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bone entirely; their form also depending on the different construction of the carriages. The body has no other novelty than the occasional introduction of whalebone, their form depending upon individual fancy or convenience, or the variation of public taste. The heads, hoods, or roofs, are composed of cotton, silk, or leather, with whalebone, iron, steel, cane, or wood, to strain or raise them, constructed much in the usual way, but subject, like the bodies, to different methods to make them lighter or stronger, &c.

Although I have laid down this description, yet I do not confine myself to the construction of such carriages, as they may be varied according to the circumstances, and to the taste of the maker or purchaser.

In witness whereof, &c.

OBSERVATIONS COMMUNICATED by the Patentee.

Having a long time observed that coach-makers have provided against the very violent concussion to which carriages are necessarily exposed, by making them as solid and firm as possible, and being continually in great danger, as well as inconvenienced, by my own breaking down in bad roads, it occurred to me, that if carriages, and particularly wheels, could be made elastic, and yet sufficiently strong, to recover from oc casional resistance, these disagreeable and dangerous consequences would be superseded. Finding any kind of construction with steel could not be depended on, from its liability to breaking, particularly in frosty weather, I began to make experiments with whalebone; but here I found great difficulty, from its being so apt to split however, at length this difficulty was easily obviated, as by repeated trials I found that if the longitudinal

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fibres of which the bone is composed were made fast at the ends, it became difficult to divide them; the bone, therefore, being ferriled at certain distances, and inserted in the parts to which it is attached, it is almost impossible to do it injury. My carriages, therefore, are sufficiently elastic to accommodate to the concussion, and yet stiff enough to recover. The elasticity throughout is also much more pleasant than that of steel; as I have obĹ served that steel springs, if they are made so inflexible as to carry much weight, they recover after bending so quick that the person riding is nearly and in many instances thrown out of the carriage. Indeed, it is to this that such misfortunes must be attributed, and not to the first shock the carriage receives; I mean the recoiling of the spring occasions the jerk. Whalebone, from its being more pliant, does not recoil so quick, but simply dips, and recovers, something like the motion of a boat on the water. Indeed, the wheels going into a deep rut, or over a large stone, is scarcely felt by the person in the carriage. It is literally impossible to break the springs. I make my wheels upright; that is without dishing, as it is termed, or being set in at the bottom. It is not necessary for me to give my reasons for this, as, from the attention many gentlemen have lately paid to mechanics, they are able to see that wheels set in at the bottom, or in an oblique direction, naturally describe a circular rout when in motion, and consequently would run from each other were they not confined; the friction is therefore very considerably encreased, particularly on the circumference of the wheels, and the strain on the axle much greater. On the contrary, if the wheels are upright, they run together, and in a straight line.

I have driven iny carriage, a one horse chaise, about eight months, and have in the course of that time per

formed

formed upwards of five thousand miles, nor has it been necessary to repair it. I should observe also, that carriages made of whalebone are much lighter, and incalculably stronger than any other.

Specification of the Patent granted to JOHN KERSHAW, of Glossop Dale, in the County of Derby, Cottonspinner, and JoHN WOOD, of the sume Place, Gentleman; for a Mode of preparing Flax for the Purpose of being spun on the like Machinery as Cotton.

Dated February 10, 1814,

To all to whom these presents shall come, &c. Now KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we the said John Kershaw and John Wood do hereby declare that the nature of our said invention is described in manner following; that is to say: Our said invention, in preparing flax for the purpose of being spun on the like machinery as cotton, consists in separating the fibres of the flax from each other by bleaching the flax, and by afterwards either passing it between rollers, pressed together with force sufficient to separate such of the fibres of the flax as have not been sufficiently separated by the process of bleaching or beating it with hammers or beetles, or by other modes of percussion sufficient to effect the same purpose.

The mere process of bleaching flax (which we disclaim as our invention) is well known, and it is unnecessary here to specify it.

Although the flax may, for the purpose of our invention, be bleached in its raw state, or in any other state prior to its being finally carded, we prefer the following mode. We form it with the heckle into strickles, and then rove it on a common flax-rover into soft cord, con

taining

taining about ten ounces in weight, for every one hundred and twenty yards in length. And after forming such rovings into hanks we bleach it, and pass it when bleached through the rollers above described as often as may be necessary to separate the fibres. We then card it, draw it, and rove it like cotton, and afterwards spin it.

The rollers to be used in separating the fibres of the flax from each other may be made of any convenient diameter and length, and of any materials hard enough to effect the above purpose; but we usually make one of such rollers of close-grained well-seasoned wood, and the other of iron, of about seven inches each in diameter, and about three inches each in length, and press them together with a weight of fifty-six pounds at each end of the upper roller; and we usually pass the flax twice, or oftener, through six successive sets of rollers, until the fibres are sufficiently separated. But if the bleaching be imperfect, or if the fibres of the flax, from any other circumstance, have an unusual degree of adherence, we continue the process until the fibres are sufficiently separated. The separation may be ascertained by inspection.

Although we have described other parts of the process of preparing flax for the purpose of being spun on the like machinery as cotton, we disclaim as our invention every part of the process except that of separating the fibres of the flax from each other by bleaching it, and by afterwards either passing it between rollers pressed together with force sufficient to separate such of the fibres of the flax as have not been sufficiently separated by the process of bleaching, or beating it with hammers, or beetles, or by other modes of percussion sufficient to effect the same purpose.

In witness whereof, &c.

OBSER

OBSERVATIONS COMMUNICATED BY THE PATENTEES.

Such is the enrolled specification of our invention; the design of which it may not be amiss thus briefly to explain.

The flax-machinery hitherto used being found inadequate to any but the coarsest yarns, the finer numbers have been consequently confined to hand-spinning, an operation in itself so tedious and expensive that the cost of any fabric dependent on it must necessarily be much enhanced; and hence chiefly the high price of linen, cambric, and lace, when compared with articles of equal texture made from cotton, or even silk, the raw material of which exceeds in value that of flax fifty fold.

To preclude, therefore, the necessity of hand-spinning in the higher numbers of flax, by adapting the article to the like machinery as cotton, is the object of the process above specified; and, in effecting this purpose, it is hoped that the foundation of a manufacture has been laid, which may enable this country, at no distant period, to meet the French in a market, hitherto their own, that of laces, lawn, and cambric.

Specification of the Patent granted to WILLIAM PARKER, of Whitechapel, in the County of Middlesex, Oil and .Colourman; for an Improvement in the making or manufacturing of Green Paint.

Dated August 10, 1812.

To all to whom these presents shall come, &c. Now KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I the said William Parker do hereby declare that my said invention consists in combining fixed alkali with

mineral

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