1^4 ^'^ ThrnJJj'wg Machines* May 



terel invented a machine, I do not difpute : But the queftion is, 

 Whether the one he invented was comparable to the one con- 

 flrucbed by Mr Meikle ? To perfons acquainted with the bufi- 

 iiefs, this is the only true view of the matter. Hundreds of peo- 

 ple have attempted to conftrucl machines ; but thefe attempts do 

 in no fhape leilen the m^erit of the man who brought the inven- 

 tion to perfection. 



I am convinced, however, that, with fuperncial inquirers, the 

 attempts of others have contributed greatly to leiTen the merit 

 juftly earned by Mr Meikle. I have often heard fuch people 

 exclaim — ' Mr Meikle the inventor of the thiailiing macliinc ! 

 No fuch thing. Others made machines before they occupied' his 

 thoughts. ' This I may fafely concede, without leilcning his me- 

 rit ; becaufe the inutility of every prior invention is now fatisfac- 

 torily afcertained. 



With regard to the aflertion, that thrafliing machines, on near- 

 ly the fame principles with thofe erected by r>Ir Meikle, have 

 been long ufed in Sweden, I am forry to declare that your cor- 

 refpondent has, in this refpecl:, been grofsly misinformed. I 

 think it was in 1790 that a thrafliing machine was erected in the 

 neighbourhood of Gottenburgh, fully two years after one wa^ 

 put up for Mr Stein at Kilbeggie, as already mentioned. The 

 circumltances which occafioned the eredtion at Gottenburgh were 

 thefe. One Andrew Blackwood was taken from this country to 

 lay water-pipes at that place *, and he, obferving the deficiency of 

 Swedifli mechanics, wrote to a brother tradefman, named John 

 Girvan, who had aflifted at Mr Stein's machine, that it would be 

 an object worth his while to vifit Sweden. This man accordingly 

 went there, and aftually erected, on Mr Meikle's principles, ihe 

 iirft thrafhing machine ever feen in that country. 



Having now gone over what may be called the hifiorical part 

 of the fubjcct, I Ihail proceed to make a few remarks on the at- 

 tempts made by A. G. to improve tlirafliing machines. 



Under this head of the lubjcct, the communication of your 

 correfpondent appears to be of little confcquence, and conveys 

 no fort of inflruCtion. His data are by no means fuihcient 

 to calculate the effect of any machine ; as, for inftance, he 

 fays, the firfl machine, which he attempted to improve, had "a 

 »wheel of 40 teerh, driving a pinion of 7. On the fame axis was 

 another wheel of 40 teeth, driving a pinion of 7 on the axis of 

 the Ikutch. The diameter of tlie drum i foot 4 inches, and, of 



r \ ' r c '\n 4^ 4© 160O , 



courie, the circumference 4.2 icct. inen, — x — === rro2.6, 



7 7 49 . 



•the revolutions made by the drum for one of the wheel. Here is 



wanted the revolutions of the water wheel p. minute. Suppofe 

 ihcm cjeat, viz. 10 p. minute — 



Theu 



