keeping the threads or yarns in their proper situations. These guide-plates have an apron or shield q, for the purpose of preventing the water being thrown, by centrifugal force, from the flyers of one row of spindles on to the bobbins of the other row.

It will be seen by the drawings, that the rovings, threads, or yarns, are led or conducted first over the stationary longitudinal rods r, r, then down under other like rods s, s, and afterwards pass under another similar rod t, situate within the bottom part of the trough; and thereby the yarns or rovings are caused to pass through the liquid contained therein. The yarns, threads, or rovings, then pass over the edges of the trough, and again meet at another longitudinal bar u, where they are crossed, and pass over the opposite edges of this bar, and again meet at the nip or point of contact of the top or retaining rollers m*; they then pass between the lower pair of drawing-rollers m; and as these rollers have a more rapid motion given them than the top pair, the rovings become elongated.

From the lower drawing-rollers, the yarns or threads are passed through holes in the guides p, p, to the eyes on the ends of the flyers h, which, by their rotation, cause the yarns or threads to become twisted or doubled, as the case may be, the same being wound upon the bobbins, in the usual manner. When spinning, doubling, or twisting cotton or silk, the water-trough may be dispensed with.

The patentees claim the general arrangement and construction of throstle or spinning, twisting, and doublingframes or machinery, of this class or description, whereby two sets or rows of spindles, bobbins, and flyers, placed at equal distances from the perpendicular line, drawn from the nip or point of contact of the lower drawing-rollers, are made to act in conjunction with one set of drawing-rollers, and in such a manner, that the two threads or yarns, in spinning, or the two pairs or more of yarns or threads in doubling and twisting, shall have equal tension, strain, or drag, as herein above set forth.—[Inrolled in the Rolls Chapel Office, July, 1840.]

Specification drawn by Messrs. Newton and Son.

To EDWIN TRAVIS, of Shaw Mills, near Oldham, in the county of Lancaster, cotton-spinner, for certain improvements in machinery or apparatus for preparing cotton and other fibrous materials for spinning.-[Sealed 15th July, 1840.]

THESE improvements in apparatus for preparing cotton and other fibrous materials for spinning, consist in a novel construction and arrangement of mechanism for spreading or levelling the cotton or other fibrous material more evenly, in the preparation process, than has hitherto been accomplished; thus enabling the ordinary lapping-machines to produce laps or rolls of equal substance or thickness throughout.

In plate IV., fig. 1, is a plan or horizontal view of the machine, as seen from above; and fig. 2, is a longitudinal section, taken vertically through the machine.

An ordinary feeding-table or endless lattice a, a, is mounted upon rollers b, b, b, and placed in the general framing c, c, c, of the apparatus. The cotton or other fibrous material, as it comes from the willow or other opening machine, is placed upon this lattice without being weighed. An upper endless lattice d, d, is provided, for the purpose of forming a receiving-box, for measuring the utmost quantity that can be passed through the machine. The cotton is now drawn forwards by means of the lattices, and passes through a pair of plain regulating or adjustingrollers e, e, for the purpose of admitting a greater or less quantity of cotton to the fluted feed-rollers ƒ, f.

It must be observed, that these rollers e, e, should revolve considerably slower than the lattices a, and d, in order to resist the pressure or friction of the lattices. g, g, is a cylinder of wood or other material, the periphery of which is covered with pegs or blades. This roller is for the purpose of breaking off the cotton from the feed-rollers ƒ, ƒ, and depositing it upon another endless travelling lattice h, h, where but one certain quantity of cotton can be received; and as more than the required quantity may be given in

this position, the surplus is carried over by the toothed roller g, stripped off by the blade i, and passed forward under the cage-roller or perforated dust-cylinder j, between which and the lattice d, d, it is again discharged upon the first feeding-lattice a, a.

There is a fluted roller k, upon which the cotton is thrown, and thereby preserved uniformly light. 7, 1, 1, are three rollers, with plain surfaces, which are designed to act upon the surface of the cotton, in order to assist it forward. The speed of these rollers must be gaining upon the speed of the travelling under-lattice h, h, upon which the cotton is now deposited, and regulated or adjusted to a certain thickness, by means of the smooth board or plate n, extending the entire width of the machine, and thus forming a box or chamber for the passage of the cotton. The dimensions or space of this box or passage may be fixed or adjusted, according to the quantity of cotton to be passed through.

