Specification of the Patent granted to JOHN CURR, of Belle Vue House, in the Parish of Sheffield, in the County of York, Gentleman; for a certain Invention of spinning Hemp for the Making of Ropes or Cordage. Dated March 8, 1808.

To all to whom these presents shall come, &c.

NOW WITNESS THESE PRESENTS, that the said John Curr, by this present instrument in writing under his hand and seal, doth describe and ascertain the nature of the said invertion and manner in which the same is to be performed, used, and exercised as follows; that is to say: To the axis of the spinning-wheel usually applied for spinning hemp for cordage, annex a small drum madę of tin, wood, or other fit material, about twelve inches diameter, which may be about twenty inches or two feet long, upon which small drum a small cord, wire, or chain, or other fit material, must be wound, of the length at least of the thread proposed to be spun; and by turning round the spinning-wheel which commands the spindles, the small cord, wire, or chain, or other fit material (which should be annexed or fastened to one of the spinners), will at the same time turn off the drum, and give the speed the spinners must go. If the spinners want to go a quick speed, the spinning-wheel will require to be turned quick, and if slow the wheel must be turned slow; and it will be necessary to proportion the drum herein explained to the wheel and spindles, in such manner as to give the desired twist to the yarns, which for the making of a rope is of very considerable importance; and if for different uses it is. required to have the yarns spun harder or softer, the introduction VOL. XIII.-SECOND SERIES.

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of larger or smaller whirls will produce the desired effect. It will be adviseable to have all the whirls of one and the same size, that are in use at the same time, and all the spinners employed upon one wheel to begin and end their threads together, and keep the same speed, as near as may be, with the person to whom the cord, wire, or chain is attached, to produce in all the threads the most regular twist possible. By more complicated machinery, the cord, wire, or chain, that points out the speed to the spinners, may be used and applied in a different manner, or a distinct person may carry the cord, wire, or chain to give them the speed; but what I lay claim to as my invention, is a cord, wire, or chain, or other fit material, connected or applied in any way with the spinning-wheel and the spinners of the yarns, which may to any convenient distance keep up a regular connection between them. All the yarns being spun with one twist, will make them stretch nearly alike, during the operation of using the rope, as well as that of laying the rope; and when the yarns are not equally twisted, and the strands are twisting up during the operation of laying, the yarns are in part untwisted again, which generally produces the effect of giving an unequal tension to the strands, which defect the rope-maker generally remedies (in order to make the strands lay well in the rope), by twisting up or untwisting one or two of the strands; but if the strands that compose a rope have an unequal number of twists, they cannot when applied to use take an equal share of the burthen.

In witness whereof, &c.

Specification

Specification of the Patent granted to JOHN HARRIOTT, of Wapping, in the County of Middlesex, Esquire; for a new Fire Escape, or Machinery to be used in Cases of Fire. Dated May 10, 1808.

With a Plate...

To all to whom these presents shall come, &e.

NOW KNOW YE, that I the said John Harriott, in compliance with the said proviso, do hereby declare, that the nature of my said invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described and ascertained in the drawings hereunto annexed, and the following description thereof; viz. The nature and principle of this invention or improvement for furnishing the means of escaping from a house or building when on fire is very simple, as shewn by the annexed drawings and the following description. The internal or chamber fire-escape consists in having a fastening made of wood, iron, or other metal, in the nature of a small crane, as shewn by No. 1. (Plate XII.) or in the nature of a hinge as seen by No. 2, to fix to the bottom, top, or sides of any window, or other opening in any house or building. At the projecting end of this fastening or fire-escape there are two holes, as seen AA in No. 1 and No. 2, . through both of which a rope is to be reeved or passed, as shewn A A No. 1. At one end of this rope an eye is to be spliced or tied for the other end to pass through, which then forms a slip noose B. The rope is to be long enough not only to reach from the window to the earth when doubled, but to extend several feet more, slanting from the building; a small line is likewise to be added €, fastened to the noose. This is all the apparatus wanting for the chamber fire-escape (though a pulley and block, and other things may be easily added if required), and may be applied or put to use in the

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following way: the chamber fire-escape may be made to ship and unship at pleasure, and may be shaped variously, and being secured to the bottom, top, or sides of any window or other opening, with the rope passed or reeved through both holes at the projecting end, the plain end of the rope is to be dropped or thrown down to any person on the outside to take hold of and to lower down the person to be rescued. Persons to be rescued have only to slip the noose over the head and shoulders, so as to draw the noose close just under their arms, and getting out of the window, any other person or persons below or remaining in the room, having hold of the other end of the rope may lower them down in safety; and then if men are to be rescued from the same floor, the noose is to be hauled up again, and the same process to be repeated as often as necessary. The small line fastened to the noose is for the purpose of drawing the suspended person clear away from the side of the building when found needful. When there are several people thus to be saved, those who remain in the room may lower down the others; those. first down may then lower the rest, and a moderately active person would find no difficulty in lowering himself down, more especially if the small end of the rope is again reeved through another hole or two, provided for the purpose in the sloping bar, as shewn in the drawing at D D, No. 1. to deaden its passage still more.

For the external fire-escape or machine, for moving from house to house, the following description, with the drawing No. 3, will clearly shew the instrument, and how it is to be applied. The drawing No. 3 shews an instrument on the same principle, though it may be variously shaped, made of iron or other metal to be fixed on the end of a pole of a length proportionate to

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