8 
widely cast forth from the fertile geniuses of John Heathcoat 
and Amos Whitimore. 
3rd. — Cutting Furs from Pelt. 
In the year 1810 a model fur cutting machine was sent to 
me in London by a company in Boston, to be patented in 
England. It was stated to be the invention of a Mr. Bellows, 
who was unknown to me. The machine was adapted for 
shearing fibres from surfaces by the action of spiral cutters 
revolving and acting against a fixed straight cutter, so as to 
shear or cut fibres from the surfaces to which they are 
attached. I had a machine made and put into operation at 
a hat manufactory in the Borough ; hut the workpeople 
opposed its being used, which discouraged further attempts 
to bring it into use in that trade. The principle of it, how- 
ever, was soon after patented for chopping straw, roots, & c., 
for which it was found valuable. Two or three patents were 
afterwards taken out for shearing the nap from cloth by the 
same action of spiral cutters revolving against a straight 
fixed edge, and many others have since appeared on the 
same principle, among which is that for mowing lawns. 
