into the mortise of R, and pinned, and passing through a mortise in the pillar of A. Now to stop the machine, the near extremity of the lever S must be pressed down, and that slackens the band communicating from the acting power to the pully of H. When set a-going, the said extremity of S must be lifted up, and pinned there. To work this machine, put the cloth to work as directed under letter M; then throw back the stop of G, and the shears are brought to their work; then raise the extremity of S, and the machine works. Fig. 3 shows a second mode of shearing cloth the length way, a side and end view. A is the frame, with its pillars, legs, and side and end rails. B, the inclined planes, as fig. 1, under E, C, the shear boards, over which the cloth is stretched from H to H; every shear has its board, and is placed by the side of each other, so as to take the width of the cloth; and the shears, situated for the like purpose on them, the harness H, and small working frame E, fig. 2, are lengthened accordingly. D, the cropper's shears in its harness, and bob or working lever, with E, fig. 2, in its proper situations, attached by the steps to the harness of D. E, the axle, with the line communicating with the bob at one end, and at the other with one of the axle rods, by a thimble, described under F and G, fig. 1. F, the line and thimble before named.

G, is a small axle, with its lines, levers, pulleys, &c. particularly described under letters, H, I, K, L, fig. 1. H, rollers for the cloth, and their cog-wheels and stops. I, a lever, with its catch and stop to the wheel of H, which is on the other side of the pillar of A, near the middle of it, and falls into the cog-wheel of H, which line communicates with the lower end of the catches on H and L, and passes through small pulleys, fixed under the catches, on the inside of the frame A, that, by the pressure of the upper extremity of the said lever, the catches are raised out of the cogs of their wheels, to give liberty for winding, the cloth when shorn on the roller of H, situated near to I. K, a roller to guide the cloth, when wound forwards, that it may keep its situation on the surface of C: it is placed near the axle G, on steps, in the same direction fixed to the pillars of A. L, an axle, with its handles, cog-wheel, and stop, resting on B, with its near stop. This axle has an aperture through the middle of it lengthwise, to admit the cloth through. Now when the cloth is stretched from one of the rollers of H to the other, by turning L to the right, more regular tightness is given to the cloth, and better fits it for the action of shearing. For effecting the progression in shearing and working the shears, M is a small sword, fitted on the handle of the projection of E at one end, and at the other on the crank handle of N. N, a crank, with its pulley with one groove, and a small five-groove pulley. Or this may be reduced to a small one-groove pulley, of about three inches diameter. The larger one-groove pulley carries a band to the power that drives the machine. The situation of this crank is nearly the same as S, fig. 1, and produces the like effect. O is an axle, with a large fivegroove pulley and screw pinion. These pulleys of N and have their bands, and descend in

their dimensions, as particularly described under letter P, fig. 2. P, a roller, with its cog-wheel, on which the bands wind that carry forward D, D, with all the other shears, more or less, fastened together by a rail, at their proper distances from each other (as in drawing), that each may take its proper share of cloth, being situated as described under letter C. Bands from P to D carry forward the shears of D. For stopping this frame, the stop part of fig. 1, under letters U, V, W, X, must be put to it, fixed to the rails and pillars of A. Q is a projection attached to D, and will stop this frame when the parts above directed are fixed to it in the manner directed, fig. 1. R is a line attached to the shears of D, and, passing through a small pulley fixed in the back rail of A, runs through another pulley fixed in a convenient situation over the frame of this said fig. 3, and by pulling its extremity draws back the shears of D when they have cut their board of cloth. For working this machine, the cloth is wound on the upper roller of H, and round a small roller at the upper end of A, and extended down C, and under K, and to the other roller of H, where it is attached; the stop of the upper roller falling into its wheel, the cloth is tightened by the lower roller and the handles of the roller. L, their respective catches falling into the cogs of their wheels, which keep the cloth in a tight state, then throwing back the catch of G, the shears of D are let down to their work, when, by means of R, they are brought to their proper situation on B. Then lift up the lever of the stop-frame into its notch, as directed under letter S, fig. 2, and the machine works. When the machine stops, as before directed, and particularly described, fig. 1, under X, to shift the cloth for cutting another length, press down the near extremity of I of this third figure, and wind the cloth that is cut on H. When, lifting up the said extremity of I, the cloth may be tightened as above described, and the shears of D shifted to continue their work.

