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XXV. An Account of a Balance of a new 
ConfruSiion^ fuppofed to be of Ufe in the 
W oollen ManifaEiure, By W. Ludlam, 
B. D. Fellow of St, John’s College, Cam- 
bridge. 
Read June 6,Tr T is of confequence in fome branches 
JL of the woollen manufadture, that the 
thread of which any piece is woven (hould be all of 
the fame finenefs. After it is fpun, it is made into 
ikains of the fame length, and thefe are forted ac- 
cording to the finenefs of the fpinning. The manu- 
fadurers ufually difiinguilh and denominate the fine- 
nefs, by the number of fkains which go to the 
pound; the coarfefi; being about 12 to the pound, 
and the finefi: near 60. There is no other method of 
forting in ufe, except by the eye; but it requires 
great nicety to diftinguifh the fize of threads fo 
fmall, and long experience to know by the look 
only, how many fkains of any particular fort will' 
make a pound. A method of weighing them rea- 
dily would fave much time : the machine here deli- 
neated is for that purpofe. • It refembles the 
beam of a common pair of fcaies ; at one 
end of it is a fixt weight, which I call the counter- 
poife, at the other a hook : in forting, the fkain to be 
examined is put upon the hook, and finks down 
mocc 
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