The foregoing improvements do not constitute over one-third of our inventions in looms. We have obtained patents in the names of Poole, Cunningham, Truffaut, and others, for 25 or 30 other improvements, in the manufacture of plain, tweeled and figured goods by hand and by power, which we cannot describe in this work; indeed, these improvements are mostly applicable to power looms for weaving carpets, coach-lace, &c. &c. &c; but we intend laying them before the public, along with other interesting matter, at no very distant period.

On application to the Hon. H. L. Ellsworth, Commissioner of Patents at Washington, D. C., he furnished us with the following statement of claims of the patents granted to Erastus B. Bigelow, Esq., of Lowell, Mass. Patent, dated May 16, 1842:

"First, I claim the placing and working of the journals t', u', v', and w', as shown in figures 1, and 3, of the accompanying drawings, above the Jacquard machine, for the purpose of keeping the knot cords straight, and thereby securing their proper action on the trap boards g', and h', when said trap boards are raised; and also the raising of one of said trap boards whilst the other descends in order to equalize the powers required to drive the loom; and in combination with this arrangement, I likewise claim the working of the card prism or polygon, by means of a cam, or other analogous device operating on, and working said card prism or polygon, when the trap boards are at rest; the respective operations herein referred to, being carried on or effected, substantially in the manner herein fully made known.

"Secondly, I claim the combination formed by the two rollers d', and e1, as shown in the drawings, through which rollers the cloth passes, with the vibrating or tension roller i', which is employed to give tension to the warp, substantially as described.

"Thirdly, I claim the connecting, the vibrating or tension roller ¿1, with the machinery employed to turn the warp beam, for the purpose of regulating the action of said machinery on said warp beam, and thereby, determining the quantity of warp delivered out, in the manner set forth.

"Fourthly, I claim the manner in which I construct my shuttle boxes, as described under the head of my third improvement, and represented in the respective figures therein referred to, together with the modifications thereof herein made known; the said shuttle box consisting of a table, with springs and catches, and having a projecting pin on each end, which is to be received and operated upon by the reciprocating arms as described.

Fifthly, I have represented and described my shuttle boxes as disconnected with the lathe (lay, we suppose,) but I do not now claim the mere disconnecting of these parts, this having been the subject of a claim in the specification of a patent for a loom for weaving coach lace granted to me on the 20th day of April, 1837— But I do claim as an improvement thereon, the working of a series of shuttle boxes, so disconnected, and supported by the frame of the loom, or other stationary part of the structure adapted thereto in the manner set forth, that is to say, having the said shuttle boxes to turn or slide in stationary fixtures attached to the frame of the loom, or in any other manner which is substantially the same. A series of shuttle boxes so disconnected may be applied, and I intend to apply them to looms in which the fly shuttle is used, and I do not limit my claim, therefore, to their employment in looms of the kind herein described (the above claim is a 'cute one.)

"Sixthly, I claim the manner of arranging and combining the machinery employed to cause the above mentioned reciprocating arms, rods or bars, to receive, retain or discharge the shuttles, when they are handed through the warp!

"Seventhly, I claim the manner of constructing and arranging the apparatus herein described, for preventing the selvage of the cloth from being drawn in, and of stopping the loom when the filling breaks, or is exhausted on the bobbin.

"Eighthly, I claim the manner of throwing the loom out of gear, when a change of colour is required in the filling, by means of the connection formed for that purpose between the Jacquard machine and the shipper, whether such connection be made precisely in the manner described, or in any other which is substantially the same." Patent, dated May 26, 1842; antedated, May 1, 1842.

“First, I claim the application of the measuring roller i, to the cloth or yarn, for the purpose of regulating the action of the machinery employed to deliver out the chain or warp, or to take up the finished cloth in the manner above described, or under such modifications thereof as shall produce the same end by similar means.

แ Secondly, I claim the combination formed by the tension roller b, and the measuring roller i, co-operating together in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

"Thirdly, I claim the mode of giving an uniform tension to each thread of woof or filling as above described, that is to say, I claim the grasping of the thread of woof or filling, at a point between the shuttle and selvage of the cloth, by the bars e', e', and q', q', or by a pair of pliers operating in a similar manner as set forth, to

gether with the mode of giving tension to the filling as above set forth, or in any other manner which is substantially the same.

