334 A BRIEF MEMOIR 



for measuring the number of revolutions of the 

 front rollers, in order to give out the required 

 length before the stretching commenced. James 

 Hargreaves of Toddington, contrived the first 

 method of bringing out the carriage, by a very 

 mgenious invention. It consisted of a parallel 

 scroll, v^^ith a small conical one attached to the 

 same, for the band, connected w^ith the carriage, 

 to vi^ind upon^ the v^hole deriving its motion 

 from the wheel axis. Of course there were many 

 contrivances to effect the same purpose, such as 

 a wheel with a pulley upon it, which was forced 

 into a toothed wheel upon the front roller, with 

 a band upon the pulley connected with the car- 

 riage, which produced a similar effect, and was 

 disengaged when the rollers were stopped. This 

 was continued for some time; the spinner com- 

 pleting the second draw by the hand and knee, 

 which was more or less, according to the fineness 

 he was spinning. The difficulty of obtaining 

 rollers,* spindles, in short all the metal parts 

 of these machines, and the preparing machinery 

 for rovings, added to the want of experienced 

 workmen of every kind, retarded the progress of 

 the spinning trade much less than might be sup- 

 posed. The fear of over-production then existed, 



* Spindles were obtained from the manufacturers of wool- 

 combs, and heckles for dressing flax, for the machines of both 

 Hargreaves and Crompton. 



