[ 175 3 166 



muscular force which can be exerted by a given effort, is tar inlerior 

 to that which an equal effort will produce in a tread of five inches; 

 and hence, although the weight to be raised increases in proportion 

 to the difference between the diameters of the driving wheel, and of 

 the small wheel or pinion, yet the muscular advantage gained nearly 

 counterbalances this increase of weight. 



A real practical advantage, therefore, resulted from Hughes's in- 

 vention, (although the mechanism employed is unnecessarily compli- 

 cated, and not judiciously disposed,) since, by means of it, work which 

 could not before be w^'ought by the machine, may now be performed 

 by it. 



In order to relieve the weaver still farther, by diminishing the 

 weight on the treadle, and thus adapting the machine to heavier pat- 

 terns and wider silks, Mr. Richards, in 1820^ attached to the pro- 

 longed axis of the machine, an arm, carrying a leaden weight of such 

 a magnitude as to counterbalance that of the lashes. The practical 

 advantage of this contrivance, was, however, diminished by the 

 ■weight being fixed in an inconvenient situation, and being liable to 

 jar the machine; in consequence of w-hich, in March, 1821, Mr. 

 Hughes removed it from its original place, and fixed it within the 

 frame, on one of the driving wheels. A still further improvement in 

 its position, was subsequently made by Mr. Richards, who has pro- 

 longed the axis of the driving wheel, giving it the form of a quadri- 

 lateral prism, and, on any part of this axis, wdiich local circumstances 

 may point out as most convenient, the counter weight may be fixed 

 by screws farther from, or nearer to, the centre of motion, according 

 to the magnitude of the weight required to be counterpoised. 



In order to render the above-mentioned improvement more intelli- 

 gible, not only to the silk weaver, but to the public in general, it has 

 been thought fit to give a representation, showing the connexion of 

 the immediate subject of reward, w-ith the whole apparatus for weav- 

 ing silks as now employed in Spitalfields. Tiie Committee of Corres- 

 pondence and Papers were the more readily induced to adopt thfs 

 ineasure, as, hitherto, no correct representation of the silk-loom and 

 <ira\v-boy had been published. 



References to the engravings of a Silk Loom for it) eaving figured 

 silk, with Mr. Richard^ s improvements on the Draw-Boy. 



PLATE v. 



Fig. 1 represents a cross-section of the draw-boy at the dotted line 

 a a, fig. 2, with a side view of the loom, &:c. 



Fig. 2 is a section of the loom at the dotted line b b, fig. 1, toge- 

 ther Avith a side view of the draw-boy. 



Fig. 3 is a plan of the draw-boy, with part of its frame. 



Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the axle, &c. of the draw-boy. 



