i873-l Scientific Aspect of the International Exhibition. 389 



in the preparation of the fibre is also exhibited by Messrs. 

 W. Higginbottom, of Derby. Messrs. Greenwood and 

 Batley, of Leeds, exhibit a machine for the utilisation 

 of the waste silk of the foregoing processes, which is 

 effected by a similar process to that employed in cotton 

 manufacture, and described before in this journal. Messrs. 

 Warner, Sillett, and Ramm, of Newgate Street, and Messrs. 

 Norris and Co., of Wood Street, Cheapside, exhibit three 

 Jacquard looms, worked by manual labour, and the design 

 from which the cards that control the action of the machine 

 are prepared. The design is by Owen Jones, Esq., and is 

 divided into 5,587,200 small squares, the design to be placed 

 on the cards being selected from these squares. It is 

 impossible, however, to give an exhaustive account of these 

 pieces of superb mechanism ; but we may select the 

 following from the excellent report prepared for the Society 

 of Arts by the Rev. Arthur Rigg, M.A. " It will be observed," 

 he says, " that at the top of these three looms there are a 

 number of cards in which holes are perforated. The holes 

 in each card represent some of the squares in the pattern 

 through which the needle of an embroiderer would pass, 

 assuming the design to be one for tapestry. To form the 

 design exhibited, there are connected 9312 cards in three 

 lines. These cards are laced together, and measure 1000 

 yards in length. The whole pack has to be turned over each 

 time that the design is completed in the loom. Immediately 

 under the one top card in each line of cards there is a square 

 metal boxing, filled on all sides with small holes ; in fact, 

 honeycombed, but with square instead of hexagonal cells. 

 These boxings are on axes, in one and the same straight 

 line, and by means of a catch, connected with a cord on 

 which the workman's hand or foot can act, they may 

 be turned through one-fourth of the circumference by one 

 motion of the hand or foot. In so turning, the perforated 

 cards are drawn forward, each card covering one side of the 

 square boxing, except where the holes in the cards previously 

 alluded to are found. For this turning, the frame-work in 

 which these boxes rotate is caused to move on one side. If 

 the cards and the square boxings were taken away, there 

 would be seen a number of wires projecting horizontally 

 from a series of openings in a fixed metal framing. Each 

 of these wires is held forward by means of light coiled 

 springs at the back ends of them. If now the square 

 boxings with perforated cards over the back vertical side be 

 permitted to fall upon the projecting wires, a number of 

 them will be pressed back against the light springs, the 

 vol. in. (n.s.) 3 E 



