Miniature Loom or Patent Model with Jacquard Attachment, Punched Cards and Tools

This model illustrates the general principles of the Jacquard attachment, which was refined by Joseph Marie Jacquard (1752–1834) and patented in 1805. The Jacquard attachment utilizes a series of punch cards giving the weaver the ability to program each warp thread to act individually, enabling the weaver to create complex figurative patterns that could be produced over and over again. The Jacquard attachment was brought to the United States in the 1820s and quickly was employed in the weaving of coverlets.