Model of Brunel's cotton winding machine.

Machine for winding cotton into balls, invented by Sir Marc Isambard Brunel, unsigned, United Kingdom, 1800-1802. The first machine made was used at Strutts Cotton Mill, Belper.

This machine was invented by Sir Marc Isambard Brunell (1769-1849) in 1802. Before that time cotton and linen thread were sold in skeins.

The thread is carried round the ball by means of the flyer and at each revolution is laid in a different place owing to the slow rotation of the spindle, which is connected with the flyer through worm gearing. The inclination of the spindle can be adjusted by the hand lever to control the shape of the ball produced.

Do note that the machine bears some of the stylistic details associated with the London engineer Henry Maudslay, who worked with Brunel on a number of projects.