The “water frame’ of Richard Arkwright was a device for

The 'water frame' was a revolutionary spinning machine developed by Richard Arkwright in the late 18th century during the Industrial Revolution [1]. Patented in 1769, it was a mechanized device designed to spin cotton fibers into yarn [2]. Unlike the earlier 'spinning jenny' which produced relatively weak thread, the water frame utilized a system of rollers to produce a much stronger and firmer yarn suitable for warp threads [4]. Initially powered by horses, Arkwright transitioned to using water wheels to drive the machinery, which led to the name 'water frame' and necessitated the move from cottage-based production to large-scale factories or cotton mills [2]. This invention significantly increased productivity and efficiency in the textile industry by allowing multiple threads to be spun simultaneously by unskilled labor [4].

Sources

1. [1] History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 11: The Age of Revolutions > Important Inventions during Industrial Revolution > p. 168
2. [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinning_frame
3. [4] India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: The Age of Industrialisation > New words > p. 87