<P> Originally, power looms used a shuttle to throw the weft across, but in 1927 the faster and more efficient shuttleless loom came into use . Sulzer Brothers, a Swiss company had the exclusive rights to shuttleless looms in 1942, and licensed the American production to Warner & Swasey . Draper licensed the slower rapier loom . Today, advances in technology have produced a variety of looms designed to maximise production for specific types of material . The most common of these are Sulzer shuttleless weaving machines, rapier looms, air - jet looms and water - jet looms . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This section needs expansion . You can help by adding to it . (December 2009) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This section needs expansion . You can help by adding to it . (December 2009) </Td> </Tr> <P> Power looms reduced demand for skilled handweavers, initially causing reduced wages and unemployment . Protests followed their introduction . For example, in 1816 two thousand rioting Calton weavers tried to destroy power loom mills and stoned the workers . In the longer term, by making cloth more affordable the power loom increased demand and stimulated exports, causing a growth in industrial employment, albeit low - paid . The power loom also opened up opportunities for women mill workers . A darker side of the power loom's impact was the growth of employment of children in power loom mills . </P>

What is the purpose of a power loom