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 ; but 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, Sec., 
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. 
