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Water Wheel
This was actually invented in 4000BC, but that wouldn't fit on the timeline. This was a giant wheel that was placed in a river. It would turn as the river flowed past. You could then use bands (think like rubber bands) to connect machinery to the wheel. The water turned the wheel, the wheel turned the band, and the band turned the machine. This was the main source of power before the steam engine. It meant all factories had to be located by a river. -
The Flying Shuttle
Weaving cloth was one of Britain's main industries. Unfortunately, doing this by hand took a lot of time. Or it did until John Kay invented the "Flying Shuttle." Previously, a weaver had to pass the roll of yarn from one hand to the other in an awkward way to complete a cycle of the weaving process. Kay came up with the idea of a box (the "shuttle") that could be knocked back and forth from one side of the loom to the other in an instant. People could make more cloth, which led to more money. -
Spinning Jenny
The spinning of cotton into threads for weaving into cloth had traditionally taken place in the homes of textile workers. A person could only create one spindle and one thread at a time. James Hargreaves’ ‘Spinning Jenny’ would revolutionize the process of cotton spinning. The machine used eight spindles onto which the thread was spun, so by turning a single wheel, the operator could now spin eight threads at once. This saved time, created more thread and led to more money. -
The Water Frame
Richard Arkwright's water frame improved on the Spinning Jenny. It involved three sets of paired rollers that turned at different speeds. While these rollers produced yarn of the correct thickness, a set of spindles twisted the fibers firmly together. The machine was able to produce a thread that was stronger than that of the Spinning-Jenny. The water frame was powered by the water wheel. In the image, the piece that sticks out on the left was what was hooked up to the water wheel. -
Puddling
The mining industry's most import product was coal. This could be used for heat and to power a steam engine. When it is heated without air (so it doesn't start a fire), coal produces "coke." Henry Cort used coke to help burn away (melt away) impurities in raw iron. This process, called puddling, made for better, stronger iron. Iron would go on to create tons of things, most importantly the railroad. England made a lot of money off of selling iron and coal. -
Steam Engine
The steam engine was originally created to help pump water out of coal mines. Run by coal, the steam engine heats water until it turns into steam. That steam then forces pistons up and down, which creates power that could be used to run machines. No longer did a factory need to be near water - the steam engine replaced the water wheel. It also went on to power trains. -
Power Loom
While the water table and spinning jenny made thread, the power loom focused on making cloth out of that thread. In general, looms were used to weave together fabrics in order to create textiles (cloth). Previously people used the flying shuttle to help them, but the rest of done by hand. Now water power was used to speed up the entier process. Less people were needed to make cloth. -
Steam Locomotive
A locomotive is a fancy word for a train. The first train was powered by a steam engine and made out of iron. It moved at 5 miles an hour. Later, The Rocket would move at 16 miles an hour. Over time the trains would speed up, making it quick and easy to transport coal to factories. It also made it easy to transport goods without having to use rivers. By 1850, England had more than 6000 miles of railroad.
