may be distinctly traced through it with a black lead pencil. The pattern may afterwards be transferred to a sheet of clean drawing paper, by means of tracing paper, and a steel point, and coloured in the same manner as the original.

To make transparent paper, a sheet of silk or tissue paper may be brushed over with sweet oil, until it be thoroughly wet, and when it has been allowed to dry it will be fit for use. But, as this paper will sometimes become dim by exposure to the air, the following receipt is recommended :

Take one quart of the best rectified spirits of turpentine, and add to it a quarter of an ounce of sugar of lead, finely powdered; shake it up, and let it stand twenty-four hours; then pour it off (throwing away the sediment, of course,) and add to it one pound of the best Canada balsam; set it in a gentle hand heat till it is quite mixed, when it will be fit for brushing over the paper.

After the introduction of Cross's machine among the Paisley manufacturers, Dr. Laughlin Mc. Laughlin, of Ballyshannon, (county Donegal,) Ireland, made some slight alterations upon it, (for they can scarcely be called improvements,) in the mode of lifting the cords of the harness, by substituting a comb or combs, instead of trap boards, which were used in the original. In the

Doctor's modification, the tail is cut short, and the ends of the cords are tied perpendicularly in a board or frame, which is screwed or nailed to the top of the machine, as represented at A in Fig. 80: a plan view of this board is given in Fig 81. From each of these perpendicular cords, a simple cord B extends horizontally over the weaver's head, (the position of which will be evident enough from the section of his leg seen in the figure,) and is fastened to the board C, (which is precisely like that shown in Fig. 81,) the lashes hanging below, each having a bob D ready to be pulled by the weaver's hand, instead of by a draw boy. A little above the point where the simple cords are connected to the perpendicular or neck cords, there is a knot E on each of the perpendicular cords, all of which knots are in a straight line, and of an equal height; and they do not differ from those marked O O in Cross's machine. Below these knots and above the simple is placed, upon suitable bearings, a flat board F, moving upon pivots at G G, one edge of which is indented so as to resemble the teeth of a comb (see Fig. 82) from which useful family utensil, no doubt, it has derived its name. On the side of this board, opposite to the teeth, is nailed a long arm or lever H (see Figs. 80, 82 and 84) which when pulled down raises the indented side or teeth; and consequently the knot cords which have been drawn into them, as is represented at I Fig. 82.

The wire or chain J (see Fig 80) connects the arm H with the treadle K, which treadle is distinct from those used for working the

ground. Hence, when any shed is to be opened, the weaver pulls down the corresponding lash, thereby drawing the knot cords attached to it, between the teeth of the comb F, as before stated; he then presses down the treadle K with his left foot, keeping it pressed until he has worked over the ground treadles, with his right foot, and given the proper number of picks for that change of the pattern. There is also another guide board, marked L, through which all the perpendicular cords E pass, and it is in all respects like that marked A Fig. 81. The comb F is recovered or counterbalanced to its resting place every time the weaver lifts his foot from off the treadle K, by means of the weight M and cord N, which cord passes into the comb F and is made fast by a knot at O. There is also another knot P on this cord, for preventing the weight M from sinking the comb F too low under the knot E: all this will be seen to greater advantage in the enlarged section Fig. 84. The cords of the lash bobs D have each a knot, which, when the bob is pulled down, is slipped under a saw cut or groove in the board Q, a more perfect view of which is given in Fig. 83. As many of the simple cords B are connected to each of the bob cords as are required to form one lash or change of the pattern, and of course, there must be as many bobs as there are changes in the figure.

We would remark, that in Fig. 80, only one mail S and one lead T are shown, to avoid confusion; but the harness does not differ in construction from that represented in Figs. 63 and 85.

SECTION SIXTH.

BARREL OR CYLINDER LOOM.

The next improvement in weaving that merits our attention, is that of the barrel or cylinder loom, the invention of which is claimed by one Thomas Morton, of Kilmarnock, Scotland. This improvement consists in using a barrel or cylinder, on the surface of which, the figure or pattern to be produced in the cloth is arranged in relief, precisely in the same way as tunes are disposed on the barrel of the common organ, or on that of a musical box, by inserting wire

staples or wooden pins, and the barrel being placed upon the top of the loom, these staples actuate other suitable mechanism, and thus the pattern is formed upon the cloth.

Fig. 85 represents a front view of this loom, as it appears when the shed is formed. A is the barrel; B a spur wheel fastened to its

end by the screws CC: this wheel, by means of proper catches and other machinery, to be hereinafter described, governs the rotation of the barrel A, so as to give out a line on its surface at each change of the pattern, equal to one line of the design paper, as represented in Fig. 86, which figure shows a plan of the barrel A, with the pattern or sprig D drawn upon its surface; E is the slides; F the connecting cords, and G the slide roller; the latter having a leather strap H nailed to it, in order that the cords F may be fastened thereto, as is shown in Figs. 85 and 86. The slides E work in the slide frame I I, an end view of which frame is given in Fig. 85, and a plan of it in Fig. 86; it is fastened at each side by the bolts or screws J J, which hold it in its proper place. Fig. 92 is an end view, in section, of the barrel A, having a few of the pattern staples driven into it, (by way of example :) these staples are of the various sizes or lengths to suit the number of changes required in the different parts of the pattern, as indicated by the sprig D, Fig. 86. The staple No. 1 (see Fig 92) contains three lines, and, of course, will cause the warp thread or threads which it governs, to be lifted three times in regular succession; the two lines which follow this staple, being ground, are missed, and ten lines are taken for the staple No. 2; two lines are missed, and one is taken for No. 3; one line is missed, and one is taken for No. 4; four lines are missed, and six are taken for No. 5; one line is missed, and one is taken for No 6; one line is missed, and four are taken for No. 7; one line is missed, and five are taken for No. 8; and the two last lines on the right hand side are missed, being ground or blank.

The neck cords are arranged in a row, (similarly to those of Dr. McLaughlin's machine,) and each passes through a suitable hole in one of the slides E, which holes may be seen at K in the slide frame Fig. 86, and their position is indicated by the dotted line L, Fig. 85. The tail or neck cords are all tied to their respective harness twines immediately above the two wooden rollers M (see Fig. 85:) these rollers keep the selvage warp threads of the same height as those in the centre of the web when the shed is formed. N N is the harness board, which is supported by the framing of the loồm at O 0; PPPP are mails, and Q Q Q Q their respective lead weights, and both these leads and mails are precisely of the same form as those

*This is the greatest number, or length, ever taken for one staple; because, if more were taken, the staple would be liable to bend in its middle, owing to the slides E driving against it in the working of the loom.