cam is cut away on one side from m to n, as shown, and a groove, o o, then made in the diminished side. The top end of the valve spindle has a cleft, p, made in it, into which the larger or undiminished side of the cam fits, and the upper side of that cleft, q, is reduced to the size of a pin, just large enough to move freely in the groove, o o, of the cam. When the cam handle is turned backwards from the position in which it is shown in fig. 4, the cam acting against the top of the valve spindle depresses it, and when turned in the opposite direction it raises the piston by acting upwards against the pin, q.

Figure 6 (a side view,) and fig. 7 (an

an

【end view,) represent a modification of the arrangement shown in figures 4 and 5. In this case, the cam is cut away on both sides, and through to the extent shown, and an arched piece, s, left standing out from the centre of the cam (viewed endwise,) with open space between it and the body of the cam. The valve spindle has a cleft made in the upper end of it, the two cheeks of which carry a cross pin, t. The arched piece s, of the cam, is inserted in this cleft behind the cross pin, t, so that when the cam handle is brought forward from the position in which it is shown in figures 6 and 7, the body of the cam acts on the valve spindle to press

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Secondly, Their non-liability to derangement, by the barrel being cut, or the plug wearing unequally, which is always the case, especially when hot liquors are used, the key and barrel in such cases being unequally expanded by the heat.

Thirdly, The largest valve-tap is easily opened and shut, without friction, and with little power exerted. The action of the cam is simple and certain in its effect. The valve is forced into its place in onehalf a revolution, when the cam is in a horizontal position; and the valve and seat being the point of contact, the spindle of the valve has to move through a very small space compared with the cam, thus causing a close adhesion, by contact of the metal, and acting with very great power.

The stool-cock in common use, is open to even more serious objections than the ball and other cocks before alluded to. Leakage is very frequent, and the damage to walls, floors, and ceilings, is considerable. A valve-stool cock on the plan just described, cannot leak, either at the top or bottom, and being fitted with leathern washers, by merely unscrewing the metal cap, a new washer may at any time be put on without expense. All that is required to open the valve, is a slight pressure downwards of the handle; by removing the pressure, and withdrawing the hand, the valve closes immediately of itself.

For gauge-cocks in steam-boilers, this cam movement is admirably adapted. In using high pressure steam, it is very difficult to get ordinary gauge-cocks to stand; they soon get cut by the steam and water, and are rendered useless. Underhay's valve-gauge-cocks, on the contrary, would last for years, without breaking or cutting.

We have much pleasure in directing the attention of builders, plumbers, engineers, and others interested in the subject, to these simple, useful, and efficient contrivances, which we think cannot fail, ere long, to supersede the taps and cocks at present in general use.

STATISTICS OF THE HOSIERY MANUFACTURE BY MACHINERY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, COMPILED FROM ACTUAL CENSUS TAKEN IN 1844. BY WM. FELKIN,

NOTTINGHAM.

[From Minutes of Evidence taken before the Commissioners appointed to enquire into the Condition of the Frame Work Knitters.]

Before the time of Queen Elizabeth, stockings were usually knitted of very coarse woollen thread, or, if desired to be cool and elegant, they were cut out of linen, and sometimes even of silk tissue. Elizabeth wore hosen of cloth of silk, stitched after having been shaped by the scissors. It was during her reign, in A.D. 1589, that the Rev. W. Lee, M.A., a clergyman then living at Woodborough, in the county of Nottingham, invented the stocking-frame. It was brought about in this wise. Finding the lady to whom he was attached always more attentive to her knitting than to his addresses, in grief and anger he determined to supersede her employment, by inventing an engine which should be so much more speedy and effective as to make it altogether useless. He met with difficulties so great in the complexity and nicety of adjustment requisite in the machine to be made, and so unlike anything that in the then state of mechanical knowledge had ever been seen or thought of, that his own want of experimental and practical science meeting with no aids from the skill or experience of others, he was long greatly baffled, and almost in despair. At length he succeeded, and his queen smiled in person on his discovery. She visited him accompanied by her minister, at his lodgings, saw him work his frame, and accepted from him stockings, woven by this machine, for her own use.

