Who invented the power loom?

Who invented the power loom? Edmund Cartwright invented the power loom.

Cartwright, an English clergyman and inventor, designed his first power loom in 1784 and patented it in 1785. The machine mechanized weaving by using powered mechanisms to move the shuttle, raise the warp threads, and press the weft into place.

Cartwright’s early loom was mechanically crude and was not immediately commercially successful. It initially required hand operation, and later versions used water and steam power. Other engineers improved its reliability, especially the systems for sizing and handling the warp, helping power looms become practical factory machines.

A common mix-up is confusing Cartwright with John Kay, who invented the flying shuttle, or with Richard Arkwright, whose water frame mechanized cotton spinning. Cartwright’s contribution was mechanized weaving, a separate stage of textile production. His invention helped shift cloth production from skilled handweavers to large-scale textile mills.