Fig. 4, for raising a shag on cloth preparatory to shearing. A, the side and end rails, legs and pillars, with its teasle frames, and cotters. B, the frames, one open and the other shut, which turn on hinges, and, when shut ready for work, are fastened by buttons screwed loosely to C. C is a frame mortised, to fit four sides of B, when shut; and by projections, or sides fixed to its four corners, rides in the groove of a third frame, fixed to the rails of F. D, a third frame in the inner grooves, or two sides of it; C rides this frame, is attached to F, its projection slides through the gutters or flutes of L, when working. E, the double crank, with its large pulley, which by a band goes to the working power. These cranks stand in contrary directions, on the same axle, that the frame may work alternately. F, working rails, fitted on the crank handles, and fastened on by screws. These rails have a working joint near the side of G, and on the further side of G are attached, by screws, to each end of D; and as E works the frames of D, which carry C and B, works round L, and so raise the shag. G, the pulleys, fixed in their frames, over which F rides. H, the board for raising, in its inclined posture, with the cloth passing over it from one

roller of I to the other. I, the rollers, situated before and behind H, and attached to the legs of A, by screws, the gudgeons rising on steps; and at the upper end of H is a small roller, to guide the cloth round the end of H, which swells for both lists of the cloth, after the manner of fig. 2, under the letter G. K, the check to the fore roller I, which at one end is attached to one of the legs of A, and near that end lies over the same roller, and hollowed to fit it, and at the other end carries a weight, as in drawing. L, two pieces of plank, situated on both sides H, at the upper termination of M. The inside of the said planks are fluted or guttered to the angles of L, which stands at the foot of A. The small projection at the top of L is a pattern of the slides fixed to the sides of D, which pass through the aforesaid angle when the frames are working, which raise them to and from the cloth. To effect the revolution of the slides that carry C, the top piece of L is fastened to the side of its plank, at or near the upper end, by a screw, on which it moves, and at or near the bottom end it is fastened to its plank, but with the liberty to play.

When D, by its slides, has passed through the gutter, the lower end of the top piece of L falls, and forms a bridge, to carry the slides of L to the top of the gutter, for the making of another revolution. M are small swords, terminating in and fastened with pins, and passing through sockets fixed to the rail of A, and mortised at the lower extremity into N, where they move on pins. N, a strong rail, extending along the side of A, having a joint in it, and turning on pins in a mortise fixed to the pillars of A. O, an axle, with small projections at its ends, in steps, lying on the lower rail of A, extending from one side of the machine to the other. P, small swords, one tenoned into the projection of O, and the other admitting the near extremity of N, through a mortise where it moves upon a pin. Q, an upright leg, fastened at the lower end to the axle of O, near the lower rail of A. Now by turning this leg to right or left, it moves O, and O by its projection raises and lowers the near extremity of N, and N raises and sinks L, which has a like effect on B, C, D; so that, by these mediums, B is brought into contact with H in all necessary degrees. R is a cog-wheel; its situation is on the further extremity of the back roller of I. S, two catches, for carrying forwards R, attached to I at one end in mortises, and moving on pins, and the other working the cogs of C. T, the working leg, fixed to the further pillar of A by a screw, as in drawing, The upper extremity of the said leg goes through a socket, fixed to the further rail of F, near the upper part of it. Now, by the vibration of this extremity of T, in its socket, by E working F, S carries round R, and by varying the pins of S nearer to, or more distant from, the centre of its motion, the said R is carried forwards either faster or slower. For shifting B and C to right and left of H, for the purpose of raising more regularly U, a cogwheel and stop of the under side, with a handle near the periphery of the said cog-wheel, to act as a crank on the top-side. F, three rails. The rail that crosses the top of H is tenoned into the