So great were the expectations formed of profit, that her kinsman, Sir William Carey, afterwards Lord Hunsdon, wishing to participate by learning the art, bound himself to Lee by covenant; and in his person, a descendant of the Tudors became the first stocking-weaver's apprentice. But these flattering prospects did not continue; and after seeing his great, but politic patroness, laid in her grave, and waiting long to see if her successor would encourage him to keep the invention at home, the continued neglect of the court of James drove him to accept the offers of the French minister, Sully. There, too, he was flattered and disappointed. After establishing the manufacture at Rouen, the king was murdered, the minister disgraced, and Lee died after 22 years of deferred hope, an alien, almost an outcast, of a broken heart. Lee's brother returning to England, brought his frames to London, where for ages stockings were very extensively wrought. The Frame-work Knitters' Company stil

Out of

660 frames, in 1669, 400 were in London; three-fifths of the whole were employed in making silk goods. In 1695, 1500 frames were in London alone. In 1641 there were but two frames in Nottingham, and not 100 in the county. In 1710, 100 frames were destroyed in London on account of disputes about wages. In 1714 there were 2,500 frames in London, in Leicester 600, in Nottingham 400; altogether, about 8600 in this country. The trade soon began to escape from the company's protective coercion, and located itself most rapidly in the midland district. In 1753 the frames in London had decreased to 1000, and increased in Nottingham to 1500, and Leicester 1000; the total number was 14,000. Meantime cotton hose, which had been first woven on this machine in 1730, were getting into more notice and demand. Invention was in vigorous progress. The tuck rib was made in 1730. Jedediah Strutt patented his Derby rib in 1759; and while we are justified in describing the invention of Lee to have been, considering his times and circumstances, the greatest effort of mechanical genius of his own, and almost of any age, it was not less remarkably the precursor of a most extraordinary series of skilful variations of, and additions to, the stocking frame, so as to adapt it to the production of fancy work, and imitations of pillow lace. Though imperfect at first, these led in the course of the next 50 years after Strutt's patent to the invention of the point-net, pin, warp, and bobbin-net lace machines. In 1776 came Horton's patent knots; and soon after milled and elastic goods were made. About this time 300 frames were broken near Nottingham, because making spurious or unfashioned work. In 1782, out of 20,000 frames, 17,350 were in the three midland counties. Notwithstanding all the skill, industry, and capital employed, the hosiery trade, though enlarging its number of frames and the amount of production, has, during the past 50 years, suffered many depressions in the rates of wages, unattended by corresponding improvements in speed, in which the maximum was already attained.

14.

The

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number of frames in 1812 Blackner stated to be 29,590; yet the year before, Luddism had destroyed 687 frames, and the privations of the work-people were very severe. Having named some of the inventions directly emanating from the operations of the stocking-loom, of which a list made up to 1828, now in my hand, enumerates 100 of much importance and beauty, and to which as many nearly might be added since, it is pros per to remark that, although I do not expecstocking making by hand will ever be superseded by rotary steam fabrication, yet the recent inventions of Mr. Whitworth, in Manchester, Mr. Thorburn, in Scotland, one it Nottingham, and one in Loughborough, a also a circular knitting-frame, said to be of Mr. Brunel's invention, are so ingenious as to demand high praise for skilful adaptation, if not for absolute independence of the principle of Lee's frame. It is interesting to observe that the period of which we have been speaking, namely from 1760 to 1800, so marked by the putting forth of mechanical genius in relation to the stocking-frame, had been equally important in collateral, and not very remote efforts in cotton spinning. Paul having spun cotton yarn by machinery in 1734, removed to Nottingham; his plan was improved there by James and Foster. Hargreaves, driven thither by riotous women, spun 84 threads at once, patented his machine, was pirated, and ruined. He died there in 1778. Hayse and Arkwright having spun cotton by rollers, the latter came to Nottingham, took out his patents of 1769 and 1775, in conjunction with Need, a hosier, and there he built his first mill. It was there also that in 1805 Mr. Samuel Cartledge succeeded first in causing cotton yarn of sufficient fineness and quality to be used in making lace, whether pillow or machine wrought.

