Codex Atlanticus

CA f.1105 r: Cloth shearing machine

The shearing was a precise phase in textile production when the nap of wool fabric was levelled using heavy shears. This process required a lot of time and in Leonardo’s time it was hand-made. This machine was conceived to mechanize the operation: it could manufacture four rolls of fabric all at once thanks to a single shaft which activated the shears and made the fabric scroll forwards at the same time.