitive manual labor. The design is also distinct from a loom: a spinning machine makes thread, while a loom interlaces threads into fabric.