Foreign competition has not, in reality, operated on the trade so prejudicially as has been thought. About 25,000 frames are in existence, and generally at work in Saxony, principally to order from the United States. But the amount of our exports of hosiery has never been important, and is rather increasing than otherwise; in 1837, 7497 dozens-in 1843, 147,507 dozens. With the nation in a state of prosperity, even our home consumption would furnish adequate demand for the produce of every British stocking-loom.-The workman in this country must labour with great activity and attention in ordinary cases. The art of frame-work knitting is not difficult to acquire; but the best fashioned work, and all fancy work, require a quick sight, a ready hand, and retentive faculties. In Saxony,

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In narrow frames the number of needles is from 170 to 600. In wide ones there are often 1500. Fashioned work is favourable to the workman, by relieving him during the narrowing and other operations which require change of labour and position. Wide frames, on which usually the unfashioned work and that which has to be shaped by the scissors is made, is consequently very trying, being continued with little interruption.

The constancy of muscular motion is favourable to the stocking-makers' health, and if the shop be well warmed and ventilated, sickness does not supervene in this employment, even so much as in many others. The failure of sight at an early age is common.

The machines (usually called frames, and from which these workpeople have acquired the name frame-work knitters) for the manufacture of hosiery are spread chiefly over upwards of 240 parishes in the three midland counties of Nottingham, Derby, and Leicester, lying between Chesterfield, northwards; Newark, on the east; Ashby-de-laZouch, westwards; and Market Harborough, to the south. This district is about 70 miles in length, and 45 in its greatest breadth; within its limits there are 60 parishes in the county of Nottingham where are more than six stocking-frames at work. These have all been visited for the purposes of this enquiry, and an account has been taken of each frame and its employment. The number of separate shops, or other working places, was ascertained to be (exclusive of a few of those in Nottingham, the whole of which were not visited separately, though the particulars of most have been ascertained, except as to gauges) 4621, and the number of frames in employment in this county is ascertained to be 14,879, and out of employ, or in smiths' hands, 1503;-total in Nottinghamshire, 16,382.

Also, in the above described area there are 100 parishes lying in the county of Leicester, where there are more in each than six frames at work. Of these about 60 have been visited, and most of them counted; in regard to the remaining 40, the returns have been furnished directly to myself or indirectly through my agent, who took the account of that district, by the secretaries of

the trade at Leicester, Hinckley, and Loughborough respectively, and include the 6750 frames found in those three important seats of the manufacture. The number of frames in Leicestershire is, at work 18,558, unemployed and at smiths, 2,303 ;-total, 20.861.

Finally, there are 60 parishes in Derbyshire, in which are more than six frames at work; 50 of these have been visited and counted, and as to the other ten, including the frames in the town of Derby, local trade returns have been obtained. The number of frames employed is 6005, and unemployed 792; total, 6797 in the county of Derby.

Sir, The remarks upon the above very important subject by "Omega," in your Magazine of Nov. 22nd, are decidedly in favour of the atmospheric principle, both as regards the all-important points economy and safety, and, in consonance, too, with the prevailing opinions on the subject. His suggestions as to the improvements that are still needed in this favourite system of railway construction are assuredly well-deserving of attention. I have myself devoted for a considerable time my attention to the subject, and have examined the drawings and working of several lines, and, having well studied their defects, I am now able to bring forward a plan of construction upon the atmospheric principle, which, in the opinions of several scientific friends, will render this system free from the defects alluded to by Omega," and make it in every way the most advantageous for commercial and private purposes.

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I am satisfied my new system will turn out a valuable and important one to society; and I intend very shortly to bring my plans before parties interested in constructing fresh lines, and in improving the old ones; in the mean time I shall take measures to procure the aasistance of some party who