What textile-making machine did Leonardo da Vinci design using a rotating spindle?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a spinning machine using a rotating spindle to twist fibers into thread.

Leonardo’s textile studies examined ways to mechanize spinning, one of the most labor-intensive stages of cloth production. His drawings show mechanisms intended to coordinate rotation and fiber handling more efficiently than hand spinning. The work reflects his broader interest in machines that combined gears, cams, wheels, and continuous motion.

A spinning machine turns loose fibers such as wool or flax into yarn by drawing them out and adding twist. This process is different from weaving, which interlaces finished threads on a loom to make fabric. Leonardo’s designs therefore belong to spinning technology, not primarily to loom construction.

The sketches did not immediately create an industrial textile revolution. Large-scale mechanized spinning became practical much later, especially during Britain’s Industrial Revolution, when machines such as the spinning jenny and water frame transformed production.