VOL. VI

extremities of those that form or lie to the right and left of it. W, the steps on which V right with pins to keep the rails of V in their place. X, bands fastened at one end to C, and the other extremity passing through nuts fixed to V, where they are fastened by the end, screws working through the side of their nuts against them. Y, two legs, fastened together at the lower end by a working joint at the upper ends. The further is attached to the near rail of F, and that nearer works upon a pin, a little short of its extremity, with a catch falling into the teeth of W; and, as it works U round, there is another catch on the same side, which prevents the said U from working back. Now F works Y, and Y works U, and U works by its crank V, and X shifts C from right to left by turns in the degree necessary, by tightening and slacking the band X. Z is the near step of E, screwed to a short rail at one end, tenoned into the near pillar at A, near which the step of A is situated. The other extremity of the said rail is fixed under a pin, on a short upright leg, which at the lower is screwed to the inside of the near rail of A, near which the step of A is situated. Now to set this machine to work, or to stop it when working; for the latter, move the said rail from under its pin, and by raising it, the band on E slackens, and the machine stops; and having extended the cloth from the near roller I, on which it is wound, to that behind H, and fixed the handles in B, with its cutters, and buttoned them down, you must then bring the extremity of Z under its said pin, and the machine works.

A perpetual shearing machine is used in the west of England, and is well adapted for narrow cloths. The shears lay crossways on the piece, which is drawn beneath them regularly in the direction of its length without interruption, and hence its name.

The

A complete rotatory shearing machine, for cropping cloth of any breadth, was invented by Mr. Price, of Gloucestershire, in 1815, and is described with plates in the Repertory of Arts, vol. xxxix. This machine crops the cloth across the breadth, beginning at one end of the piece and continuing regularly to the other. cloth for this purpose, is conducted through it by the motion of rollers, and is drawn over a bed or support which lies beneath the stationary or fixed blade of the shears or croppers (which answers to what is called the ledger-blade in the common shears), so that the cloth passes between the bed and the stationary blade. The moving blades of the shears are fixed on the circumference of a cylinder situated above the fixed blade, with its axis exactly parallel to it, and capable of revolving by the power of machinery, so that the edges of the moving blades will be carried against and passed over the edge of the fixed blade, in order to cut away all the wool of the cloth which rises above the edge of the fixed blade. Several such moving blades are fixed upon the same cylinder, to act in succession against the fixed blade; and these moving blades are placed obliquely to the axis of the cylinder, or in such a manner as to form portions of spirals; but, as all parts of the cutting edges are equidistant from the axis of the cylinder, it is

E

manifest that, in the revolution of the cylinder, every part of each spiral edge is brought in succession into contact with the fixed blade, so that in its revolution it crops off all the wool, which by the progressive motion of the cloth over its bed, is raised up against the fixed edge. The edges of the moving blades are placed at such a degree of obliquity to the axis of the cylinder, that at the same instant the end of one ceases to cut against the edge of the fixed blade, the following revolving blade will begin its action at the other end of the cylinder; therefore, by the time that any one of the revolving edges has passed over and made its cut against the whole length of the fixed blade, and is ready to quit it, the succeeding revolving edge is brought into action, and, when this has passed, the next in succession begins, so as to keep up a continued action. The cloth is stretched in width by a contrivance which he calls stretching-bands, to prevent it getting into folds or wrinkles, which would be injured by the shears, or make irregularities in the shearing.

