Shuttle, ca. 1920. Maine State Museum.
Shuttle, ca. 1920. Maine State Museum.
A shuttle holds a bobbin of thread and passes back and forth through a loom's shed, positioning the warp (vertical) threads to create the weft (horizontal) thread of fabric.
This shuttle has metal tips for use in a power loom. Power looms passed shuttles at high speeds in a shaft to quickly weave fabric. Without safety features built into the loom, weavers had to stay aware. The shaft was not enclosed so a mechanical failure might launch the shuttle into the air.