What textile machine did Leonardo da Vinci design to twist fibers into thread?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a spinning machine to mechanize the twisting of fibers into thread.

Spinning transforms loose fibers such as flax or wool into a continuous yarn by drawing them out and adding twist. Leonardo’s notebooks contain studies of mechanical devices intended to perform parts of this process more efficiently than hand spinning. His designs used coordinated moving components, reflecting his broader interest in automating repetitive labor.

Leonardo’s machine was a design concept rather than an industrial device known to have entered production. Textile mechanization developed gradually, and later inventions such as the spinning jenny and water frame transformed spinning during the Industrial Revolution.

A spinning machine is not a loom, which interlaces prepared threads to make fabric. It is also not a cotton gin, which separates cotton fibers from seeds. Leonardo’s design concerned yarn production before weaving.