During the eighteenth century, the demand for fine woven and patterned fabrics increased dramatically; while weaving was facilitated by the rising use of mechanical spinners and looms, there seemed to be no suitable method for simulating the hand-lifting of individual warp threads that was involved in patterning. In order to mechanize this process, two requirements had to be met: a memory medium in which to store the desired pattern, and a system for lifting the appropriate threads.

In 1725, French inventor Basile Bouchon constructed a device that used hooks and needles to lift the warp threads. The pattern was stored as a series of holes punched into a long sheet of paper; as the fabric was woven, the holes would allow certain hooks to pass through and lift the pattern threads. To change the pattern, one had only to change the paper sheet. (This system closely resembled...