These stretching-bands are endless straps or bands, each of which is extended over two wheels. The bands have sharp pins projecting from them to prick into the lists at the edges of the cloth; and the bands being so situated that one of them lies exactly beneath each list, they will be caused to circulate round their respective wheels by the motion of the cloth. The stretching of the cloth is effected by the position of the wheels on which the bands circulate, the direction of the bands being slightly oblique to the lengthways of the cloth. The endless straps are so fitted into grooves or troughs, that they are firmly retained to move straight forwards in their oblique direction; and the direction of the obliquity is such, that the bands are nearest together at that end where their pins take hold of the lists' of the cloth; but as the bands move forwards with the cloth, they recede from each other, and extend the cloth in breadth in consequence of their obliquity, which may be increased or diminished as is found necessary. The actual width between the two bands can also be regulated according to the width of the piece of cloth. It is not usual to crop the lists of the cloth, and indeed, as the lists are usually of thicker substance than the other parts of the cloth, they would bear up the fixed blade too high from the cloth to cut the nap quite close.

The bed or support on which the cloth is cut is so constructed, that it can be adapted in length to the breadth of the piece of cloth between the lists, in order that the cloth only may be supported or borne up to the edge of the fixed blade; whilst the lists, being depressed or borne down below the level of the bed, by thin slips of metal called guards, will escape the action of cropping, and thereby remain with the long wool upon their surfaces. The bed by which the cloth is borne whilst it is cut is only a narrow ridge of metal, over which it passes, so as to be bent with a sudden curvature, and in this way the nap can be cut more close and even than upon a flat bed or soft cushion. The operation of cutting is facilitated by a row of pieces of metal

1

screwed to a strong bar, to form a straight edge, very similar to the cutting edge of the fixed blade, but thin and elastic. This edge is placed close to the elevated ridge of the bed, and presses the cloth gently down upon the bed, immediately before it comes to the edge of the fixed blade, against which the nap is to be cut off; this elastic edge being placed on one side of the ridge, and the cutting edge of the lower blade on the other side, the cloth is only exposed for a very narrow space just where it comes to the cutting edge. By this means the cloth can with safety be brought nearer to a level with the upper surface of the fixed blade, so as to shear it closer than could otherwise be done without endangering the cloth. The ends of the ridge part of the bed are composed of a number of narrow plates of metal, accurately fitted together, and placed side by side in a mortise made in the end of the solid bed; their upper ends project out of the mortise so as to line with the elevated ridge, and form a continuation of it; but there is a sliding piece in the bottom of the mortise on which they all bear, and the point of it is of a wedge form. By removing this wedge any number of the moveable pieces may be let down, so as to diminish the length of the elevated part of the bed at pleasure, according to the breadth of the cloth. The whole seems well contrived to effect the desired object.

The cloth, having been shorn for the last time, is brushed over and pressed. The former operation is now generally performed by two cylindrical machine brushes, over which a system of rollers passes the piece, brushing both the sides at the same time. Pressing gives it the final smooth coat and polish: preparatory to which it is doubled and laid in even folds, a leaf or sheet of glazed pasteboard being inserted between each fold or plait of the cloth. It is then covered with thin wooden boards or fences in the press, on which are laid iron plates properly heated, and on the whole, by means of a lever turning a screw, the top of the press is brought down with the degree of force judged necessary to give the gloss. A very high finish however is found objectionable, because the slightest shower of rain marks the cloth. Coarser cloths are glossed with a large hot iron in a hollow box, suspended by tackle from the ceiling, and which two men work backwards and forwards over the surface of the cloth.

By stat. 28 Geo. III. c. 38, all the former statutes respecting the exportation of wool and sheep are repealed; and an infinite variety of regulations and restrictions upon the subject is consolidated into that statute. It is given almost at length in 4 Burn's J. title Woollen Manufacturer. The principal prohibitions are, that if any person shall send or receive any sheep on board a ship or vessel, to be carried out of the kingdom, the sheep and vessel are both forfeited; and the person so offending shall forfeit £3 for every sheep, and suffer solitary imprisonment for three months. But wether sheep, by a licence from the collector of the customs, may be taken on board for the use of the ship's company. And every person who shall export out of the kingdom any woo!