"Fourthly, I claim the manner in which I have connected the shipper and the rotating shaft x', with the apparatus employed to give tension to the woof or filling, for the purpose of throwing the loom out of gear when the woof or filling breaks, or is exhausted on the bobbin."

Patent, granted May 30, 1842; antedated May 1, 1842.

"Having thus fully described the nature of my improvements, in the loom for weaving counterpanes, and other figured articles, and having, also, set forth several different modifications thereof, and particularly in the manner of forming and arranging the cams on the cam shafts, by which the required motion is given to the respective treadles, so as to correspond in their action with the arrangements made in the other parts of the loom, it is to be understood that I do not claim, nor do I intend to limit myself to the particular arrangement of the cams and treadles, these not constituting a distinguishing or an essential feature of my improvements; these consisting, mainly, in the mounting of the loom and of tying up the harness, so as to admit of the employment of one or more moveable harness-boards, and of one or more leaves of headles, and of the Jacquard Machine in the power loom. By this arrangement I am enabled to produce a free and open shed of the warp, and to allow one part, or shed, thereof to descend whilst the other is rising. What I claim, therefore, as constituting my inventions, and which I desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the within described manners or modes of mounting the loom, and tying up the harness, and of working the same, in which, under its various modifications, I combine a moveable harness-board, or boards, with one, or more, leaves of headles, or harness, and with the Jacquard Machine in the power loom, such arrangement and combination being substantially the same with that herein described."

We have given above Mr. Bigelow's claims, exactly as received from the Commissioner of Patents; and we shall now offer a few remarks upon them, beginning with his patent of 16th May, 1842.

The first claim, regarding the action of the knot-cords and trapboards, contains no new feature, as has been already stated. See pages 446 to 448. The working of the card prism or polygon, (Jacquard cylinder), by means of a cam, when the trap boards are at rest (or even in motion) has been done long since. Mr. J. Kyle, of Glasgow, M. Eug. Lefebre, of Lyons, and M. R. Dubois, of Paris, used cams and other contrivances for that purpose many years

ago, on looms for weaving some kinds of vestings and furniture stuffs; and we ourself effected the same thing as far back as the year 1831, on a loom for weaving quilted vesting stuffs, but owing to improvements which we afterwards made in the mode of tying up the harness, we were enabled to dispense with the cam altogether. Both the second and third claims are comprised in Poole's, Cunningham's, Truffaut's, and Wilbur's patents. See page 462, and Figs. 218, 219 and 220.

The fourth claim contains nothing worthy of notice.

The fifth claim, for disconnecting the shuttle boxes from the lay, making the boxes to turn or slide on stationary fixtures attached to the frame of the loom, is ingenious, and, if simplified in its mechanism, might be found advantageous in the manufacture of many kinds of fancy goods; but, besides Mr. Fletcher (see page 394) there are five other different claimants to the honour of this invention. It remains to be seen, therefore, to whom this contrivance justly belongs; which our forthcoming treatise on carpeting will clearly set to rights.

The sixth claim merits no attention.

The seventh claim, for preventing the selvage of the cloth from being drawn in, and of stopping the loom when the weft thread breaks, is illustrated at pages 403, 416 to 421, 443, 454 to 463, and at 468 to 478.

The eighth claim is, for throwing the loom out of gear by means of a connection between the shipper and the Jacquard machine. If by this Mr. Bigelow means the connection of the shipper with a few spare Jacquard needles, one for each colour employed, these needles being acted upon by the card when a new colour is to commence in the cloth; we say, if he means this, he claims that which truly belongs to us. Besides, we have adapted Jacquard needles, (with lifting hooks, made of No. 10 wire,) for working a series of shuttle boxes, either in hand or power looms; and for which we obtained patents, in the name of Mr. Poole, and others, several years before the date of Mr. Bigelow's patent. A modification of our plan for working the shuttle boxes with the Jacquard, is specified in Poole's patent of May 12, 1839; and any person who feels interested on the subject may obtain a copy of the specification and drawings of this patent, from Messrs. Poole and Carpmael, of the Patent Office, 4 Old Square, Lincoln's Inn, London, on payment of 221. 10s. (about $108,00.)

In Mr. Bigelow's patent of 26th May, 1842, his first claim is, the measuring roller i, &c., for regulating the giving-out of the warp