Now, as the upper side of the stratum of cotton is slightly pressed by the rollers 1, 7, 7, and the under side by the lattice h, h, the two delivering-rollers o, o, are intended, by having a slower motion than the rollers l, and lattice h, to impede or retard the passage of the cotton, whereby the box becomes charged to the mouth or receiving part; in consequence of which, more cotton coming forward than the slow speed of the rollers o, o, will take away, is cast back by and over the cylinder g, g, as before described. An intermediate roller may be placed at p, for the purpose of preventing any cotton being carried round the under side of the lattice.

The cotton is now taken, as above described, in a thin even sheet, by the rollers o, o, and passed forwards, and formed into a lap or roll, by the ordinary lapping-machine, as shewn at A, B.

In order to ensure a perfect levelling or spreading of the cotton, the spreading apparatus is shewn both before and behind the toothed cylinder g; but it will be evident, that either arrangement, whether separate or combined, may be suitably employed for this purpose.

The patentee remarks, that all these various lattices, rollers, and other parts of the mechanism, are represented as suitably geared, and receiving rotary motion from the strap-pulley p; but to this precise arrangement or construction, he does not intend to confine himself, as that or any other slight modification of the apparatus might be readily varied, without interfering with the object of the improvements.[Inrolled in the Petty Bag Office,January,

1841.]

Specification drawn by Messrs. Newton and Son.

TO JOSEPH WILSON NUTTALL, of Belper, in the county of Derby, draper, and HENRY HOLDEN, of the same place, tailor, for improved apparatus, to be attached to trousers, commonly called trousers-straps.-[Sealed 5th April, 1841.]

THIS invention consists of certain improved constructions of hooks and catches, by means of which the gaiter or trousers-strap, or other fastening to be passed under the foot, may be attached to, or detached from the gaiter or trousers, with very great facility.

In Plate IV., views of several different constructions of festenings are shewn, the upper part of which must be sewed on to, or otherwise connected to the bottom of the trousers or gaiter, whilst the under part or catch is riveted or otherwise connected to the strap which passes under the foot.

Fig. 1, in the accompanying drawing, represents a front view, and fig. 2, a side or edge view of the most simple form of hook, consisting merely of a flat piece of metal, with suitable holes drilled in it, for sewing on to the trousers, and having a bent-up tongue a, formed, by turning up, in the manner shewn in fig. 2, a portion of the flat piece of metal. Fig. 3, represents a front and side view of the staple-catch or eye-piece, which is made fast to the end of the leather or other strap, by rivets or other means.

The eye-catch or staple b, having been punched out of

a piece of plate metal, its outer edge c, is turned over nearly at right angles, forming a lip, as shewn in the edge view.

In connecting these, as represented at fig. 4, the catch, at the end of the strap, is brought nearly into a horizontal position, as shewn by dots in the edge view, by which means the lip-edge is enabled to slide freely between the tongue a, and the plate of the hook-piece; and when so connected, will hang down in the manner shewn, and not be liable to rise and slip out, in consequence of the lip c, being wider than the passage between the upper part of the tongue a, and its plate.

Figs. 5, 6, and 7, represent another construction of hook-piece. In this instance, the tongue a, has a moveable cover d, attached, by a pivot, to the plate; and the catch or staple c, of the strap, when connected to the tonguepiece, is prevented from becoming unfastened, by means of the cap-piece or cover d, which completely closes the opening of the hook, as seen in the edge view, at fig. 7.

A slight modification of the same hook, without any essential difference, but merely in the form of the slidingcap or cover d, is shewn at figs. 8, 9, and 10. In the ledge of the sliding-cover there is a little slot at e, which, when the cover is shut down, as at fig. 8, causes the upper edge of the tongue a, to spring into it, and thereby keep the cover secure in its place.

Another description of fastening, in which the hook is closed by a lever-cap or cover f, is shewn in figs. 11, 12, 13, and 14. Fig. 11, is a front view of the fastening, and figs. 12 and 13, side views of the same. The hook is closed by the falling of the lever f, which turns on a hinge-joint above, and has a nib or elongation g, at bottom. Fig. 13, represents this piece raised, in order to admit the eyecatch or staple c, of the strap. In passing the catch or staple on to the hook, the lip of the catch-piece striking against the nib g, raises the lever f; and when the catchpiece falls into its place, as shewn in fig. 14, the lever assumes the closed position, and is prevented from being opened, merely by the accidental rising of the catch, owing