He updated the machinery and many other enhancements to speed up production. Hopefully, you can learn some lessons from John Kay and the flying shuttle Try to incorporate these ideas into your invention process. All seems quiet for a while with his invention being taken up in a number of provinces [WM], and he had three of his sons – Robert (aged 24), James (aged 14) and John (aged 12) – with him in Paris by 1752 [RH]. John Kay was treading unexplored ground as he was one of the first inventors of the 18th century that inspired even more inventions. The Ancestry of John Kay The Descendants of John Kay His invention of the ‘Fly Shuttle’ or ‘Flying Shuttle’ made John Kay one of the founders of the Industrial Revolution, and put him in the history books alongside names such as Arkwright and Crompton. Julia Mann described him as ‘vain, obstinate and suspicious’ while the French government said of him “he possessed the inconvenient quality of being difficult to manage” [WM]. The original looms used a bobbin to which weft yarn was attached. It considerably sped up the production process within the weaving industry. On both sides of the loom were boxes that caught the shuttle and launched the shuttle back to the initial state. But the new method of winding the shuttle – the ‘bobbin shuttle’ as it was known in Lancashire – was an instant success. The invention helped with speeding up the production process as well as decreasing the number of employees needed to produce more fabrics. This was because he had to pass the shuttle backwards and forwards, from hand to hand. While we can’t verify this story, it certainly gives us a great image of a man hard at work on a product that changed the textile industry forever. John was bequeathed 40 British pounds from his father and received a decent but short education until he was only 14. They formed themselves into ‘Shuttle Clubs’ to fight the actions John was bringing against them and invariably won [WM]. Don’t rest on your laurels. This tendency to learn new things would be a key factor for Kay, and it enabled him to invent the flying shuttle. Secondly, he knew exactly where the existing products were missing and sought changes to improve them. Hopefully, his story can inspire many aspiring inventors out there – there are many lessons to be learned from John Kay and the Flying Shuttle. He continued to create new and innovative designs along with new patents. Know precisely when things can be improved. Interestingly enough, John Kay, born in England, was often nicknamed “the Frenchman” due to his involvement in the French manufacturing in his late life. John Kay and the Flying Shuttle proved to be one of the most important inventions that brought on the Industrial Revolution and massively improved the weaving industry. While the large looms required two operators for effective production beforehand, they only needed a single worker with the invention of the flying shuttle. Another effect of this invention is that it lowered the number of workers that needed to operate a single shuttle – not only did it improve the effectiveness of the system, but it also automatized the weaving process as a whole. Who was John Kay, and what was his thinking when he invented the Flying Shuttle? The invention helped with speeding up the production process as well as decreasing the number of employees needed to produce more fabrics. The French government were enthusiastic about the wheel shuttle and the bobbin shuttle, and John agreed to go to Mony in Normandy to conduct experiments on both. John Kay was a man whose entire young life had been exposed to the woolen industry. Robert Kay owned a woolen manufactory mill, which was quite successful even before John was born. John Kay was fined often, and his legal fees mounted, which is why he almost went bankrupt at the time. This time in his life was essential for him as he learned how to take responsibility. Ellin was remarried in 1709 to John Hamer, a stonemason, who died in 1716 [RH].