7 
and setting the card teeth by movements effected by eccen- 
trics on a driving shaft, viz, (1) feeding the wire, (2) hold- 
ing it, (3) cutting off and (4) bending the wires into staples, 
(5) piercing holes in the leather, (6) passing the staples 
through it, (7) pressing their crowns to the sheet, (8) crook- 
ing the teeth, to the knee bend, and (9) advancing the leather 
to receive the next row of teeth. These complex and curious 
motions were effected by a series of cams or eccentric pieces 
fixed on the shaft and turned by a winch ; therefore the 
invention of making wire cards by machinery was accom- 
plished by Amos Whitimore, but it was many years thereafter 
before his machine could be made profitable in competing 
with the hand card makers. 
The final development of this invention is explained at 
large in the paper, but cannot be given in this abstract. In 
this machine, as in that of Mr. Heathcoat’s, a new principle 
of action was adopted to produce and govern the movements 
for making wire cards, viz., that of eccentric curves revolving 
on a driving shaft and guiding the motions of the traversing 
parts of the machines in their due order of succession for 
making and setting the card teeth as before stated. This 
application of curvilinear projections or cam pieces has since 
been extensively employed for giving intricate motions in 
many other machines invented during the last fifty years. 
Whence it appears that both Mr. Heathcoat and Mr. Whiti- 
more became pioneers and guides to other able mechanicians 
in their several labours for the advance of mechanical science. 
Among the inventions based upon that of the carding 
machine may be mentioned the machine for making the eyes 
or shanks of metal buttons, the machine for making wire 
reeds for weaving, and that for making pins. But without 
dwelling on other instances, it will suffice to say that the 
success of the lace machine and that of the wire card 
machine serve to spread the seeds of knowledge in prac- 
tical mechanics, the germs of which, half a century ago, were 
