326 A BRIEF MEMOIR 



inch to three or four. These rollers were put 

 in motion by means of a wooden shaft with 

 different sized pullies, which communicated with 

 the rollers by a band. This was certainly neither 

 more nor less than a modification of Mr. Ark- 

 wrighf s roller-beam ; but he often stated to me, 

 that when he constructed his machine he knew 

 nothing of Mr. Arkwrighfs discovery.* Indeed 

 we may infer that he had not, otherwise he 

 would not have gone thus rudely to work, and 

 indeed the small quantity of metals which he 

 employed, proves that he could not have been 

 acquainted with Mr. Arkwright's superior rollers 

 and fixtures in iron, and their connection by 

 clock-work. Even the rollers were made of 

 wood and covered with a piece of sheep skin, 

 having an axis of iron with a little square end. 



* There was a patent taken out in 1738, by Lewis Paul, 

 who, in conjunction with Wyatt, had a manufactory of cotton at 

 Northampton, for spinning with rollers at different velocities ; 

 and it is quite as probable that Mr. Crompton was unacquainted 

 with Mr. Ark Wright's patent, as that Mr. A. was with that of 

 Paul. Lewis Paul was also in 1 748, the patentee of the inven- 

 tion of revolving cylinders for carding cotton. This machine 

 is the original of the machine for carding now used. After the 

 breaking up of Wyatt and PauPs establishment at Northamp- 

 ton, it was purchased by a hat manufacturer of Leominster, and 

 by him applied to the carding of wool for hats ; and about 1 760 

 it was introduced into Lancashire, and re-applied to the carding 

 of cotton, by a gentleman of the name of Morris, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Wigan. 



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