I saw a cloudy Hungarian diamond made clearer by lying in a cold liquor; wherein, he affirmed, that upon keeping it longer, the stone would lose more of its oloudiness. Boyle. If men would not exhale vapours to cloud and darken the clearest truths, no man could miss his way to heaven for want of light. Decay of Piety.

How can I see the brave and young Fall in the cloud of war, and fall unsung? Addison. The objection comes to no more than this, that, amongst a cloud of witnesses, there was one of no very good reputation. Atterbury. This Partridge soon shall view in cloudless skies, When next he looks thro' Galilæo's eyes.

Id.

The handle smooth and plain, Made of the clouded olive's easy grain. The purple clouds their amber linings show, And edged with flame rolls every wave below. Gay. If you content yourself frequently with words instead of ideas, or with cloudy and confused notions of things, how impenetrable will that darkness be!

Watts on the Mind.

Now beamed the evening star, And from embattled clouds emerging slow, Cynthia came riding on her silver car, And hoary mountain cliffs shone faintly from afar.

Beattie.

The gusts of appetite, the clouds of care,
The storms of disappointments all o'ercast,
Henceforth no earthly hope with Heaven shall
share

This heart, where peace serenely shines at last.
Lone as a solitary cloud,

A single cloud on a sunny day,

While all the rest of heaven is clear,
A frown upon the atmosphere,
That hath no business to appear
When skies are blue, and earth is gay.

Byron. Prisoner of Chillon. CLOUDS. That clouds are formed from the aqueous vapors, which before were so closely united with the atmosphere as to be invisible, is universally allowed: but it is no easy matter to account for the long continuance of some very opaque clouds without dissolving; or to give a reason why the vapors, when they have once begun to condense, do not continue to do so till they at last fall to the ground in the form of rain or snow, &c. A general cause of the formation of clouds has been often suggested; namely, a separation of the latent heat from the water of which the vapor is composed. The consequence of this separation, as is proved by Dr. Black, must be the condensation of that vapor, in some degree at least. In such case, it will first appear as a smoke, mist, or fog; which, if interposed betwixt the sun and earth, will form a cloud; and, the same causes continuing to act, the cloud will produce rain or snow. But though the separation of this latent heat, in a certain degree, is the immediate cause of the formation of clouds, the remote cause, or the changes produced in the atmosphere, whereby such a preparation may be induced, are much more difficult to be discovered. Common observation shows that vapor is most powerfully condensed by cold substances, such as metals, water, &c. But cold alone cannot in all cases cause the condensation of the atmospherical vapors, otherwise the nights would be always foggy or cloudy, owing to the vapors

this principle. Instances of the descent of very highly electrified clouds have not been uncommon. Brydone, in his Tour through Malta, mentions a remarkable one which appeared on the 29th of October, 1757. About three quarters of an hour after midnight, there was seen to the south-west of the city of Melita, a great black cloud, which, as it approached, changed its color, till at last it became like a flame of fire mixed with black smoke. A dreadful noise was heard on its approach, which alarmed the whole city. It passed over the port, and came first on an English ship, which in an instant was torn in pieces, and nothing left but the hulk; part of the masts, sails, and cordage, were carried to a considerable distance along with the cloud. The small boats and felloques that fell in its way were all broken to pieces and sunk. The noise increased and became more frightful. A sentinel, terrified at its approach, ran into his box; but both he and it were lifted up and carried into the sea, where he perished. It then traversed a considerable part of the city, and laid in ruins almost every thing that stood in its way. Several houses were laid level with the ground, and it did not leave one steeple in its passage. The bells of some of them, together with the spires, were carried to a considerable distance; the roofs of the churches demolished and beat down, &c. It went off at the north-east point of the city, and, demolishing the light-house, is said to have mounted up into the air with a frightful noise; and passed over the sea to Sicily, where it tore up some trees, and did other damage; but nothing considerable, as its fury had been mostly spent at Malta. The number of killed and wounded amounted to nearly 200; and the loss of shipping, &c., was very considerable.